Talk: Revelation 1:9-20, Holy Trinity Frogmore, 5th Dec 2004
David Heath-Whyte
NB: This is what I intended to say...
Emoticons
I wonder if you know what this ;-) means?
It's a semi-colon, a hyphen, and a right bracket. It means "wink"
How about this :-D (colon, hyphen, capital D) - big grin
Or this: [-o< praying...!
These are "emoticons" - and they're part of internet communications. If you're an outsider - they seem baffling, weird even (pointless?!) But to those in the know, it's all obvious.
It's a bit like the book of Revelation. It seems baffling to us, but to the first hearers it was all obvious.
It's a kind of writing called "Apocalyptic" - which means "Revelation" - it's a very vivid style, which God has taken advantage of in communicating to John and these churches. It speaks of fantastic images that really stick in the imagination. And it's a kind of code, full of symbolism: like the seven lampstands in our passage - they stand for the seven churches that are listed in v.11 (we're told that in v.20)
And the "seven churches" might be symbolic as well - because the number 7 is about completeness and perfection: so perhaps the seven churches stand for all the churches?
It may be Baffling to outsiders like us - but just like the emoticons: to those in the know - it's all obvious.
Fortunately, this passage today doesn't go far into Apocalyptic territory; it has a pretty straightforward message: The awesome Lord Jesus rules his churches. "The awesome Lord Jesus", "rules his churches."
The Vision
So what's in the vision? it's Revelation, chapter 1, v 9-20.
Last week we saw how the book is a message from the Lord Jesus Christ, through John, to believers. We heard about the Lord Jesus and his Rule, his Redemption, and his Return - the Lord who is, who was, and who is to come.
And now, John meets this Jesus.
v.9-11
v.9-11, John was in exile, on a small Island south-west of Turkey, because he'd already been proclaiming God's Word.
There he was, on a Sunday, "in the Spirit": spending time in prayer, focussing on God - and suddenly there was this incredibly loud voice telling him, v.11 "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." If you look where they are on a map, they're actually on a route that a messenger might have taken.
v.12-16
So, what does he see? - v.12-16 - he turns around, and he's in a vision, so it's like he's in another world - there are seven lampstands made of gold - and standing there amongst them is someone "like a son of man" - just like the OT prophet Daniel saw - only this time John knows exactly who it is, it's Jesus - and he is terrifyingly awesome.
v.17-18
How does John react? He takes cover - v.17 he's flat on his face, as if dead.
Jesus reassures him - "do not be afraid" - but what he says is no less scary: "I am the First and the Last, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ..."
Jesus is impressive, intimidating, magnificent, and majestic - but, John, you're safe, because you're his.
v.19-20
So - v.19 get writing John, oh - and by the way, here's what the lampstands mean - they're churches, and the stars, well they're the messengers, the angels of those seven churches (whatever that means!)
the vision
So there's the vision: John's in exile, praying - he hears a voice, it's Jesus in all his risen and glorified majesty - with a message for the churches.
What is this - a drug induced hallucination? Perhaps you're feeling a little sceptical at this point?
But: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, show us that God exists & is bothered with us - and so it makes sense that God should provide a revelation like this, that in his providence would become the last book of the Bible, to help us to understand him more.
And even if it is "Apocalyptic", the message here is clear: The awesome Lord Jesus rules his churches.
The Awesome Lord Jesus...
First let's look at the "the awesome Lord Jesus".
This is the striking thing about this vision, isn't it - whatever the details, John sees Jesus - and he's incredible.
We don't know if John was the same John who wrote John's Gospel: it doesn't say he is, and it's quite a different book, so it's hard to tell; Christians writing in the 2nd century thought that he was.
But anyway: here's a man who was devoted to Jesus, he gave his life to helping people know Jesus, to the extent that he was now suffering for that in exile. He's a great Christian man - a real hero of the faith - but when he actually meets the risen Lord Jesus in all his glory - argh!!
Jesus is Awesome: and his glory inspires Respect and gives reassurance.
His Glory inspires Respect And gives reassurance
His Glory
We're seeing Jesus' glory in this vision.
Other believers same similar amazing things: Paul, on the road to Damascus, saw Jesus, in dazzling bright light, brighter than the sun.
Peter, James and (maybe the same) John saw Jesus transfigured into dazzling white light, on a mountaintop.And around 700 years before, Isaiah the OT prophet had an incredible vision of God in his majesty, that sent Isaiah to his knees, in fear for his life.
