The Revelation of Jesus Christ
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
1. The word "Revelation." The word "revelation" means an unveiling or uncovering, thus we approach the last Book of the Bible with a definite unveiling of the Divine program, as it is set forth in Jesus Christ. So many people imagine that this wonderful Book is a Book of hidden and unrevealed mysteries. This may be so to those who are not taught of God, but to His own who know Him and His Word, it is the revelation of God.
2. The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself is the center of every Book of the Bible, but particularly is this true in the last Book of the Bible. When we are reading the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ, therefore, we must not be looking for churches, but for Christ walking in the midst of the Churches. We must not be looking at the breaking of the seals and their judgments, but we must be looking at Christ who takes the sealed book from the hand of the Father, and is counted worthy to open it. We must not be looking for the sounding of trumpets but we must be looking at the Lord Jesus Christ who stands back of the trumpets. It is so easy to be sidetracked from the main message of the Book.
3. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants." The word "servants" is the word "bondslaves." Perhaps, when people, say that they cannot get anything from this final Book of the Bible, they are admitting that they are not bondslaves to Christ, for God gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ to give to His bondslaves,
4. The Revelation of Jesus Christ concerning events which must come to pass speedily. The expression of the opening verse is "must shortly come to pass." The meaning of the word "shortly" is "quickly," that is, when once the Book of Revelation begins to unfold, events will pass rapidly, one after the other,
5. The Revelation of Jesus Christ delivered unto John by an angel. God gave it to Christ. Christ delivered it to an angel, and the angel delivered it to John. The fact that the angel was an intermediary, by no means lessens the truthfulness of the message. We read in Hebrews that the words of angels are sure and steadfast.
6. The Revelation of Jesus Christ was given unto John by an angel through signs. The word "signified" carries with it the thought of signs. It was given by signs, in order to make the message clear and forceful.
7. John who received this Revelation from an angel "bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." Let us remember that the last Book of the Bible, therefore, is called "the Word of God." It is also called "the testimony of Jesus Christ." John gave it out as he received it. It is none the less the Word of God because it came from. God through others to its.
8. The Revelation of Jesus Christ carries with it a special blessing to those who read it, to those who hear, and to those who keep the things that are written therein. There is no other Book in the Bible that carries such a wonderful prelude. This Book carries a particular blessing, but note that there are three steps.
Those are blessed first who read the words of the prophecy. Second, they are blessed who hear the words of the prophecy. There is a third statement: the things must he kept to insure the blessing.
9. The Revelation of Jesus Christ describes a time which is to come. When John the Baptist began to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, he meant that the King was at hand. When we read here that the time is at hand, we read that Christ is at hand. The Book of Revelation is a Book which details the events which will come to pass when Christ returns. The first step in the Revelation was a particular message to the Seven Churches of Asia. With this message delivered, the Spirit immediately launched into those marvelous events which shall come to pass after the church age has passed.
I. THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA (Revelation 1:4)
We have given a survey of the introductory words to the Book of Revelation. Let us now consider the Seven Churches which were in Asia to which the Book was addressed.
These Churches were seven local Churches. From the Isle of Patmos they lay out before John. One followed another in geographical position. That these Seven Churches are also representative Churches we do not doubt. The message was not written to them alone, but it was written also to the Churches upon which the end of the ages is come. When the. Churches are addressed, to each individual Church is sent the expression, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches." It is not what the Spirit said unto the Churches in Asia, but what the Spirit is saying unto the Churches; all of the Churches, the Churches everywhere, of every time.
II. THE SALUTATION TO THE CHURCHES (Revelation 1:4)
How beautifully it reads: "Grace be unto you, and peace." The Holy Spirit did not grant us peace prior to grace. "There is no peace, saith [our] God, to the wicked." Nevertheless to the saints who have tasted grace, and who have known the power of that grace in redemption, there is peace. This was the message of the Spirit through the Apostle Paul when he said to the Romans, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace."
The salutation continues with a threefold vision of Christ. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come." Here John acknowledges that his message is from Jesus Christ, and it is to the Seven Churches. It is from Jesus Christ, however, in the full meaning of the word, Jehovah. It was from the Christ who was, the Christ of the ages past, the Christ of the Father's right hand before the world was. It is from Him who is, the Christ who is now seated in His high priestly work at the Father's right hand. It is from Him who is to come, the Christ whose Second Advent is about to be consummated.
III. THE SEVEN SPIRITS BEFORE THE THRONE (Revelation 1:4, l.c.)
In John's address he brings in the Holy Spirit as the Author of the Revelation. We have already seen that God gave the Revelation to Christ, Christ gave it to the angel, and the angel to John. Now, John, in addressing the Seven Churches, says that the Revelation was from Jesus Christ and, also, that it was from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. To us it is very beautiful the way the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God, are brought into view as the Author of the Book. Certainly, the Book of Revelation should be the more seriously considered with such prefatory statements behind it.
