Old Testament Reading: Daniel 1

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, ‘I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.’ Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ‘Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.’ So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus” (Daniel 1, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 2:8-11

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:8–11, ESV).

Introduction

Here we come to the second of seven letters in the book of Revelation written to seven churches located in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) in A.D. 90. Each letter is from Jesus the Christ. Each letter is addressed “to the angel” of the particular local church. I take this to be a reference to an angelic being who is responsible to serve that particular church – local churches have heavenly support, that is the point, I think. And each letter addresses challenges being experienced in these local churches. Each church is challenged in some way. These were real local churches, made up of real people – members and officers, who were experiencing real challenges. But we should remember that the challenges faced by these churches were not unique to them, but are common to all churches living at all times and in all places. These seven churches, therefore, represent all churches (numbers have symbolic force in Revelation). This is why each letter concludes with these words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:11, ESV). “Churches” is plural. The letter to Smyna, therefore, applied, not only to them, but is to be considered by all churches, including ours. My prayer for us is that we would have “ears to hear” – that we would consider carefully the words of Christ to see if we are a healthy church deserving of commendation, or an unhealthy one deserving rebuke.

First, a few words about Smyrna.

Smyrna was a city located about 50 miles to north of Ephesus. There was a strong Jewish population in that city. And the city was especially proud of their allegiance to Rome.

It should be noticed that the troubles threatening the church in Smyrna were very different from the troubles threatening Ephesus, located only 50 miles to the south. While Ephesus was threatened by false teachers from without and within, and having lost their love for one another, the saints in Smyrna were a persecuted, poor, and slandered group. One thing made clear by the letters to the seven churches is that the assaults that come against the church of Christ are varied. Some assume that the only (or perhaps the main) threat to the church of Christ is persecution. Americans seem particularly fearful of persecution, perhaps because it is so foreign to us. People tend to fear the unknown and the unfamiliar. But we should remember that persecution is not the only thing that threatens Christ’s church. There are other things that threaten. Our enemy is cunning.

In Smyrna the threat was indeed persecution. Some of them would indeed be put to death for their faith. But it should be remembered that Smyrna is one of two churches of which Jesus has nothing negative to say. Never does Jesus utter the words, “but I have this against you…” to Smyrna. Persecution can indeed have a devastating effect upon the church. It is a not entirely right to say that persecution always makes the church stronger. But often times it does. Persecution often has a purifying effect upon the bride of Christ.

What can we learn from Smyrna? That is the question before us this morning.

A Healthy Church Will Remain Faithful Even In The Face Of Persecution

One thing is clear: we learn that a healthy church is one that will remain faithful even in the face of persecution.

And notice that persecution – mistreatment from others – takes a variety of forms. Here we have mention of  physical persecution, even unto death. The Christians in Smyrna were indeed facing this kind of persecution – physical persecution even to the point of death.

It is in verse 9 that Jesus the Christ speaks to them saying, “I know your tribulation…” (Revelation 2:9, ESV). Remember that Jesus says, “I know” to each of the seven churches. “I know”, he says. “I am not unaware”. “These troubles of yours are not hidden from my sight”. What a comfort this is! When we face trouble in this life we inevitably ask the question, where is God in relation to this trouble I am facing? Is he far off? Is he unaware? Am I too small and insignificant for him to take notice of my trouble? Christ puts this ridiculous thought to rest, saying to each of the churches, “I know…”

He is not unaware of your trouble, and he was not unaware of the trouble that the Christians in Smyrna were facing. He knew of their tribulation, and he spoke to them, saying, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). At the end of verse 11 he adds, “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11, ESV).

It should be recognized that persecution in the early days of the church was rarely widespread and ongoing, but would flair up from time to time in certain places and, by the grace of God, would die down. Here Christ warns the Christians in Smyrna that they are about suffer an intense onslaught of persecution that would last but a short time. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer”, he says.

And who is the one motivating the persecution? Christ says, it is “the devil”! “The devil is about to throw some of you into prison”, he says. Of course it would be the Romans who would actually throw them into prison – that is what the Christians would see. Roman soldiers would lock them up. And the Romans would do so being encouraged by the Jews in that city – that is also what they would see. But it is the devil, or Satan, who motives it all – this they are to see with eyes of faith. Remember, things are not always as they appear. There is a spiritual realm that lies behind this world that we see. There is a battle that rages there – one that motivates and inspires the events that transpire in human history. The book of Revelation was written to, in part, reveal the realities of that word to us, though we cannot see it with our natural eyes.

The devil, or Satan, will appear again in the book of Revelation. Later he will be symbolized by a great dragon. He is portrayed as the archrival of God and of the people of God. It is the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who labors to thwart the purposes of God. He is the one who motivates and empowers all that opposes Christ and his church. The beast, the false prophet, and the harlot are empowered by him. The beast symbolizes political powers that oppress. The false prophet stands for all who teach false doctrines and utter lies. The harlot stands for all of the worldly things that seduce the people of God. Together they form a false trinity. And the three are used by Satan himself to war against Christ and his church.

Friends, we are only to the second of seven letters to seven churches who were alive in A.D. 90. And we have already been shown concrete examples of the the activity of these three. Ephesus was hard pressed by the false prophet. False teaching threatened them from without and within. Ephesus was also tested by the harlot through the teaching of the Nicolaitans who tempted the saints to compromise in regard to sexual immorality and idolatry. And it is here in Smyrna that we see the handiwork of the beast. The saints are persecuted – imprisoned and even put to death – at the hands of an oppressive government. But who is behind it all? The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan is the one behind these three. This is why Christ speaks in this way, saying, “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.”

And why was this allowed to happen? Why did Christ permit it? We cannot say that he was caught off guard, for he knows! And we cannot say that he was lacking in power to stop it, for “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” him (Matthew 28:18). He is the son of man with all dominion and authority having been given to him by the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7). The evil one is not outside of his authority. The serpent was defeated at Christ’s first coming. He is indeed a strongman, but he is bound by Christ – restrained and restricted – under is his sovereign power. The fact that this persecution endured by the Christians in Smyrna was limited to “10 days” testifies to the reality that Christ rules and reigns even now over the evil one. Satan is a vicious advisory, but he is a chained and restrained advisory. The strong arm of Christ holds him at back from having his was amongst the nations. He is active but bound.

We must admit, then, that Christ permits our suffering. But why? The scriptures do not reveal all to us, but Christ does reveal to Smyrna that this suffering would come upon them so that “[they] may be tested” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). The persecution was permitted so that, among other things, the saints be tested. Testing refines our faith. Testing strengthens our faith. The Lord has promised that he will “not let [us] be tempted beyond [our] ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that [we] may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). But he does allow us to be tested, this being for his glory and our good.

Peter had a lot to say about suffering in his letters. So much for the silly idea that God’s will for our lives is that we be healthy and wealthy. I can’t think of a doctrine more out of step with the tone an tenor of the Old and New Testaments. Listen to 1 Peter 1:3-9:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3–9, ESV)

Persecution is permitted so that our faith be tested – strengthened and refined to the praise and glory of God.

Notice that Christ promises that the evil one would be restrained and that the tribulation would be only for a limited time. In the middle of verse 10 Christ says, “For ten days you will have tribulation”.

Should ten days be taken literally? I think not. Remember that this book is filled with symbols. The numbers in this book tend to have symbolic force. There is no historical evidence to support the idea that the saints in Smyrna endured only a “ten day” period of persecution. Instead it is wise to ask, what does the number 10 symbolize, or what does it have reference to.

The number 10 can be understood as a number of completion. How many commandments are there? There are 10 commandments which summarize completely God’s moral law. We will encounter multiples of 10, or other significant numbers multiplied by 10, throughout Revelation. The number 1,000 is significant in Revelation 20, for example. By the way, a careful student of the Bible would be wise to compare the content of Revelation 20 with the letter to the church in Smyrna. We do not have the time, but there are many parallels having to do with martyrdom, the first and second death, and the enjoyment of life with Christ after death – we will come to that passage in the months to come. For now know that I take “10 days” to symbolize a complete, limited, and brief period of time. When we come to Revelation 20 I will make a case for understanding “1,000 years” to symbolize a complete, limited, but very long period of time.

It is also important to notice the connection between the “10 days” of Revelation 2 and the “10 days” of Daniel 1, which we read at the beginning of this sermon. In Daniel 1 we are told of the 10 day period of testing that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah endures while in captivity in Babylon. It too was a period of testing. And, as we will see, the temptation that they endured was similar to the temptation that the church in Smyrna would have to endure. In both situations the temptation was to given in – to compromise – and to defile oneself with worldly things, by pledging allegiance to worldly powers. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood strong and the Lord provided for them. Christ is reminding the Christians in Smyrna of this by using the words “10 days” to describe the period of tribulation that was to come upon them.

The point for now is that Christ warned the Christians in Smyrna that they would soon experience a period of tribulation. It would be brief. Christ would would limit it. Some of them would be put to death.

Why would this be? It is imprint to understand something about the historical situation.

In the earliest days of the church Christians enjoyed a good deal of freedom. They were viewed by Rome as a sect of Judaism, which was a state approved religion. The Jews enjoyed certain freedoms, and the Christians were, at first, considered to be one with them. This changed over time. Christians would eventually loose the approval of the state and would be considered a threat to Roman rule and to the stability of society. They, after all, confessed Jesus as Lord, not Caesar. And they would not participate in the worship of the Roman gods.

Something else also changed. Over time the Roman Emperors began to insist upon being worshiped. Nero, who reigned from 54-68 A.D., tended in this direction. But it was Domitian, who reigned from 81-96 A.D., who insisted upon being worshiped. Once a year citizens were to offer up a pinch of incense upon the alter and to say “Caesar  is Lord”. Faithful Christians refused. Thousands were killed under Domitian’s reign. The charge was often atheism. It sounds strange to our modern ears to hear Christians charged with being atheists, but you must put yourself in ancient Rome. Christians denied the Roman gods and they refused to worship the Emperor, confessing only Jesus as Lord. This was atheism from the Roman point of view. It was a denial of the gods, and it was treasonous to the Empire. Thousands of Christians were killed under Domitian.

This is how the persecution would usually play out: The Romans rarely went “hunting” for Christians. Instead Christians in a city or town would fall into disfavor with a person or a group of people. Those people would then accuse the Christians of atheism or treason and insist that they be put to the test. Perhaps the accusations were politically motivated. Perhaps they were religiously motivated. Perhaps a person would simply grow envious and, therefore, seek the harm of his advisory. The Roman government would be used as a persecuting force. The Christian would be asked to say “Caesar is Lord” and to offer up the incense. Punishment would follow if they refused – sometimes death.

In Smyrna it was the Jews who were motivating the persecution against the Christians. It’s not hard to understand the tension between the two groups. The Christians believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited King of the Jews. The non-believing Jews considered this to be blasphemy. And the Jews certainly had the upper hand in this. Judaism was a recognized and state approved religion. Christianity was not. The Christians were very vulnerable. The Jews knew that the  Christians would not bow to Rome and they used this against them, bringing them to the attention of the authorities.

