Revelation chapter 1, I'm taking
the title for the message from what is said in verse 17. Fear not, I am the first, I am
the last. And when I saw him, verse 17,
I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon
me saying, fear not, don't be afraid. I'm the first, the last,
I'm the beginning, I'm the end, I'm alpha, I'm omega, I am all
and in all. God our Savior is in absolute
control of all things in heaven and in earth. In Daniel chapter
7, another vision given of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it says
there His dominion is an everlasting dominion. Three times in the
book of Daniel, the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Ancient
of Days. He's the Ancient of Days. From
everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. In the beginning, God. He's the Alpha, the Omega, the
First, the Last, and all things, salvation is of the Lord. In
another reference in Daniel chapter 4 verse 35, when God gave that
revelation to King Nebuchadnezzar, Remember he said, all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this
earth, and none can stay his hand, or send him, Lord God Almighty,
what doest thou? I am the first, I am the last. What that is saying is this,
God is saying, I'm in charge. I'm in charge of all things.
His sovereign rule and reign over all things in heaven and
in earth. The Apostle Paul writes this
in Romans 11, 36. Of him and through him and to
him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever. Amen. Amen. Now while John is
cast out of society, He's cast out on this island called Patmos
because he would not bow to the rule of Caesar. He would not
say that Caesar is Lord. He insisted on preaching the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they cast him out of society.
But the Lord Jesus Christ met with him in a most personal and
intimate way. John was cast out of society,
but he was not cast out of the presence of the Lord. On the
Lord's day, the Lord met with him, gave him this great, great
vision and revelation of the glorious God-man mediator. And what a picture we have in
these words that he paints for us. The glorified, majestic Lord,
whose face shines like the sun, his feet like undefined brown,
his voice powerful, sharper than any Two-edged sword. And when
John saw the Lord Jesus Christ, the exalted, enthroned, resurrected
God-man mediator, what was the response? When I saw Him, verse
17, I fell at His feet. I fell at His feet in adoration. Adoration and worship like a
dead man. falling down before the Lord. Like many others who have seen
the Lord Jesus Christ, including Joshua, Ezekiel, Daniel, Job. Job said, well, I've heard of
thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee,
wherefore I abhor, I hate myself. Moses, Isaiah, He said, woe is
me when I've seen the Lord high and lifted up. The apostle Paul
bowed before him when he was all of Tarsus and said, Lord,
what would you have me to do? I've jotted down here that reference
in Joshua chapter 5. When Joshua was by Jericho, he
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man
over against him with a sword drawn in his hand. unto him, and said unto him,
Are you for us, or are you against us? Are you for the adversary,
or are you for us? And that the Lord Jesus Christ
said to Joshua, he said, Nay, but as a captain of the host
of the Lord am I now come. You know, the Lord is called
the captain of our salvation. And notice the response, Joshua
fell on his face to the earth and did worship him. Those who have seen the Lord
Jesus Christ exalted in His Lordship, they bow to His sovereign rule
and reign. Another example, we have in Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 1, it says this,
When I saw it, I fell upon my face. When he saw the revelation
of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. I fell upon my face and I heard
the voice of one that spake, Stand up! I'll speak to thee. We read in Daniel chapter 10,
I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained
no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned into corruption, and
I retained no strength. The point I'm making is this,
and you can read all through the scripture, the wild man in
the tombs that nobody could chain him up, and calming down until
he met the Lord Jesus Christ. And then we read of that man,
he was clothed in his right mind and sitting before the Lord.
No one could deal with him, but when he met the Lord, the Lord
tamed him and made him one to worship the Lord. No one who
meets the Lord in saving mercy and the Lord has revealed to
his heart walks the same way as he did before he met the Lord
Jesus Christ. Go through Scripture. You can
read Scripture after Scripture after Scripture. When the Lord
reveals Himself unto us in saving grace, He does something not
only for us, but in us. He makes us new creatures in
Christ Jesus. He causes us to love things that
we never loved before. He causes us to think upon things
that we would not ever meditate and think upon before. To you
who believe, He is precious. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation, a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold,
all things have become new. When God is pleased to work grace
in our heart, He gives us an understanding of who He is. and who we are. When we see the
Lord Jesus Christ lifted up as exalted only Lord God and Savior,
that causes us to worship Him and do so in spirit and in truth. Now notice what the Lord says
here to him and what He does to John in this vision. When
John sees a magnified, glorified Lord Jesus Christ sitting upon
the throne, he says, I fell at his feet as dead. And what did
the Lord do? He laid his right hand upon him,
just like he did with Daniel and said, O Daniel, fear not,
thou art greatly beloved. He laid his hand upon him, his
right hand upon him, a hand of power, a hand of preeminence
and glory. And he said, fear not, Fear not,
I am the first, I am the last. Those who are laid in the dust
by His glorious presence are raised up by the hand of His
power. He laid His hand upon, it's a
hand of love, it's a hand of grace. You see, He's loved His
own with an everlasting love, therefore with love and kindness
does He draw us to Himself. He laid His right hand upon John,
The Lord of glory is most merciful to sinners who are broken and
fearful in his presence. We read in the book of Psalms,
the Lord has nighed them of a broken heart, save it such as be of
a contrite spirit. That's a good place to be, on
your face, in the dust, before the feet of the sovereign King,
and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. And the Lord Jesus
Christ gives John reasons for hope and comfort. He says, fear
not. E'er not John, e'er not. I am the first, I am the last.
