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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
January 26, 2025
◘The Glorified Christ
Revelation 1:12-20
Review
Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 1. In the first two sermons I gave an introduction to this book as well as examined its preface, salutation, doxology, attestation and commission in verses 1-11. Follow along as I read each of those sections as a quick review. (See: Introduction to the Apocalypse, Part 1 & Introduction to the Apocalypse, Part 2)
◘ Preface: Revelation 1:1–3 (LSB), 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His slaves the things which must soon happen; and He indicated this by sending it through His angel to His slave John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near.
◘ This preface in verses 1-3 tell us that this is a revelation from God the Father to Jesus Christ, God the Son, given through an angel to the apostle John for the purpose of showing God’s slaves, we who are bought with sacrifice of Jesus’ life and so belong to Him, of what is to come. John was a faithful witness to what God said, what Jesus did and all that he saw. These are events which must soon happen for the time is near, referring to their immanency. They could begin at any time for while there are many things that could happen before they begin, nothing must happen before they begin. Those who hear or read and heed this prophecy will be blessed. The unrighteous will be caused to fear God which can then lead to their repentance and belief in Christ to be saved. Those who are already Christians can be motivated to greater holiness in their lives in preparation for His coming as well as be encouraged that heaven will be their home as Christ has promised.
◘ Salutation: 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from the One who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth . . .”
◘ In the salutation John identifies himself as writing to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. He extends his wish for grace and peace which he then identifies comes from the triune God. This wish then is for God’s grace, His unmerited favor, to be upon them, and for them to experience God’s peace, a tranquility of the soul that can exist in all circumstances because of trust in God. John identifies God the Father with the title, “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” The phrase, “the seven Spirits who are before His throne,” refers to God the Holy Spirit as we saw in our previous study due to its usage later in Revelation and its tie to the prophecies in Zechariah. God the Son is identified directly as “Jesus Christ,” but John then gives three additional titles for Him: “The Faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” We studied the meaning an importance of each of these previously.
◘ John then breaks into a doxology at the end of verse 5. 5 . . . To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen. ◘ As we saw a couple of weeks ago, each of these are specific reasons to give glory to Jesus Christ
◘ Verses 7-8 are a declaration and attestation. 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Yes, amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” ◘The promised return of Jesus Christ as promised and described in verse 7 is the theme of the book of Revelation. The truth and certainty of this promise is attested to by God the Father in verse 8. I pointed out last week that though God the Father and God the Son have the same attributes and titles given which can be applied to the other, Jesus pointed out in John 5 that testifying about yourself would not have legal standing, so this is the Father testifying about the Son just as He did on other occasions.
◘ Commission: In verses 9-11 John explains the commission he was given by God to write this book. 9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the witness of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write in a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
◘ We looked at the details of this last week. In brief, as Roman Emperor Domitian neared the end of his life he became more erratic and egotistical even demanding to be called, Lord and God. The province of Asia was a center of the Emperor Cult with Ephesus even having a temple dedicated to Domitian. Faithful Christians were among those persecuted and so John was exiled to the small, barren island of Patmos located about 40 miles west of costal city of Miletus. This would have been about ad 94-95 and John would not return to Ephesus until ad 96 after the death of Domitian.
◘ The Holy Spirit had come upon John on a particular “Lord’s day,” a reference to the first day of the week, and he heard a loud voice command him to write a book about what he would see and send it to seven particular churches in Asia. All seven of these churches were on a loop road though that province and each was a mail hub to the surrounding areas, so a book written to them would then be distributed from them to eventually reach all of “God’s slaves” for whom it was intended as stated in verse 1. (See: John’s Salutation & Commission)
◘The Glorious Appearance of the Son of Man – Revelation 1:12-18
We pick up our study today in verse 12 when John turns to see who is speaking to him and he sees the glorious appearance of the Son of Man which is described through verse 16. In verse 17 John describes his reaction and then the additional instructions and explanations he was given through verse 20. This description is very different from those of Jesus throughout the gospel accounts in which Jesus had come as the suffering servant, the lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world. Those descriptions of Jesus who is meek and mild when He came to fulfill the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah including that He would not quarrel, cry out, break off a bruised reed or put out a smoldering wick (Matthew 12:15-21 cf. Isaiah 42). He is returning as King of Kings and what John sees is beyond anything he has seen before. He will use simile and metaphor to give a sense of what he is seeing. We will read through this passage and then come back to verse 12 to explain it.