The language is very strong against the Jews in this passage, and we must be careful with it. Never should Christians encourage or condone violence against any religion or group of people. That way is completely contrary to the way of Christ. Indeed it must be admitted that terrible things have been done in the past in the name of Christ. Christians should denounce these acts with all that is in them. The Kingdom of Christ does not advance by the sword, but by the word and Spirit. This fundamental fact has been sadly overlooked by many in the history of the church. Never should the strong language in this passage be used to justify acts of violence. But neither should the language be ignored.

The unbelieving Jews – notice that this has nothing to do with race, but with beliefs and behavior – are called “a synagogue of Satan”. The word synagogue means “assembly or congregation”. We use the word “church” to refer to our gathering together. The Jews gathered in synagogues. And, ironically, they are called the “synagogue of Satan”. It is ironic because under the Old Covenant the Jewish people were set apart as God’s people, but here they are found serving Satan. How could this be? It came to be when these Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah and, in fact, began to persecute the people of God, namely, the church – that is, all who had believed upon Christ, both Jew and Gentile. Once again, this has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with belief and behavior. The Jews in Smyrna were showing themselves to be a “synagogue of Satan” through their rejection of God’s Messiah and through their persecution of God’s people. They were shown to be on the wrong side of things.

Ethnicity does not matter under the New Covenant. Physical birth means nothing. What matters is faith followed by obedience. In pride the Jews say, “we are the people of God given our heritage.” The New Testament has a different opinion. Paul puts it most succinctly, saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28–29, ESV). This is why the New Testament constantly uses Old Testament language that was once reserved for Israel and applies it to the church, which is made of of Jew and gentile. The church is the Israel of God (see Galatians 6:16). We have already seen an example of this in Revelation! It is the Jewish Menorah – the sacredlamp stand burned bright in the Jewish temple for centuries – that is used to symbolize the Christian church, made up of Jews and gentiles.

It is not surprising to me that the Jewish people, still to this day, think themselves to be the “people of God” on the basis of their ethnicity. For them the Old Testament scriptures are authoritative, not the New. For them, nothing changed when Jesus of Nazareth died, for in their view he was a common man and nothing more. They are still waiting for the Messiah. What is surprising to me is that many Christians still have this opinion of them, thinking that they, the Jews, are God’s people by virtue of their ethnicity. I want to ask Christians who have this view, have you read the New Testament? Do you not see that the Christ has come? And you do know that the promises made to Abraham have been fulfilled, that through his physical descendent the blessings of the Messiah have come to all the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12). There is no longer Jew and gentile – indeed, it is all who are in Christ by faith who are the people of God. “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named’” (Romans 9:6–7, ESV).

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Romans 4:16–17, ESV).

So do you understand how it was that the church in Smyrna was experiencing persecution? The evil one used the Jewish people there to oppose the people of God (those who confessed that Jesus is the Christ). They, wishing to do them harm, brought it to the attention of Rome that these Christians would not bow to Caesar. When they refused to bow the knee – when they refused to say, “Caesar is Lord” or to offer up the pinch of incense, they were imprisoned and even put to death.

Last week I sent you all a document from the early church entitled “The Martyrdom of Polycarp”. I would encourage you to read it. The word describes the killing of Polycarp who was a Bishop, or pastor, in Smyrna in the middle of the second century A.D. He died in Smyrna at the hands of the Romans some 50 or 60 years after the book of Revelation was written. It’s a fascinating work which helps us to understand what was going on in this region in those days.

It should noticed that there are different forms of persecution. Death is the most extreme form. But the Christians in Smyrna were also slandered. To slander someone is to speak evil against them to damage their reputation. Slander is an evil thing. It really bothers me to hear slander – to hear people misrepresent the truth or tell outright lies to damage the reputation of others. This was done to the Christians in Smyrna. And we are also told that they were poor (but in fact they were rich, Christ says!). Now it may be that they were simply poor. But the contexts suggest that they were poor because of persecution. If you live in a place where Christianity is despised and you are in the minority it might be hard to get a job. This was probably the case in Smyrna.

But what were they to do in the face of this difficulty? “Do not fear”, Christ says, and “be faithful unto death.” Do not fear and be faithful. Continue steadfast to the end, even if it means that you loose your life.

Friends, this is in fact a decision that Christians all over the world have to make even up to this present day. But how can Christians stand in the face of such persecution? How can they stand in the face of death? How do they not cave in – denying Christ, bowing the knee to another, offering the “pinch of incense”, confessing “Caesar as Lord”?

Well, for one we must confess that it is the Lord who sustains them. He gives them the courage to stand in the moment of testing. But we must also recognize that those who stand have faith that is strong. They really believe that this world is not all there is. They really believe that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV). They really believe that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, ESV). They really believe that, ironically, death means life for the one who is in Christ!

Look at how Christ encourages the Christians in Smyrna to persevere. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). In verse 11 he promises that “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11, ESV). The first death is the physical death that all humans experience. The second death is the judgment. To persevere in Christ means that, though we be stung by the first death, the second death will not touch us. And notice also how Christ introduced himself to this church: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life” (Revelation 2:8, ESV).

Conclusion

Do you believe it, Christian? Do you believe that Christ died and came to life? Do you believe that in him is found life everlasting? Do you believe that this world is nothing when compared with the world to come? Do you believe it?

Persecution of any kind, be it slander, loss of wealth, or physical suffering has a way of putting all of that to the test. I do wonder how many would stand. I know that Christ is able to make us stand. And I pray that we would stand, for our good and for the glory of his name.

New Testament Reading: Revelation 2:1-7

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:1–7, ESV)

Introduction

If we were, for some reason, restricted to draw out only one principle from the letters to the seven churches I would choose to emphasize this one: local churches (like ours) ought to be concerned, not only with the question, are we a true church? but also, are we a good church – a healthy church – a church that Jesus Christ is pleased with? 

That seems to me to be the general and broad question that Revelation chapters 2-3 raises. Jesus Christ is presented as one walking in the midst of his churches and he is inspecting them, offering words of commendation and also words of rebuke. He is calling the churches to walk faithfully before him in this world in light of the victory that he has won. The message is clear: it is possible to be a true church but not a good one. It is possible to be a true church – one that has true Christians in it – one that teaches the truth of the gospel and administers the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper according to the command of Christ – but to be unhealthy and worthy of rebuke. The letters to the seven churches should compel us to inspect ourselves, asking if we are indeed a good and faithful church of Christ. That seems to me to be the most broad and general principle communicated in the letters to the seven churches.

I, for one, am glad that we are not restricted to draw out only this one broad and general principle from the letters. I think you’d agree that it would be quite frustrating to be told to “be good”, or to “pursue heath”, or to “walk faithfully”, and to be left wondering what it means to be a good, healthy, and faithful church. The descriptors “good” and “healthy” and “faithful” all assume a standard. “Good” according to what standard? “Healthy” in who’s eyes? “Faithful” to what – “faithful” to whom?

I am afraid that many professing Christians and many churches today have – perhaps unknowingly, or perhaps intentionally (motives are a difficult thing to judge) – constructed a standard for themselves. They have decided for themselves what is good and right and true, and it is according to that self-made standard that they are content to live. That way of life sounds a lot like the first sin, if you ask me.  God revealed to the first man and woman what was right and what was wrong, but they took another view. The scriptures everywhere condemn this way of life. We are not to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, good and true, but instead we are called to submit to the God’s word. Isaiah 5:20 addresses this evil, saying,  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20–21, ESV) There is a lot of this exchanging of good for evil and evil for good in our culture today. It is troubling, but not surprising. What is surprising is to see it in the church too.

It is true that, most broadly, the letters to the seven churches call us to be a good and healthy and faithful church, but see that the letters also provide us with a standard. We are to pursue goodness as Christ sees it – he is the one with eyes like a flame of fire. We are to be faithful to his word – he is the one with a sharp two-edged sword for a tongue. We are to faithful to him – he is Lord of the church. The standard, then, is from him. It does not originate with us.

Of course the letters to the seven churches are not the only place where God’s will for his church is set forth. The holy scriptures from beginning to end are useful in answering the question, what is the will of God for his church? But these seven letters to speak in a most powerful way. Here we find Christ inspecting his churches, offering words of both commendation and rebuke. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, ESV).

What then can we learn Christ’s words to the church in Ephesus? That is the question that is before us this morning.

A Heathy Church Is One That Labors Tirelessly To Guard Sound Doctrine

First of all we learn that a good and healthy church is one that labors tirelessly to guard sound doctrine. This principle is clearly set forth in Christ’s words of commendation. Ephesus is commended by Christ for their diligent defense of the faith.

Look at verses 2 and 3 where Christ says, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:2–3, ESV). In verse 6 Christ, after rebuking the church, returns to commend them once more, saying, “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:6, ESV).

Notice a few things about the commendation:

One, see that Ephesus was a church under pressure from without and within.

This is what Christ was referring to when he said, “I know your… toil”. The word “toil” here indicates troubling circumstances or distress.

It is not hard to imagine the trouble that the Ephesian church faced from without. Ephesus was a very important city in Asia Minor. It was a city of wealth and learning. But it was a pagan city, very much devoted to the worship of the Greek goddess, Artemus. There was a very famous temple dedicated to the worship of Artemis located in Ephesus. People from all over the world come to worship there. The temple was very wealthy and very powerful. It was a major source of revenue for the city. Indeed Christians living in this city would have faced trouble fro two reasons. One ,they would have refused to participate in the worship of this false goddess, and two, they, through their preaching and teaching, would have encouraging many to turn from their idolatry to the worship of the one true God.

Acts 19:23ff. helps us to understand the kind of trouble that the Ephesians faced. There we read about the trouble that Paul, along with his traveling companions, Gaius and Aristarcus had in Ephesus in the earliest days of the church. There was a man named “Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, [which, we are told,] brought no little business to the craftsmen” (Acts 19:24, ESV). He gathered other businessmen from the city and reasoned with them, saying,

“Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship” (Acts 19:25–27, ESV).

The rest of the story makes it clear that they wished to do the Christians harm.

So you see that the Christians were treated poorly from the start in Ephesus. I’m sure the trouble continued. They were indeed a countercultural force in the city. They would have been constantly opposed by the broader culture as they labored to advance the cause of Christ in that place. There were pressured from without.

But evidently the pressure also came from within. There were some in the midst of them that claimed to be apostles, but were not. Certainly these men were not claiming to be a part of the inner band of Christ’s apostles – there were only 12 of them and they were well known. These must have claimed to have been part of the broader group of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and to have been sent him. Indeed there were hundreds of those. It would have much easier for someone to claim to have been a part of that group. Indeed if they were were they would have possess a certain kind of authority within the early church. But these were not.

Can you image the toil though? Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to be hard pressed from without and from within in this way? I hope that you say, “yes, I can imagine it! More than that I can relate!”