John had heard the Lord Jesus Christ speak to him these words
before. When the Lord was in the flesh,
before His death, before His resurrection, when He ministered
those three years with the apostles. One time the apostles were out
in a ship and there was a great storm. And it was dark toward
the fourth watch, it says. And the winds were boisterous
and the ship was being tossed. And they see out there in the
distance, they see someone walking on the water. And they were fearful. and afraid. And the Lord Jesus
Christ comes to them and He says, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. Don't be fearful. Again, another place in Luke
chapter 12, He says, Fear not, little flock, for it's your Father's
good pleasure to give unto you the kingdom of God. Fear not.
I am with thee. Be not dismayed. The believer
resting in the Lord Jesus Christ for all of his salvation has
no reason to fear our sin. Our sins are many. Our sins are
against God. But the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ teaches us that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared once in
the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So He appeared to put away sin.
Remember in Revelation 1, verse 5, Jesus Christ is the faithful
witness, the first begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings
of the earth, unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood. No need to fear our sin condemning
us because the Lord Jesus Christ dealt with our sin. and put away
our sin. No need to fear our sin. No need
to fear Satan. He is a defeated foe. The book
of Revelation makes it so clear to us. Turn to chapter 12, I
believe it is. Turn over there to chapter 12.
Satan is a mighty adversary, but he is a defeated foe. Revelation 12, verse 9, the great
dragon was cast out. You got it? Verse 9, chapter
12. That old serpent called the devil,
Satan, which deceived the whole world. He is cast out into the
earth and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud
voice saying, in heaven now is salvation strength. and strengthen
the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ. For the
accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before
our God day and night." Now watch it. They overcame Him by the
blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they
loved not their lives unto death. We only can overcome the accuser,
the devil, the dragon, Satan, because of the Lord Jesus Christ
and His atonement for our sin. So believers have no reason to
fear our sin, our guilt, no reason to fear Satan, he's defeated.
No reason to fear the terrors of the law, which is contrary
to us. which was against us. The law
of God says you're guilty. Stop your mouth to guilty. But
the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law
being made a curse for us. No need to fear the law of God. It's been fulfilled by the Lord
Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I'm the
first, I'm the last. That is, He's in charge of all
things. Isn't it nice to know that somebody's
in charge? God's in charge in all things. The Lord from all
eternity is our surety in time. He died as a sacrifice for our
sin. Today, He ever lived to intercede
for us. He is everything in salvation. He is the first cause. What's
the first cause of our salvation? He's the first cause. What's
the last cause of our salvation? He's the last cause of our salvation.
He's the beginning. He's the end. He's Alpha, Omega. He's the first and the last.
It keeps saying that. Look at Revelation 1. Look at verse 8. I am Alpha.
I am Omega. The beginning. The ending. Sayeth
the Lord, which is, which was, and is to come. Oh, by the way,
He's almighty. He's the almighty God. He's not
just mighty, He's all-powerful, almighty, has all power in heaven
and in earth. Now, He gives us another reason
that we should not be fearful. Look at verse 18, Revelation
1 verse 18. I am He that liveth. I'm He that
liveth. He's not just alive. He is everlasting
life. I'm He that liveth, liveth, liveth
as eternal God. as our eternal God, who has life
in Himself originally, essentially, and is the author and fountain
of all life and salvation to others. We only have eternal
life as we are one with Him. The Father has given Him power
over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many
as the Father has given unto Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is
our surety as our mediator, as our advocate, ever live to intercede
for us now and forever in that eternal and everlasting covenant
of grace. He's able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by him, saying that he ever liveth
to make intercession for us. From everlasting to everlasting,
our Lord said, I am God. He does not change in His character. He does not change in His eternal
purpose. He said, I am the Lord. I change
not. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. He said, fear not. I'm in charge. I'm the first. I'm the last.
