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SERIES: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WEEK 7

TITLE: THE RESPONSE TO THE VISION

TEXT: REVELATION 1:17-20

INTRODUCTION: (1) A REPETITIOUS TRUTH FOUND IN SCRIPTURE IS THAT OUR GOD IS A GOD OF COMFORT.

* LET ME ILLUSTRATE FROM SCRIPTURE. IN PSALM 23:4, THE GREAT SHEPHERD’S PSALM, DAVID SAYS: (READ IT).

** NOW COMFORT HERE COMES AS A RESULT OF THE SHEPHERD’S PROTECTION OF HIS SHEEP.

*** FOR IF WE AS SHEEP FIND OURSELVES IN A VALLEY OF DEEP DARKNESS OR SHADOW OF DEATH, WE NEED NOT FEAR.

**** WHY? BECAUSE THE GREAT SHEPHERD IS WITH US AND WILL PROTECT US.

(2) THE SHEPHERD’S ROD AND STAFF ARE THE SHEPHERD’S EQUIPMENT TO PROTECT HIS SHEEP IN SUCH SITUATIONS, THE LORD’S PRESENCE IS OUR COMFORT.

* IN PSALM 119:50 THE PSALMIST SAID: “THIS IS MY COMFORT IN MY AFFLICTION, THAT YOUR WORD HAS REVIVED ME.”

** AND HERE THE WORD OF GOD, ITS TRUTHS ARE THE MEANS TO COMFORT FOR THE PSALMIST.

*** THEN MOVING INTO THE N.T., JESUS SAID IN HIS UPPER ROOM DISCOURSE TO HIS DISCIPLES IN JOHN 14:16: (READ IT).

**** NOW THE COMFORT HERE CAME FROM THE FACT THAT HIS DISCIPLES WOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE LIKE ORPHANS WHEN JESUS WOULD LEAVE THEM, THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE COMFORTER, THE ONE CALLED ALONGSIDE WOULD BE WITH THEM UNTIL THEY DIE – FOREVER.

(3) AND THEN IN II CORINTHIANS 1:3&4 THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS INSPIRED TO SAY: (READ THEM).

* NOW HERE THE SOURCE OF ALL COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE IS GOD HIMSELF. AND COMFORT RECEIVED FROM GOD IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES ENABLES BELIEVERS TO COMFORT OTHERS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES.

** AND THEN IN I THESSALONIANS 4:18, AFTER PAUL TALKS ABOUT THE TRUTHS OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, HE CONCLUDES THIS CHAPTER BY SAYING: (READ IT).

*** NOW THE FACT THAT CHRISTIANS WHO DIED WILL BE RESURRECTED ONE DAY AND WE WILL BE REUNITED WITH THEM BRINGS GREAT COMFORT.

(4) AND CLEARLY OUR GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF COMFORTING US WHEN TRIALS COME, WHEN WE’RE HURTING OR EVEN IN FEAR.

* FOR ANOTHER REPETITIOUS TRUTH IN SCRIPTURE IS “FEAR NOT”, “DO NOT BE AFRAID”.

** AND TRULY THE BELIEVER’S COMFORT COMES FROM TRUTHS FROM THE WORD OF GOD. TRUTH ABOUT GOD AND WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES AND HOW HE REIGNS BRINGS TREMENDOUS COMFORT.

*** SO THE TRUTHS OF THE WORD ARE THE MOST COMFORTING REALITIES I KNOW OF.

**** AND IT’S INTERESTING IN OUR TEXT TODAY, IT WILL BE TRUTHS ABOUT WHO JESUS IS THAT WILL BRING COMFORT AND PEACE TO JOHN WHEN TERROR STRIKES HIM.

(5) FOR YOU SEE JOHN HAD A VISION OF THE GLORIFIED SON OF MAN IN VV. 12-16 OF REVELATION 1, WHICH WE STUDIED LAST WEEK.

* AND THE RESPONSE TO WHAT HE SAW CAUSED AWE AND HOLY TERROR TO THE EXTENT THAT HE FELL AT THE FEET OF JESUS AS A DEAD MAN IN V. 17.

** BUT WORDS OF COMFORT FOLLOW. JESUS TOUCHES HIM AND SAYS “FEAR NOT, DO NOT BE AFRAID.”

*** AND THEN JESUS PROCEEDS TO TELL JOHN 4 TRUTHS ABOUT WHO HE IS IN HIS CHARACTER AND BEING AND IN HIS PERSON.

**** JOHN, DO NOT BE AFRAID, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST.

(6) JOHN, DO NOT BE AFRAID, I AM THE LIVING ONE.