Friends, our culture is no less idolatrous. True, most Americans do not have the same passion for making figurines to bow down to (some do), but Americans have grown particularly fond of making God into their own image in the mind and heart. This too is idolatry. And the church is threatened from within as well. It is not uncommon for people to claim to be apostles even today, and thus to speak with apostolic authority. It is not uncommon for professing Christians to say, “God told me this or that” as if they were prophets. It is not uncommon for the truth of the scripture to be twisted and distorted by those who have made themselves to be teachers within Christ’s church. Indeed, we too are pressed hard from without and from within.

Two, notice that the Ephesians were commended for their diligence.

In verse 2 we hear Christ say, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance…” (Revelation 2:2, ESV). In verse 3 Christ continues saying,  “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:3, ESV).

The words “patient endurance” in verse 2, and “enduring patiently” in verse 3 come from the same Greek word which means to “bear up under difficult circumstances—‘endurance, being able to endure.’” Notice the repetition in verse 3. Christ also commends the Ephesians for “bearing up for [his] name’s sake, and… not [growing] weary.”

Christ leaves no doubt that Ephesians were indeed strong when it came to their persistence, their ability to endure difficulty, their steadfastness. I picture a rugged and resolute people. I picture a disciplined church – a consistent church, not easily moved or shaken. May this be true of us.

Three, notice that they were diligent, not in all things, but specifically in the area of guarding truth.

There is a play on words here in this text. In verse 3 the Ephesians are commended for “bearing up” for the sake of Christ’s name (this we have already seen).  But in verse 2 they are commended for the fact that they would not “bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2, ESV). It is the same word both in the English and the Greek.  The Ephesians would “bear up” under anything for the sake of Christ’s name. They would endure patiently. They would suffer long under persecution and stand resolutely in the face of opposition. But there was something that they would not “bear with”, namely, evil men in their midst. These they would not put up with for long.

The Ephesians put people to the test. The word “tested” in verse 2 means “to try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing—‘to test, to examine, to put to the test, examination, testing.’”  This the Ephesians did. And for this Christ commended them.

I tremble for the churches in our day who refuse to test their members and who refuse to test those who teach in their midst. “Judge not, that you be not judged”, they say (Matthew 7:1, ESV). This verse they misinterpret while ignoring the clear teaching of Paul when he says,

“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:9–13, ESV).

The Ephesians were faithful in this. And for this – the testing and putting away of the evil person – they were commended by Christ.

Specifically they “tested those who [called] themselves apostles and [were] not, and found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2, ESV). It is not hard to imagine how this played out. Undoubtably men came to the church in Ephesus seeking to obtain a position of prominence. The Ephesian church was an important one in the early days of the church. Timothy pastored there. Paul would frequent the church on occasion. John the Apostle lived there for many years. It was a prominent place. And prominent places tend to attract those who desire positions of prominence. You can imagine them coming to Ephesus saying, “I am an apostle of Christ – I was an eyewitness to the resurrection – I was commissioned by him.” The Ephesians were not gullible. They put the men to the test investigating their claims, examine their teaching, and observing their way of life. They found many to be “false”. They were found to be liars uttering falsehoods and were not received.

It appears that Timothy, who was one of the early pastors of the church in Ephesus, prepared the church well to thrive in this reguard. In 1 Timothy 1:3, which was written in about A.D. 62, Paul wrote to young Timothy saying,

“I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, [to] remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3–4, ESV).

It would seem that Timothy accomplished this task. 30 years later, when the book of Revelation was written, the Ephesian church was still faithful to test men in regard to their doctrine.

We should also remember the charge that Paul gave to the elders of the church in Ephesus while passing through on one of his missionary journeys. He gathered them together and warned them, saying,

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:28–32, ESV).

It would seem to me that the Ephesian elders fulfilled their calling. They cared for the church of God well, protecting them from wolves – that is, from those who teach twisted things. And they must have also been faithful to raise up the next generation to do the same thing, for indeed the saints at Ephesus were found faithful in 90 A.D. when Revelation was written. A study of church history reveals that Ephesus was a bastion for truth well into the second century. That is quite a legacy.

Not only did they test those who claimed to be apostles, but were not, they also “[hated] the works of the Nicolaitans, which [Christ said] I also hate” (Revelation 2:6, ESV). There is a kind of hatred that is sinful. It is wrong what God loves. It is wrong to hate what God does not hate. But it is right to hate what God hates. In this instance the Ephesians hated – the word means “to dislike strongly…to detest” – the works of the Nicolaitans.

We don’t know much about these Nicolaitans. I’ll say more about them when they are mentioned again in Revelation 2:15 in the letter to Pergamum. There they are associated with “the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14, ESV). The story of Balaam and Balak is too long for me to tell now. It is recorded for us in Numbers 22 through 25 if you care to read it. For now it will suffice to say that, in one way or another, these Nicolaitans were guilty of tempting the people of God to compromise in regard to idolatry and sexual immorality – not surprising given the religious climate in the city of Ephesus. The Ephesians would have none of it. They “[hated] the works of the Nicolaitans, which [Christ] also [hated]” (Revelation 2:6, ESV).

Friends, do you see that a healthy church is one that labors tirelessly to guard sound doctrine. The Ephesians were a positive example in this, and they are to be imitated. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

A Healthy Church Is One That Labors In Their Love For One Another 

Secondly, notice that a healthy church is one that labors in their love for one another. We learn this, not by hearing a commendation, but a rebuke, for was at this point that the Ephesians had failed.

Look with me at verse 4 where Christ says, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4, ESV).

What does this mean? What does “the love you had at first” refer to? Some say that the Ephesians are rebuked for loosing their love for Christ. Really there is no evidence for that. They are not guilty of idolatry as Pergamum was. They are concerned to maintain the proper worship of God and of Christ. Their works seem to be indicative of a love for Christ. It should be recognized that the text does not mean, “you have left your first, as in, supreme, love” but rather, “you have lost the love that you had at first”. In other words, “at first you loved, but you have abandoned that.” If the text meant “you have left your supreme love” then I would agree that it would have to be a reference to their love for Christ, for he is to be our supreme love, but that is not what the text says.

It is also important to notice how it is that they are told to repent. The were to repent by “[doing] the works [they] did at first” (Revelation 2:5, ESV). The love that Christ has in mind here is not an emotion. It is not that the Ephesians fell out of love with Jesus. It is not that they one possessed an emotional fervor and have lost it. Instead, it is that they one were doing something that they, as some point, stopped doing, They were to The were to repent by “[doing] the works [they] did at first” (Revelation 2:5, ESV).

Instead seems to point to their having lost their love for one another. They were failing to love one another with brotherly and sisterly love. Love is an action, remember. And Christians are to love one another. They are to good to one another. This is the thing that they were failing to do, and they are called to repent by “[doing] the works [they] did at first” (Revelation 2:5, ESV).

Consider a few things:

One, it is not hard to imagine how this situation might have arisen at Ephesus. The church was constantly under assault from false teachers and evil men. They had to test these men. They had to examine their background, their doctrine, and their way of life. This they did. But it easy to do it in the wrong way and with the wrong spirit. It is easy develop a judgmental spirit in situations like these. But the church is called to judge in love. Even in extreme cases of discipline, the church is to discipline in love. It is true that we are to hate the dead of those who are evil, but we not the person. Certainly we are to maintain our love for one another.

Two, it is interesting to consider the letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians in 62 A.D.. That letter says a lot about love.  Paul wrote,

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV).

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1–2, ESV). I can’t help but wonder if Paul was sensing a problem in Ephesus even then. Perhaps the problem grew more acute by 90 A.D.?

Three, consider that John the Apostle spent time in Ephesus in his later years. John is known as the Apostle of love because he wrote so much about it. Could it have been that he had the saints in Ephesus in mind when wrote, “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11, ESV). And “this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us” (1 John 3:23, ESV). And “beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7, ESV). And “beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11, ESV). 1 John is not addressed to Ephesus, but perhaps he wrote with this congregation in view.

Four, consider how Jesus introduced himself to Ephesus. These are “the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands” (Revelation 2:1, ESV). Christ holds the seven churches in his hand. Is this not a reminder of the tender love and care that Christ has for his churches? If Christ loves his churches and cares for them should we not also love and care for one another? Also, Christ introduced himself as the one that walks in the midst of the lampstands. In other words, he is present with us and knows how we are behaving toward one another. The way that Christ introduced himself would have certainly encouraged Ephesus to in fact repent and to do the works they did at first.

Five, consider how Christ threatened Ephesus. He said, “repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5, ESV). The symbol of the lampstand was to remind the churches that they were shine as lights in the world. And how is it that we churches manage to shine as lights? Remember the words of Christ in Matthew 5:14:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16, ESV).

This was precisely where the Ephesians were falling short. They were failing to love one another. They were failing to do good works towards one another and to the non-believing world. Perhaps their continuous toil and the never-ending need to test and oppose those who were false led to a hardness of heart and a judgmental spirit. Christ warned them, saying, if you will not shine as lights as I have called you to shine then I will remove your lampstand from it’s place.

May it never be said of us. May we always speak the truth but in love.

A Heathy Church Is One That Repents When Christ Rebukes

Lastly, see that a healthy church is one that repents when Christ rebukes.

We ought to repent so as to avoid Christ’s judgment. Ephesus was threatened to have their lamp stand removed. We should repent we we are confronted with the Christ’s word so as to avoid his discipline and his judgment. But we should also repent so as to taste the reward.

To Ephesus is was promised that “to the one who conquers [Christ] will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Their eyes were fixed upon the end. Their eyes were fixed upon the reward that Christ has earned. Adam, by his disobedience – by his refusal to submit to God’s will for him – lost the right to eat of the tree of life. But Christ, by his obedience – by his perfect submission to the will of God – earned for us the right to eat of that tree. May we trust in  him and follow his example, submitting to God’s will in all things.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 44

“‘But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.’ Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.’ All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, ‘Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!’ And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’ They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’ Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins’; who says to the deep, ‘Be dry; I will dry up your rivers’; who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (Isaiah 44, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Revelation 1:8, 17-19

Let us now read the sermon text for today. The first part is Revelation 1:8. In this verse we are exposed to the words of the Lord God, that is, of God Almighty. “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8, ESV). In verse 17 we are exposed to the words, not of the Lord God, but of the son of man that John saw. John writes, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this” (Revelation 1:17–19, ESV).

Introduction

The Christian faith is more than a collection of a few random and disconnected doctrines. It is, instead, a worldview. Yes, it is right to say that Christians are those who believe upon Christ. It is true that there are some doctrines that we would consider essential – the belief in one true God who is Triune; the belief that he created all things seen and unseen; the belief that man was created upright but sinned; and the belief that God has provided a way for sinners to be saved through faith alone in Jesus the Christ, who is the eternal Son of God coming in the flesh, who has accomplished our redemption by his death, burial and resurrection. These are essential doctrines indeed. Others could be listed.