I live forever. I live forever. He's from everlasting
to everlasting. He is our eternal God. Now, look at the next statement,
and was dead. How can the living God, the everlasting
eternal living God, how can he die? Well, God essentially can't. God is spirit. God is everlasting. But the God-man mediator, the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and man in one person, he
did die. He did die a real horrible death. That is who the Lord Jesus Christ
is. He's God Almighty, manifest in
the flesh. And he had to be a man because
God cannot suffer. And God cannot die. Man alone
cannot satisfy, but the God-man mediator did both. He suffered
and he satisfied the law of God for us, shedding his blood, giving
his life for us. This is the amazing marvel and
love found in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is
life died for us, His death is the death of death. Think about
that. John Owen said that years ago.
There's a book by old John Owen, 1600 something, and he wrote
a book entitled, The Death of Death in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the death of death, of
our death. You see, for a believer to live
is Christ, to die, what is it? It's gain. It's gain. Turn to
Romans chapter 5. Let's read this together. Romans
chapter 5. He who is life and salvation
died to put away our sin. Look at Romans 5. Romans 5. He died for our sin according
to the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15. Look at verse
6. Romans 5. When we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died. Who died? The Lord Jesus
Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet perventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us. Remember what God said to Daniel?
Daniel, fear not, you're greatly beloved. God committed his love
toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. Much more than being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved
by His life." Verse 11, "...not only so, but also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we now have received
the atonement." The reconciliation for our sin. You see, He reconciled
us unto God. Our sin separated us from God. The Lord Jesus Christ, putting
away our sin, reconciled us unto God. We're one with Him. Hearing
His love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and that
He was the propitiation or the atonement for our sin. His death on the cross as a sinner's
substitute was complete atonement for all of the sin of God's elect,
laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not die to make salvation
a possibility. He actually obtained complete
and eternal redemption for His covenant people. So much so that
God said their sin, their iniquity, will I remember no more. None
for whom Christ died can perish because He ever lived to intercede
for us. That's the next point. Look what
it says in the text. Fear not, John. I'm the first,
I'm the last, I'm in charge, I am he that liveth. And I died,
I died for sinners, I died for the ungodly, I died to put away
their sin. Behold, oh, he didn't stay dead,
did he? I'm alive forevermore. Now what if he stayed in that
tomb? What about they took him down from a tree and prepared
that sepulcher and laid him in that tomb and they made it certain
and sure, they put a seal on it and they put soldiers there
to watch it so no one could come and steal his grave, steal his
body and say, well, he is resurrected. They put a watch there, they
put a seal on it, there's no way he's getting out of there.
by somebody else's power. But on that third morning, what
happened? There was a great earthquake. And the Lord on that third morning
arose. He was delivered from our offenses
and raised again. How do we know that what He did
upon the cross was accepted of the Father? He sits in glory. Raised from the dead. When He
by Himself purged our sin, He sat down. on the right hand of
the throne of Almighty God. His resurrection is the guarantee
of our salvation. If He be not raised up from the
dead, we are yet in our sins, and we have no hope. If He's
not raised up, my friend, the good news of the Gospel is on
that third morning, He did come forth. He did come forth from
the grave. I'm He that liveth and was dead.
Behold, I'm alive. I'm alive. Forevermore. Our Lord said this in John 14,
Because I live, you shall live also. We'll only live because
He lives. You see, He came as a representative
man, He lived as a representative man, He died as a representative
man, He's risen as a representative man, and we're seated in the
heavenlies already in the Lord Jesus Christ. Preacher, you're
crazy. That's what the Word of God says.
Ephesians chapter 2. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ, and we're
seated in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus Christ right now. He said, because I live, you
shall live also. See what He's saying there? Don't
fear. I'm in charge. I'm the first,
I'm the last, I ever lived to make intercession for you. I
died for your sin, but behold, I'm alive forevermore. And then
the next word says, what does that say right there? Amen. So be it. So be it. I can say
amen to that. Thank God. Thank God He came. Thank God He lived a perfect
life, imputing to us a perfect righteousness. Thank God He put
away our sin. Thank God He is seated in the
heavenlies. And it says there, amen, and
there's more. Is there more? There's more!
He said, I have the keys. I'm the owner. I have power. I have the keys. I have the keys
of hell and death. I have the keys of hell and death.
The Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign in creation, providence, and
salvation, but is also the sovereign over all things. He's a sovereign
Lord over death and judgment. God's appointed a day in which
He will judge all men by that man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has all power over death and
judgment. No one dies accidentally. I know we use those terms all
the time. We say those things all the time.
