THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Part 4
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
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O, How wonderful the Presence of Jesus!
The Holy Spirit is “The Angel of His Presence.”
He
is The Angel of Jesus’ divine Presence. He brings the Presence of the glorified
Christ to us. He makes His divine Presence known to us.
Unknown
to many, Revelation 1:1 talks of The Revelation of Jesus Christ; witnessed by
John, and written by him through the inspiration of The Spirit. Same verse also
mentions “His Angel,” which refers to The Holy Ghost—The One Who is The Spirit
of Jesus Christ, Who revealed Himself to John. And gave him “The Revelation of
Jesus Christ.”
Take note, what was given to John is “The Revelation
of Jesus Christ.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew
unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and
signified it by His Angel unto His servant John:
Rev 1:1 KJV
Verse two reveals to us that John bore record of (1)
The Word of God; (2) the Testimony of Jesus Christ, (3) and of all things that
he saw.
The Holy Spirit is “One like unto The Son of Man” as
we read in verse 13.
The Lord Jesus has “the appearance of a rainbow”; He
has a glorious radiance around Him, that’s why John fainted when he saw Him. He fell at the feet of Christ as
dead; he was overpowered with the greatness of the lustre and Glory in which
Christ appeared, though he had been so familiar with Him before. (Rev 1:17; Ezek
1:28).
Jesus laid his hand upon him, v. 17. He raised him
up; He put strength into him, and spoke kind words to him—“Words of comfort and
encouragement”: “Fear not,” He commanded.
He spoke to him; “Words of Instruction,” telling him
particularly Who He was that thus appeared to him. And here He acquaints him,
first, with “His Divine Nature: “I
am The First and The Last.”
Secondly, with “His
former sufferings”: “I was dead…” – his disciples saw Him upon the cross
dying for the sins of the world.
Thirdly, with “His
Resurrection and Life”: “I am The Living One; I was dead, and behold I am
alive for ever and ever!” He conquered
death, the grave, and hell, that we may become partakers of an endless Life.
Fourthly, with “His
Office and Authority”: “…And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” By this
divine office and authority, He holds the key of David—what He opens no one can
shut, and what He shuts no one can open. He has sovereign dominion over the
visible and invisible world, opening the gates of Heaven when He pleases, and
shutting the gates of death and Hades when He pleases.
Fifthly, with “His
Will and Pleasure”: “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things
which are, and which shall be hereafter.”
The sixth way Jesus acquaints John: with “‘the meaning of ‘the seven stars,’” that
they are ‘God’s ministers [angels] to “the seven churches”; and of “the seven candlesticks,” that they are
“the seven churches,” to whom Christ would then send by him particular and
proper messages.
Jesus Christ calls forth the generations from the
beginning—He is “The First and The Last,” beside Him there is no God (see Rev
1:17; Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12).
He is “The Living One”—“The Ever-Living One” Who holds
“the keys of death and Hades” [the realm of the dead] (Rev 1:18).
John, who we see in Revelation 1:9 being a witness
to “The Word Of God” and “The Testimony of Jesus,” in verse 19, received
instruction from The Lord, to write down ‘the things he had seen,’ ‘what he
sees at the moment,’ and what is to take
place later”—these are the 3 outline of The Book Of Revelation.
Verse 20, talks about the mystery of “the seven
stars” and of “the seven golden lampstands” [candlesticks] in Jesus’ right hand.
“The seven stars” are the angels [spirit-messengers]
of ‘the seven churches,” they are Christ’s ministers who are under His
Direction and Instruction, and have all their light and influence from Him, and
are secured and preserved by Him, for their effective ministration both to “the
seven churches” in the province of Asia, in John’s days; and to the churches
today.
“The seven lampstands” [gold menorahs] are the seven
churches [seven Messianic communities or assemblies].
The Lord Jesus oversees the churches in “the Church
Ages,” and as God’s “Supervisor” and “Superintendent,” He has promised to keep
(preserve) His Church, to the end of “the Church Era.” In Matthew 16:18, He
declared that “the gates of hell” shall not prevail against His Church.
He fills His congregation with Light—‘His bride’ to
whom He has given Life. He Loves His bride so dearly.
Today, He reveals Himself to ‘His bride’ as He is
revealed in the Scripture, with glorious form; clothed with a garment down to
the foot, a princely and priestly robe, denoting Righteousness and Honor, girded
about with a golden girdle, the breast-plate of “The High Priest.”
His head and hairs are white like wool or snow,
which indeed is a “crown of Glory.”
His eyes are as a flame of fire, piercing and
penetrating into the very hearts and reins of men, scattering terrors among His
adversaries.
His feet are like fine burning brass, strong and
steadfast, subduing His enemies, treading them to powder.
His Voice is as the sound of many waters, of many
rivers falling in together. He can and will make Himself heard to those who are
afar off as well as to those who are near.
His Gospel is a profluent and mighty stream, fed by
the upper springs of infinite Wisdom and Knowledge.
Out of His mouth went a two-edged sword, His Word,
which both wounds and heals, strikes at evil on the right hand and on the left.
His countenance is as the sun shining, its strength
too bright and dazzling for mortal eyes to behold.