WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.700 Well, did anyone figure out what my text is tonight? 00:00:07.740 --> 00:00:09.919 I said this morning we were going to talk about 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:13.679 a portrait of Jesus. It's the only physical description 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:19.019 that we have of Him in the Bible. Does anybody 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:23.320 want to give me a text? Isaiah 53. Wrong text, 00:00:23.460 --> 00:00:27.760 John. But there is, of course, a description 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:31.460 of His suffering there. But after His incarnation... 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:34.859 Please give me the right text because that's 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:38.679 what my sermon notes are based on. Now my daughter 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:46.520 figured it out. Turn with me, I think someone 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:48.240 said it back there, turn with me to Revelation 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:54.039 chapter 1. There is no photo of the Lord Jesus 00:00:54.039 --> 00:01:00.840 Christ, of course. There are paintings which 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:04.980 depict... someone's idea of what he may have 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:10.980 looked like. When I was a student at Moody, I 00:01:10.980 --> 00:01:14.480 was involved in a quartet which sang in a small 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.359 covenant church in the north side of Chicago 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:20.140 one Sunday night. After the service, and when 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:22.060 we came into the church, by the way, in the front 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:27.459 of the church, there was this huge portrait of 00:01:27.459 --> 00:01:31.189 the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, that was the front 00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:34.750 of the whole church. It must have been 12 feet 00:01:34.750 --> 00:01:40.930 high and 6 feet wide. And it was Solomon's famous 00:01:40.930 --> 00:01:43.310 painting of the head of Christ, if you've seen 00:01:43.310 --> 00:01:48.730 that. After the service, when we had sung, Mr. 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:51.310 Solomon came up and introduced himself. It was 00:01:51.310 --> 00:01:55.010 his home church. And we were quite curious to 00:01:55.010 --> 00:01:56.909 meet him, and so we began to ask him questions. 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.420 And he shared with us how he came to paint that 00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:05.000 particular portrait as he portrays what he thinks 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:09.259 Jesus looks like. Back in the early 20s, I believe 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:17.599 it was, he was the artist for some national Christian 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:21.680 magazine. One of his responsibilities was to 00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:24.060 come up every month with a cover for the magazine. 00:02:25.610 --> 00:02:28.289 And one of his deadlines was approaching, and 00:02:28.289 --> 00:02:31.409 he had no idea what he was going to do for that 00:02:31.409 --> 00:02:35.969 particular issue. In fact, the very night before 00:02:35.969 --> 00:02:38.169 the deadline, he went to bed thinking about it 00:02:38.169 --> 00:02:44.150 and praying, Lord, help me. He fell asleep, and 00:02:44.150 --> 00:02:46.169 here's what he related. He said during the night 00:02:46.169 --> 00:02:50.750 he was awakened. And he opened his eyes and looked, 00:02:50.870 --> 00:02:57.439 and he saw a vision. at the end of his bed. And 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.960 the vision was of Jesus standing there looking 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:05.139 at him. Now you say, would you please explain 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:10.659 the vision? No, I won't. Now we'll go on. The 00:03:10.659 --> 00:03:14.919 vision faded away gradually, and he got up and 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:17.280 made a thumbnail sketch of what he had seen. 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:21.780 And as I recall his story, that thumbnail sketch 00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:26.520 was the cover. to the magazine and it was several 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:28.759 years later that he went back and filled it in 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.599 with oils and produced the formal portrait as 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:38.360 he called it of the vision that he had seen now 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:40.900 without trying to explain what happened to him 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:43.240 and what he actually saw because i don't know 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:46.860 i simply passed that on to you there is no one 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:49.900 however who has a photograph of what jesus looked 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:57.039 like We have here, however, a portrait, and it's 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.240 not a photographic portrait of Jesus so much 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:04.000 as it is a characteristic portrait of Jesus. 