Okay, Revelation chapter 1, I'm
taking the title from what is said in verse 13. The Son of
Man, in the midst of the seven candlesticks, which we know from
reading the rest of this chapter, the seven churches found in Christ,
in the midst of the seven churches, one like unto the Son of Man.
God dwells in the midst of His people, clothed with a garment,
His priestly, kingly office, and gird about His chest with
a golden breastplate. The vision of the Son of Man.
Notice that statement. He is the Son of Man. Now, he's none other than the
glorified, resurrected Lord Jesus Christ who delivered for our
offenses and raised again for our justification. John gets
a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ enthroned. glorified and magnified,
sitting upon the throne. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is often
called both the Son of God and He is also called the Son of
Man. He's called the Son of God, I
looked it up, at least 46 times in the New Testament He's called
the Son of God, which declares His deity. He's declared to be
the Son of God, declares His deity that the Lord Jesus Christ
indeed is none other than God Almighty. But He's also called
the Son of Man, and I looked that up. Eighty-five times in
the New Testament, He's called the Son of Man. That declares
His real humanity. So He is the Son of Man, and
He is the Son of God. He is God and man in one blessed
person. We call Him the God-Man Mediator. There's one God, one Mediator
between God and men, that is the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's made of the seed of David
according to the flesh, Romans 1, but He's declared to be the
Son of God. He's not made the Son of God,
He is the Son of God. He's declared to be the Son of
God. He is the Son of Man according to the flesh. He is the Son of
David. but He's declared to be Almighty
God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. For He is both God
and man and one blessed person. And remember, the reason why
that's so important is because who He is gives eternal power
and effectual power to what He did. The One who came and put
away our sin and shed his blood is none other than God himself
in human flesh. God bought the church with his
own blood. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Without
controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest
in the flesh. You see, it's who he is that
gives power to everything he said. and everything he did. John said in verse 9, I, John,
also am your brother. I'm your brother. I'm an apostle,
but I'm your brother in Christ. We're one family in the Lord.
He said, I'm a companion of yours, but I'm in trouble. I'm in tribulation. But thank God I'm in the kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ. I was in this isle called Patmos
because John would not deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
because John insisted on declaring the Lord Jesus Christ that He
is God, that He is Lord. John would not bow to the Roman
Caesars. He would not confess that Caesar
is Lord. He said, no, the Lord Jesus Christ,
He is my God. He is my Lord. And because of
the Word of God and because of the testimony of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he was cast out of society on this island, but he wasn't
cast out of the presence of Almighty God. For we read in the next
verse, the Lord came and met with him. I was in the Spirit
on the Lord's day. That's the first day of the week,
the first day the Lord rose from the dead on Sunday. When the
church at Ephesus in Philadelphia and Laodicea and them other churches
were meeting, John was with them in Spirit. And he was in the
Spirit, worshiping the Lord on the Lord's day, and he said,
I heard behind me this great voice. Now, I've never heard
the voice of God. Have you? I often think about
when the thunders roll. You ever been in a violent thunderstorm
and the thunder just rolls and rolls and how it almost vibrates
in your chest the power of that thunder? I kind of get that. is something like John Heard
here, a great voice. And he calls it here as a trumpet,
as a trumpet. He calls it again as his voice
over here as the many, many waters, powerful, powerful water. Look at verse 15, the last part.
His voice as the sound of many waters. If you ever stood at
Niagara, Niagara Falls, and you hear that thunder and the power
of that water cascading over that cliff. It's awesome, isn't
it? That pales in comparison to the
voice of Almighty God. How do you describe His voice?
John uses language and things that we can somehow get a hold
of and comprehend as a mighty water, as a great trumpet, distinct
sound, powerful. The word of God is quick and
powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. And this voice says, verse
11, I am. I am. Now you can just stop right
there. I am that I am. That's what the Lord said to
Moses in that burning bush. I am that I am. And we know the
Lord Jesus Christ is called the great I am. I am the way. I am
the truth. I am the light. I am the bread. I am the living water. I am.
And that word alpha is the beginning. And Omega is the end. He's the first cause and last
end of all things. He said, the first and the last. There's none before Him and none
after Him. There's none before Him. He said,
I'm God. Beside Me there is none other. He said, I'm the first.
All in the beginning. Remember Galatians Genesis 1.1. In the beginning, God. In the beginning. It starts with
Him. It's carried on by Him, and it ends with Him. I am Alpha. I am Omega. I am the first. I am the last. I am the last. He says that again in verse 8.