1. The seven spirits before the throne are descriptive of the perfection of the Holy Spirit in His attributes. Isaiah 11:1-16 gives an elucidation of this sevenfold perfection of the Spirit. There in Isaiah we read, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Here are seven things, all of which belong to the Holy Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit is seen as the witness to Jesus Christ. This is in accord with other Scriptures. The Word of God describes the Holy Spirit as taking the things of Christ and showing them unto us, Christ said of the Spirit, "He shall not speak of Himself." He also said, "He shall glorify Me,"
3. As we continue to read in the Book we find in chapter Revelation 1:9-10 that John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. In Chapter s 2 and 3 seven distinctive times we read of what "the Spirit saith unto the Churches." So, we must not by any means eliminate the Holy Ghost from the testimony of Jesus Christ.
IV. A SECOND THREEFOLD WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST (Revelation 1:5)
The salutation continues. "And from Jesus Christ, (1) who is the Faithful Witness, (2) the First Begotten of the dead, and (3) the Prince of the kings of the earth." This threefold statement is in line with the other which said. "From Him which is, and which was, and which is to come." The same thing is said now from a different viewpoint.
1. "From Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness." This carries us back to His earth-life. We seem to see Him sitting on the Mount of Olives with the disciples gathered around Him as He opened His lips and taught them. He is the Faithful Witness to the individual who was in darkness, and longed for the light. He was not only a Witness, but He was faithful in His witness.
2. He was the First Begotten from the dead. Others were raised from the dead, but not in the sense that He was raised. They were quickened to die again. He was quickened and He came forth from the grave not to die again. He came with a new body.
The Apostle Paul spoke of Christ as the first fruits from among the dead. Here are his words: "And now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruits of them that slept." When we think of Christ as the first fruits in the resurrection we think of the great harvest that will follow. He said, "Because I live, ye shall live also."
3. The Prince of the kings of the earth. We may as well refuse Christ's Faithful Witness when He was upon the earth, and the fact of His resurrection, as to deny that He is the destined Prince of the kings of the earth.
Remember that this statement, "The Prince of the kings of the earth" was given by God through Christ by an angel unto John, and that John gave it from the Spirit. It is certainly a true record. "The prince of the kings of the earth" leaves no possible doubt as to the fact of Christ's Second Coming, when He will come as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
V. THE WITNESS TO THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (Revelation 1:5, l.c.)
The Book of Revelation deepens its grip upon our hearts. We are still studying the salutation of John to the Seven Churches, He has spoken to us about Jesus Christ as a Faithful Witness, as raised from the dead, and as Prince of the kings of the earth.
Perhaps we marvel that in the address thus far nothing has been said of the great Calvary sufferings of our Lord. Would the Spirit have us to understand that the thing for us to emphasize is merely the faithful witness of Christ so far as His earth-life was concerned? Are we to put the stress upon His ethics alone? Far from it. The Lord rather held the Cross to itself in order that special mention might be made of it.
1. "Unto Him that loved us." Here is a wonderful statement. We know that God loved us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." Note, also, that Christ, loved us, "for He loved us, and gave Himself for us." In John we read that "Having loved His own * *, He loved them unto the end." He loved us first, when we were created. He loved us down through the years in the days of our wanderings and sin. He loved us, as He moved among us healing the sick, and teaching His wonderful words. He loved us, however, unto the end when He went to the Cross for us.
2. "Unto Him who washed us." He could not wash us with His love, apart from His Blood. He could not wash us by His grace, or by His mercy. It was His love, His mercy, and His grace which sent Him to the Gross, but it was the shed Blood that washed us from our sins. Our sins were also washed from us. God pity those in the pulpits who in these days of apostasy are eliminating the Blood of the Cross from their testimony.
3. He loved us before He washed us, and He washed us because He loved us. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. He loved us though we were unclean, though we were guilty, though we had despised Him. Thank God that He loved us! Had He not loved us, He never would have gone to Calvary for us.
VI. THE GREAT PERSPECTIVE (Revelation 1:6)
The verse before us carries us beyond our present earth experience into the age of the kingship of Jesus Christ. We have just seen how Christ loved us and washed us, but that is not all of the story of redemption. He did not only save us for present blessings, but for future attainments and obtainments.
1. He loved us and washed us to make us "king-priests." This is a compound word, He is our Melchizedek. Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High God, and the King of Salem. Jesus Christ in Heaven is a Priest after the order of the Aaronic priesthood. Jesus Christ, when He comes again to this earth, will be a King-priest after the order of Melchizedek.