00:04:06.860 --> 00:04:11.860 We find here what John saw. The chapter begins 00:04:11.860 --> 00:04:13.860 with an introduction to the whole book, verses 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:17.360 1 through 8, and then John explains how he got 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.350 where he is on this occasion. with these words 00:04:20.350 --> 00:04:22.970 beginning in verse 9, "'I, John, your brother 00:04:22.970 --> 00:04:26.949 and fellow partaker in the tribulation,' not 00:04:26.949 --> 00:04:29.310 in the tribulation to come at the end of the 00:04:29.310 --> 00:04:32.230 age, of course, but in suffering, and kingdom 00:04:32.230 --> 00:04:35.589 and perseverance, which are in Jesus, was on 00:04:35.589 --> 00:04:38.589 the island called Patmos because of the word 00:04:38.589 --> 00:04:41.449 of God and the testimony of Jesus.'" The Isle 00:04:41.449 --> 00:04:43.829 of Patmos was one of those places where the government 00:04:43.829 --> 00:04:46.389 would put people that it considered undesirable 00:04:46.389 --> 00:04:52.279 elements. where they didn't have a prison necessarily 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:54.800 to put them into, and so they isolated them, 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:59.519 exiled them to the Isle of Patmos. Now, there 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:01.779 are some people who might have a rather romantic 00:05:01.779 --> 00:05:07.240 notion of such a vacation, to go to an isle in 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:10.699 the Aegean Sea and spend some time there. That 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:14.000 wasn't John's notion about it. This was prison. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.500 And there were undoubtedly others on the island 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:20.420 who made his stay there less than desirable. 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:24.120 And when he looked out on the sea and saw the 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.259 waters, he didn't see nice water to swim in. 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:31.259 He saw bars because those waves actually separated 00:05:31.259 --> 00:05:33.620 him from the people that he loved, that he had 00:05:33.620 --> 00:05:37.339 ministered to in Ephesus. And so that was his 00:05:37.339 --> 00:05:40.240 situation. He was there because of his ministry. 00:05:40.899 --> 00:05:43.639 He calls it the Word of God and the testimony 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:47.540 of Jesus. And it says in verse 10, I was in the 00:05:47.540 --> 00:05:52.160 Spirit. on the Lord's day. It could mean that 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.639 the Spirit of God came upon him in order to give 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:57.060 him this great revelation of Jesus Christ that 00:05:57.060 --> 00:06:00.379 he records in these 22 chapters. It may mean 00:06:00.379 --> 00:06:03.000 that he was in a state of worship and spiritual 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:07.879 joy and ecstasy on this occasion. It can be taken 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:11.560 either way. And it says, And I heard behind me 00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:15.100 a loud voice, like the voice or the sound of 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:19.220 a trumpet, saying, Write. in a book what you 00:06:19.220 --> 00:06:24.319 see, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, 00:06:24.579 --> 00:06:28.639 and to Smyrna, to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, 00:06:28.779 --> 00:06:31.759 to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:36.240 And John says, I turned to see the voice that 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.939 was speaking with me. Now, we would all do that, 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.680 of course. And John now records what he saw. 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.500 He has a vision here of the ascended, glorified 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:51.759 Christ. It is interesting that in his gospel, 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:55.420 John does not record for us the transfiguration 00:06:55.420 --> 00:07:02.000 of our Lord. But here he does record such a vision 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:05.819 of Jesus glorified. The time, of course, is after 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:08.680 his resurrection and ascension back to heaven. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.959 He says, And having turned, I saw seven golden 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:17.019 lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands 00:07:17.019 --> 00:07:22.899 one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:26.839 to the feet, and girded across his breast with 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:31.480 a golden girdle. And his head and his hair were 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:37.779 white like white wool, like snow. and his eyes 00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:42.319 were like a flame of fire, and his feet were 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.620 like burnished bronze when it has been caused 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:50.540 to glow in a furnace, and his voice was like 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:54.779 the sound of many waters. And in his right hand 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:59.160 he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.920 a sharp two -edged sword, and his face was like 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:10.560 the sun shining. And when I saw him, I fell at 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:14.439 his feet as a dead man. And he laid his right 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:18.399 hand upon me, saying, Do not be afraid. I am 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:22.639 the first and the last and the living one. And 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:26.660 I was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. And 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:31.889 