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Revelation 1:9-20: Gentle Jesus?

⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’¹² I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.¹⁹ ‘Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Before getting into the details of this great vision, have a read-through Of the whole. Tom Wright points out that to try to look into the full glare of sunlight is dangerous and could cost you your sight. He then makes these comments:

‘…the danger of full-power sunlight is worth contemplating as we hear John speaking about his vision of Jesus…we should learn to think of this Jesus with a new kind of reverence…John…would warn against imagining that Jesus is…a cosy figure, one who merely makes us feel happy inside. To see Jesus as he is would drive us not to snuggle up to him, but to fall at his feet as though we were dead.’

PRAYER: Lord God, by your Spirit, please give me a bigger vision of Jesus.

Revelation 1:9: Ours in Christ

^“9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” NIV

Many years ago, when my dad led a Sunday School, we used to have annual outings. One year we had been to Southport on the train. Dad had prepared a quiz to keep the children occupied on the homeward journey. ‘On which island was the apostle John when he wrote the book of ‘Revelation’?’ This was one of his questions. A little hand shot up. This young man was sure he knew: ‘Sir’t th’isle o’ man!’

Not even close! But it must have entertained some of the other passengers. John was exiled on ‘’Patmos’’ because of his faithful Christianity and preaching. Someone said that in those days, Patmos was the Roman equivalent of Siberia.

It is good to know all that we have in Christ, but we may not be equally happy about everything. In Jesus we have the ‘’Kingdom’’. He is our King and we are part of that unstoppable, unshakeable Kingdom. But although the Kingdom will triumph ultimately, in the short term it is opposed violently. So along with the ‘’Kingdom’’ we also have ‘’the suffering…and patient endurance’’. All these are ‘’ours in Jesus’’. Let’s thank God that He will never allow us to go through anything without also imparting the grace to endure it. In all that we face, it’s good to know that we have brothers and companions in the fight.

Revelation 1:4-8: All about Jesus.

^“4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.⁷ ‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’   and ‘every eye will see him,even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’[c]So shall it be! 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.’ NIV

Yesterday we saw that the church has a Trinitarian experience of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But it is also a Christ-centred experience. A number of important things are said about Jesus:

• He is the ‘’faithful witness’’ (5): the Greek word for ‘’witness’’ sounds like the English word for ‘martyr’. It carries with it the idea of the very real possibility of suffering, and even dying, as we follow the One who laid down His life for the truth;
• He is ‘’the first-born from the dead’’ (5): Yes Jesus died, but He also rose from death, and all who die trusting in Him will rise too. But He came out of the grave ‘first’;
• He is ‘’the ruler of the kings of the earth’’ (5): He is the ‘’King of kings’’ (17:14; see Phil.2:9-11). The church was in deep trouble with the authorities, and needed to take heart that there is a higher authority;
• He ‘’loves us’’ (6): Lovely thought!
• He ‘’blood-washed our sins from our lives’’ (5b, The Message): Jesus’ sacrificial death has dealt with man’s greatest problem. All who trust in Him are ‘’freed’’ (‘’loosed’’) from their sins;
• He has work/service for us to do. We are saved to serve: ‘’and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father’’ (6a);
• He is deserving of eternal worship: ‘’to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen’’ (6b);
• He is coming back to this world: ‘’Riding the clouds, he’ll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. Oh, Yes’’ (7).

At this time, the fastest growing religion in the Roman Empire was Emperor worship. In city after city, there were magnificent temples devoted to the Emperor. Christians had no buildings and met in homes. Many of these were probably simple, poor homes. It looked like the power and influence lay with Rome. But when we see Jesus as He is, we get a different perspective. We see He’s in charge, in spite of appearances.

The last verse is a reiteration of verse 4, with the added words: ‘’I am the Alpha and the Omega’’. These are the first and last words in the Greek alphabet. So God is the beginning and end of everything, but He Himself has no beginning or end. He always was and always will be.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for all you are. Please help me to turn my eyes upon Jesus and keep them fixed on Him.

 Revelation 1:4-5a : Grace and peace.