◘ Revelation 1:12–16 (LSB), 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, 16 and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20 “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
◘ John’s response is the same as any of us. When someone is speaking directly to you in a loud voice, you will turn to see who it is. That is what John does and he is astonished at what he sees. He first noted that he “saw seven golden lampstands.” Don’t think of these as candelabras for they did not use candles then. ◘These are stands upon which would be placed an oil lamp of that day. These were often a bowl to hold oil which had one side partially squeezed together to make a sort of spout from which a lighted wick would burn. Or often a bowel with a top of some sort, often convex with a hole in it for adding oil to the bowl, and a spout on the side through which a wick would be inserted and lit. ◘That these are described as golden and therefore either made of gold or gold plated demonstrates their value as something beyond common usage. Expense would reserve such a lampstand to only the wealthy or for religious purposes such as the one described in Exodus 25 for use in the Tabernacle. The meaning of these lampstands will be explained to him as we shall see in vs. 20.
◘ What catches his attention next is that “in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man.” John does not explain how these lampstands were arranged, perhaps in a row, columns, a circle, or randomly, but in the midst of them as better translated in the ESV & NKJV, there is a human figure he describes as “like a son of man.” ◘The phrase son of man is generally used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to the offspring of humans such as in Job, Psalms, Isaiah and Ezekiel. However, it is used at the end of the night vision prophecy of Daniel 7 to describe someone who is far beyond human. Daniel 7:13–14 (LSB), 13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And came near before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not be taken away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” All four gospel accounts record that Jesus extensively used “Son of Man” as a title for Himself, and in the Olivet Discourse Jesus quotes from Daniel 7:13 applying it to Himself (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27). That John is using this description the same way as in Daniel’s prophecy and it is in fact Jesus is seen in John’s detailed description of His appearance. This one who is like a “Son of Man” has a human form, but He is far beyond being just human.
◘ Verse 13 continues on to describe Him “clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.” This manner of dress shows great dignity. The High Priest wore such a long robe as did royalty, Samuel, Ezra and the man in the vision in Ezekiel 9. Even the Scribes dressed this way in an effort to magnify their status (Mark 12:38). And while the High Priest wore a sash, it was fine twisted linen of blue and scarlet (Exod. 39:29). This golden sash and overall appearance is closer to the angelic being that Daniel saw by the Tigris river (Daniel 10). The attire of the Son of Man immediately communicated to John this person was someone of great dignity and position. His physical appearance even more so.
◘ John continues on, 14 “And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow . . .” That matches the description of the head and hair of Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9. It is part of the nature of the Triune Godhead that God the Father and God the Son are often described in the same way as we saw last week in interpreting verse 8.
◘ John continues,“and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” The angel in Daniel 10:6 had eyes like “flaming torches,” and so the description of Jesus’ eyes here and in Revelation 2:18 and in 19:12 as like “flames of fire” are a characteristic of being supernatural. A point reinforced by John’s continuing description in verse 15 of what he saw ◘, 15 “His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace . . .” His feet will be described in the same way in Rev. 3:18, but the translation as “burnished bronze” is an effort to convey the meaning of the word used here (calkalibavnw / chalkalibanō) which refers to “a particularly valuable or fine type of bronze or brass, possibly even an alloy containing some gold” (Louw-Nida). The emphasis seems to be on the shiny, glowing quality with which His feet appeared. Why would John note the appearance of His feet as more than a passing comment? Perhaps it is because a similar description is used of the supernatural appearance of the angel in Daniel 10:6 and visions Ezekiel had of God (Ezek. 1). John is again calling attention to the fact that what he is seeing is similar to the supernatural beings seen by the ancient prophets. ◘Noting that “His voice was like the sound of many waters” adds to this. This is the same description used in Ezekiel 43:2 for the Glory of the God of Israel, and so John’s use of it will add to the authority of the message that he will be receiving and recording.
◘ Please note that these are simile and metaphor and not allegory or even presented as symbolic. They are descriptions using something familiar to describe something unfamiliar. This is the risen and glorified Jesus Christ and not the meek and mild man of the incarnation in the early 1st century so it should be expected that His appearance will have qualities that are supernatural.
In verse 16 there are two statements which do have symbolic meaning and another simile to describe the appearance of the Son of man. 16 “and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power.” The first two phrases of this verses are statements that have symbolic meaning, but that does not negate the reality of what John is seeing even if it seems strange to us.
