The Revelation of Jesus Christ is presented as an unveiling of Christ's glory, not a revelation by John. The sermon emphasizes that the book's purpose is to show how Christ, who was humiliated, will be exalted over all creation. John's experience on the Isle of Patmos, his suffering for the word of God, and his vision of Christ are detailed, highlighting Christ's divine authority and role as judge. The sermon concludes by contrasting the judgment awaiting the unsaved with the assurance of salvation for believers through Christ's sacrifice.
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Well, thank you for coming. Turn to the book of the Revelation, the last book in the Bible. I'm sure you know that. Sometimes it has, not very often is it done, but it has been called by some, the book of the end. And it's a wonderful realization. God not only has the book of Genesis, which really means the book of beginnings, but he has the book of the end, telling us what will be the fulfillment of all its divine purposes, when they are accomplished. And some of us are longing indeed to see that day. So let me read, if I may, from chapter one. I'd like to begin reading at verse one.
Go down particularly, if I can, with you to verse eighteen. The words of John, writing by the Spirit, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servant things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his servant, by his angel rather, unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed are the happiest he that read it, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you in peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loveth us, which is the proper translation in the present tense, unto him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, set the Lord, which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty. I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the island is called Tacmus for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, and for the trumpet, saying, I am out for an Omega the first and the last, and what thou seest, write in a book, send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna, onto Purgamas, onto Thyatira, onto Sardis, and onto Philadelphia, and onto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, or lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, gird about the breast with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, and as wide as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like under fine brass as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters, and he had in his right hand seven stars. Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet of death. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. I am the first and the last.
I am he that liveth and was or became dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And at the keys of death and Hades, the proper translation. May God bless the reading of this portion of its precious words. May I look very briefly with you on your outline of page number two. Page number one, we have already suggested in regard to that outline, it is the general outline of the whole book of the Revelation. You can study it for yourself, follow the outline if you so desire, and it's given that you might understand in broad outline the contents of the whole book.
At the end of page one, At the end of that first page, you have a list of what will be the chief actors upon the stage of the earth at the coming again of the Lord Jesus in those days of judgment at times. We may be referring to somewhat to that later on, but for the present, go with me to chapter, verse chapter, page two rather, and let me follow with you the outline that we touched upon very briefly but conclusively last week. We have the general introduction to this great book in verses one through ten, as you have it upon your page, and the preface of it, verses one through three, telling it was the object of bringing before us the revelation, and may I point out carefully, it's not the revelation of St.
John the Divine, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. You may properly, and I trust you to know, that the headings of your books in the Bible were not found in the original writings. But they have been placed there by the translators for our convenience. And you do find in the book of the Revelation, it is headed, the revelation that sent John the divine. Well, it is not. And John would disagree with it. For as he writes in verse one, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now the word means, the word apocalyptic, means the unveiling. For what the contents of the book brings before us, and I would like to emphasize this truth, it brings before us how God is going to unveil the glory of his Son, who was humiliated by this world, rejected and scorned and crucified and driven out of it.
And back to heaven he went. that the day is coming when he will be exalted over all the heavens and the earth. And John likes it as being the unveiling of Jesus Christ. And you note carefully in verse one, the revelation of this glory was given to him, given to Christ. Let me quote a verse from Psalm one. You'll find it repeated in Hebrews chapter one. A prophetic psalm, of which it says of the Lord Jesus, When he rose from the dead, the Father said, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy poster.
That day is yet to come. The Lord Jesus has more patience than you and I to wait for that day, does he now? And he has shown it, but the day is coming. And the whole volume of the book of the Revelation is what God has given to reveal how his son will be exalted over heaven and earth, and even through everlasting ages. And then John said, as he writes, the Lord gave that revelation by an angel to his servant John and commanded him to write all that he saw and all that he heard. Now we have that salutation as we followed it in verses four through six.
We'll not repeat it. A salutation was from the Father, was from the Spirit of God. It included the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in that particular order, from the eternal God, the self-existing one, then from the Spirit of God, spoken out of the seven spirits of God, those was only one person. but referring to the plenitude and the completeness of his person and power in relation to the contents of the book and in conclusive agreement with the judgments that shall follow. May I make you bring before you this contrast?