If we are destined king-priests, let us recognize our royalty and live as a king should live. If we are priests who are the go-betweens from God to man, let us live in the light of the glory of that priesthood. There are some people who are accustomed to say that the Second Coming of Christ is nothing particular to them; it should be everything to them. This present earth experience is but the front porch to the palatial mansion which lies beyond. Should we give our whole thought to the porch, or should we pass through Into the palace and look over its wonderful beauties?
As the salutation closes the Holy Spirit through John breaks forth into a glorious magnificat: "To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." How can we do otherwise than praise God when we think of what we were, what we are, and what we shall be!
VII. THE GLORIOUS APPEARING (Revelation 1:7)
"We have already been told that Jesus Christ was the One who is to come. He has already told us that He was the destined Prince of the kings of the earth. Now, however, He enlarges upon the third phase of the gospel story.
1. He gives a succinct statement of Christ's Second Advent. "Behold, He cometh with clouds." This statement is but the fulfillment of the prophecies of Christ. You remember His words as recorded in Matthew 24:30 : "And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory."
The Coming of Jesus described here is not any spiritual coming, because it is the Lord Himself who is to "descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel." It is the Lord Himself who is to come with the clouds.
2. Every eye shall see Him. A man once ridiculed these words in our presence. He said that if Jesus Christ came to the Mount of Olives, the people living in Ohio could not see Him. However, the Bible tells us that His Corning shall be like the lightning. In this day of the radio and television, it is not so difficult for us to believe that every eye shall see Him. The Coming here described is the Coming of the Lord, not for the saints, but with them. It is His Corning back to the inhabited earth.
3. They that pierced Him shall see Him. How wonderful it was of God, and how tender and considerate for Him to add this expression we now consider. Not only is Christ coming again, not only will every eye see Him; but His own people, Israel, the people who denied Him and gave Him over to Pilate for crucifixion, will see Him. This word leaves no doubt at all in the mind but that God knew that the Children of Israel would not be amalgamated by the races. They were to be preserved like Moses' bush, ever burning, but never consumed. Like Daniel in the lions' den, unharmed. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, unscathed. Like Jonah swallowed, but not digested. We are looking for the Lord to come at any hour for His saints.
VIII. THE FIRST RESULT OF CHRIST'S RETURN TO THE EARTH (Revelation 1:7, l.c.)
Did you ever write a letter and then at the bottom of it say, "P. S.," "postscript"? The postscript was probably more important than the letter, even though it was brief. Perhaps you observed that in this opening salutation in the Book of Revelation. Revelation 1:6 closed with an "Amen," God's great "so be it." It was as though God said, "This is a conclusion." Then, God wrote a postscript. It is in Revelation 1:7, and it concludes with His second "Amen." Let us observe this postscript.
We have already seen that Christ was coming again, and how every eye, and particularly His own people, will see Him. The final statement carries the effect upon those who behold Him. "All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." There must be a reason for this wailing, and this weeping as the kindreds of the earth behold Christ.
We need to remember that no man upon the earth in the days of the antichrist can buy or sell without they receive the mark of the beast and the number of his name. We need to remember that all the earth will wonder after the beast. Not only that, but we need to remember that the Second Coming of Christ to this world is described by the Lord as a certain fearful looking for of fiery judgment which will devour the adversary.
We begin now to understand why it is that the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Perhaps this wailing will not only be the wailing of fear, but with many, the wailing of repentance. This will be true of Israel when they shall see Him.
Please read and consider the following words found in Zechariah 12:10 : "And I will pour upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom, they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
AN ILLUSTRATION
BEHOLDING CHRIST
A big lump of something a stone supposedly lay for centuries in a shallow limpid brook in North Carolina. People passing that way saw only an ugly lump and passed on. A poor man passing one day saw a heavy lump a good thing to hold his door ajar and he took it home. A geologist who stopped at the poor man's door one day saw a lump of gold the biggest lump of gold ever found east of the Rockies.
Many people looked upon Jesus. Some saw only a Galilean peasant and turned away. Some saw a Prophet and stopped to listen. Some saw the Messiah and worshiped. Some saw the Lamb of God and looked to Him to save them from their sins. There are people today who see in Jesus simply a perfect man, and they get nothing more from Him than the example of His perfect life. Others looking upon Him see the Son of God, and having no affinity for anything that is from Heaven they simply pass by on the other side. Others looking upon Him see the Lamb of God the Divinely chosen Sacrifice and Saviour and realizing that their greatest need is to be saved from their sins they go to Him for cleansing. When you look at Jesus what do you see? E. L. Pell.