◘ The right hand is the hand of strength and authority to both rule and protect as conveyed in many of the Psalms. John sees that the Son of Man has a firm hold on these stars though he does not indicate here if they are above or below His palm. Think of these stars as the pinpoints of bright light that you see when you look up at night to see the stars. The meaning of them will be explained in verse 20.
◘ The sharp two-edged sword that comes from out of His mouth is a rJomfaiva / rhomphaia which was a large, broad sword of Thracian origin that was used for both slashing and piercing. It was an instrument of aggressive attack by a soldier in war and not the short sword (mavcaira / macharia) used for personal defense. It is also referred to in the same way in Revelation 2:16; 19:15 and 19:21. In the later two verses it is the means by which the King of kings and Lord of lords that comes from heaven riding on a white horse will strike down the rebellious nations and kill the unrighteous. In ◘Revelation 2:16 it is used as a warning that Christ will make war upon the unrepentant. In each of these cases this a much more direct physical action than just a reference to a figure of speech of having a sharp tongue such as in Job 5:15, Psalm 59:7 or Isaiah 49:2. While what John sees may have symbolic meaning, it is important to understand that to the best of his ability he is giving descriptions of what he is seeing both here and throughout this book whether it matches previous human experience or not.
◘ The third description in verse 16 of the Son of Man is that “His face was like the sun shining in its power.” While angels are also depicted as having bright faces such as in Daniel 10:6 in which that angel’s “face had the appearance of lightning,” there is no doubt that this sight would have reminded John of being with Jesus at His transfiguration. Matthew 17:1–7 records this event. 1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
Obviously this experience would have made a lasting impression on John and that comes out in 1 John in his many references to seeing Jesus, connecting Jesus to light and especially 1:2 in which John goes beyond just testifying that he had seen Jesus with his own eyes and touched Him to point out that Jesus, “the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” He was made visible to them.
◘ John’s reaction to seeing all of this was the same as when he saw the glory of Jesus when He was transfigured. John states in Revelation 1:17, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.” I have said this before but it is worth repeating here. This is the common reaction when humans encounter a heavenly being that displays even a part of his glory. They will feel overwhelmed, undone, unworthy, completely humbled and respond accordingly. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3, Moses hid his face. When Isaiah only had a vision of heaven and God on His throne, he responded, “Woe is me, for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the king, Yahweh of hosts.” Ezekiel had several encounters in which he saw the Glory of God and each time he fell on his face (Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 43:4; 44:4). Daniel did the same when Gabriel came to him in Daniel 8 and in Daniel 10 when he saw the angel by the banks of the Tigris river. When the angel appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem to announce Jesus’ birth they were “terribly frightened.” Saul fell to the ground when a light from heaven flashed around him while he was on the road to Damascus. And though we may entertain angels without knowing it as stated in Hebrews 13:2, the common reaction if it is known that it is an angel is fright and humility. Yet there are plenty of people who claim to have seen and talked with an angel that did not react in such a manner. That is a warning sign they are false teachers. Stay away from them.
◘ And just as at the transfiguration, Jesus intervenes to help John overcome his fear. Verse 17 . . . And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear.” That is actually in the command voice, but it is a command of comfort to bring reassurance. Jesus then continues on to give a final description of Himself that makes His identification absolutely certain. 17. . . “I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ fits this description.
◘ The declaration “I am the first and the last” like the phrases “the Alpha and Omega” or “the beginning and the end” is a statement of totality that expresses divinity strengthened by the article. It is “I am the first and the last” and not just “I am first and last.” There is nothing prior to Him and nothing after Him. It is a statement of being eternal. Yahweh uses this title for Himself in Isaiah 41:4; 44:6 and 48:10, or as elaborated upon in Isaiah 43:10–11 (LSB), 10 “You are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no god formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 “I, even I, am Yahweh, And there is no savior besides Me.
◘ The next statement, “I am the living one,” is also a declaration of true deity. The title “living God” is used 15 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and 13 times in the Greek Scriptures. It is a contrast between the self-existent true God that created everything in six days (Genesis 1) and continues to control all of Creation (Col. 1:16-17) and the false gods of the nations which are made by man and have no breath in them (Jeremiah 10:6-16). Hezekiah’s prayer in Isaiah 37 included acknowledging that Sennacherib had cast the gods of the nations that he had conquered into the fire, but he had now reproached the living God to whom Hezekiah is pleading and who would deliver him. Life can only come from life and all life comes from God for He has life in Himself and He gave to Jesus the Son to also have life in Himself (John 5:26).