But it is important to see that God has revealed these truths to us, not by listing them out as a series of propositions – not as a series of factual statements – God did not lower a textbook for us on a rope – but rather God has revealed himself to us in the world. He has revealed himself to us by acting in in human history, and the scriptures are a record of God’s salvific and revelatory acts. Our God is a God who acts. He created, he sustains, he accomplished redemption, he saves, and he is coming soon. He is the God who acts in human history. We live in his world. The Holy Scriptures are not a mere collection of factual statements or moral codes, but are instead a record of God’s acts of creation and redemption.

The end result is that our faith is more than collection of random and disconnected doctrines. It is, instead, a worldview. To have faith means that we believe upon God and the Christ he has sent, but it also means that we have come to see the world as God sees it. To have faith is to view the world as God views it – to agree with his revealed truth concerning who he is, who we are, how we are to relate to him, what he has done and is doing in the world now, and where are things are headed. The Christian faith is more than collection of random propositions – it is instead a way of seeing the world.

May I suggest to you that all of the trouble that we face in this world comes as a result of we humans refusing to see the world as God has revealed it. That might at first seem like an outrages oversimplification of things, but it holds true. God sees the world in a particular way, doesn’t he? His view of the world – his opinion concerning the reality of things – is perfect and pure and true. And he has revealed his perspective to us. We humans cannot naturally know the mind of God. We cannot lift ourselves up to see things from God’s perspective. But God, in his mercy, has determined to reveal himself to us. He has shown us something of who he is, and of what he is doing in the world. He has revealed something of his plans and purposes. God has not revealed himself exhaustively. He has not told us everything. But in his mercy he has revealed something of himself – his nature, his character, his plans and purposed – to us.

We humans tend to ignore what God has said taking another view of things, leading us to go another way. Was this not true of the first sin? Did not God reveal himself to the first man and women? Did he not show them who he was, who they were, what the world was for, how they were to live in it, enjoying communion with one another and with him? Did he not reveal where things would go should they take this way or that? They decided to adopt the evil one’s view of things instead of God’s. And is this not true of every sin that we commit to this present day? Do we not bring trouble upon ourselves by ignoring God’s revelation, choosing to see things another way? Even Christians, I fear, find themselves in trouble because they do not see the world as God has revealed it, but have instead constructed for themselves a worldview that is in some way distorted or lacking. This is what I mean when I say that all of the trouble we face in this world comes as a result of we humans refusing to see the world as God has revealed it.

We make for ourselves a worldview of our own. We carve out for ourselves opinions concerning God and man and our purpose in the world. And we bow down to our little idolatrous worldview – we live by it. Everyone lives – makes their choices – based upon the way that they view the world. Our emotions are effected by our worldview. Our thoughts are effected – our wills are shaped by our worldview. The question is, do we have God view of the world, or one that we have crafted on our own?

A worldview is a very powerful thing, that is the point I am making. Everyone has one. And God’s desire is that we would adopt his.

If I were to hone in upon the most important aspects of one’s worldview it would be these: one’s view of God; one’s view of man; and one’s view of the purpose and trajectory of human history. Who is God, what is man, and what is God doing in the world, if anything?

The scriptures certainly provide answers to these questions, don’t they? And may I suggest to you that the book of Revelation is primarily concerned to answer these questions. In the book of Revelation a visionary and symbolic world is set before our eyes. The visions do not necessarily describe to us how things actually look, but rather how they really are. The book gives the gift of a worldview to it’s readers. Christians are made to see how things really are. Who is God? Where is he? Who are we in relation to him? What is our purpose? Where is human history heading? These are the questions that book of Revelation answers.

The book contains prophesy too. The book speaks of things that will happen in the future (from the time of it’s writing). Some of the prophesies have been and will be fulfilled generally and progressively. There will always be beasts, harlots, and false prophets in the world, just as there will always be antichrists, to use language from 1 and 2 John. But other prophesies pertain to specific historical events yet future even to us. The Christ will come again. There will be a final judgment. The new heavens and new earth will be established. These are specific events yet in our future. The book certainly contains prophesy – predictions as to how things will go in the world generally and specifically from the time the book was written on to the end.

But here I am emphasizing the apocalyptic message of the book which reveals how things really are in the world. Revelation is a worldview book. It shows us how we are to think about God, ourselves, and God’s work in this world. And what a gift it is! How powerful it is! How transformative it is to see the world as God sees it.

Two foundational questions are settled in the text that we are considering this morning. One, how are we to think of God? Two, how are we to think of Jesus Christ?

How are We to View God?

In 1:8 God speaks. And what he says about himself is incredibly important. His description of himself sets the stage for much of the rest of the book of Revelation. “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8, ESV)

Notice three things:

He is the Alpha and Omega

One, the Lord God is the Alpha and the Omega.

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, omega is the last. In English we would say “I am the A and the Z. The meaning is this: The Lord God is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. All things come from him and return to him. He is the source of all things, and he is the end of all things. All things flow from him and all things will return to him, bringing glory to him.

It is interesting that only twice in the book of Revelation do we hear specific words coming from the Lord God. He speaks here in 1:8 and then again in 21:5-8 where he says, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end…” (Revelation 21:6, ESV).

Notice how these declarations serve as bookends to the book of Revelation. At the beginning and end of the book we are reminded that God is the beginning and end of all things Everything that is comes from him and will return to him.

He is the One Who is and Who Was and is to Come

Two, the Lord God describes himself as the one who is and who was and is to come.

God is. Certainly we are to think of the Divine name here. When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush he revealed himself as the “I am”, the one who is, the one who owes his existence to no one. He is the self existent one. God simply is. No one made him. No one adds to his existence. No one sustains him. He is in need of no one and no thing outside of himself. He is.

And the Lord God is also the one who was. He has always been. He is eternal, uncreated, without beginning or end.

And he is the one who is to come. Though God is transcendent. Though he stands outside of time – outside of history – he is the God who works within human history. Really the book of Revelation is all about the coming of God, his Christ, and his kingdom. He is the one who is to come. 

He is the Almighty

Three, the Lord God describes himself as the Almighty.

The Lord God is all mighty. He is all powerful. Nothing can frustrate his purposes. Nothing can stand in his way to resist him. When we think of him we are to think of him as ultimate and supreme.

The book of Revelation uses the phrase “the Lord God Almighty” seven times. It appears here in 1,8, and also in 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 19:6; and 21:22. I think Revelation is bent on convincing us that the Lord God is indeed perfect in power.

How are We to View the Christ?

Notice that in 1:17 it is not the Lord God who speaks, but the “one like a son of man”, who is Jesus the Christ. John has already described the appearance of this “one like a son of man”, now he tells us about his reaction and the words that the Christ spoke.

“When I saw him [John says], I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this” (Revelation 1:17–19, ESV).

Notice three things concerning the Christ:

He is the First and the Last

One, Christ introduces himself as the first and the last.

This is a different way of saying the same thing that the Lord God said concerning himself.  In 1:8. The Lord God referred to himself as “the Alpha and Omega”. Here in 1:17 the Christ refers to himself as “the first and the last”. The words are different but the meaning is the same.

God is the beginning and the end, and so is Jesus Christ. All things come from them. They are the source of all things. And all things are to them. All things were created for the glory of the Father through the Son. The Christ was and is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, come in the flesh. All that is true of God is true of him then, for he is God.

I’m sure that you remember how John began his Gospel. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1–3, ESV) The same principle communicated John 1:1-3 – that Christ was in the beginning and that all things were made through him – is communicated here in Revelation 1:17 through the words of the “one like a son of man.”He, like the Lord God, is “the first and the last.”

Paul speaks of Christ this way, saying, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17, ESV).

What is true of the Lord God is also true of the Christ, for he is God with us – God come in the flesh.

He is the Living One

Two, he is the living one.

John 1:4 speaks of Jesus saying, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4, ESV). In Revelation Jesus introduces himself to John saying, I am “the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18, ESV).

Here is a reference to Christ’s resurrection. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, was born into this world, he lived, he died, and rose again, never to die again. He is now alive, but not as we are. For the life that he possesses is eternal. He is alive “forevermore.” He is “the living one.”

He is the One with the Keys of Death and Hades

Three, Christ is the one who has the keys of death and hades.

Christ is “the living one.” He himself is alive “forevermore.” But more than that he has the keys to death and to the grave. The implication is that he has the keys and will unlock the gates of death and of hades for others – for all who believe upon him.

Conclusion 

You know these things, but do you know them?

Do you see how significant these truths are to the formation of a distinctly Christian worldview? Transcendent God. Creator God. Compare contrast with the idolators of of Isaiah 42.

I’ve met a lot of professing Christians who do not believe these things. They have made themselves to be the Alpha and Omega. They think of God as ever changing, being moved by the decisions of man. They see God as being often frustrated.

In short they failed to maintain the distinction between Creator and creature. They have carved for themselves a little idol in their heart to bow down to. But the little god resembles the stuff of this earth more than the one who made the heavens and the earth.

The book of Revelation is going to paint picture of God for us and of the Christ He will be pictured as the Creator of all things, the sovereign one who is over all things. He is glorious, deserving of all praise. He is source and the end of all things. He is the Almighty. God and transcends this creation. He stand outside of it both in regard to time and space. He is not not bound our contained by either. But God is also near. He is involved with the world, bringing about his purposes in it. He is the one who was and is and is to come. 

This is a worldview, folks. It’s more than doctrine – it’s a worldview. Go outside today look at the world. Look at the mountains and the sky. Look at the clouds. Look at our city and the people in it. And then think about the book of Revelation and the picture that it paints for us. Your cannot see what Revelation described with the natural eye. You must see it with the eye of faith. But how important it is that we see it. We must learn to look at the world as God sees it and as he has revealed it. We must learn to interpret all that happens in the earthly physical realm in light of what we know about the spiritual and invisible realm. This is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.

Friends, if we hope to walk as God has called us  to walk in this world be had better begin to see the world as God sees it and has revealed it. May the Lord help us. Amen

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 7:9–14

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:9–14, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Revelation 1:12–20

“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” (Revelation 1:9–16, ESV)

Introduction

The title of last weeks sermon was “We Are Not Alone”, for that is the main thought being communicated in this opening vision of the book of Revelation. Christians do not walk alone in this world. Local churches are not alone. We have one another, and Christ is in the midst of us. Indeed this is meant to bring comfort to Christians living in tumultuous times.

But it should be recognized that the phrase “we are not alone” is not necessarily a comforting one as it stands alone. I can think of plenty of scenarios where the words “we are not alone” would produce an emotion other than comfort.

Imagine two friends camping in a dark and lonely forest. In the middle of the night they hear a twig snap and a rusting in the leaves and one of them says to the other, “we are not alone”. Or think of pair of bank robbers who, in the middle of a bank job, hear footsteps coming down the hallway and one of them says to the other “we are not alone”. Or think of a husband and wife asleep in bed at 2:00am when they hear the pitter patter of their three year old’s feet and one says to the other “we are not alone”.