* JOHN, DO NOT BE AFRAID, I WAS DEAD AND NOW I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE.

** AND JOHN, DO NOT BE AFRAID, I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES.

*** AND AS JESUS COMMUNICATES THESE TRUTHS TO HIM, WE ASSUME JOHN IS COMFORTED, FOR JESUS THEN COMMISSIONS HIM TO WRITE THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

**** SO OUR GOD IS A GOD OF COMFORT AND HIS WORD AND THE TRUTHS ABOUT WHO HE IS COMFORTS US.

(7) TRUTH IS WHAT TRANSFORMS US, TRUTH COMFORTS US, TRUTH SANCTIFIES US AND TRUTH IS THE WORD OF GOD, FOR JESUS SAID IN JOHN 17:17 (READ IT).

* NOW AS WE COME TO THE END OF CHAPTER 1 IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, TRUTHS ABOUT WHO CHRIST IS WILL BE THE MEANS TO THE END OF COMFORTING JOHN AND COMMISSIONING JOHN TO WRITE THE BOOK OF REVELATION AS JOHN REACTS TO THE VISION OF THE GLORIFIED CHRIST.

** SO I’VE SIMPLY TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY: “THE RESPONSE TO THE VISION.”

*** AND UNDER THAT THEME AND TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 4 POINTS. NO. 1 THE AWE OF JOHN OVER WHAT HE SAW, V. 17; NO. 2 THE ASSURANCE BY JESUS TO JOHN, V. 18; NO. 3 THE ASSIGNMENT GIVEN BY JESUS TO JOHN TO WRITE, V. 19; AND NO. 4 THE ANSWER TO THE MYSTERY OF THE MEANING OF THE 7 STARS AND THE 7 LAMPSTANDS, V. 20.

**** AND WITH THOSE MAJOR POINTS AS AN OUTLINE TODAY, LET’S MOVE IN TO OUR STUDY BY LOOKING AT THE AWE OF JOHN IN V. 17. LOOK AT V. 17 PLEASE.

I. THE AWE, (READ V. 17)

A. NOW JOHN IN RESPONSE TO THE GLORIOUS VISION HE SAW OF CHRIST IN VV. 12-16, FALLS AT THE FEET OF CHRIST AS A DEAD MAN.

* JOHN WAS OVERWHELMED, IN AWE, SO HE PROSTRATES HIMSELF AT THE FEET OF THE ONE HE SEES.

** AND THE QUESTION CAN BE ASKED AT THIS POINT, DID JOHN KNOW WHO IT WAS HE SAW IN THIS VISION?

*** AND MY ANSWER IS YES. FOR HE SAW CHRIST GLORIFIED BEFORE HIS EYES ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION ABOUT 6 DECADES EARLIER AND HIS RESPONSE WAS SIMILAR.

**** FOR IN MATTHEW 17:1&2; 5-7 IT SAYS THIS:

MATTHEW 17:1 – “SIX DAYS LATER JESUS TOOK WITH HIM PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN HIS BROTHER, AND LED THEM UP ON A HIGH MOUNTAIN BY THEMSELVES.”

V. 2 – “AND HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM; AND HIS FACE SHONE LIKE THE SUN, AND HIS GARMENTS BECAME AS WHITE AS LIGHT.”

MATTHEW 17:5 – “WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING, A BRIGHT CLOUD OVERSHADOWED THEM, AND BEHOLD, A VOICE OUT OF THE CLOUD SAID, “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, WITH WHOM I AM WELL-PLEASED; LISTEN TO HIM!”

V. 6 – “WHEN THE DISCIPLES HEARD THIS, THEY FELL FACE DOWN TO THE GROUND AND WERE TERRIFIED.”

V. 7 – “AND JESUS CAME TO THEM AND TOUCHED THEM AND SAID, “GET UP, AND DO NOT BE AFRAID.”

1. NOW HERE WE SEE A SIMILAR RESPONSE. PETER, JAMES AND JOHN FALL ON THEIR FACES PROSTRATE AND WERE REALLY AFRAID.

* AND JESUS COMES AND TOUCHES THEM AND SAYS: “DO NOT BE AFRAID.”