I am Omega, Alpha and Omega, the beginning, the ending, sayeth
the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come, and oh,
by the way, the Almighty. Now, there's none almighty as
the Lord. Some people like to say that
they're mighty and they have power, but God has all power. He is almighty. The almighty God. I love that statement over here
in chapter 4, don't turn. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty,
which was and is and is to come. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
almighty God. God has all power, all glory
in heaven and in earth. He never changes. He said, I'm
the same yesterday, today and forever. He said, I'm the Lord,
I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. He
never changes. I am that I am. Now, He says, I'm the first, I'm the
last. What thou seest, write it in
a book. What you see, you write it down.
What you see and what you hear, you write it down and put it
in a book. Now think about this. You have
that book in your hand. What a privilege we have. What
a treasure we have. The written word of God given
through John, given to you, to us, describing everything the
Lord is and what He's done to accomplish our salvation. And
then write it down and put it in a book and then send it. He
sent it to us. He sent it to the churches. Notice
the churches. And these seven that are mentioned
here are symbolic of all of God's churches. Churches are made up
of sinners. This congregation and other congregations
are made up of sinners who are called out of darkness into God's
marvelous light. We've been put into the kingdom
of His dear Son by His grace, by His mercy. Verse 12 said,
I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned,
being turned to God from our idols, and being turned, God
turns us when He saves us, and being turned, I saw seven golden
candlesticks, verse 13, in the midst of the seven candlesticks,
which we know are the churches, God's elect from all ages, redeemed
by His blood, saved by His grace, In the midst of those churches,
in the midst of God's people, one likened to the Son of Man,
the Son of God. Where's he at? He's in the midst
of his people. Our Lord has promised us where
two or three are gathered together in my name. What does he say?
I'm in the midst of them. The Lord is with us. You say,
well, I don't feel His presence. He didn't ask you to feel His
presence. He said, believe my word. I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Where
you meet in my name, He said, I am in the midst of my people. One likened to the Son of Man.
We know that He was a real man. bone of our bone and flesh of
our flesh. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law. He was a real man, or He could
not have shed His blood. He was tempted and tested in
all points like as we are, yet without sin, who laid down His
life for us, who gave Himself for us, who obtained for us eternal
redemption with His own blood. He was a real man. But never
forget, this real man is also God our Savior. God our Savior. Now, as we look down through
this, in the midst of the churches, one likened to the Son of Man,
notice He's clothed. He's clothed with this garment.
He's clothed with this garment down to the foot. covering the
whole body, the resurrected Son of Man, the God-Man Mediator.
And gird about His chest with a golden girdle. John saw the resurrected, glorified
Lord clothed with this garment. And this garment, what does it
represent? It's symbolic of his office.
His office as the anointed Christ of God, prophet, priest, and
king. The garments of his holy priesthood
as our great high priest. He ever lived to intercede for
us. We have a great high priest.
Let's turn over here to Hebrew chapter 2. I want Hebrews chapter 4. Let's
turn there. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14,
He's clothed with these priestly garments, officiating as God's
anointed high priest for us, saying then that we have a great
high priest, verse 14, Hebrews 4, that is passed into the heavens. Where is he? He's in the heavens. that is passed into heaven, Jesus,
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not
a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was at all points tempted like as we are. Yet,
he's without sin. He had no sin, knew no sin, and
did no sin. And because we have a great high
priest that ever lived to intercede for us, look at verse 16. This
is so encouraging to us, isn't it? Let us therefore come boldly. Let us, therefore, come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help. in our time of need. When is
our time of need? All the time. I need His grace
and I need His mercy every day, every way, all the time. So He's clothed in His priestly
garments, interceding for us, representing us, laying down
His life for us. And then it says, the second
part of verse 13, that He's girded about His chest with a golden
girdle. I believe this is emblematic and represents His kingship.
He is the King. It's a symbol of His power, His
faithfulness, His supreme authority over all things. He is called in this revelation
in chapter 19 and other places, He's called what? King of kings. Lord of lords. He has this golden
girdle about His chest, representing His kingly office as our great
God and King. Verse 14 talks about His head.