So you would agree, then, that the phrase “we are not alone” does not automatically bring comfort? The situation matters, doesn’t it? And the nature, character, and intent of the visitor matters. And these are the things that the opening vision of the book of Revelation communicates. Not only does it say “we are not alone”, but it communicates something to us concerning the nature, character, and intent of the one in the midst of us. And it is by knowing him that we come to have peace in this troubled world.

As we come to consider the description of Jesus here in John 1:12-20 it must be remembered that John did not see Jesus as he literally is in heaven now, but rather John was shown a vision in which he saw a figure that represents Jesus. He saw a symbol of Jesus. The symbols do not tell us how Jesus really looks, but rather they communicate to us how things really are with him. The symbols communicate truth to us, not concerning his actual appearance, but concerning his nature, his character, and his activities.This is one of the most important interpretive principles to remember while we study the book of Revelation. We are handling a book that communicates truth to us by way of symbol. To take the symbols as if they were a literal description of things is to miss the point entirely. Jesus does not have a sword for a tongue, friends. His feet are really flesh and bone and not bronze. I imagine his hair to be dark brown and not white. All that is said here of Jesus is of course true, but it is truth communicated by way of symbol. As I’ve pointed out before, if we take this description to be a literal one – one that actually describes the appearance of Jesus to us – then we run into trouble when Jesus is described differently in other places in the book of Revelation. We must remember that he is described in this way – as one with white hair, bronze feet, and a sword for a tongue – in order to communicate truth to us concerning his person and his work.

Let us now consider this one who walks in the midst of us:

One Like A Son Of Man

In verse 12 we read that John “turned to see the voice that was speaking to [him], and on turning [he] saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man…” (Revelation 1:12–13, ESV). Here is the first description of Jesus who walks in the midst of the churches: He is said to be “one like a son of man”.

On the most basic level we are to understand that John saw a man-like figure. The figure looked like that of a man. But we must also understand that the phrase “son of man” is loaded with biblical significance.

The primary Old Testament text that should come to mind when we hear the phrase “son of man” is Daniel 7. This is especially true given the other points of similarities that exist between Daniel 7 and the vision recorded for us here in Revelation 1. The two passages are clearly connected. Daniel 10 and 3 also seem to serve as a backdrop for the vision of Revelation 1. If you take the time to read all of those texts side by side  – Daniel 3, 7, 10 and Revelation 1:12-20 – you will see what I’m sure you’ll see what I mean. But time constraints hinder us from exploring those texts in detail.

It is important that a brief word be said about Daniel 7 before we move on. There we read of a vision that Daniel the prophet saw long before the birth of Christ.

First he saw four great beasts rising up out of the sea, one after the other. These beasts represent the succession of great kingdoms. Each beast seems to grow more powerful, more ferocious, more terrifying. Indeed the kingdoms of this earth tend in that direction. They tend to degenerate, not improve with the passing of time. And they are temporary, not eternal. One kingdom gives way to another, and so on.

Then there is a break in the vision and Daniel’s eyes are lifted up from the earthly to the heavenly. Daniel is given a glimpse into the heavenly throne room. There he sees the Ancient of Days. He is on the throne. He is ruling and reigning. He is clothed in glory. He is full of power. He is sovereign over the nations that the terrifying beasts represent. He raises them up and puts them down. This is the heavenly reality. This is the view that we are to have of the world in which we live. Kings will rise and fall. Kingdoms will come and go. But our God reigns forever.

Lastly, Daniel

“saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV)

Who is this “one like a son of man”? He is Jesus! And when was this vision fulfilled? It was fulfilled at Christ’s first coming when Christ died, was buried, rose again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. Daniel was shown a vision of it long before Christ was born. But the event shown to Daniel was fulfilled when Christ ascended to the Father after accomplishing his mission. Christ, at his ascension, “came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” And “to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” And remember that “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Is this not what Jesus was speaking of when he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18–19, ESV)? Is this not what Paul was referring to when he wrote that, because of Christ’s obedience to the Father to the point of death “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV)?

Indeed, what Daniel saw in the vision has already been fulfilled at the ascension of Christ. He has already come before the Ancient of Days. He has already been given dominion. His kingdom is already here (remember that John referred to himself as a “partner” in this kingdom (1:9) and that we have been made into a kingdom (1:6)). And remember that Christ’s kingdom is unlike the kingdoms of this world. It is a righteous and holy kingdom, and it is an everlasting kingdom that will never pass away.

Friends, when John describes this figure that he sees walking in the midst of the lampstands as “one like a son of man” he is saying that the one who walks in our midsts is the one that Daniel prophesied about long ago.

Daniel’s vision was concerning things to happen in his future. From his vantage point there would come a day when this “son of man” would come and be presented before the “Ancient of Days”, that is, before God. From Daniels 600 B.C. perspective there would come a day when this “son of man” would be given “dominion and glory and a kingdom… [his] dominion [being] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

John is clearly telling us that this has happened. From his 90 A.D. perspective the “son of man” has already come before the “Ancient of Days”. The “son of man” has already been given “dominion and glory and a kingdom… [his] dominion [being] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” What Daniel prophesied about has happened, and now this “one like a son of man” come to us from the Father, being clothed in glory, having all authority and all power, and he is seen standing in the midst of us.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you are, first of all, able to understand this. I hope these things are clear. Secondly, I pray that you have the faith to really believe it. There is a difference between understanding something and believing it. God’s desire is that his people would believe what his word says. His desire is that we say “yes”, and “Amen” to the truths being communicated – that we would agree that though the kingdoms of this world seem to be so powerful and so threatening, our Lord reigns. Christ reigns supreme, and he stands in the midst of his people as he advances his kingdom in this world.  But thirdly, I pray that you have the wisdom to apply these truths to your life. May your belief in these truths be such that your hearts be filled with hope and peace as we walk in this troubled world.

Jesus Christ is the “son of man” described in Daniel 7. He reappears in the vision shown to John recorded for us in Revelation 1. He is the “son of man” but things have progressed. He has ascended to the “Ancient of Days”. The eternal kingdom has been given to him. He now has all “dominion and glory”. It is he who is standing in the midst of the lampstands – that is, in the midst of the churches.

Clothed With A Long Robe And A Golden Sash

Notice his appearance. He is said to be “clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.” He is dressed like a priest and a king. And this is what Christ is. He is our prophet, priest, and king.

His prophetic office is clearly represented elsewhere in this text. His “voice” is often emphasized, and that is what a prophet does – a prophet speaks the word of God. But he is dressed like a king with a “golden sash around his chest”. He is our king. He rules and reigns now. He is the sovereign. He has all dominion, power, and authority. And notice that he wears the robe of a priest. Christ is our great high priest. He has atoned for our sins. He is the mediator between God and man. He intercedes for us.

And where is this priestly king? He is walking in the midst of the lampstands, which stand for the churches. One of the jobs of the priests in the Old Covenant was to tend to the seven pronged lampstand in the holy place in the temple. The wicks would need to be trimmed and the oil refilled so that the flame would burn continuously. This is what Christ, our great high priest, does with his churches. He walks in the midst of them. He tends to them through encouragement and exhortation so that they would shine bright in this world.

The Hairs Of His Head Were White Like Wool

Notice that the “hairs of his head” are said to be “white, like white wool, like snow”. This is interesting because in Daniel 7 it is the “Ancient of Days” (that is, God) who is said to have hair that is “white like wool”. Here the “son of man” possess this feature. We are to see that, although the “Ancient of Days” and the “son of man” are distinct from one another, they are also related. The “son of man” is indeed “God with us”. He possess eternal life. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him” by the Father. He stands in the midst of us having first stood before the “Ancient of Days”. And he stands in the midst of us with God’s authority.

His Eyes Were Like A Flame Of Fire

Notice that “his eyes were like a flame of fire”. Here we have a metaphor of judgement. Christ sees all, and he will one day judge in righteousness and truth. Earthly judges judge with a limited understanding of things. Their perspective and their knowledge are limited. But Christ sees all and he judges according to truth.

Indeed, the book of Revelation describes a final judgment. Indeed, Christ will judge all fully and finally at the end of time. But Revelation also speaks of Christ’s perpetual judgments. He is judging now.

That is, in fact, the very thing that we will find the “son of man” doing as he walks in the midst of the churches. He inspects his churches. He brings encouragement to them, yes. But he also warns them. For example, to the Ephesian church he will say, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5, ESV).

Christ is judging now. And he judges according to what he sees with his all seeing and all consuming eyes of fire.

His Feet Were Like Burnished Bronze

In verse 15 we read that “his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace” (Revelation 1:15, ESV). Perhaps this symbolizes the fact that Christ walks in the midst of us in holiness. His feet are refined. His churches will be called to also walk in purity.

But when I read that the feet of Christ have been “refined in a furnace” I cannot help but think of that most famous story in the book of Daniel involving those three faithful servants of God named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Those three were threatened by the beast of Babylon and by the powerful king Nebuchadnezzar. They were commanded to bow down and worship before the statute that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. If they refused they would be throne alive in to the fiery furnace. Their reply?

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”” (Daniel 3:16–18, ESV)

The king was enraged. He ordered that the furnace be heated exceedingly hot and he had them thrown in.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’” (Daniel 3:24–25, ESV)

Friends, do you see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not alone in their tribulation? Christ walked in the midst of them and he sustained them in their tribulation. Here, I think, is the meaning of Christ feet appearing like “burnished bronze, refined in a furnace.”

His Voice Was Like The Roar Of Many Waters

The voice of Christ is described as the “roar of many waters”. I’d like to go to Niagara Falls someday. That is what I think of when I read of the “roar of many waters” – a great and overwhelming roar. Indeed, the word of Christ is powerful. At his word the worlds were created. At his word kingdoms rise and fall. At his word the dead souls of men are made to live. At his word the world will be judged. Certainly, his word is powerful.

In His Right Hand He Held Seven Stars

In his right hand Christ holds seven stars. These seven stars, we will learn, represent the “angels of the seven churches” (see verse 20).

Some say that we are to think of the pastors of the seven churches being in Christ’s right hand. The reason for this interpretation is that in the Greek the word translated “angels” is sometimes used to refer to “pastors”. The word literally means “messenger” and it can be used to refer to a angels – that is, of heavenly beings. Or it can refer to humans who serve as God’s messengers to his people.

Though as a pastor I like the idea of being held in Christ’s right hand, it seems best to think of these stars as representing heavenly beings.  Every other time this Greek word appears in Revelation outside of chapters 1- 3 it is clearly referring to heavenly beings. We will see that these angels will actually represent the churches themselves. It is interesting to note that each of the letters written to the churches in chapters 2 and 3 will be addressed to the “angel of the” particular church. “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write… And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…”(Revelation 2:1,8 ESV), and so on and so forth.