◘ The declaration,“I am the living one,” is immediately tied into the next declaration that only fits Jesus, “and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” The grammar here, an aorist middle indicative and a present, active participle, contrasts a single event in history, Jesus came to be dead, with the state of existence that followed of living from age to age – forevermore. During His earthly ministry Jesus raised quite a few people from the dead, but they would not remain alive. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead to life was permanent as the first fruit of those that God has promised to likewise resurrect in the future. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 it is promised that the dead in Christ will rise first to then be joined by those who are alive and remain at that time to be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and always be with Him thereafter. In Revelation 20:4-6 those who are part of the first resurrection at the end of the Tribulation will not be subject to the power of the second death.
◘ The third declaration Jesus makes is dependent upon the first two. Because Jesus is the living one who became dead and is alive forevermore He proclaims, “I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Keys are common symbol of authority to either lock up or free, and Jesus has authority over both the state of death and Hades, the place of the dead. Jesus made this claim in advance in John 5:28-29, 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” ◘What marvelous comfort Jesus gives in John 10:27-30, 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one.” ◘What terror should strike the hearts of the unrighteous as we saw a few weeks ago in our study of the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, and the goats are condemned to eternal punishment. The terror of that truth should prod them to repent and seek God’s forgiveness for their sins through Christ.
◘The Glorified Christ’s Instructions to John – Revelation 1:19-20
There is no doubt that the person that John saw was Jesus Christ in His glorified state. Jesus then gives John a specific command and explanation of what he had seen.
◘ The command is in verse 19. 19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” That is what John did and why we have the book of Revelation and why it is divided into three parts according to its time sequence when it was written. The “things you have seen” is chapter 1. The “things which are” is chapters 2 and 3 in which the letters to the seven churches give both commendation and warning about their current condition. The “things which will take place after these things” is the rest of the book as it reveals details about what will happen in heaven and then on the earth during the years of tribulation followed by the millennium and eternity.
◘ In verse 20 Jesus explains some of the symbolism. 20 “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” A mystery is something that is hidden, previously unknown. Jesus uncovers the mystery here and makes known the meaning of the seven stars and seven golden lampstands that John has seen. While the meaning is fairly straightforward as seen in the last two sentences, a little further explanation would be helpful.
◘ The seven stars that John saw in Jesus’ right hand, which here uses a different preposition which indicates they were held upon the palm of His right hand, are the seven angels or messengers of the seven churches which had been detailed in verse 11 and to which each will receive a letter in chapters 2 and 3. There is quite a bit of debate in the commentaries whether the Greek term used here (a[ggeloV / angelos) should be transliterated as angels referring to heavenly beings from God or translated according to the term’s meaning of messengers referring to representatives of each church. ◘ Since these stars will receive both commendation and rebuke in the specific letters written to each as will be seen in chapters 2 and 3, it does not fit that they are angels from God. It also must be clear that the stars and the lampstands do not represent the exact same thing. Since elsewhere in ◘Scripture stars can represent a teacher, either good or bad (Daniel 12:3; Jude 13), it makes more sense for each of these stars to be a human messenger to each church, possibly a church leader, but not necessarily so. ◘It is someone respected in that church who will carry the message of the Revelation back to that church.
◘ Jesus states directly that each of the seven lampstands represents one of the seven churches. That John saw Jesus who controls the messengers in the midst of the lampstands signifies that Jesus was about to dictate a particular message to each church. We will be examining each of those messages in the coming weeks.
◘Conclusions
The main point to think about as you leave today is this glorious appearance and description of Jesus given in this passage. ◘People are comfortable with the Jesus of Christmas, a baby in a manger who poses no threat to anyone. ◘ People are also comfortable with the popular ideas about Jesus in the gospels. A good teacher and philosopher of the highest ethics. A man meek and mild that posed little threat to anyone except the jealous Jewish religious leaders. However, ◘the reality is that the resurrected Jesus Christ is glorious and exalted beyond the description of any mere human. He is God incarnate holding all His attributes and prerogatives. He can be your friend, but never your “buddy,” for you have no equality with Him. He can be your Savior and offers heaven and eternal life to those that will repent and believe. Love Him! ◘However, He is also the righteous and holy judge of all that will condemn the unrepentant. Fear Him!