I believe we mentioned it last week. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit had a part in your redemption in mind. Each one of them fulfilled their place and their work relative to the redemption of the human race. I give you one verse that he gives in Hebrews nine fourteen where we read that through the eternal spirit Christ offered himself up without spot to God. And then you may recognize the spirit of God presenting the blessed son of God as the eternal sacrifice for our sins. and the Son himself bringing the sacrifice and doing that work of redemption, and all to the Father above.
And may I add, before you and I could be blessed with redemption, the Father had to receive the blessing first, and the proud you are. And may I declare that the Father recognizes and has a higher estimation of the value of the death of his son than you and I will ever have. The book of Exodus chapter twelve, may I remind you, when the angel of death passed over Egypt long ago, and God made provision for the Israelites to be sheltered in their houses by the blood of the Pasha land. Do you remember what God said?
When I see the blood, I will pass over you. And may I say lovely and earnestly, I value the blood of Christ. I know it's the ground of my redemption. But may I say, my Father and the Father of the Lord Jesus knows his value better than I do. Infinite value to him. It's the blood of his dear son. And the value of it. For may I say this. It's not only that it produces the redemption for my soul. But we're studying a book. That means that he will also, that same blessed son, who is atoning word, will someday fulfill and accomplish all the purposes of God for the end of the stages of eternity.
Well, may I say, when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, when you have in Colossians chapter one, the mention of the restitution of all things, and when you come to the end of the book of the Revelation, God says, I got everything in the right place. I got sinned. with all who refuse my salvation in the place of eternal punishment forever. Eternally in their place of doom and sorrow. And then the new heavens and the new earth, the new creation, sin, pure and holy, all based upon the one's sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.
And what a joy it will be when you and I in that eternal day come into the enjoyment of all that eternal values of the death of Christ on Calvary Street. From as you may remember the chart we have used, Eternity to Eternity, and recall that in the center of that chart there is the cross of the Lord Jesus. As one has well written, Mystery of Mystery, Center of Two Eternities, That cross, the work of the Lord Jesus. And well, indeed, do we rejoice that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit were together in the work of redemption for you and for me.
We go quickly on. We saw that salutation, and we went on to verses four through six. And then we found in verse seven the prophetic theme of the book. Behold, ye covered with clouds, every eye shall see, and even they that pierced them. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so are men. May I repeat with emphasis again, this is the second coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth, publicly manifested in the glory of his person and the greatness of his work of judgment. And John takes the theme of the whole book in this one verse and brings it before us.
And then, as we go on, I would like to begin, particularly in your Bible, if I may. May I begin with you in verse nine. And I'd like to follow as you go down your lesson theme on your sheet, you'll receive the judicial glory of the Lord Jesus in the first vision John received. In verse nine, you have the circumstances in which the book was written, which I believe we closed with last week particularly. I, John, who am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Note again, as John writes, lovely, lovely salutation to those to whom he pens this wonderful book, calling himself a brother in the Lord. But notice three things that he mentions. He mentions tribulation. He mentions the kingdom. And he mentions the patience or the endurance of Jesus Christ. They're interesting words. John was on the Isle of Patmos because he was suffering the tribulation and persecution that raged around the Christian testimony in his day. He knew what it was. And then as we shall study the book later on, we shall recognize that there's going to be upon the earth a time which the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation, which is called in this book the Great Tribulation.
And tribulation has often and always been the experience of God's dear people when faithful to him. We've had tribulation through the church age. There's been persecutions through the church age. And when the Lord Jesus comes back, He's going to find tribulation upon the earth of a character and an extension that has never been known in human history before. But John was a fellow sufferer for the Lord Jesus in tribulation. And also you note the word kingdom. And here you recognize the theme that you have in the whole book of Revelation. It's the coming king and his kingdom of glory that is before us.
The kingdom. The kingdom. The kingdom. Now we're not in the glory of the kingdom. You'll find in the word of God, well, may I say, when you'll read the Gospel of Matthew, when the Lord Jesus was upon the earth, he presented the kingdom. John the Baptist came as his forerunner and said, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The king was at hand. You know what happened to the king? They crucified him. And Pilate, without question of doubt, did sarcasm and bitterness against the Jews whom he hated himself, rode over his cross. This is Jesus, the king of the Jews, and his kingdom was rejected.