I have the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, 00:08:32.049 --> 00:08:33.929 the things which you have seen and the things 00:08:33.929 --> 00:08:36.470 which are and the things which shall take place 00:08:36.470 --> 00:08:40.049 after these things. As for the mystery of the 00:08:40.049 --> 00:08:43.350 seven stars which you saw in my right hand and 00:08:43.350 --> 00:08:46.529 the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars 00:08:46.529 --> 00:08:49.070 are the angels of the seven churches and the 00:08:49.070 --> 00:08:55.789 seven lampstands are the seven churches. And 00:08:55.789 --> 00:08:58.570 so we have John placed here on the Isle of Patmos 00:08:58.570 --> 00:09:02.950 where he receives this spectacular vision of 00:09:02.950 --> 00:09:09.309 the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. He sees 00:09:09.309 --> 00:09:14.909 the Lord Jesus in the midst of seven lampstands, 00:09:14.909 --> 00:09:18.049 the meaning of them given to us in verse 20. 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:23.669 Each lampstand represents one of the seven churches 00:09:23.669 --> 00:09:27.870 to be addressed in chapters 2 and 3. These are 00:09:27.870 --> 00:09:31.870 seven of the well -known churches in Asia Minor. 00:09:32.129 --> 00:09:36.070 Today, of course, they no longer exist. But at 00:09:36.070 --> 00:09:38.750 that time, they were churches that people would 00:09:38.750 --> 00:09:41.529 know, not the only churches by any means in Asia 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:45.649 Minor, but the seven which our Lord chose for 00:09:45.649 --> 00:09:51.909 several reasons to address. He gives us a description 00:09:51.909 --> 00:09:55.409 of the person which he saw. Now John literally 00:09:55.409 --> 00:10:02.529 saw what he records here. But the words are symbolic 00:10:02.529 --> 00:10:05.629 of the function and the character of the Lord 00:10:05.629 --> 00:10:09.970 Jesus Christ. He literally saw this vision. He 00:10:09.970 --> 00:10:14.090 saw Jesus as he describes him here. But what 00:10:14.090 --> 00:10:18.509 he sees is a characteristic portrait. of the 00:10:18.509 --> 00:10:21.909 Lord Jesus Christ and not a photographic portrait. 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:28.029 Like any of us would have, John had a difficult 00:10:28.029 --> 00:10:32.210 time describing this glorious vision. You will 00:10:32.210 --> 00:10:36.049 notice the words like and as as he struggles 00:10:36.049 --> 00:10:38.409 to try to relate what he thought is something 00:10:38.409 --> 00:10:43.169 that we could understand and relate to. The Lord 00:10:43.169 --> 00:10:47.519 Jesus Christ is pictured here. not as the intercessor, 00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:53.679 but rather as the inspector. He is here the judge. 00:10:55.220 --> 00:10:59.000 He is here the one who is examining his churches, 00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:03.080 which is one of the works of our Lord in this 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:08.799 age. He examines our lampstand. However that 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.960 is represented before him, he examines the lampstand 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:16.700 of Grace Church. to see if we are burning brightly 00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:20.759 as we ought to be. We do not ourselves produce 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.460 the light, but we hold up the light. And he examines 00:11:24.460 --> 00:11:28.840 our ministry continuously. Well, John sees him 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:33.059 dressed in a robe. The robe is befitting of a 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:39.700 king or a judge. It is a robe that connotes dignity 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:45.480 and majesty. It is a reminder to us of what Isaiah 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:49.899 said he saw in his vision when he saw the Lord 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:53.200 high and lifted up and the train of his robe 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:58.600 filled the temple. Isaiah was describing the 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:03.980 skirts of the robe that was worn by this one 00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:07.919 in his vision. And here John sees him dressed 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:15.269 in a similar kind of robe. The robe is girded 00:12:15.269 --> 00:12:19.149 about with a sash, a girdle, or a belt around 00:12:19.149 --> 00:12:26.269 the chest. It was that which was sometimes used 00:12:26.269 --> 00:12:31.169 to tuck in the ends of the robe if the one who 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:34.909 was wearing it wanted to move quickly. But normally 00:12:34.909 --> 00:12:37.730 the robe would be hanging down to the feet, as 00:12:37.730 --> 00:12:41.250 it was here, and the sash would be around the 00:12:41.250 --> 00:12:47.500 chest. Again, indicating formality, indicating 00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:54.600 dignity of the one who was seen. John describes 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.299 then the head and the hair of the Lord. He says 00:12:58.299 --> 00:13:04.879 they were white like white wool, like snow. What 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:10.019 does that mean? As I see this, I think, perhaps 00:13:10.019 --> 00:13:14.789 you do too, of the custom of a couple of hundred 00:13:14.789 --> 00:13:18.509 years ago, perhaps still today in England, of 00:13:18.509 --> 00:13:22.149 those who were in authority or who were judges 00:13:22.149 --> 00:13:26.509 wearing white wigs. Looks a little odd, doesn't 00:13:26.509 --> 00:13:28.309 it, to see pictures of the judicial courtroom 00:13:28.309 --> 00:13:31.409 in England and to see these individuals in the 00:13:31.409 --> 00:13:34.389 20th century wearing a white wig. What does that 00:13:34.389 --> 00:13:38.509 mean for them? Well, it is an indication of their 00:13:38.509 --> 00:13:43.799 dignity. of their nobility, of their elevated 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:47.440 responsibility. And that is undoubtedly what 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:52.700 the hair here symbolizes. It is the elevation, 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.519 the nobility of the person of the Lord Jesus 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:59.460 Christ. It is not unlike the vision that Daniel 00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:02.820 had and recorded in Daniel 7, which was read 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:05.580 for us this morning as we began our worship service. 