The meaning is this: Christ not only walks in the midst of his churches. He also holds them in his hand. And the churches on earth have heavenly representatives. Though we live on earth, really and truly we live in the presence of God. There is a spiritual realm that corresponds to the earthly realm. There is more to the world than meets the eye. We see powerful rulers and nations, but there exists an invisible reality which stands behind those rulers and nations that empowers them. We see local churches, but there exists a spiritual reality which stands behind those churches and empowers them. Christ called his churches out of this world to worship and serve him by the word and Spirit, and he refines his churches in the same way. He also sends his angels – his ministering spirits – to do his bidding.

From His Mouth Came A Sharp Two-edged Sword

From Christ’s mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword. Would you listen to Isaiah 11 which prophesied concerning the coming of the Christ long before he came? The prophet spoke, saying,

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And 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 the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:1–4, ESV)

And listen to Isaiah 49:1:3 which also speaks of the coming of Christ:

“Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’” (Isaiah 49:1–3, ESV)

The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way:

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12–13, ESV)

Christ judges us now and will judge in the end with the word of his mouth. His word is likened to a sharp sword which cuts this way and that.

His Face Was Like The Sun Shining In Full Strength

Lastly notice that Christ’s face is said to be “like the sun shining in full strength”. There is a connection between this imagey and Daniel 10. But the wording is most closely tied to Judges 5:31  which says, “So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength” (Judges 5:31, NIV84). This statement appears in the book of Judge at the end of the song of Deborah and Barak which celebrates Israel’s victory over her enemies.

The meaning is this: Christ is portrayed here in Revelation 1:16 as standing in the glory of his victory. Deborah was victorious, but Christ is the ultimate victor. He is our warrior king. He is the victorious Messiah, standing now in the full glory of his victory.

Conclusion

Friends, we are not alone. How do feel about that now that you know a bit more about the one in our midst?

Are you encouraged? There is indeed reason to be encouraged. Be encouraged, friends, knowing that the risen Lord is in our midsts.

But it is possible that you feel a sense of shame. Certainly if you have been living in rebellion the thought of Christ in the midst of us brings guilt. Repent if this is true of you. Know that our Lord stands ready to forgive.

One thing I know, we should all grow in our reverence. When we gather as a congregation to worship we have an honored guest in our midsts. He walks among us. He is the object of our worship. He inspects his churches and seeks to refine. Let us gather on the Lord’s Day with reverence, then. Let us worship in Spirit and in truth as he has ordained. May he be pleased with us as we worship and obey.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 41:4, 8–13

In verses 1-7 of Isaiah 41 we have a description of Cyrus the Great, leader of the rising Persian Empire, who would soon conquer Babylon. We also a see a description of how godless men typically respond to such threats – they fashion for themselves idols to worship thinking that they will somehow help. But God speaks to his people to assure them that he is Sovereign over all, even over the king of Persia. In verse 4 he speaks ,saying, “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.” Verse 8: “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” (Isaiah 41:8–13, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

In Revelation 1:4-8 a similar message is communicated to God’s chosen people living in an equally threatening world. There we read, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:4–8, ESV)

Introduction

If you’ve been with us the past four weeks I think you can understand why I have picked up with verse 4 instead of covering verses 1 through 3 again. A lot has already been said about those verses concerning the genre of Revelation (it is a letter crafted in apocalyptic and prophetic form), the chain of transmission (the revelation was given by God, to Christ, to his angel, to John, who wrote to the churches), and concerning the expectations concerning the timing of the fulfillment of the things communicated in this book (the visions in Revelation pertain to things which would “soon take place” from the perspective of John and his readers). Verse 3 also pronounces a blessing upon those who read and hear and keep what is revealed in this letter. Those are all very important observations from verses 1-3, but they have already been presented thoroughly in sermons past.

Today we continue on with the prologue (or introduction) and we see that the prologue to the book of Revelation does exactly what you would expect a prologue to do. In it the author introduces himself, he identifies his audience, he greets them, and then he introduces the theme of the book, setting the stage for all that will follow. That is what a prologue is to do. It is the place for introductory remarks which will set us off in the right direction, preparing us to receive all that will come in the following pages.

Authorship

In verse 4 the author introduces himself as “John”. This is John the Apostle. He was one of the 12 disciples who walked with Jesus. In fact, he was one of the three disciples who who enjoyed an especially close relationship with Jesus  – Peter, James, and John. This is the man who wrote the Gospel of John, and also 1, 2, and 3 John. He is probably an old man by the time he writes the book of Revelation – 80 to 90 years old – and in verse 9 we learn that he was writing from the Island of Patmos – a small Island in the Mediterranean Sea about 200 miles to the east of Athens, Greece and about 40 miles to the west off the coast of Turkey. He was not vacationing there. The Romans has sent him into exile. The island was not uninhabited. There was a colony there. But for John it was a place of tribulation. He was in exile because of the word of God and his testimony for Jesus Christ.

Audience

The audience is also identified in verse 4. John addresses his letter to the seven churches that are in Asia. When we hear “Asia” we tend to think of, what we would call, Eastern Asia – China, Mongolia and Japan. But the churches mentioned in Revelation were in fact located in what is today called Turkey. Turkey boarders the north east corner of the Mediterranean Sea. It boarders Syria and Iraq to the north. It is across the Mediterranean to the east of Greece.

The seven churches addressed in this letter were seven real churches. Later in chapters 2 and 3 the letter will specifically name Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. How important it is to get used to the thought this this letter was written to real churches made up of real people who were experiencing real challenges.

The temptation when studying the Bible to assume that the people mentioned in it, or the people originally addressed, were very much different from you and me. True, they lived long ago. True, they dressed different and they spoke a different language. But they were people! They had thoughts like we have. They had emotions like ours. They worried, I’m sure. They knew what it was to fear. And remember that these people who made up these churches had a lot in common with you and I, for they were Christians. They viewed the world as we do. They believed in one God. They knew their sin. They saw Jesus as the Christ, the one who paid for sins, and they believed upon him. Their faith is our faith. And with the faith comes unique challenges that are common to those who believe upon Christ.

Notice that the letter is addressed to seven churches. At first this may seem inconsequential. But as the letter progress it will become clear that these seven churches, though real and particular churches, also serve to represent all churches.

There are a number of reasons to think this. One, remember how the number seven is used throughout Revelation to symbolize completeness, or perfection. Also, notice the repeated statement that appears at the conclusion to each letter to each particular church. Seven times we will read, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The idea communicated in this repeated phrase is that although what has just be said has been said specifically to Ephesus, for example, it is really said to all the churches (plural). The Spirit speaks to all the churches through what has been said specifically to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, etc. It is also important to remember the connection between the letters to the churches in chapters 2-3 and the body of the letter in chapters 4-22:9. The body of the letter communicates truths – paints a picture of how things really are – not just for those seven particular churches in Asia Minor, but for all churches. The visions seen in the body of the letter are not disconnected from the concerns that Christ had for the seven churches addressed in chapters 2-3, but serve as remedy to their struggles. The idea is this: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, you are all being challenged in different ways. Different things are threatening you (chapters 2-3). Let me show you how things really are and where everything is heading so as to strengthen you in the faith so that you might persevere (chapters 4-22:9).  

The point I am trying to make is that though seven particular churches are addressed in Revelation, they are addressed in such a way so that what is said to them in fact speaks to all churches living at all times and in all places. The problems and challenges these churches were experiencing were not unique to them, but are common problems experienced by churches the world over. Ephesus took doctrine seriously and would not tolerate false teaching in her midst, but she had lost her love. Smyrna was a faithful church, but she was being pressed hard by persecution. Pergamum had allowed false teaching to creep in. Thyatira was being seduced by sexual immorality. Sardis was on the verge of death – they were a sleepy and lethargic church. Philadelphia was faithful but was also being threatened by persecution. And lastly Laodicea was lukewarm in her prosperity. She enjoyed the riches of the world, but really she was “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).  These were real challenges being faced by real churches made up of real people, but they are challenges common to churches the world over.

Why have I taken the time to say this all of this now? Why I have labored to make the point that, though these seven churches were actual churches, they represent all churches? The reason is this: The prologue (what comes before the letters to the churches), the body (what comes after the letters to the churches (4:1-22:9)), and the conclusion to the book of Revelation are to be understood as a remedy to the various challenges faced by these churches. Their problems were many and they were diverse, but the remedy was one and the same for them all. They all needed the same thing, which was to have the veil pulled back so that they might see their present struggle – what ever form it took – in light of the way things really are. They needed revelation. They needed truth. They needed to see their struggles – be it the result of poverty or wealth, persecution or peace, false teaching or hard-heartedness – in light of reality as God sees it and knows it. They needed new eyes – eyes able to see in light of the spiritual and eternal. Friends, the struggles faced by these seven churches were not unique them, but are common to us all. And the remedy given to them is also for us. That is the point I’m trying to make.

Greeting

Notice the way that John greets these churches. He greets them in verse 4 saying, “grace to you and peace”. That is what we need, friends. We need God’s grace, and we desire inner peace. This is true always, but especially when facing extreme difficulties. We need God’s grace – we need his favor and his blessing. And we long to be at peace inwardly. It is possible, friends, to be at peace inwardly even if the world around us be in turmoil.

The Theme of the Book Introduced – The God Who Reigns

But where do we find this peace? How can we possibly be at peace inwardly with so many threatening and scary things pressing in upon us? It’s in verses 4 through 8 that John begins to show us the way. It is here that the theme of the book of Revelation is introduced. It is here that the pulling back of the curtain begins. It is here that John begins to show us how things really are so that we might order our lives according to reality, and not merely according the appearance of things.

Notice that in verse 4 it is not really John who greets the churches, saying “grace and peace to you”, but it is God who greats them with grace and peace. The texts actually says, “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth… (Revelation 1:4–5, ESV)

It is the Triune God who greets the churches. And here is the ground for all of our hope and peace. God is our hope. God is our peace. It is he who speaks to us. It is he who has saved us. It is because he has extended his gracious hand to us that we are able to walk in this world in perfect peace, having no fear of anything that is frightening. It is the Triune God who greats the churches. This letter is really all about him and the victory that he has won for us – that is what this book primarily reveals.

And notice the language used to describe the Triune God. It is very descriptive.

God is here referred to as “him who is and who was and who is to come”. Think about that description for a moment. We are not only encouraged to fix our eyes upon God, but specifically the God who is and was and who is to come. What does this phrase say to us about our God? It reminds us that he is the eternal one. He is the self-existent one. He is the unchanging one. And he is the God who is near.

Without a doubt this phrase is a reflection upon the divine name given in Exodus 3:14. Do you remember how God had called Moses to be the instrument through whom he would free his chosen people from the persecuting powers of the beast, that is, of Egypt? God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to the task. “Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13, ESV). And “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you’’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV).  This is the name that God revealed to Moses – he is the “I am”. He is the one who is. He simply exists. He always has been, and he always will be. He is the eternal one, the self-existent one, the unchanging one. He is the God who is near. He is the one “who is and who was and who is to come.”