To see God is incredible.
But John's vision has even more: there are details.
I don't know if you've been looking in the Argos catalogue as Christmas approaches.
If you want to buy camera or something, they have these little icons, pictures that tell you what the features of each camera are, so you know what each one does - one icon for flash, another for autofocus, and so on.The details in John's vision are like these icons: telling us information about Jesus: what makes him so awesome:
v.13 - he's "like a son of man" - he reminded John of what another OT prophet, Daniel, saw in (7:13) "one like a son of man" - the coming Christ who had an everlasting kingdom. It's a reminder that Jesus is the theme of the OT, well before the 1st Christmas.
His clothes - only the most important people wore long robes and gold.
His head and hair, white like wool - speaking of great wisdom & dignity.
But he's no doddering old man -"his eyes were like burning fire" - he's full of life and he misses nothing.
His feet, are glowing bronze, showing his strength and power.
And when he speaks!!! Wow - take your pick from the gob-smacking descriptions - he's got a voice like a trumpet; and it's like the rushing of waves; and it looks like a sharp double-edged sword.
George was off school ill earlier this week. And he was watching some schools telly - an RE programme about one of the Christian Seasons of the Year, yes, you've guessed it, ... Easter. it was a play of the week of the crucifixion. All the characters looked pretty normal - except for Jesus: he alone was wearing a long white nightie, and he had long beautifully shampooed flowing hair, nice neat beard, and he looked completely WET.
What a contrast to the real Jesus who John saw.
And, I suspect, a huge contrast to the real Jesus that people met in Galilee and Judea.
Inspires Respect
The glory of Jesus is a huge challenge to how we think of him when we're trusting him, how we treat him with our lives.
His Glory inspires respect.
John fell on his face.
Now we don't do this kind of thing any more do we. We're very egalitarian these days. If the Prime Minister turns up somewhere, people are as likely to throw eggs at him as to bow and scrape.
That's just how we are these days: until we meet Jesus.
Then we are faced with absolute purity, power and perfection. Have a look at v.17: He is "the first and the last" - before all things, and going on beyond all things. He is "the living one" - "he was dead, and look he is alive for ever and ever" - it's extraordinary. And he has sole authority over death itself.We have no option but to fall on our face before him.
This is the Awesome Lord Jesus - The Glory of Jesus inspires Respect
How do you treat him, in your life - as you pray to him (or not), when you think of him (or not), when you're doing something he wants you to do (or something he doesn't want?)
Have you domesticated Jesus, so that he's easy to handle - simple to ignore. You can just keep him for one Sunday in three or whatever?
The glory of Jesus surely inspires respect?
Amazingly, by his grace, through his death on the cross, he has given us complete access to himself. But it's not that God has become un-awesome, so that we can handle him. It's that the alarming, astonishing, awe-inspiring God lets us near him!!!
So how will we treat him? How will we respond to his word? We won't hear his voice like a trumpet as John did, but as we read the Bible it's still like a sharp double edged sword - challenging and changing us, if we'll let it, if we'll respect our glorious Lord Jesus.
The Awesome Lord Jesus - His glory inspires respect.
Gives Reassurance
And it gives reassurance: reassurance that we need.
See how John describes the Christian life in v.9: "I, John, your brother and companion in the victory and riches and status that are ours in Jesus" - oh no, it's not that is it - it's ""the suffering, kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus"
- suffering (because people reject Jesus, and his followers)
- kingdom (because Jesus is King, and he gives us new life, under his rule, as his citizens) and
- patient endurance, perseverance (because we can't yet see his kingdom, and we have to wait for his return - or for death to be our door to it)Suffering, Kingdom, and patient endurance - we need reassurance that it's worth it - that his Kingdom will be completed.
And so here he is, in all his glory, saying to John: "do not be afraid - I am the First and the Last, the living one".
We heard about Jesus' redemption in the first part of the chapter: Jesus is: "him who loves us, and has freed us from our sins by his blood" - so John knows that he is forgiven, and can be unafraid of his majestic King.
Are you trusting in Jesus? Then you're safe - not because some beardy bloke in a nightie with Timotei hair is going to give you a cuddle! - but because you belong to the Lord Protector, Jesus.
Perhaps you're a man - who thinks that religion is for women and children? well candles and incense might be - but the little toe of Jesus Christ is more mighty than the greatest footballer or rugby player.