00:14:06.570 --> 00:14:09.350 Daniel envisioned this one who is the Ancient 00:14:09.350 --> 00:14:15.070 of Days sitting upon his throne. Then John's 00:14:15.070 --> 00:14:17.809 attention was drawn to the eyes of the Lord Jesus. 00:14:18.470 --> 00:14:24.429 His eyes were like a flame of fire. A flame of 00:14:24.429 --> 00:14:29.210 fire. What is John trying to tell us here? I 00:14:29.210 --> 00:14:32.330 think he is trying to explain to us the penetration 00:14:32.330 --> 00:14:38.629 of the eyes. of the Lord Jesus Christ. That his 00:14:38.629 --> 00:14:44.570 gaze upon John was a searching gaze, a knowing 00:14:44.570 --> 00:14:49.610 gaze. It was the kind of look which looked right 00:14:49.610 --> 00:14:52.789 through him. Have you ever met someone like that? 00:14:54.149 --> 00:14:56.929 It can be an intimidating experience, can't it? 00:14:58.190 --> 00:15:01.190 for someone to look at you that way. And undoubtedly, 00:15:01.350 --> 00:15:03.289 that is what John is saying here, that as he 00:15:03.289 --> 00:15:05.809 looked at the eyes of the Lord, first he noticed 00:15:05.809 --> 00:15:08.090 the clothing he was wearing, then he noticed 00:15:08.090 --> 00:15:11.509 his hair glistening white like the sun shining 00:15:11.509 --> 00:15:15.549 on the snow, and then his eyes were drawn to 00:15:15.549 --> 00:15:20.049 the eyes of Jesus as Jesus looked at him and 00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:24.009 knew him. Is it not a reminder to us that Jesus 00:15:24.009 --> 00:15:28.899 knows us? and his eyes are continually upon us. 00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:34.820 Not really in some harsh way, not in some threatening 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:40.000 manner, but his eyes, his searching eyes as flames 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:45.679 of fire, are upon us, knowing us, following us, 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:53.399 examining us, loving us. I remember the experience 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:56.019 that Peter had, don't you, after he had betrayed 00:15:56.019 --> 00:16:01.440 our Lord? And there, after that third betrayal, 00:16:01.580 --> 00:16:06.740 Jesus was led in such a manner that he could 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:08.840 look out and see Peter where he was standing. 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:14.980 And when their eyes met, however brief that second 00:16:14.980 --> 00:16:18.940 was, there was an explosion in the heart of Peter. 00:16:20.269 --> 00:16:24.009 As at once he recognized that that look from 00:16:24.009 --> 00:16:27.009 Jesus communicated that Jesus knew exactly what 00:16:27.009 --> 00:16:32.009 Peter had said, and yet there was this intense 00:16:32.009 --> 00:16:37.370 compassion, pity, and love for Peter, which later 00:16:37.370 --> 00:16:42.570 restored Peter into fellowship and service. But 00:16:42.570 --> 00:16:44.549 at that moment, because Peter was overwhelmed 00:16:44.549 --> 00:16:50.409 with guilt and inward feelings of shame, He ran 00:16:50.409 --> 00:16:54.710 out of there in tears and repented of his sin, 00:16:54.710 --> 00:16:57.789 betraying, in the denying, rather, our Lord. 00:16:59.169 --> 00:17:04.130 And so these eyes of the Lord Jesus here are 00:17:04.130 --> 00:17:08.029 those kind of eyes. Perhaps this ties together 00:17:08.029 --> 00:17:12.750 with what is said in 1 Corinthians 3, where it 00:17:12.750 --> 00:17:15.349 says that at the future judgment seat of Christ, 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:18.960 where all of us... in Christ will stand for examination. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:24.059 Our works will be represented by gold, silver, 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:26.759 and precious stones, or hay, wood, and stubble. 00:17:27.299 --> 00:17:31.299 The idea seems to be that the accumulated works, 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:36.980 the effect, the fruit, the results of our lives 00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:41.160 will somehow be represented there. I don't know 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:45.680 how. But Paul tells us that in whatever representation 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.400 it will be, there will be that which is of great 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:53.559 value and permanent, and then there is the possibility 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:57.319 of that being there which can be easily burned. 