Notice that the Spirit is mentioned next, and he is referred to as “the seven spirits who are before [God’s] throne.” The Spirit is before the throne of God because it is the Spirit who does God’s bidding. He is referred to as the seven Spirits for at least two reasons. One, seven is the number of perfection. Two, seven corresponds to the number of churches mentioned. It is the Spirit who perfectly empowers the people of God as they live in the world in these last days. It is by the Spirit that the people of God come to have grace and peace.

After this it is the Son who is mentioned. This is a strange order, I know. Typically we list the persons of the Trinity as Father, Son, and Spirit, but here it is Father, Spirit, Son. It’s hard to know why the persons of the Trinity are listed in this way. Perhaps one reason is that everything comes to focus upon the Son and the victory he has won through Jesus, who is the Christ. Concerning him we read, “from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

Notice that there things are said of Jesus. One, he is “the faithful witness”. He was a faithful witness even to the point of death. Here Christ serves as an example to the churches in Asia Minor. Some of them were being threatened with persecution. Christ is set before them at their example. He was a faithful witness, as they too should be. Two, he is the “firstborn of the dead.” This also would be very encouraging to Christians under attack. Christ defeated death. He rose again. And he rose again, not only for himself, but so that those who believe upon him might follow in his path. Be faithful unto death, is the message, for Christ has won the victory over death. Three, he is called “the ruler of kings on earth.” Oh, how encouraging this must have been to the saints who were suffering under powerful rulers. Christ, in fact, rules over them, for “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.”

The churches are greeted with grace and peace, not from John, but from the Triune God. And the description of the Triune God emphasizes the reality that he is all powerful, unchanging, faithful, and sovereign over all. He has won the victory for all who believe upon him.

Friends, this is what we need to hear. We need to be reminded of this realty, that God reigns. We need to see that Christ is victorious. And we must be comforted by the truth that God is ever present with his churches through his Holy Spirit who is perfect in every way, who fills and empowers the churches so that we might stand strong, though the whole world be against us.

Are you struggling in this world? Do you lack peace? I know it might at first sound trite, but look to God. Look to the Triune God and see him for who he is in all of his power and glory. See him for who he is, and believe upon him. Live according to the reality of who God is and what he has accomplished for you and for me. Do you see how the book of Revelation begins to pull back the veil for us even here in the prologue. From the beginning the book pulls back the veil so that we might begin to see things as they really are. And where do we start? We start by fixing our eyes upon God himself, being reminded of the truth concerning who he is – Father, Spirit, and Son.

The Theme of the Book Introduced – The God Who Is Worthy of all Praise

But notice where the prologue leads us. It leads us ultimately to praise. In verse 5 things give way to doxology. There we read, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5–6, ESV)

Here is another major theme found in the book of Revelation – Christ is worthy of all praise. He is to be worshipped. Do you want to have peace in this world? Worship God and the Christ whom he has sent! See him as infinitely worthy. See him as worthy of all your affection, all your obedience, all your devotion. Trust in him alone. Worship him alone. This is right. It is the purpose for which you were created – to love and adore the God who made you. Worship him alone, and forsake all forms of false and misdirected worship.

This doxology section actually accomplished two things. One, it gives all glory to God and to his Christ. But do you see that it also manages to remind us of who we are in him? It is he that deserves all glory and dominion forever and ever. But it is also he who “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.”

What a glorious thought this is! We are loved by Christ! If this does not bring comfort to a troubled soul, I don’t know what will. The Triune God has already been set before us as all powerful, supreme over all things, eternal and unchanging. And here we are reminded that he loves us in Christ Jesus. He loves us and has freed us from our sins. We are by nature slaves to the evil one because of our sins, but in Christ we have been set free. The price paid for our freedom was the blood of Christ. We have been set free – delivered from the slavish kingdom of darkness and transferred into the glorious kingdom of Christ. We are citizens of his kingdom now. We reign with him. And remember that he is the King of kings. He reigns supreme. And in this kingdom we are all priests to his God and Father. Under the Old Covenant only the high priest could enter into the most holy place once a year. In Christ we all have access to the Father as beloved children – he has opened up the way for us! A priest intercedes on behalf of others. This is what we do in Christ’s kingdom. We are to intercede for others. We are to serve as Christ’s witness, imploring others to be reconciled to God. We are a kingdom of priests by virtue of Christ’s finished work.

Friends, do you see how the prologue of Revelation, after setting our minds upon the truth of who God is, also says a word concerning the truth of who we are in Christ? He is the Almighty! And we are loved by him. We are free in him. We are have been ushered into his kingdom wherein we all function as priests to our God.

Please tell me that you understand the power in all of this. The world looks as certain way when viewed from a merely human and earthly perspective. Revelation from the start endeavors to open our minds the reality of things. Though things may seem out of control and unstable, God is in control and he is unchanging. Though powerful kings and forces may threaten, Christ is the King of kings. Though it may seem as if you have been abandoned, in fact you are loved. Though God might seem distant, really he is near. You have access to him, and you have the privilege of bringing others also. Things are not always as they seem.

The Theme of the Book Introduced – The God Who Will Bring all Things to His Desired End 

Let us now look at verses 7 through 8 and see how they bring comfort by revealing how things will go in the end. God will indeed bring all things to his desired end.

In verse 7 we read “Behold, he [Christ] is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:7–8, ESV)

Here in the prologue we have set before us a vision of the end. How important it is for us to live in the here and now with the end in view. We tend to be short sighted. We tend to only see what is right before us. But we live life much better when we live it with the end ever in view. We must take the long view.

In the end Christ will return. In the end Christ will judge all. Even those who pierced his hands and feet with stand before him. The tribes of the earth that go on living in rebellion against God will wail on account of him. Even so, “Amen”, let it be so. For God is the Alpha and Omega. He is the A to Z, the beginning and end. All things are from him and all things are to him. He was in the beginning, and will be in the end. He is supreme and absolute. He is the Almighty.

Conclusion

Live life in light of reality, friends. Know who God is. Know who you are. And know where all things are heading. Live life in light of reality. Trust in Christ. Know his grace, and know his peace. Amen.

Pre-Introduction

Friends, the New Testament scripture reading for today is Revelation 22:1-21. Remember that I will again be offering introductory remarks concerning the book of Revelation. Last Sunday I presented you with three of seven foundational principles that will aid us in our interpretation of this book. Today I will present you with the last four principles. Obviously I will not be teaching through Revelation 22:1-21 like I typically would. We will come back to this text months from now to deal with it more carefully. But I’d like to read it to you today to help orient our minds to the overall message of the book of Revelation. If you remember I did the same thing in the introductory sermon to our study through the Gospel of John – I started at the end so that we might better understand the beginning and the middle. Also, some of what is said in Revelation 22:1-21 will serve to support the four remaining principles for interpretation that I am about to present.

Let us give ourselves now to the reading of God’s holy word.

New Testament Reading: Revelation 22:1-21

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’ And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:1–21, ESV)

Introduction

Last week I presented three observations to help in our interpretation of the book of Revelation. Today I will present four more observations, which will bring the total to seven. I would like to devote one more sermon after this one to introductory matters, giving special attention to the structure of the book, with particular attention given to the presence of anticipation and repetition  (or recapitulation) in the book of Revelation.

I hope you are willing to stick with me through these introductory sermons. I see them as vital to a proper understanding of the book. This is unusual, I’ll admit it, to devote so much time to introductions, but it is needed.

There is danger here. The danger is that these sermons cease to be sermons and become lectures. My prayer is that they would not. My hope is these sermons would do more than disseminate   factual information, but that Christ would be exalted – that he would be held out before you, and that you would be urged to believe upon him – to love and adore him – to worship and obey. Yes, these sermons are heavily laden with information. But the information should serve to exalt Christ, and to set him on display as our Lord and Savior, our Champion King who has won the victory for us, who is worthy of all praise, who alone can be trusted for the forgiveness of sin and for life eternal.

So that is my goal: to continue to say what needs to be said to prepare us to properly understand the book of Revelation, but to exalt Christ along the way.

The three principles presented last week that should help us in our interpretation of Revelation were these: One, Revelation is given to reveal. We should expect the book to make things clear, not confusing. Two, Revelation is a book to be seen. It contains reports of visions which are to be interpreted symbolically, not literally. And three, numbers count in the book of Revelation. Most of the numbers in this book have a symbolic force to them.

Here are four more observations that should help us to approach the book appropriately:

Revelation Makes Sense Only in Light of the Old Testament

One, understand that the book of Revelation makes sense only in light of the Old Testament. To read the book of Revelation by itself without the Old Testament in view is an exercise in futility. It is the Old Testament that serves as a kind of key which helps us to understand the overall message of the book, particularly it’s symbols.

Understand, first of all, that the book of Revelation is the climax – the high point, the conclusion of – all biblical prophesy. The book is not disconnected from the prophesies that came before, but is intimately related to them, bringing those past prophesies to a conclusion, showing how they have been fulfilled by Christ at his first coming and how they will be fulfilled by him at his second coming. The prophesies in the book of Revelation are the climax of Biblical prophesy. But if it is the climax of all prophesy, it must be connected to the prophecies that have come before, and should be considered with what came before ever in mind.

Revelation reveals how things will be for the people of God who live in the last days (remember that the “last days” are the days between Christ’s first coming and second coming – these are the last days). The book of Revelation speaks of final things – the events that will bring human history as we know it to a close are described to us here. Notice that Revelation also brings the cannon of scripture to a close. It is the last book of the Bible. Genesis is listed first because it reveals to us what happened in the beginning. Revelation is positioned last because it brings the message of scripture to a climax and to a conclusion.  And as the climax of biblical prophesy the book manages to “[draw] together images that pervade Old Testament prophetic visions and [brings] them to fulfillment” (Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 12).

The point I really want you to understand is that there is an organic, intimate, and intense connection that exists between the Old Testament scriptures and Revelation. To miss this point is to be hopelessly lost in your interpretation of the book. We must consider Revelation in it’s canonical context (how it is related to the other books of the Bible) and it’s redemptive historical context (how what is communicated in it is related to God’s redeeming activities) if we are to understand it  correctly. Context matters. Immediate context; canonical context; redemptive historical context. They all matter.

If you have something wrong with your eye and you go to the doctor, the doctor is going to examine your eye, but he will surely leave your eye where it is and consider it in it’s context, set in it’s proper place, and connected to the rest of the human body. If, in his zeal for examining the eye, he pulls it out of it’s setting, he will surely do more harm than good.

Strange illustration, I know. But this is what many have done with the book of Revelation. In their excitement they have yanked the book from it’s canonical and redemptive historical setting and have tried to examine it on it’s own. They’ve done more harm than good. They’ve left us blind to the true meaning of the book. We must allow the book to remain in it’s proper setting in relation to the other books of the Bible and in relation to God’s redeeming activities in human history.

So what are some examples of the connections that exist between Revelation and the Old Testament?

For one, every time John is caught up and is shown a vision of the glory of God we should remember that these experiences corresponds to the experiences of the Old Testament prophets. John is given a glimpse of the glory of God (Rev. 1, 10) in much the same way that Daniel and Ezekiel saw the glory of God, being commissioned to carry the message received to the people of God (Ezek. 1; Dan. 9-10).