** AND MY POINT IS JOHN SAW THE GLORIFIED CHRIST MANY YEARS BEFORE THIS. BUT SEEING THE GLORIFIED CHRIST BRINGS AWE AND FEAR TO SINFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE ALIVE.

*** FOR SUCH FEAR IS LIKE A STANDARD RESPONSE TO SEEING GOD IN A HEAVENLY VISION.

**** FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE LORD GOD APPEARS TO ABRAHAM IN GENESIS 17 AND MAKES THE DECLARATION THAT HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY, IT SAYS IN GENESIS 17:3 IN RESPONSE TO THAT, “AND ABRAM FELL ON HIS FACE.”

2. IN JUDGES 13:22, AFTER THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO MANOAH AND HIS WIFE AND ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF SAMSON, MANOAH SAID TO HIS WIFE, “WE SHALL SURELY DIE FOR WE HAVE SEEN GOD.”

* THEN ISAIAH IN ISAIAH 6:5, IS OVERWHELMED BY THE VISION OF GOD HE SAW IN THE TEMPLE, CRIES OUT, “WOE IS ME, FOR I AM RUINED! BECAUSE I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS; FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS.”

** AND THEN IN JOB 42:5&6, JOHN HAS THIS REACTION AS GOD IS REVEALED TO HIM: “I HAVE HEARD OF YOU BY THE HEARING OF HIS EAR; BUT NOW MY EYES SEE YOU; THEREFORE I RETRACT AND I REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES.”

*** AND BELOVED WHEN A PERSON GOT A GLIMPSE OF GOD ALMIGHTY IN ALL OF HIS GLORY AND SPLENDOR, THERE WAS NO CASUAL RESPONSE, “HEY I JUST SAW GOD, NOW I’M GOING ON CHRISTIAN TV TO TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT IT.”

**** NO, THEY DON’T DO THAT. AND IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE CASUAL, SILLY, FRIVOLOUS, FALSE AND BOASTFUL CLAIMS OF MANY IN OUR OWN DAY WHO CLAIM TO HAVE SEEN GOD, THE REACTION OF THOSE IN SCRIPTURE WHO GENUINELY SAW GOD WAS INEVITABLY ONE OF FEAR, AWE, REVERENCE, EVEN CONDEMNING THEMSELVES.

3. FOR THOSE BROUGHT FACE TO FACE WITH THE BLAZING, HOLY GLORY OF THE LORD ARE TERRIFIED, REALIZING THEIR SINFUL UNWORTHINESS TO BE IN HIS HOLY PRESENCE.

* AND SUMMARIZING THE PROPER RESPONSE TO GOD’S HOLINESS AND MAJESTY, THE WRITER OF HEBREWS SAYS IN HEBREWS 12:28&29: (READ IT).

** AND AS WE GO BACK TO REVELATION 1:17, JOHN’S RESPONSE TO SEEING THE LORD GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN HIS GLORIFIED FORM IS NOT CASUAL, BUT ONE OF AWE AND TERROR, “HE FALLS AT HIS FEET AS A DEAD MAN.”

*** BUT NOTICE CHRIST’S TENDER LOVING RESPONSE TO JOHN AS WE MOVE ON IN V. 17, “AND HE LAID HIS RIGHT HAND UPON ME, SAYING, DO NOT BE AFRAID; I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST.”

**** NOW THIS IS A TOUCH OF COMFORT AND REASSURANCE BY JESUS.

4. FOR CHRIST SAYS, “DO NOT BE AFRAID”, LIT. STOP BEING AFRAID, FEAR NOT.

* JESUS TOUCHED HIM WITH HIS RIGHT HAND, HIS HAND OF STRENGTH, THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER AND AUTHORITY, BUT AS HE DOES THAT HE SAYS “FEAR NOT.”

** AND THE WORDS “FEAR NOT”, REPETITIOUS WORDS IN SCRIPTURE BECAUSE WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TENDENCY TO ALLOW FEAR, THE GREEK WORD FOB-EH-O FROM WHICH WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD PHOBIA, WE ALLOW FEARS AND PHOBIAS TO CONTROL US AND PARALYZE US.

*** AND THE VICTORY OVER THOSE FEARS COMES FROM SEEING GOD FOR WHO HE IS IN HIS PERSON AND POWER AND BEING COMFORTED BY THAT TRUTH AND STANDING ON THAT TRUTH.