00:17:58.339 --> 00:18:01.140 And he says, that which is hay, wood, and stubble 00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:04.579 shall be quickly consumed in fire. And he says, 00:18:04.660 --> 00:18:08.359 so shall we be saved, yet through fire, not the 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:11.750 fire of hell or of purgatory. regarding which 00:18:11.750 --> 00:18:14.509 the Bible has nothing to say at all, but rather 00:18:14.509 --> 00:18:19.269 the fire of judgment and examination. One cannot 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:21.369 help but wonder if it is not just that piercing 00:18:21.369 --> 00:18:24.170 gaze of the Lord Jesus Christ that will ignite 00:18:24.170 --> 00:18:28.210 the hay, wood, and stubble, which may represent 00:18:28.210 --> 00:18:32.690 altogether too much of our lives. Someday you're 00:18:32.690 --> 00:18:34.470 going to look at those eyes, and I'm going to 00:18:34.470 --> 00:18:37.289 look at those eyes. That's hard to imagine, isn't 00:18:37.289 --> 00:18:42.269 it? I sometimes think about that and try to imagine 00:18:42.269 --> 00:18:47.309 what it will be like to look in his face, to 00:18:47.309 --> 00:18:50.829 look in those eyes. And there are times that 00:18:50.829 --> 00:18:55.289 it frightens me a great deal to think that someday 00:18:55.289 --> 00:18:58.809 I shall look into his eyes, not that he necessarily 00:18:58.809 --> 00:19:01.890 wants me to be frightened, but to know in that 00:19:01.890 --> 00:19:04.809 instant I will be searched out and revealed and 00:19:04.809 --> 00:19:09.470 examined at the judgment seat. It behooves us, 00:19:09.490 --> 00:19:12.069 beloved, to live in such a way so that on that 00:19:12.069 --> 00:19:17.069 day when we look into his eyes, our first thought 00:19:17.069 --> 00:19:20.509 will be one of love and not fear of exposure. 00:19:22.930 --> 00:19:31.210 One of worship. John then has his eyes drawn 00:19:31.210 --> 00:19:34.490 to the feet of the Lord Jesus. His feet were 00:19:34.490 --> 00:19:38.910 like burnished bronze, it says. Those of you 00:19:38.910 --> 00:19:41.329 who study the Bible know, and I hope that's all 00:19:41.329 --> 00:19:44.990 of you, know that bronze or brass in the Bible 00:19:44.990 --> 00:19:49.049 speaks of what? Somebody tell me. What does it 00:19:49.049 --> 00:19:54.650 symbolically represent? I know some of you know. 00:19:55.829 --> 00:19:59.950 Exactly, judgment. It represents judgment. An 00:19:59.950 --> 00:20:02.009 example of that is, if you go back to the Old 00:20:02.009 --> 00:20:06.559 Testament, to the tabernacle. you will find that 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:09.099 in that outer court of the tabernacle where the 00:20:09.099 --> 00:20:11.539 judgment took place, where the blood was shed, 00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:16.640 where the animal died, where cleansing took place 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:21.920 ceremonially, that there the instruments were 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:25.779 made of brass, representing the fact that judgment 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:30.299 took place at those places, at the laver, at 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:32.920 the altar, and so on. Judgment. Brass represents 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:36.519 judgment in the Bible. And here the feet of the 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:40.779 Lord Jesus are described as being like burnished 00:20:40.779 --> 00:20:47.700 or fine bronze. And then John again describes 00:20:47.700 --> 00:20:52.000 his voice. He says his voice was like the sound 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:56.140 of many waters. He described it earlier as a 00:20:56.140 --> 00:21:03.509 trumpet sound. The voice of many waters. A few 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:06.369 weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go to the 00:21:06.369 --> 00:21:08.230 North Shore. I think I shared that with you once 00:21:08.230 --> 00:21:11.410 before. We were there a couple of days. It was 00:21:11.410 --> 00:21:13.890 a fun experience. We'd never been up there before 00:21:13.890 --> 00:21:17.490 and seen that part of Minnesota. Shores of Lake 00:21:17.490 --> 00:21:21.990 Superior are indeed spectacular. We spent about 00:21:21.990 --> 00:21:25.210 three hours out on the shore, digging around 00:21:25.210 --> 00:21:28.750 the rocks looking for agates. And after three 00:21:28.750 --> 00:21:30.910 hours, I decided that I still didn't know what 00:21:30.910 --> 00:21:33.869 an agate was. And at this moment, I don't know 00:21:33.869 --> 00:21:37.109 what a nag it is. I think it's a second cousin 00:21:37.109 --> 00:21:41.849 to a snipe, if you know what snipes are. But 00:21:41.849 --> 00:21:43.509 it was an interesting way to spend three or four 00:21:43.509 --> 00:21:48.569 hours anyway. And then we would go, we'd stop 00:21:48.569 --> 00:21:50.890 at Gooseberry Falls and some of the other falls 00:21:50.890 --> 00:21:53.210 there. And you could always tell as you were 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:54.769 getting close to the falls, and many of you have 00:21:54.769 --> 00:21:56.769 been there, you know, the sound, the roar of 00:21:56.769 --> 00:22:00.730 the water falling across those rocks. And that 00:22:00.730 --> 00:22:02.789 seems to be the picture that John has in mind 00:22:02.789 --> 00:22:06.130 here, if not the ocean. Because, of course, the 00:22:06.130 --> 00:22:08.230 ocean was out there before him as he was in the 00:22:08.230 --> 00:22:10.390 Isle of Patmos, and the storms would cause those 00:22:10.390 --> 00:22:14.730 wild waves to lash and to beat against the shore 00:22:14.730 --> 00:22:18.269 with a great roar. And so he says it was the 00:22:18.269 --> 00:22:21.549 sound of many waters, his voice, like the sound 00:22:21.549 --> 00:22:27.809 of trumpets, like the sound of thunder. It speaks 00:22:27.809 --> 00:22:32.190 of the resonance of the depth, which again connote 00:22:32.190 --> 00:22:37.390 authority of the one who is speaking. Then John 00:22:37.390 --> 00:22:39.329 looked at his hand, and in his right hand he 00:22:39.329 --> 00:22:47.950 saw that Jesus had seven stars. Verse 16. And 00:22:47.950 --> 00:22:52.309 those stars are defined for us in verse 20 as 00:22:52.309 --> 00:22:57.329 the angels of the seven churches. And there are 00:22:57.329 --> 00:22:59.670 commentators who differ on what the angels are. 00:22:59.789 --> 00:23:02.009 There are some who believe them to be the pastors 00:23:02.009 --> 00:23:04.990 of the seven churches. There are others who have 00:23:04.990 --> 00:23:09.250 never seen a pastor who is an angel. There