“John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” NIV

A church wayside pulpit read: ‘No God, no peace; know God, know peace.’

It seems that John had pastoral oversight of 7 particular churches in Asia. But he was writing for the whole church, whether he knew it or not. Certainly the entire church, throughout history, has been blessed (if at times it has also been perplexed) by this magnificent book. There is a line of argument that the number 7, in Scripture, speaks of wholeness or perfection. So the 7 churches may be seen as representative of the total church.

Notice that the church has a Trinitarian experience of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are alluded to. The ‘’seven spirits before his throne’’ can be translated ‘’the sevenfold Spirit’’ – again pointing to the perfection of the Holy Spirit. We are going to take some time in the next thought to look at all that is said about Jesus. The Father is referred to as the One ‘’who is, and who was, and who is to come’’ (and again in verse 8). He is the eternal God.

Only from this God can we experience the grace (undeserved favour) which leads to peace. In today’s world there are many people who are restless and unsettled, in spite of all they have. It has always been the case. Augustine observed centuries ago, that God made us for Himself, and our hearts find no rest until they rest in Him. He is the heart’s true home. Peace flows from grace. It can be experienced by those who receive the gift of friendship with the Trinity.

PRAYER: Lord, please cause every believer to walk in that peace which is the flowering of grace.

Revelation 1-3: A blessing.

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”NIV

A well known preacher suggested that there are two books in the Bible the devil has a particular hatred for – the first and the last. ‘Genesis’ exposes his devices and prophecies his doom; ‘Revelation’ speaks of his destiny.  Well, are now moving from the first book to the last.

For the past few years I have written these daily thoughts, covering many books in both Old and New Testaments. But so far, I have put off tackling the book of ‘Revelation’. Christians hold a variety of views about how to interpret it, and I don’t want to get lost in that particular maze.

But for a while I have felt a regular prodding to head in the direction of this book, in this new year, and I know better than to ignore it. God knows the reason why, and that is enough.

I’m not writing about ‘Revelation’ because I’m an expert, but I invite you to join me on a journey of discovery, as, together, we ask the Holy Spirit to show us Jesus. Someone said that the message of the apocalypse is simple: ‘In the end, Jesus wins!’ Whatever line of interpretation they may hold, believers tend to agree that the overall theme concerns the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Above all, this book is a ‘’Revelation’’ both of and from Jesus. It’s an unveiling of the King, and His purposes for the world.

As we embark on our journey, with ‘L’ plates firmly in place, we should surely feel blessed by the blessing of verse 3. Let’s not fear it, but be blessed as we read.

 PRAYER: Lord, in some ways this book scares me. It’s a bit of a puzzle to me. Some of its themes and pictures frighten me. But I thank you that above all it shows me Jesus on the throne of the universe, and he cannot be moved. Lord God, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word.

Genesis P.S!

Just before moving on, I was impressed by these words from Warren Wierbe’s commentary, and felt they should be shared:

‘Faith (vv. 24-25). “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Heb. 11:22 nkjv). God’s promises to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16) were passed along to Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob shared them with Joseph (48:21). Faith isn’t a shallow emotion that we work up by ourselves, or an optimistic “hope-so” attitude of “faith in faith.” True faith is grounded on the infallible Word of God, and because God said it, we believe it and act upon it.

True faith always leads to obedient action (James 2:14-26). Joseph knew what he believed and where he belonged. Therefore, he didn’t want his coffin to remain in Egypt when God delivered his people. He made his brothers swear that they would instruct their descendants, who would then pass the word along to future generations, and they kept their promise. Moses took Joseph’s remains with him when the Jews left Egypt (Ex. 13:19), and Joshua buried him in Shechem (Josh. 24:32; see also Gen. 33:19). Since Shechem became the “capital” for Ephraim and Manasseh, the tribes founded by Joseph’s two sons, that was the ideal place for him to be interred.’

As Wiersbe points out, it is remarkable that Joseph did not lose his faith, living, as he did, for many years, surrounded by paganism. But God has the power to keep His own.