His head and His hairs. His head and His hairs. White. I used to have some dark hair
when I was younger. But now my hair has turned white. And my beard has turned white. But it's not talking about necessarily
the color, but the purity and holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. His hair, His head, white. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty. White as snow. pure as snow,
the Lord our God is the absolute holy God, Lord almighty. That is the chief character and
attribute of God. God our savior, God our mediator. God is holy. Holy, holy, holy. The same words that are used
in Revelation 4 are the same words the seraphims around the
throne in Isaiah 6 say. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty. The last part of verse 14 says
this. His eyes as a flame of fire. piercing
eyes. I believe this talks about His
all-knowing. He knows all things, all the
time. If you look at chapter 2, Revelation
chapter 2 verse 18, unto the angel of the church in Thyatira,
write these things, sayeth the Son of God, who hath His eyes
likened to a flame of fire, and His feet are like brass. And then he says, verse 19, I
know. I know. His eyes see and know
everything. This is the one with whom we
have to do. His eyes are the eyes of omniscience. He knows our thoughts afar off. He knows everything, every intimate
thought and detail about us. There's nothing hid before the
Lord. All things are naked and open.
unto Him with whom we have to do." The all-seeing God. There's not a word, David said
in Psalm 139, there's not a word in my tongue but lo, O Lord,
Thou knowest it all together. His eyes They know all things,
his eyes see all things, and his eyes also see his people
and he provides for them. He speaks of his love for his
own. His eyes watch over us. Have you ever noticed how the
mother in the house always has her eye on that little child? Daddy might not even be aware
of what's going on, but mama knows. Mama always has that eye
about the child. What's the child doing? How much
more the Lord Jesus Christ has his eye upon his people? He's
always had his eyes upon his people. From all eternity, his
eyes is a flame of fire. His eyes warm our heart. lighten
our heart, enliven our heart. And then verse 15, he mentions
here, his feet, his feet like fine brass, as if they burned
in a furnace. And his voice as a sound of many,
many waters. His feet, his feet. Think about his hands being pierced. We're going to see in a minute
his right hand. Remember, Thomas said, I won't
believe until I see the nail print in his hand. His hands
and his feet were pierced for our sin. His feet like undefined
brass, burning. I believe this speaks of the
power of Christ to support and defend his church. It also speaks
of his feet that trod the winepress of the wrath of God alone, accomplishing
our salvation when he passed through the fiery trials for
us. These feet of brass also will
tread his enemies under his foot. The last part of verse 15, his
voice. get back to the voice of the
Lord as the sound, the sound of many, many waters, like the
powerful, powerful sound of Niagara, so great, the trumpet so great,
of a great trumpet, of a great sound. Everything about our Lord
is great. Love toward us, but God who is
rich in mercy for His great love. Where was He loved us? His mercy
toward us is His great mercy toward us. His love. So He saved
us with so great salvation. Everything about our Lord is
great. As of a great voice. Verse 10. As of a trumpet. As the sound of rushing, mighty
waters. Verse 16. He had in his right hand, in
his right hand. Now, normally when you signify
the right hand, I'm right-handed. My right hand is stronger than
my left hand. And it just doesn't say his hand,
and I'm not trying to say his left hand is not as strong as
his right hand, but it seems to be that he's emphasizing here
the power of his hand. Remember that confession of Nebuchadnezzar
in Daniel chapter 4? He said, all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, and He does according to His
will in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of this earth,
and none can stay His hand or send Him, Lord God Almighty. What doest thou? I want to be
found in His hand. I want to be the sheep of His
pasture and the sheep of His hand. He said, no one can pluck
them out of My Father's hand. My Father which gave them to
Me is greater than all. And in His right hand, these seven stars. We know these
seven stars are the ministers of the gospel wherever they may
be or whenever they lived down through church history. These
stars, these ministers of the Lord, are in His hand. In His hand. They're sent forth to preach
the gospel. They're under the hand of his
direction, under the hand of his power, sustained by him and
blessed by him. And they're called here stars.
God uses them as guiding lights to point sinners to the Lord
Jesus Christ. He places these stars where He
wants them, directing sinners to follow Christ's delight. Like
the stars in the sky above, they are fixed in their course and
their path. Even so, God's preachers are
not at liberty to change God's gospel. They're fixed and steadfast,
committed to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like that
star, it's fixed. God put it there. He sustains
it. He controls it. He directs it.
That's true of all God's ministers that are sent of God. They're
in His hand, and they're held by His power.
Now notice the second part of verse 16, "...out of His mouth,
when a sharp two-edged sword And His countenance was as the
sun that shined. Now what is this sword here?
Let's see if we can find out. Turn to Revelation 19. Look at
verse 11. Revelation 19. Verse 11, I saw heaven open,
and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True. That's Christ. And in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. His eyes were the flame of fire. Well, we've seen that. And on
his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no
man knew but he himself. He was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood, and his name was called The word of God and
the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean, and out of his mouth
goeth a sharp sword that with it should smite the nations.
He shall rule them with a rod of iron. He treadeth the winepress
of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. He hath on his
name an honest eye. He had on His vesture and on
His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You remember Hebrews 4 verse
12, the Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any
two-edged sword. Out of His mouth, He speaks the
Word of Truth, the Word of God. And that's what we preach. We
preach the Word of God. And it's the Word of God that
quickens the dead. It's the Word of God that feeds
the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ. And He had in His right hand
seven stars and out of His mouth with a sharp two-edged sword.