And then in the present time, you find in Matthew thirteen, you have what are called the parables of the mystery of the kingdom in the present time. Whereas the good seed of the word of God is sown throughout the present age, they are born again. As Nicodemus was told, as you and I had to learn, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And the mystery form of the kingdom is present today. The Lord's not reigning on the earth, neither are the saints reigning. I find a lot of the saints are really suffering, whether physically or otherwise. It's not the day for our reign with the Lord Jesus that's coming.
So when the Lord comes, then there'll be the glory of the kingdom. And well may we say, with the prayer of the Lord taught his disciples, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. But John mentions the word patient. It's a word meaning endurance. And beloved, may I say, you and I even today are saints. We have to learn to endure. As our Lord Jesus in his patience endures the cross, despise the shame, is now seated at the right hand of God, and we have to endure. And so those words are very significant. You can't rule them out, not even without a present experience, tribulation, facing the coming kingdom, and waiting for it with patience and endurance.
And then, as you please note, John tells the reason for his incarceration on the Isle of Patmos, because of his testimony for the word of God, and his testimony of Jesus. And yet, may I say again, as we did last week, Satan thought without question of doubt, as John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, this great apostle, who undoubtedly lived longer than all the other apostles, whose ministry was great and precious, was not banished where we could not speak, where we could not minister, where we could not fellowship with the dear saints of God whom he loved. But that was God's purpose.
As you look at verse ten, let me knock with you. He says, I was in the Spirit of the Lord's name. Now this is the first day of the week. Now there's only two occasions. The word Lord, as it is written in this verse, you'll find in your New Testament in the Greek text, you'll find it in First Corinthians eleven, when Paul speaks about the Lord's sufferer. Now one translation from the Greek, which I really appreciate, called it, I was in, let me quote it, I was in the spirit on the Imperial Day, the Lord's Day. And what's the Lord's Day? The first day of the week. The first day of the week.
And may I suggest to you, my beloved, Sunday the first day of the week is representative of the Day of Honor, when the church thus gathers together. to meet around her precious law, and to honor. It's the imperial day. And you read in the book of the Acts, they met on the first day of the week, thus to break bread and cherish the remembrance of their Lord. And you have that expression. John, may I say this, and I love the thought too, to hear with dear John, surely he would have enjoyed being back with his fellow believers. around the Lord, around his table, and worshipping, and ministering, and publishing.
But he was alone. But God had his purpose on that Lord's day. And may I suggest the whole vision from beginning to the end was given to him on that one day. Now that's not strange. If you go to the book of Zechariah, where we have been in times past studying, you have the first eight chapters, first six chapters, rather, of the book of Zechariah. You've got eight visions given to the prophet in one night. Let me give you this suggestion. God can show you and me things faster than you can grasp them yourself. And when he comes to the revelation of his truth, through his servants, the prophets, or through John on the Isle of Pass, These visions came to John in that one day.
And John has penned them for our edification and blessing, and our precious to thus recognize, he was in the Spirit. And thus on the Lord's day, we find at the end of the verse, he heard a great voice, a loud voice, like a trumpet, saying, Now please may I note with you in verse eleven, This voice was the voice of the Lord Jesus himself. And he speaks of himself in equality with the Father, as we found in verse four, and noted words, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. What thou seest, write in a book, send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto earth Ephesus, Smyrna, unto Pergamus, unto Thyatira, unto Sardis.
And unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Now if you please note, as we have it on your lesson sheet, very briefly, the second section, as we come to this great portion, where the Lord is seen in his glory, here we find in verse eleven, John is commanded to write the book. May I emphasize that? And please note the opening of the word, what thou seers, write in the book. Now there are two things and only two things that anyone can witness, two. What you may hear and what you see. In John's epistle, verse John, the apostle mentions that which we have seen and that which we have heard.
We declare unto you. But in this particular vision, in this book of the Revelation, and you'll find the expression, if you please note, If you please know it. Well, look at verse twelve, please. Let me mention it there. John said, I turn to see the voice that spake with me. And being said, I saw. And you're going to find the repetition of those two words again and again and again. I saw. I saw. I saw. John writes what he actually saw. What was before his life as revealed in the visions by the Lord and His Spirit. And so John is commanded to write.