He is the Awesome Lord Jesus: his glory inspires respect and gives reassurance.
... Rules His Churches
And this awesome Lord Jesus rules his churches. He rules his churches.
That's why he's there: giving John a vision of him standing amongst the lampstands, holding the seven stars in his right hand: the awesome glorious Lord is right there, involved in the churches, in touch with them, caring about them. Nothing that happens to them, nothing that they do - is without Him knowing all about it.
He rules his churches: and His Lordship inspires Christ-centred faithfulness in them.
His Lordship inspires Christ-centred Faithfulness
His Lordship
- then
Jesus is Lord of the churches: he's the one standing among the lampstands - he's the boss of each one, and no-one else is.
And Jesus gets John to write down a short letter for each church - in chapter 2 & 3 here.
We've heard of the dreaded OFSTED inspections of schools: a week of having the inspectors in, and then a report describing what's going on, and giving advice for the future.
These letters in Revelation are Jesus' reports - this is what the awesome Lord Jesus has seen, and this is his guidance for how to continue. He encourages them, challenges them, tells them off even - one church he says he's about to spit out of his mouth, things have got so bad.
- now
Jesus is Lord of his churches - he rules them.
Notice that he speaks of seven churches - not one church for that whole region.
From God's point of view, what we always see in the Bible is that the local congregation of believers that meets in one place: that's the church - whatever denomination it's in, and whatever it calls itself - that's the church, and there are lots of churches. And Jesus is bothered with that local church, at that local level - whether that's Smyrna, Pergamum, or Frogmore.He knows what's happening here at Holy Trinity. We're not just a load of individuals who happen to turn up from Sunday to Sunday if we feel like it. We're a gathering of believers here - and we're one body together, one of Jesus' churches.
The witness we have to our community, the way we react to each other, the way we treat visitors who join us each Sunday: the Lord Jesus sees it all - and he rules us: he cares, as Lord of this church, about what's going on.
- then
Inspires Christ-centred Faithfulness
And in these letters, that is supposed to inspires Christ-centred faithfulness.
Jesus-centred faithfulness.
That's why Jesus turned there on Patmos that Sunday afternoon, with his booming voice and his shining feet! To give John a vision and message from him, that would inspire those seven churches (and all the others) to Christ-centred faithfulness.
Only by having our eyes fixed on Jesus, as a church, as well as as individuals, will we be a faithful church.
In those seven letters in chapters 2 & 3, the churches are called on:
to endure hardships and persevere,
to have Jesus as their first love, (first priority, desire);
to put up with imprisonment for Christ and not give in,
to stear clear of idolatry,
to get rid of sexual immorality,
to reject false teaching,
to wake up!
to repent and seek the Lord for forgiveness.It's all about having Jesus as no.1, and getting rid of anything that distracts from that.
The Awesome Lord Jesus rules his churches - and his Lordship inspires Christ-centred faithfulness.
I wonder what his letter to the angel of the church of Frogmore would look like? What would he call us to?
perhaps some of us need to wake up!
perhaps there are some of us who have a reputation of being alive, but who are dead?
maybe he would commend some for faithful perseverence, and call them to carry on and not give up?
maybe he warn others of us that we're in danger of falling for the idolatry of our materialistic, and voyeuristic society.Whatever it would be - if you count yourself a member of Holy Trinity, then please don't just turn up and go again each Sunday: join in. There are all sorts of ways you can - have a look at the term card.
The same awesome Lord Jesus rules this church, he's Lord of Holy Trinity Frogmore, he calls us to Christ-Centred faithfulness.
Conclusion
:-o
Oh!
We've been looking at an amazing vision here.
Perhaps you don't count yourself as a member of Holy Trinity, because you don't personally accept Jesus Christ as your Living Lord.
I hope that, as you've looked at this passage with us this morning, you've seen Jesus in a new light - and I hope that will make you think again about accpeting him. [eXplore]The awesome Lord Jesus - with glory that inspires Respect, and gives Reassurance.
He Rules his churches - inspiring Christ-centred faithfulness.
Perhaps it's time for us to fall on our faces before him, like John did.
And then he'll say to us: don't be afraid, I am the first and the last - and just as he called John to do something - I wonder what he's calling you to, this morning? Respect? Reassurance? Christ-centred faithfulness?
[The awesome Lord Jesus rules his churches.]
Let's Pray.