Remember, the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Genesis 50:22-26: Ending well (again!)

“Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years ²³ and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. ²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ ²⁵ And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.’²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.” NIV

‘Commit your life to God, see vision, do the work that’s nearest, the work He appoints, truly and well and faithfully, and die knowing that you have started delicate influences, dynamic forces which will proceed through every succeeding generation until they gather up the harvest of glorious result about the throne of the Eternal. The man of God has not finished his work in the world when they put him in a coffin.’ G. Campbell Morgan.

Over the new year I watched a fascinating documentary about Raymond Briggs, the author and cartoonist responsible for such beloved books as ‘the Snowman’. Someone said that Briggs was obsessed with the thought of death. But another friend commented that it’s more that he’s acutely aware that death is a part of life. This is not surprising when you realise that he lost his mother, then his father, then his first wife in the space of eighteen months. He admitted that as you get older (he’s now in his 80’s) you inevitably think more about the end.

Well, as we close our (just over) year-long journey through ‘Genesis’, we are again confronted with the fact that: ‘death is the ultimate statistic: one out of one dies!’ Even the greatest human heroes of the Bible were mortal. But we also see again someone ending well. His final words were about God. Like his own father, Jacob, he died in faith, trusting in the promises of God, and was able to prophesy about the future. He emphasised what he deeply knew, saying it twice: ‘’God will surely come to your aid…’’ He knew that the Israelites would get out of Egypt, and when that happened, he wanted to be buried in the promised land – again, just like his dad.

‘He makes them promise him with an oath that they would bury him in Canaan. In Egypt they buried their great men very honourably and with abundance of pomp; but Joseph prefers a significant burial in Canaan, and that deferred too almost 200 years, before a magnificent one in Egypt. Thus Joseph, by faith in the doctrine of the resurrection and the promise of Canaan, gave commandment concerning his bones, Heb. 11:22. He dies in Egypt; but lays his bones at stake that God will surely visit Israel, and bring them to Canaan.’

PRAYER: Lord, help us to live with confidence in your help, and encourage others with the faith you enable us to have.

Genesis 50:19-21: Love is a choice.

^“19 But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”NIV

Real love is not sentimental; it is not mushy at the centre. It faces the facts about people, but chooses to act kindly instead of vengefully. Joseph looked the truth about his brothers right in the eye, without flinching. He knew their former hatred; what they had wanted to do to him. He was aware of the harm they intended him. But his faith in a sovereign God enabled him to rise above it all and take the high road of forgiveness. He saw that God had a great purpose, even in their meanness. The example of Joseph shows what is possible with God’s help: we can treat those well who treat us bad. We don’t have to reply in kind.

Once again, the Joseph story causes us to think of Jesus. He could have said similarly to those who crucified Him:

‘’You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’’ (20).

Jesus has brought in a greater salvation than anything Joseph could.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord Jesus for so great salvation, and for all you endured for my sake.

Genesis 50:15-18: What if’s.

^“15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’ ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father left these instructions before he died: ¹⁷ “This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.” Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.’ When their message came to him, Joseph wept.¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said.” NIV

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened”. ― Winston S. Churchill.

‘’What if…’’ (15).

These two words have caused me a lot of unnecessary pain. I dare say it may be the same for you? You imagine things are happening (or might happen) that aren’t happening, and never will. (But even if they do, you are in God’s Hands, as Joseph was, and He will bring good out of bad). These vain imaginings, though, can take on the appearance of reality, and cast a huge, dark, depressive shadow over your life.

Instead of living life by ‘what if’s’ we should live by what is:

• By what the Bible says is true;
• By what is obviously true, and in front of our eyes;
• By what faith tells us is truth, and not by the dictates of fear.

It’s no wonder ‘’Joseph wept’’ (17). They didn’t have to make up a story about their father (I assume that’s what they were doing). Joseph had already forgiven them. They didn’t have to grovel before him. They were thinking things about him which just weren’t true.

When you live by what if instead of what is you become a slave to the lies you are telling yourself

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to have a mind kept in perfect peace because it is stayed on you.