Sermon Notes: January 26, 2025
The Glorified Christ, Revelation 1:12-20
Review
Preface: Rev. 1:1-3. A revelation from God the __________➔ Jesus Christ ➔ angel ➔ John ➔ God’s slaves
Salutation: Rev. 1:4-5a. John writes to 7 churches in Asia wishing them grace & peace from the ______God
Doxology: Rev. 1:5-6. Glory given to __________for what He has done
Attestation: Rev. 1:7-8. God the Father attests to the _________of the declaration that Jesus is coming back
Commission: Rev. 1:9-11. John the apostle, exiled on ________, is commissioned to write to the 7 churches
The Glorious Appearance of the Son of Man – Revelation 1:12-18
Revelation 1:12–16. What John sees.
John turns and first sees seven golden lampstands upon which an _______________ would be placed
That they are golden demonstrates their value and _____________
One like a son of man – a human form is in the __________/ among the lampstands
“Son of man” could be a human (Job, Psalms, Ezekiel, etc) or a _______________title (Daniel; Gospels)
His clothing was of great ____________
Head and hair white like wool, like snow matches description of the Ancient of Days – ________________
His eyes were like a flame of fire – also in Rev. 2:18 & 19:12, same as angel in ________________
His feet were like burnished bronze – also in Rev. 3:18. Similar to angel in Daniel 10:6; God’s _____- Ezk 1
His voice was like the sound of many waters – used in Ezek. 43:2 for the __________of the God of Israel
The descriptions so far are __________& metaphor – not allegory or even presented as symbolic
Having in His right hand seven stars – that is the hand of ____________, will be explained in vs. 20
Sharp two-edged sword from out of His mouth – large, broad _______sword used to kill – Rev. 19:15, 21
Rev. 2:16 is a warning of war on the unrepentant – this is ___________a figure of speech for a sharp tongue
His face was like the sun shining in its power – angel in Daniel 10:6; the ______________- Matthew 17:1-7
John fell at His feet – humans encountering a glorious heavenly being are _____________, undone, humbled
Just as at the Transfiguration, Jesus intervenes to ____________ John’s fear
I am the first and the last – statement of being the ___________one – Isaiah 41:4; 43:10-11; 44:6; 48:10
I am the living one – statement of true deity as the ____________one, a contrast to dead idols – Jer. 10:6-16
I was dead, & behold, I am alive forevermore – resurrection to _______life, Jesus is the first fruit – 1 Cor 15
I have the keys of death & of Hades – Keys = authority. Jesus has __________over death & place of the dead
Jesus can give eternal ________(John 10:27-30) or condemn to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:31-46)
The Glorified Christ’s Instructions to John – Revelation 1:19-20
John is commanded to _________things you have seen, things that are, things which will take place after
Vs. 20 – Jesus reveals a _____________, something previously hidden is uncovered and explained
Seven stars in right hand are a[ggeloV / angelos – angels or messengers of the seven ______________
These stars receive commendation and ___________- that does not fit angels – messengers from God
Stars can represent a teacher, good or bad (Dan. 12:3; Jude 13), these are ___________messengers
It is someone respected in that church who will carry the __________of the Revelation back to that church
The lampstands represent the 7 _________, and Jesus is in the midst of them ready to give each a message
Conclusions
People are comfortable with Jesus if He does not pose a _________(a baby or a good teacher meek & mild)
Jesus is glorious & exalted beyond the description of any mere human. He is _________incarnate
Jesus is the Savior giving eternal life all who repent and ____________- Love Him!
Jesus is the just judge who condemns eternally the unrighteous who do not repentant – ________Him!
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many times you think Jesus is being referenced. Talk with your parents about the glorious description given about Jesus and what your relationship to Him should be like.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What did you learn from each of these sections of Revelation 1: The Preface (1-3); The Salutation (4-5); The Doxology (5-6); The Attestation (7-8); The Commission (vs. 9-11). Describe the kind of lampstands John would have seen? How is the phrase “son of man” used in the Scriptures? What is the significance of the clothing He was wearing? What prophecy also describes a being with a head and hair white like wool or snow? What other beings are described with eyes like flames of fire (torches)? What other beings are described with feet in this way? What other being has a voice described in this manner? Are these real descriptions or symbolic? Explain. What is significant about the right hand? What kind of sword is this and what was it used for? What does that indicate about this sword? What other beings have a face as described? When did John previously see Jesus with these characteristics? What is the normal reaction of a human encountering a heavenly being that displays some of his glory? What is the significance of the claim, “I am the first and the last”? What is the significance of the statement, “I am the living one”? How does the statement, “I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,” prove beyond all doubt that this is Jesus Christ? What is the significance of the statement, “I have the keys of death and of Hades”? What did Jesus command John to do? Jesus explains the symbolism of the seven stars and the seven lampstands. What do each represent?
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