**** AND IN OUR PASSAGE THE FIRST TRUTH TO OVERCOME FEAR COMES FROM THE REALITY THAT JESUS IS THE FIRST AND LAST, “I AM THE FIRST AND LAST.”

5. NOW THE “I AM” PHRASE WAS ONE VERY FAMILIAR TO JOHN, FOR JOHN WAS INSPIRED IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IN QUOTING JESUS 7 TIMES TO WRITE, I AM ABOUT JESUS.

* I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE, I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, I AM THE DOOR, I AM THE VINE, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

** AND BEYOND THOSE 7 EXPRESSIONS, JOHN WROTE IN HIS GOSPEL QUOTING CHRIST IN JOHN 8:58 (READ IT).

*** NOW THIS “I AM” EXPRESSION COMMUNICATES THE COVENANT NAME OF GOD IN EXODUS 3:14, WHERE GOD SAID TO MOSES “I AM WHO I AM.”

**** AND GOD AS THE GREAT “I AM” IS THE SELF EXISTENT ONE.

6. AND JESUS IS THE GREAT “I AM” WHICH COMMUNICATES HIS DEITY OR DIVINITY, THAT HE IS GOD, IN FACT, THE JEWS RECOGNIZED THAT IN JOHN 8:58 WHEN JESUS SAID THAT HE WAS THE I AM – GOD, FOR IN V. 59 THE NEXT VERSE, THEY PICK UP STONES AND ARE READY TO KILL HIM FOR BLASPHEMY.

* BUT IT’S NOT BLASPHEMY IF YOU’RE GOD AND JESUS IS GOD.

** AND JOHN KNEW ALL ABOUT THE TRUTH THAT JESUS WAS THE GREAT “I AM”, BUT JESUS SAID SPECIFICALLY HERE, “I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST.”

*** AND THE FIRST AND THE LAST FURTHER IDENTIFIES CHRIST’S DEITY FOR THIS WAS A TITLE USED FOR GOD BY ISAIAH.

**** FOR IN ISAIAH 44:6 IT SAYS: THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE KING OF ISRAEL AND HIS REDEEMER, THE LORD OF HOSTS: “I AM THE FIRST AND I AM THE LAST, AND THERE IS NO GOD BESIDES ME.”

7. THEN IS ISAIAH 48:12 IT SAYS: “LISTEN TO ME, O JACOB, EVEN ISRAEL WHOM I CALLED; I AM HE, I AM THE FIRST, I AM ALSO THE LAST.”

* SO CLEARLY THIS IS A TITLE USED BY GOD IN THE O.T. TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF AS THE ETERNAL ONE, WHO HAS NO BEGINNING AND ENDING.

** AND CHRIST’S APPLICATION OF THAT TITLE TO HIMSELF IS ANOTHER POWERFUL PROOF OF HIS DEITY. HE’S THE ETERNAL ONE AND THAT TRUTH WOULD COMFORT JOHN.

*** BUT THE ASSURANCE THAT JESUS WILL GIVE TO JOHN STARTS TO REALLY EXPLODE IN V. 18 AS JESUS WILL USE SOME MORE TERMS TO DESCRIBE HIMSELF AND COMFORT JOHN, WHICH IS OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE ASSURANCE. LOOK AT V. 18 PLEASE.

II. THE ASSURANCE, (READ V. 18)

A. NOW THE WORDS OF ASSURANCE FOR JOHN HERE IN V. 18 BEGIN WITH CHRIST’S DECLARATION THAT HE IS THE LIVING ONE.

* AND THIS IS ALSO A TITLE USED THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE TO DESCRIBE GOD, WHICH AGAIN POINTS TO CHRIST’S DEITY.

** JESUS IS THE CREATOR OF AND SUSTAINER OF ALL LIFE, HE IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE. JOHN 1:1-4 SAYS: (READ IT).

*** AND IN ESSENCE WHEN JESUS SAID HE WAS THE LIVING ONE TO JOHN HE WAS SAYING THAT HE HAS LIFE IN HIS ESSENTIAL NATURE AS GOD IN CONTRAST TO FALSE GODS THAT ARE NON-EXISTENT AND HAVE NO LIFE OR POWER OF LIFE IN THEM.

**** BUT THIS TRUTH IS FURTHER AMPLIFIED BY THE PHRASE: “AND I WAS DEAD AND BEHOLD, I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE.”