are 00:23:09.250 --> 00:23:15.789 some who see them as literally angels, guardian 00:23:15.789 --> 00:23:20.299 -type angels over each of the churches. They 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:23.140 may have been the messengers who carried the 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:25.319 letters to the seven churches. We don't exactly 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:28.460 know who they are, but the fact that Jesus has 00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:30.880 them in his right hand indicates the authority 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:35.119 of these messengers. I don't think that they 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:39.059 were angelic beings. I think he has in mind here 00:23:39.059 --> 00:23:41.940 humans, whether they were the pastors or they 00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:44.319 represent the elders of the churches or whether 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:46.339 they represent the ones who carried the letters 00:23:46.339 --> 00:23:48.460 to the seven churches. They are human messengers. 00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:52.240 that our lord held in his right hand and their 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:55.480 purpose was to deliver this letter that jesus 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:59.299 was writing to them and then john says that out 00:23:59.299 --> 00:24:04.400 of his mouth there came this sharp two -edged 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:08.599 sword there are other places where jesus is described 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:11.220 that way and frankly that is a rather fearsome 00:24:11.220 --> 00:24:16.480 kind of description to me but remember that he 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:22.500 is describing here a characteristic look at Jesus. 00:24:23.140 --> 00:24:26.680 And so he is telling us what came out of his 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:31.440 mouth was the two -edged sword of the Word of 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:36.160 God. In Ephesians, excuse me, Hebrews 4 .12, 00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:39.900 the Word of God is described as a two -edged 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:45.720 sword. And so Jesus is speaking the Word of Revelation. 00:24:47.049 --> 00:24:51.750 The word of God to man. Why is it a two -edged 00:24:51.750 --> 00:24:56.990 sword? Because it at once brings blessing and 00:24:56.990 --> 00:25:03.789 cursing. It at once brings salvation and condemnation. 00:25:03.809 --> 00:25:07.809 It cuts both ways, you see. An example of that 00:25:07.809 --> 00:25:10.230 would be the statement of Jesus in Matthew 25, 00:25:10.589 --> 00:25:13.470 where he brings the sheep before him and he says 00:25:13.470 --> 00:25:16.930 to them, Come. into the kingdom prepared for 00:25:16.930 --> 00:25:20.049 you. And he says to those who are described there 00:25:20.049 --> 00:25:25.049 as goats, he says to them, go, depart from me 00:25:25.049 --> 00:25:28.410 into everlasting fire. And so our Lord speaks 00:25:28.410 --> 00:25:31.069 there at one time with salvation and another 00:25:31.069 --> 00:25:33.890 time with judgment, thus the two -edged sword 00:25:33.890 --> 00:25:37.390 of the word of God. It is life to those who believe. 00:25:37.450 --> 00:25:42.390 It is death to those who reject it. And then 00:25:42.390 --> 00:25:45.950 John writes of his countenance, his face. He 00:25:45.950 --> 00:25:49.210 says, his face was like the sun shining in its 00:25:49.210 --> 00:25:53.049 strength. A picture not unlike that of the transfiguration. 00:25:53.049 --> 00:25:55.789 I think it was Luke that said that he shone like 00:25:55.789 --> 00:26:03.730 the sun. What does that mean to us? It means 00:26:03.730 --> 00:26:08.730 that Jesus is glorified and exalted. and that 00:26:08.730 --> 00:26:12.549 his deity is evidenced to those who see him. 00:26:13.450 --> 00:26:16.690 Such was not the case when he walked on the earth. 00:26:17.109 --> 00:26:23.329 It was veiled in flesh. As the Christmas song 00:26:23.329 --> 00:26:29.569 says, Veiled in flesh the Godhead see. And though 00:26:29.569 --> 00:26:33.250 he is still in a body of flesh, it is now glorified 00:26:33.250 --> 00:26:37.359 flesh. which is able somehow to transmit his 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:43.240 deity and his glory. And so as John saw his face, 00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:48.039 his countenance, it shone like the sun. It was 00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:52.160 brilliant. When you and I see Jesus, I believe 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:55.180 that's what we will see of him, his brilliance. 00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:58.599 And is it not a marvelous thing that one day 00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:04.640 we shall see him as he is and be like him? What 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:06.799 is John's response to this tremendous vision 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:10.680 of the Lord Jesus? Well, he responded as we probably 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:14.740 would. He says, I fell at his feet as a dead 00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:19.160 man. It left him apparently paralyzed. He just 00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:24.420 fell flat on his face, perhaps blinded and speechless. 00:27:25.099 --> 00:27:29.019 He was frightened. There may have been two reasons 00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:32.299 for his terror at this point, reasons we can 00:27:32.299 --> 00:27:35.640 well understand. In the first place, he looked 00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:40.640 upon unveiled deity in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:27:42.119 --> 00:27:46.519 And that is an awesome thing. To look upon deity. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:52.740 And then he may have been fearful because as 00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:56.059 he looked upon the Lord Jesus, he not only saw 00:27:56.059 --> 00:28:00.000 the richness of the person of Christ, but he 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.069 saw the nothingness of himself. He saw that in 00:28:04.069 --> 00:28:08.730 himself he is empty and insignificant, and he 00:28:08.730 --> 00:28:12.329 fell at his feet. Perhaps that was the response 00:28:12.329 --> 00:28:14.650 of Daniel when he saw what was actually an angel 00:28:14.650 --> 00:28:17.609 in Daniel 10 and fell as a dead man before the 00:28:17.609 --> 00:28:21.789 angel. This is the response of Isaiah when he 00:28:21.789 --> 00:28:25.549 saw the Lord high and lifted up. This is the 00:28:25.549 --> 00:28:29.150 response of Israel when the Lord evidenced himself 00:28:29.150 --> 00:28:33.069 at Mount Sinai. They were frightened. They were 00:28:33.069 --> 00:28:38.609 fearful. They fled from the mountain. I like 00:28:38.609 --> 00:28:42.029 what Jesus did. He laid his right hand upon me. 00:28:42.410 --> 00:28:46.569 Isn't that great? Jesus reached out and in tender 00:28:46.569 --> 00:28:52.769 compassion touched John and lifted him so that 00:28:52.769 --> 00:28:56.849 he might stand with strength. And then John heard 00:28:56.849 --> 00:29:02.430 two words. figuratively speaking. Number one, 00:29:02.549 --> 00:29:05.670 he heard a word of comfort. Jesus said to him, 00:29:05.769 --> 00:29:09.150 Fear not. Do not be afraid. Now, why shouldn't 00:29:09.150 --> 00:29:12.490 John be afraid? Well, in the first place, he 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:15.970 says, I am the first and the last. Only God can 00:29:15.970 --> 00:29:21.289 say that. Jesus is claiming here, I was before 00:29:21.289 --> 00:29:25.150 the beginning. I am the first. And he is saying, 00:29:25.210 --> 00:29:29.559 I am after everything. I am the last. He is declaring 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:33.460 here his eternal pre -existence, that he existed 00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:36.180 before time. He had no beginning. There was none 00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:40.660 before him. And his everlasting existence, that 00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:42.779 there is no ending, that there is none who will 00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:48.039 come after him. Before creation he was, and after 00:29:48.039 --> 00:29:51.319 the monuments and the glory of men crumble, he 00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:55.200 will be. And therefore, he says to John, don't 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:58.930 be afraid. The second reason why John did not 00:29:58.930 --> 00:30:00.950 have to be afraid is that Jesus said, I am the 00:30:00.950 --> 00:30:06.250 living one. He is telling John here that he has 00:30:06.250 --> 00:30:08.730 accomplished the redemptive work and is alive, 00:30:09.049 --> 00:30:14.089 and that all other life finds its source in him. 00:30:14.890 --> 00:30:18.210 Today we do not worship Christ on a crucifix. 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:22.730 We do not worship a cross, nor do we go to a 00:30:22.730 --> 00:30:26.609 tomb there to honor the founder of our religion. 00:30:27.210 --> 00:30:30.470 Because Jesus is the living one, therefore we 00:30:30.470 --> 00:30:35.069 fear not. Because he lives, we can face tomorrow. 00:30:35.990 --> 00:30:41.369 Because he lives, we're not afraid. A third reason 00:30:41.369 --> 00:30:44.390 why John needed not fear is that Jesus said, 00:30:44.589 --> 00:30:49.549 I was dead, I am alive forevermore. He gives 00:30:49.549 --> 00:30:53.150 here his present state and indicates his session, 00:30:53.269 --> 00:30:56.910 his ministry in heaven on our behalf. He ever 00:30:56.910 --> 00:30:59.809 lives to make intercession for us, says the writer 00:30:59.809 --> 00:31:02.269 of Hebrews. Literally, Jesus says here, I am 00:31:02.269 --> 00:31:06.690 living unto the forever of the forevers. Isn't 00:31:06.690 --> 00:31:11.309 that a great thought? The older I get, the more 00:31:11.309 --> 00:31:15.910 I see how quickly life passes. This life is transient. 00:31:16.769 --> 00:31:18.910 Someone said that today in a prayer. I think 00:31:18.910 --> 00:31:20.769 it was in our small church this morning. It struck 00:31:20.769 --> 00:31:25.579 me, yes, how transient life is. How quickly it 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:28.160 passes by, it is hard for you teenagers to understand 00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:31.619 that because life now seems so incredibly slow 00:31:31.619 --> 00:31:34.700 at this point in your life. But let me tell you 00:31:34.700 --> 00:31:37.259 that as life passes by us like a snowball, it 00:31:37.259 --> 00:31:39.019 gets bigger and bigger and it goes faster and 00:31:39.019 --> 00:31:42.440 faster as it goes downhill. Isn't it great to 00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:45.880 know that this life is not all there is? Indeed, 00:31:46.039 --> 00:31:48.859 that the very best is yet to come, that we will 00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:52.339 reign with him forever and ever. And finally 00:31:52.339 --> 00:31:55.299 he says, I have the keys of Hades and death. 00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:59.099 Death and Hades. He has authority over the unseen 00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:03.519 world. The powers of darkness tremble at his 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:07.059 presence. He has authority over the power of 00:32:07.059 --> 00:32:10.660 death. Thus we need no longer be fearful slaves 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:14.599 to death. He is the final judge of the soul. 00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:22.140 He has the keys to Hades. They are in his power. 