When we come to Revelation 13 we will see a great and ferocious beast rising up out of the sea. It is important to notice that this beast is a composite of the four beasts described to us in Daniel 7. After we recognize this fact we must work to interpret the beast of Revelation 13 with the beasts of Daniel 7 in mind. The visions are not the same, but they are clearly connected. And the differences are as important as the similarities.

See also that two witnesses of Revelation 11 are the two olive trees of Zechariah 4.

“The woes of judgment that fall on the harlot Babylon in Revelation 18 echo those that fell on Israel’s ancient oppressors, Tyre (Ezekiel 27) and Babylon (Jer. 51; Isa. 48)” (Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 12).

Quoting Dr. Dennis Johnson: “Revelation’s symbolic vocabulary is drawn not only from the thesaurus of the prophetic literature but also from other parts of the Old Testament” (Johnson, 13).

For example, the tree of life reappears at the consummation of all things (Rev. 2:7; 22:2).

Quoting Johnson again: “The ancient serpent who’s murderous lie seduced the woman and plunged the world into floods of misery (Gen. 3:1) is seen again, waging war against the woman, her son, and her other children – but this time his doom is sure and his time is short (Rev. 12; 20)” (Johnson, 13).

“The plagues that stuck ancient Israel’s Egyptian oppressors (Exod. 7-12) strike the church’s persecutors (Rev. 8:7, 10, 12, 9:3; 11:6; 16:13), so the church’s exodus-deliverance is celebrated with the song of Moses and of the Lamb (compare Rev. 15:3 with Exod. 15).

“Although exact Old Testament quotations in Revelation are rare, allusions to Old Testament imagery are everywhere: Elijah and his nemesis Jezebel; Balaam, the prophet who masterminded the subduction of Israel; God’s temple, served by his kingdom of priests, offering incense prayers on the alter, from which the fire of judgment falls, as on Sodom and Gomorrah; Isreal, the Messiah’s mother; Israel, the Lord’s bride; Israel’s twelve tribes, armed for holy war; God’s winepress of wrath; the water of life, offered free of charge; Jerusalem, the city of God” (Johnson, 13).

These are but a few examples of how Revelation takes up Old Testament images and themes and uses them to communicate to us things that are true for the people of God living in these last days.

But consider this. Quoting Johnson again: “God does not cut and paste Old Testament images, unchanged, into the texture of John’s visions. While remaining recognizable, they are modified and recombined into new configurations – as we would expect, since the sacrifice and resurrection of the Lamb have brought the warfare of the ages to a new phase and theater of oppressions. We dare not tackle the symbolism of Revelation with immersing our minds in the rich imagery of the Od Testament, but also will pay attention to the transformation that these ancient pictures undergo as they are used to express the impending, climactic victory of the kingdom of God and of his Christ” (Johnson, 13).

Do you want to grow in your understanding of Revelation? Then one thing you must do is read the Old Testament, for the images and themes found there are picked up in the book of Revelation, advanced, and brought to a conclusion. Revelation and the Old Testament are organically, intricately, and intensely connected.

Friends, Revelation makes sense only in light of the Old Testament.

Revelation Concerns What Must Soon Take Place

Two, do not forget that Revelation concerns what must soon take place. And remember that the “soon” is from the vantage point of the 90 A.D. reader, not ours.

I will not spend too much time here given that this has already been discussed. But consider again Revelation 1:1 and 1:3: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place… Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1,3, ESV). And lest we make the mistake of thinking that this only refers to what is said in the first few chapters of the book we should remember that the same claim is made at the end of the book. In 22:6-7 we read,“These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. ‘And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book’” (Revelation 22:6–7, ESV).

Some might reply saying, “but here in 22:7 it is Jesus who says ‘I am coming soon’, and he has not yet come though nearly 2,000 years have passed.” And I agree that he has not come in a consummate sense. He has not come in a full and final sense. His “second coming” is still yet in our future, no doubt. But that his not the only way the book of Revelation speaks of Christ “coming”.

Turn with me to Revelation 2:5. There Jesus is speaking to the church at Ephesus, confronting her weaknesses. And look at how he warned that 90 A.D. church. He spoke to them saying, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5, ESV)

Look also at 2:16. This time Jesus is confronting the church at Pergamum concerning the false teaching they were allowing in their midst. And what did Jesus say to that 90 A.D. church? “Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:16, ESV)

The point is this: not every reference to Christ “coming” has the final, consummate, second coming of Christ in view. That event is yet in our future. And that event has not happened quickly from the vantage point of the 90 A.D. audience. But Christ “came quickly” to them in another sense, for he is constantly present with his church, walking in our midst. He is forever coming to us. He brings his judgment even now. He brings encouragement. He brings strength. He wars against false teachers with the sword of his mouth even now. In that sense, Christ has already come, and he will continue to come, “bringing [his] recompense with [him], to repay each one for what he has done” (Revelation 22:12, ESV).

This is a massively important theme in Revelation, and the rest of the New Testament for that matter. Christ has already come, but he has not yet come in fullness. The evil one has already been defeated, but he has not yet been defeated in a full and final way. We already live with Christ being united to him by faith, but we have not yet enjoyed the fulness of our life in Christ – that is yet future to us. The kingdom if Christ is here already, but it is not yet here in fulness. Already… not yet. Christ has come to his churches already, but not yet in the full, final, and consummate sense. We long to see that day. And the people of God say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, ESV).

The “already… not yet” principle is helpful in understanding some of what Revelation has to say. What is clear – and this is our focus today – is that the book of Revelation concerns things that would soon take place from the vantage point of the original 90 A.D. audience. 1:1, 1;3, and 22:6-7 state it directly, as we have seen.

But the principle is greatly magnified when we compare what is said in Revelation concerning the nearness of the events described in the book to what was said to Daniel who prophesied from the year 605 B.C. onward.

Daniel saw visions, as you know. And those visions symbolized things that would take place in human history. The visions that Daniel saw and the visions that John saw, which are recorded for us in Revelation, are indeed similar.  But listen to what God had to say to Daniel about the timing of the events that were symbolized in the visions he saw.

In Daniel 8:26 Daniel was told, “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now” (Daniel 8:26, ESV). In Daniel 12:9 we read, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:9, ESV). In other words, “the events that were symbolized before you will not happen soon, but will happen many years from now.” Indeed about 600 years would pass before the Messiah who was symbolized before Daniel would appear. And again in Daniel 12:4 we read, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, ESV).

Concerning Daniel’s visions God said, “not yet”, “it’s a long ways off”, “seal it up, for the time is not yet”. But when we come to Revelation we see that seals are not applied to the document, but opened.  In fact in Revelation 22:10 the angel says to John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10, ESV).

Clearly the meaning is this. The things that Daniel saw – the historical realities that were a long way off from his 605 B.C. perspective – are here now in 90 A.D. Of course the “already… not yet” principle applies to some of these things. But what is clear is that the book of Revelation describes things, not only in our future, but in our past, present, and future. The vast majority of the historical realities portrayed in Revelation were near to the 90 A.D. audience who first received the book from John’s hand. The exception are the final and full second coming of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the final judgment, and the new the heavens and new earth.

Revelation concerns what must soon take place.

Revelation is For a Church Under Attack

Three, it is vital for us to remember that Revelation is written for a church under attack.

Friends, the church is always under attack. The attack takes many different forms. But God’s people are always under attack, being pressured and tempted to give their worship and allegiance to people and powers other than the one true God. Sometimes the attack is blatant and obvious taking the form of physical persecution. Sometimes it is through the promulgation of false teaching that the attack comes. At others times the attack comes by way of prosperity and comfort. The enemies tactics are varied – he is a very cunning; very sly indeed.

We may be tempted to think that the only real attack experienced by the church comes in the form of physical persecution, but this would be a deadly assumption to make. This assumption would leave us blind to a great many of the schemes of the evil one. What is the end goal of he evil one? Is it not to persuade men and women to turn from Christ and bow before him instead? It is true that one way of the way he accomplishes this is through the threat of physical persecution. But may I suggest to you that there are other powerful tactics used by the evil one to entice men and women to bow the knew before him instead of the living God. Does he not also use the pleasures and passions of this world to entice men and women? Does he not inspire false religion? Does he not distort the true gospel, tempting men and women to believe in a false gospel? Does he not promote dead, lifeless, legalistic religion, seeking to persuade men and women to trust in their own religious works instead of the Christ who has earned salvation for us, who has paid for our sins, who gives his righteousness to all who believe upon him (“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV).) Let us not be so foolish to believe that it is only the church that experiences persecution that is under attack. May suggest to you that the evil was has done much damage to the church in America today through false teaching and by enticing the church to chase after the pleasures and comforts of this life.

We we finally come to the letter to the seven churches in Revelation 1-3 we will see that those original churches were being attacked and tempted in a variety of ways.

Later in the book we will be introduced to four main figures who together oppose God and his purposes – the beast, the false prophet, the harlot, and the dragon who empowers these three. The beast represents worldly powers that often persecute. The false prophet represents those who promote false religion. The harlot represents the seductiveness of this world. These three form a kind of false Trinity, and they are used by the dragon, who is the devil, to draw men and women away from worshipping the one true God who eternally exists in three persons – Father, Word, and Spirit.

Friends, the church is under constant assault from these three.

The Victory Belongs to God and to His Christ

But what does Revelation show us? It shows us that God us on the throne. He protects, he keeps, he sustains, and he has won the victory. We are victorious in God and in his Christ.

And that is the fourth thing to remember about the message of the book of Revelation: The victory belongs to God and to his Christ.

By the end the book we will see the four enemies of God – the beast, the false prophet, the harlot, and the dragon that uses and empowers them – finally and fully judged.

For example listen to Revelation 20:7-10:

“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7–10, ESV)

And who has won the victory over these powerful foes of ours? The Lamb has won the victory, friends. He has won the victory through his life, death, burial, and resurrection. He reigns in victory now.  And will bring that victory to a full conclusion at his second coming.

“Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–25, ESV)

Conclusion 

Friends, the book of Revelation communicates the gospel. It proclaims good news to us that God has defeated the fierce enemies that threaten us. And it calls us to see those enemies for what they are. They are enemies! Their end is death and distraction. They promise pleasure. They promise life. But they will not deliver. Only the Triune God can deliver. Life is found in him and in the Christ whom he has sent. The book of Revelation compels us to abandon all hope in these counterfeits, and to trust in Christ alone. He alone is worthy of worship. And it is in the worship of him that we find what is best for us – life to full. Believe upon Christ, friends. And if you do believe in him, then stop toying around with the things of this world seeking comfort and security in them. They’ll never deliver. They’ll only bring destruction. Stop placing your hope in political powers. Stop giving an ear to false gospels. Stop indulging the appetites of the flesh. Worship God alone, and approach him through faith in Christ alone, who is the Savior of the world. Amen.