1. NOW THE GREEK TEXT LIT. READS, “I BECAME DEAD.”

* AND THIS POINTS TO THE MOMENT OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS AND HOW HE WAS NOT A VICTIM BUT A VICTOR, NO ONE TOOK HIS LIFE FROM HIM, HE VOLUNTARILY LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AS A SACRIFICE FOR SIN.

** AS PHILIPPIANS 2:8 SAYS: (READ IT).

*** AND MY POINT IS JESUS BECAME DEAD PHYSICALLY VOLUNTARILY AS THE PERFECT SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS OBEYING HIS FATHER’S WILL.

**** BUT THE PHRASE DOESN’T STOP THERE IN V. 18, FOR JESUS SAYS: “AND BEHOLD, I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE.”

2. AND THIS MAKES REFERENCE TO CHRIST’S GLORIOUS RESURRECTION FROM BECOMING DEAD. THE SON OF MAN IS THE RISEN ONE.

* HE IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE WHICH LIT. MEANS FOREVER AND EVER. JESUS IS THE DEATH CONQUEROR.

** AND THAT TRUTH PROVIDES COMFORT AND ASSURANCE, BECAUSE HEBREWS 7:25 (READ IT).

*** AND BELOVED, JESUS IS ABLE ALSO TO SAVE FOREVER THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR TO GOD THROUGH HIM, SINCE HE ALWAYS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM.

**** AND JOHN LAYING PROSTRATE BEFORE CHRIST HAD NOTHING TO FEAR BECAUSE THE LORD GOD WHO TOUCHED HIM HAD PAID BY HIS DEATH THE PENALTY FOR JOHN’S SINS AND ROSE AGAIN TO BE HIS ETERNAL ADVOCATE.

3. BUT ONE LAST TRUTH TO COMFORT AND ASSURE JOHN IN V. 18 AND THAT IS THE TRUTH: “I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES.”

* AND BELOVED THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION CHRIST HAS TRIUMPHED OVER SATAN AND WON THE RIGHT TO ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER DEATH, THE STATE RELATED TO THE BODY AND OVER HADES OR HELL THE REALM RELATED TO THE SOUL.

** BELOVED, CHRIST HAS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY IN THE REALM OF DEATH AND HELL. FOR YOU SEE A KEY DENOTES ACCESS AND AUTHORITY.

*** AND CHRIST HAS THE KEYS FOR DEATH AND HADES. HE HAS AUTHORITY OVER DEATH AND HADES OR HELL.

**** AND W. KELLY HAS A USEFUL NOTE THAT HE SAID AND I QUOTE, “WHEN THE LORD SAYS HE HAS THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES, HE INTIMATES THAT HE IS THE ABSOLUTE MASTER OF ALL THAT MIGHT THREATEN MAN WHETHER FOR THE BODY OR THE SOUL. SATAN’S POWER IN THIS RESPECT IS ANNULLED; CHRIST HAS IT ALL.” (END QUOTE).

4. AND THAT’S WHY JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 10:28 (READ IT).

* AND THE TRUTH IS FEAR GOD! SATAN DOESN’T HAVE THE AUTHORITY, THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL, ONLY CHRIST DOES!

** AND OH WHAT COMFORT AND ASSURANCE THIS SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT TO JOHN AND TO US. WE DO NOT NEED TO FEAR DEATH OR HELL. AGAIN JESUS IS THE DEATH CONQUEROR AND THOSE WHO KNOW HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR WILL NOT DIE ETERNALLY IN HELL.

*** READ JOHN 11:25&26, JOHN 14:19,

II CORINTHIANS 5:8 AND PHILIPPIANS 1:21&23.

**** AND BELOVED THE LIVING ONE, WHO BECAME DEAD AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD, THE LORD JESUS CONQUERED SATAN AND TOOK THE KEYS OF DEATH AWAY FROM HIM.

5. FOR HEBREWS 2:14&15 SAYS: “THEREFORE, SINCE THE CHILDREN SHARE IN FLESH AND BLOOD, HE HIMSELF LIKEWISE ALSO PARTOOK OF THE SAME, THAT THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT RENDER POWERLESS HIM WHO HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL.”

V. 15 – “AND MIGHT FREE THOSE WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE SUBJECT TO SLAVERY ALL THEIR LIVES.”