And when he hears the command, one can recognize the voice was behind us. But John had to turn. As you look at verse till twelve, I turned to see the voice that stayed with me. One may think of this, as John has already written in the preceding part, as being a brother and a companion in tribulation. In the kingdom, I wouldn't be surprised that John's thoughts might have been about the kingdom that he knew was coming. But when he heard this voice, he turned to see the voice that spoke to him.
And when he turned, his thoughts were immediately taken away from the kingdom to the church. Note the words, please. Let me read verse twelve with you. I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven golden lanterns. Now may we give a little comment relative to these seven churches that are mentioned. You have them in verse ten, name. We'll find them in detail in chapters two and three, touched upon in great detail. And they are called the seven churches in Asia. Now, very frankly, we'll not go into the explanation of them in detail, for we will be there, Lord willing, in the following lessons.
But very frankly, these seven churches were not the only churches in Asia. That part of Asia Minor, Proconsular Asia Minor, where the Apostle had Apostle Paul particularly administered. I believe we mentioned last week that the dear Apostle Paul, he circulated He preached the gospel. He established churches in an area of about a hundred thousand square miles in the space of about twenty-five years in that pro-consular part of Asia. And he established many churches. In fact, if you note, please, note the names there. Let me just point out this fact. There's only one church in the tenth verse that you find recorded in any epistle, and that's the Church of Ephesus.
There's no epistle to Smyrna, to Pergamus, to Phaetimus, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, to Laodicea, nothing written to them till we get into chapters two and three of this book. But these seven particular churches were chosen by the Lord for a specific reason, which we shall follow in detail in a later study. Now just one word of comment again relative to the symbolic language in the book of Revelation. We spoke of the seven spirits of God in an earlier verse last week. Now we come to the seven churches. You go further in the book, and we'll find there's going to, in the way of judgment, there's going to be seven seals broken.
We find later on, ultimately following the seven seals, seven trumpet judgments. We'll find, consummating it, there'll be seven vile or bold judgments. And the number of seven is frequently found in the book of the Revelation. And the symbolic spiritual reference to these numbers is significant. And seven is the number of completeness. The number of completeness. Go back to the Old Testament. And we'll see it like it here in our lesson.
But back in the Old Testament days. God gave Israel seven annual feasts. God also told Israel as a nation, after seven sevenths of years, forty-nine years, it should never touch their land, but the land should have rest for one whole year, that it might be revived physically. They never did it as they should have done, but it sure had long rest things, isn't it? But nevertheless, God gave that. And then, and even in connection with our verse here, in verse twelve, the candlestick, seven golden candlesticks.
In the tabernacle and in the temple, there was the golden lampstand, one lampstand with seven branches. And it's the symbolic suggestion of completeness, as it were, of perfection relative to God's purposes, as he thus views these seven churches before us to bring before us special truths. So these seven churches are but symbolic, as it were, of all the churches, as we shall see in detail. But now let's follow very quickly. Now I want you to know me in verse thirteen. As we come down to verse thirteen, And go on down through verse eighteen.
We have here the description of the Lord Jesus. And I want you to note particularly, first of all in verse thirteen what we read. In the midst of the seven lampstands was one like unto the Son of Man. Now you will find, without question about, let me get the picture with you. Here are seven lampstands, giving out their life, and they represent the church. Now I want to make it clear in what particular way the suggestion of these lampstands refers to the church.
Now when you read your New Testament and the epistles particularly of Paul, you find the church is called, oftentimes, the body of Christ. one spirit where we all baptize into one body. And that body of Christ the church, may I say this lovingly, but earnestly and clearly, the church is not an organization in Scripture. It is an organism. Every member in it has the life of the Lord Jesus. He's the head of the church. We're the members of his body.
Look with me in Ephesians chapter five, please. I want you to know very carefully. Ephesians chapter five. Know what the dear apostle Paul writes. In chapter five, I think it's verse thirty. Yes, know these words. Let me go back to verse twenty-nine, get the connection. No man ever yet hated his own flesh, speaking of the husband's relationship with the wife. but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord, the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bone. Members. In other words, you and I, spiritually, we are actually part of his body of life on the earth.
just as these members of my human body and your human body belong to your human organism. Nice note, let me give you this little story. I read it and it was very interesting. There's a dear old saint in the little town. She was well esteemed by all in that town. The people and even the preachers particularly, they often went to visit this old saint who was confined so much at home. And on one occasion one of the ministers went to see her, and they all felt that she wasn't going to live much longer. And as he said goodbye to her, he said, Sister, I hope I'll see you in heaven.