Well, it was an accident. No accidents with God. Man's
days are determined of the Lord. Man's days are determined of
the Lord. It's appointed unto men once
to die, and after that, judgment. No one's dying in this world
without God's decree. Mark it down. You see, He has
the keys of death. He has the keys of life. He has
the keys of judgment. Judgment. All judgment given
into His hand. Listen to this Scripture. Deuteronomy
32, see now I, even I am He. There is no God with me. I kill,
I make alive, I wound, I heal. None can deliver out of my hands.
Sounds like somebody's in charge. He's in charge of death. When
one of our dear loved ones die, that's an appointment of God.
I'm just confident, and that's what the Word of God teaches.
Again we read in 1 Samuel 2, The Lord killeth and maketh alive
the Lord, bringeth down to the grave, and He brings up. Our
resurrection is going to be by the power of Almighty God. The power of Almighty God. He
will also raise up In that last glorious resurrection morning,
when the Lord comes again to receive us unto Himself, He said,
Behold, I go away. If I go away, I'll come again
and receive you unto Myself. In that last appointed day, who's
going to get your dead body out of the ground? Mom and Dad ain't
going to help. Who's going to raise up your
dead body from the grave? It's molded back to the dust.
Only God who has the keys of hell and death. I'm He that liveth
forevermore. I have the keys of death. I have the keys of resurrection
glory. He will raise all who have died
in that final resurrection day, some to everlasting life, some
to everlasting condemnation. There will be a resurrection
of the just and the unjust. Who's in charge in that day?
God's in charge. He has the keys of hell and death,
and my friend, He has the keys of heaven. He has the keys of
heaven. Let me show you. I read this
over here. I've been reading and studying
in the book of Revelation quite a bit the last couple of weeks.
Turn to chapter 4, verse 1. We're going to see this as we
work through this study in the Revelation. Chapter 4 verse 1,
after this, John says, I looked, and behold, a door was opened
in heaven. And the first voice which I heard
was as it were as of a trumpet talking with me. That's who we
met back in chapter 1. Come up hither, and I'll show
thee things which must be hereafter. He has the keys of death and
hell. He has the keys of salvation.
And my friend, he has the keys to heaven. We only go there by
his permission, by his decree. The Lord of glory, who died as
our substitute, prepares a place for us now, and He will come
again and receive us unto Himself." He said, I'm the way, I'm the
truth, I'm the life. And then it says, no man, no
man. I used to ask my boys when they
were little, what part of no don't you understand? No man
can come to me except the Father which sent me. Draw him. We only
come by His decree, His death, His life, His intercession. Who shall ascend to the hill
of the Lord? Only those in Christ. Only those in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Since He took our sin, took our punishment, since He
took our death, the believer in Christ has nothing to fear.
Death is defeated. He ever lived to intercede for
us. Sin is put away. We're justified in Christ. Christ
had changed the character of death for the believer. He said,
he that believeth in me shall never die. Do you believe this?
To be absent from his body is to be present with the Lord.
For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. That's why we read
over here, turn with me to Revelation 14, I believe it is. Revelation
14, 13. Yeah. That's why we can say when
our Dear brother or sister in the Lord, it passes away, and
we're all passing away. Our days here are numbered. They're
very short. I'm a short timer. My days are
few. But look at Revelation 14, 13.
This is the reason we can say, I heard a voice from heaven saying
unto me, Blessed are the dead would die in the Lord. How could
it be a blessing to die? It doesn't say it's a blessing
for those who die. Blessed are those who die in
the Lord. Now that's the blessing, to be
in the Lord. Now how do you get in the Lord?
By His grace. By His decree. Now, in closing,
let's look at verse 19. Revelation 1, verse 19. Write
the things which thou hast seen. Aren't you glad He wrote them
down? We could have them and read them. You remember what
He said in verse 3? Revelation 1, verse 3. Blessed
is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,
and keep those things which are written therein. Write the things
which thou hast seen, and the things which are and the things
which shall be hereafter." Write them down. We have the precious
word of God given to us in our very hand. Do you realize what
we have? A treasure book. God's precious
word. All scriptures given by inspiration
of God. So our responsibility as believers
to read it, to believe it, to receive it and then declare it
to others. That's what preaching is. It's
just repeating what God has already said. Psalm 66 says, Come and
hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done
for my soul. That's what we're saying. what
He has done for us. He lives for us. He died for
us. He says I'm alive forevermore.
He has the keys of salvation, hell and death and judgment all
in His hand. Now write these things which
are and the things which shall be hereafter. I am the first. I am the last. Fear not. I am
with thee. Be not dismayed. For I am thy
God.