* NOW WHAT A COMFORTING ASSURING TRUTH. JESUS HOLDS THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL. AND JOHN WHO WAS LYING PROSTRATE BEFORE HIM LIKE A DEAD MAN WOULD HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THAT TRUTH AND SO SHOULD WE.

** AND AS JOHN WAS ENCOURAGED, HE IS GIVEN A COMMAND, A COMMISSION, AN ASSIGNMENT IN V. 19. LOOK AT V. 19 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR THIRD POINT, THE ASSIGNMENT.

III. THE ASSIGNMENT, (READ V. 19)

A. NOW AFTER CHRIST ASSURES JOHN AND COMFORTS HIM, HE GIVES HIM A COMMAND, “WRITE”.

* FOR THE VERB WRITE IS IN THE IMPERATIVE MOOD IN THE GREEK COMMUNICATING THAT THIS IS A COMMAND.

** AND BELOVED THIS REMINDS US, THAT AFTER WE ARE COMFORTED BY THE LORD, WE ARE COMMISSIONED, WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY, WE HAVE PURPOSE, WE HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT TO SERVE AND GLORIFY HIM.

*** WE CANNOT ALLOW FEAR, OR TERROR OR ANYTHING TO ALLOW US TO BE SIDETRACKED FROM OUR HEAVENLY ASSIGNMENT TO SERVE AND GLORIFY OUR SAVIOR.

**** AND JOHN NOW HAS THE TASK TO WRITE THE GREAT BOOK OF REVELATION BEING INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. AND IT’S INTERESTING THAT THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK ARE DIVIDED INTO 3 SECTIONS, WHICH GIVES US A CLEAR INSPIRED OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

* FIRST, JOHN IS TO WRITE THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN, THE VISION JOHN HAD JUST SEEN AND RECORDED IN VV. 10-16, AND IN ESSENCE WHAT JOHN WRITES IN CHAPTER 1.

** NEXT, JOHN IS TO WRITE OUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE, A REFERENCE TO THE LETTERS TO THE 7 CHURCHES IN CHAPTERS 2&3.

*** IN OTHER WORDS THESE “THINGS” WILL BE DETAILED IN CHAPTERS 2&3.

**** AND THEN THIRDLY, JOHN WAS TO WRITE THE THINGS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THESE THINGS, THE PROPHETIC REVELATIONS OF FUTURE EVENTS IN CHAPTERS 4-22.

2. AND THIS 3-FOLD COMMAND PROVIDES A NATURAL OUTLINE FOR THE BOOK OF REVELATION, ENCOMPASSING (FROM JOHN’S PERSPECTIVE), THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

* AND THIS BOOK IS PRIMARILY PROPHECY, AS IT IS CALLED THAT IN CHAPTER 1 VERSE 3 AND 4 OTHER TIMES IN REVELATION.

** AND THIS 3-FOLD OUTLINE IN V. 19 DIVIDES UP THE BOOK IN 3 CLEAR SECTIONS AND MAKES IT THE KEY VERSE IN THE BOOK. THE OUTLINE IS THINGS PAST, THE PATMOS VISION THAT JOHN HAD, CHAPTER 1; THINGS PRESENT, CHRIST’S MESSAGE TO THE 7 LITERAL CHURCHES AT THAT TIME IN ASIA MINOR IN JOHN’S DAY, CHAPTERS 2&3; AND THINGS FUTURE, CHAPTERS 4-22, THE PROPHECY OF THIS GREAT BOOK.

*** AND JOHN WILL FULFILL HIS ASSIGNMENT WELL AS WE HAVE THIS GREAT BOOK IN THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 4TH AND FINAL POINT TODAY, THE ANSWER. LOOK AT V. 20 PLEASE.

IV. THE ANSWER, (READ V. 20)

A. NOW JESUS HIMSELF INTERPRETS THE SYMBOLS THAT JOHN SAW EARLIER IN HIS VISION IN V. 12 & V. 16.

* FOR JOHN SAW SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS IN V. 12 AND HE SAW IN JESUS’ RIGHT HAND SEVEN STARS.

** NOW HERE IN V. 20 WE HAVE THE ANSWER TO WHAT THESE THINGS SYMBOLIZE, THE MYSTERY IS UNVEILED.

*** “THE SEVEN STARS ARE THE ANGELS OF THE 7 CHURCHES.”

**** “AND THE SEVEN LAMPSTANDS ARE THE SEVEN CHURCHES.”

1. AND I TAKE THE LITERAL APPROACH IN THE SEVEN STARS THAT THEY ARE LITERALLY 7 ANGELS, SORT OF GUARDIAN ANGELS ASSIGNED TO EACH CHURCH IN SOME SORT OF CAPACITY TO PROTECT IT.