He operates upon His people, upon their heart, with a two-edged
sharp sword. Like the surgeon over here in
the hospital, when he operates on your heart, what does he have? Well, he has a sharp instrument,
doesn't he? That cuts exactly and precisely the path that he
directs it. How much more the Word of God,
when he operates upon the sinner's heart, to wound and heal, to
slay, and to save, to convict, and to convert, to strip, and
to clothe, to put in the dust, and to lift up, to kill, and
to make alive. You had thee quickened who were
dead. It trespasses unseen of his own
will, beget he us with the word of truth. Never underestimate
the power of his word. Not the power of my Word. It's
the power of His Word. The Gospel of Christ is the power
of God unto salvation. He defends His church with the
sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Verse 16. The last part of His
countenance. As the sun shineth in its strength. Over here, we read the count
there found in Luke 9. But over here, don't turn, let
me just read it to you. Over here, when the Lord was
transfigured, in Matthew, He says this. We
read this. After six days, Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John, His brother, and bringeth them up into a high
mountain, and was transfigured before them. And His face did
shine as the sun, His raiment was white, as the light. The sun shining in its strength. The glory and beauty of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now think about the strength
of the sun. And you can't safely look upon
the sun and glare upon the sun without being affected by it. how much more the glory and beauty
of the Lord Jesus Christ. To look upon Him and to see Him
as the brightness of our salvation, the brightness and glory of forgiveness
and pardon. the strength, the sun shining
in its strength, so much more the glory and beauty of our blessed
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what was the result of all
this? John had this great vision of the glory of the God-man mediator,
exalted, shining, bright, brilliant, glorious. You see verse 17? When
I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead
man. What was the result? Humility. What was the result? Worship.
If you ever see the Lord Jesus Christ as He is, God will give
you a heart of submission, a heart of worship to bow to the Lordship
of Christ. When I saw Him, I fell at His
feet in submission. like a dead man laying there. And watch the beauty of this.
What's the Lord going to do? This is our blessed Mediator,
our Savior, our Redeemer. And He laid His right hand upon
me. Wow! He laid His right hand upon
me. And He said this, saying unto
me, Fear not. Fear not. I am the first. I am the last. Fear not. Fear
not. In closing, I want you to turn
to the book of Isaiah. I was looking at this earlier.
I looked this up early this morning, how many times it says in the
book of Isaiah. Turn to Isaiah first of all,
Isaiah 41 verse 10. It says nine times in the book
of Isaiah, fear not, or fear thou not. Isaiah 41, look at
verse 10. This is the same voice, because
look what it says here. Verse 10, Fear thou not, I am
with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will strengthen
thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. Look at verse 14, Isaiah 41,
verse 14, Fear not thou worm Jacob, and you men of Israel,
I'll help thee, saith the Lord. thy Redeemer and thy Holy One
of Israel." He laid His right hand upon His servant and said,
don't fear, John. Now I want you to turn to Isaiah
43, verse 1. Isaiah 43, verse 1, But now thus
saith the Lord, that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee,
O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called
thee by thy name, You're mine. You're mine. What's comfort?
Here's the last one I want you to look at. Turn to Isaiah 44,
verse 6. Isaiah 44, verse 6. And this
is verse 6. Isaiah 44, verse 6. Thus saith
the Lord, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of
hosts. Well, look here. I am the first. I am the last. Beside Me there is no God. Same
person. Same God. Look at verse 8, Isaiah
44. Fear ye not, neither be afraid. Have not I told thee from that
time? Have not I declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there
a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God. I know
not any. Can you read one more with me? Turn to Isaiah 46. You see, the same God is the
God of the Old Testament and the New Testament. He does not
change. Isaiah 46 verse 9, remember the former things of old. For
I am God, there is none else. I am God, there is none. Like
me, declaring from the beginning, declaring the end from the beginning,
from ancient times as things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel shall stand, I will do all my pleasure. He declares
the end from the beginning. How can he do that? He is the
beginning. He is the end, which was, and
is, and is to come. The omega. The Alpha, the Omega,
calling a ravenous bird from the east, a man that executes
my counsel from a far country. Yea, I've spoken it. I will bring
it to pass. I've purposed it. I'll do it.
I'll do it. This, my friend, is a God that
we worship. Fear not. I am the first. I am the last. Verse 18. I am He that liveth. We'll look
at this more carefully next week. Verse 18. Revelation 1. I am
He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. I have the keys. He has the keys
of hell and death.