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:28.779 We need not fear death. We do not know how close 00:32:28.779 --> 00:32:32.940 death may be to some of us. It may indeed be 00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:37.380 at hand. I think all of us were a little amazed 00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:40.319 at all the airplane accidents this weekend. I 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:42.460 thought of those five executives who were flying 00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:44.779 from California back east somewhere, I think 00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:46.859 Illinois, and how quickly their lives were snuffed 00:32:46.859 --> 00:32:50.220 out as that plane exploded over. southern Wyoming 00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:56.339 at 19 ,000 feet. Undoubtedly, nothing was wrong, 00:32:56.359 --> 00:32:58.779 and pow, they were gone that fast. That could 00:32:58.779 --> 00:33:01.480 happen to any of us. Now, for the Christian, 00:33:01.660 --> 00:33:04.220 that may not be a pleasant thought in the sense 00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:06.079 that we don't like to think about that kind of 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:08.839 a sudden end, but we're not fearful of the result 00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:11.920 of that kind of thing. For if our lives are taken, 00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:14.480 we know the one who has the keys of Hades and 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:16.259 of death are in his hands. We don't have to fear. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:20.559 And so he has a word of comfort, but then he 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:22.599 has a word of command, and that's given to us 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:27.359 in verse 19, where he says, Write, therefore, 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:30.480 the things which you have seen. That's the vision 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:34.119 he's just recorded. The things which are, that's 00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:37.819 chapters 2 and 3, and the things which will take 00:33:37.819 --> 00:33:41.720 place after these things, during the church age, 00:33:41.940 --> 00:33:44.720 is the idea. And those are recorded beginning 00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:48.079 in chapter 4. And so he gives here in verse 19 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:51.559 the outline of the book of the Revelation. So 00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:53.880 what I like about this is that after giving a 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:56.079 word of comfort to John, he then gives him a 00:33:56.079 --> 00:34:00.460 word of command to serve him. Did that not happen 00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:04.599 also to Isaiah when he saw the Lord? After the 00:34:04.599 --> 00:34:08.420 Lord had dealt with Isaiah and his uncleanness, 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:11.320 Isaiah could respond, Here am I, send me, and 00:34:11.320 --> 00:34:17.059 the Lord sent him. The reason that we have this 00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:19.840 vision, this portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:34:19.940 --> 00:34:23.840 is that we might be drawn to him in worship and 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:26.280 in surrender of all that we are to him, that 00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:30.820 we might obey him as Lord and deity. Are you 00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:34.460 serving him tonight? We don't have to be afraid 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:37.760 of him. There is a proper fear of the Lord, but 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:41.840 Jesus says, Fear not, because I am, but serve 00:34:41.840 --> 00:34:44.619 me. And folks, that's what life is all about. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:49.260 It's knowing Him and making Him known. That's 00:34:49.260 --> 00:34:51.940 just the simplicity of it. Now, we get involved 00:34:51.940 --> 00:34:54.280 in a lot of other things that are important and 00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:58.380 that are necessary to even live. But life boiled 00:34:58.380 --> 00:35:01.320 down to its essence is knowing Him, described 00:35:01.320 --> 00:35:05.760 here, and then making Him known to others. May 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:08.800 that be the heartthrob of each of us this week, 00:35:08.820 --> 00:35:13.030 to know Him and make Him known. Our blessed Lord, 00:35:13.210 --> 00:35:19.690 we worship you as the risen, exalted one. Describe 00:35:19.690 --> 00:35:25.949 for us here in these terms that are majestic, 00:35:26.030 --> 00:35:33.409 and we strike our minds with such force. In our 00:35:33.409 --> 00:35:36.230 mind's eye, we see the vision of John, and we 00:35:36.230 --> 00:35:41.300 fall down before you as well. We fall before 00:35:41.300 --> 00:35:47.519 you in repentance of wasted life, of sins which 00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:52.340 beset us and hinder us. And remembering that 00:35:52.340 --> 00:35:54.800 we shall stand before you someday, we fall before 00:35:54.800 --> 00:35:58.679 you as well in newness of dedication. And we 00:35:58.679 --> 00:36:05.880 say, oh, Savior, use our lives. For however long 00:36:05.880 --> 00:36:09.179 we may be here, use us. and glorify yourself 00:36:09.179 --> 00:36:14.239 in us. And we pray, as John did as he closed 00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:18.980 this book, even so, come, Lord Jesus. Receive 00:36:18.980 --> 00:36:22.900 your bride to yourself. Be glorified in all of 00:36:22.900 --> 00:36:27.619 the earth, as is your right. Amen.