* FOR STARS SYMBOLIZE ANGELS IN JOB 38:7 AND ISAIAH 14:12 WHERE SATAN IS CALLED THE STAR OF THE MORNING.

** BUT ALSO THE WORD TRANSLATED ANGEL, ANG-EL-OS IS TRANSLATED ANGEL AND MEANS AN ANGEL IN ITS SOME 60 USES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

*** AND SOME INTERPRET THE WORD ANGEL WHICH LIT. MEANS MESSENGER, SO INTERPRET THIS TO BE A HUMAN MESSENGER OF EACH CHURCH, A LEADING ELDER, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHURCH, MAYBE A PASTOR-TEACHER.

**** BUT THE N.T. PATTERN IS A PLURALITY OF ELDERS PLURAL IN EACH CHURCH SINGULAR.

2. AND AGAIN IN ITS OTHER USES IN REVELATION, ABOUT 60, IT ALWAYS MEANS A LITERAL ANGEL. AND THAT’S WHAT I HOLD TO HERE.

* ANGELS SPECIALLY ASSIGNED TO THESE CHURCHES.

** AND THE LAMPSTANDS ARE THE CHURCHES, WHICH REMINDS US OF THEIR PURPOSE, TO BE LIGHTHOUSES FOR CHRIST, TO SHINE FORTH LIGHT IN OUR DARK WORLD WITH JESUS BEING IN THE MIDST OF HIS CHURCHES, ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THEM, WHICH EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE.

AND IN WRAP UP (1) IN APPLICATION TODAY, ONE MAIN THOUGHT, THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOR, TO NOT BE AFRAID, TO FEAR NOT.

* AND THESE ARE IMPORTANT WORDS FOR US TODAY, IN THEM ARE TIMES WE CAN BE CRIPPLED, PARALYZED BY FEAR THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO FULFILL OUR ASSIGNMENT, OUR COMMISSION TO GLORIFY OUR LORD IN ALL WE DO.

** SO I ASK, IS THERE A FEAR THAT IS PARALYZING YOU?

*** FEAR OF DEATH? FEAR OF LOSING YOUR JOB? FEAR OF LOSING YOUR HEALTH? FEAR FROM LOSING YOUR HEALTH? FEAR OF LOSING A LOVED ONE? THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE? THE FEAR OF MAN? THE FEAR OF LOSING YOUR HOME OR THE PLACE THAT YOU LIVE? THE FEAR OF GASOLINE GOING TO 5 DOLLARS A GALLON? THE FEAR THAT OUR ECONOMY IS GOING TO COLLAPSE?

**** WELL, WHATEVER FEAR IT IS, OUR SAVIOR IS PUTTING HIS RIGHT HAND UPON YOU TRUE BELIEVER TODAY AND SAYING FEAR NOT.

(2) READ ISAIAH 41:10-13, PSALM 27:1, PSALM 118:6, HEBREWS 13:5&6, PROVERBS 29:25 AND MATTHEW 10:28.

* AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BOTTOM LINE, WE ARE TO FEAR GOD AND NOT MAN, AND REVERENCE GOD AND NOT LIVE IN FEAR OF ANYTHING.

** FOR AS WE THINK OF THE TRUTHS OF THE PERSON, CHARACTER AND SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF OUR GOD IN PROVIDENCE, THOSE TRUTHS SHOULD COMFORT US.

*** SO CONTINUE TO PURSUE KNOWING GOD AND MAKING HIM KNOWN, AND CONTINUE TO KNOW HIM IN A GREATER WAY THROUGH HIS WORD AND WALKING WITH HIM.

**** AND THE MORE YOU KNOW HIM, THE MORE YOU’LL TRUST HIM. FEAR NOT.

(3) IF YOU’RE HERE WITH CHRIST TODAY, YOU NEED TO LIVE IN FEAR FOR HEBREWS 10:31 SAYS: (READ IT)

* AND THE WORST FEAR OF ETERNAL JUDGMENT BY A HOLY GOD WILL BE YOUR END UNLESS YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND TURN TO CHRIST. I CALL YOU TO CHRIST TODAY.