She looked at her, Hope, I know I'm going to be there. Oh, how can you be so presumptuous, he said. My Savior said, I give unto my sheep eternal life. They shall never perish. Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. He looked at her, but sister, you could slip out of his hand. What? No. I'm one of his little fingers. Don't you get the truth. She knew her Bible better than he did.
member of his body. You think the Lord's going to have some of his members cut out when he gets them? No, it'll never. What a joy to realize. Now that's one phase of the church. Another phase. It's called the house of God or the habitation of God. But now in the book of the Revelation in our chapter and in the next two chapters especially, a lancet. Please note, you look at your verse, please. Look at the end of verse twelve. What did John serve? See, I saw seven golden lampstands. These lampstands were all of gold, with their light shining.
Now, beloved, may I say this. What a beautiful picture when the Lord established the church. The gold-seeking of his own righteousness and the glory of his own person. Let me give you this thought. Lamentations of Jeremiah. You may have read Jeremiah. You may have read Isaiah and some of the old prophets. Oh, I sometimes feel like weeping with Jeremiah what he had to go through. Because of the terrible spiritual and moral state of his own earthly people. How he suffered with that. How he sympathized that he was unable to restore that.
And in one of his expressions in the lamentation, as he thinks of the glory that God gave his earthly people Israel at the beginning, he makes this remark, how is the gold become dim? The glory of God was shining in it. And if you may remember in the days of little Samuel and Eli the priest, Hotney and Phineas his two bad sons, who took the ark of God into battle when they should have left it where God had placed it in the tabernacle. And the enemy captured him. And one of the boys, his wife gave birth prematurely to a child that she was bearing.
And she called his name as she was done. Ichabod. Why? The glory of the Lord has departed. Now, beloved, let me say this very solemnly. as well as sadly, at the beginning of the church, as you read in the book of the Acts, in the days of its prime commitment, the glory was gone, the right shot. Can I say when I read of those early Christians, I sure don't feel like they were. I wish I was like them more. Persecution, though they suffered.
He is filled with joy as they spread the gospel and the word of God. Read the book of Thessalonians alone. How that infant church suffered, but their testimony was shining out to all abroad. And they were spoken of, not for their faith, even though they were persecuted for it. And beloved, can I say sadly, Not much gold in the church today. For here's the picture. Shining as a light bearer. Shining. Now let me pinpoint it.
If you have any, and I'm sure you do have a baptism of common sense, which we all ought to, what do you think of our country morally, spiritually? Hasn't the light of truth dim? The gold become dim? And one can recognize as John saw the camp lampstand. He saw what God intended and what God began in the days of the church. A golden testament. Right there.
Then it consists of you. You know, Israel was never commanded to convert the world. They were told to stay in their own land and live for the glory of God as a life. And when the day comes for Israel's restoration, which is common, you may remember the book of Zechariah again. I think of chapter four, one of the visions given to Zechariah in that one night. He saw a golden lampstand. And that great golden lampstand at southern lamps going to each top. Forty-nine lights in order.
And to Zechariah surprised. He saw from two olive trees the oil going into it, feeding it. And the light shining. It was a picture, a prophetic picture of the coming day. When Israel will shine as God's light. In the millennial world. Read Isaiah chapter sixty, sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three, and on to the end. And you'll find Isaiah saying, In that coming day, God will say, Arise, for thy shine, for thy light is come. Thank God there's to be a restoration for Israel. But oh, how you and I must recognize, like Israel, the church too has failed in its light dinnering.
Please let me say this. I say it with shame. I take my place in guilt. Failure. You know, you can talk and preach about the failure of the church, but I think of a dear old brother told me one time, when some brother made a comment, he said, what are the churches fail? One dear old brother looked at him and said, yeah, but don't forget you're part of that failing church. We're part of it. But what John saw was good. But then he saw, as you note please carefully, in verse thirteen, in the midst, right in the center of that golden lamp.
In the midst of it was the Lord Jesus. Right in the center. Well, belovedly, may I say, the Blessed Lord Jesus is in the midst of his people. I think in Matthew eighteen twenty, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst. I think of the resurrection day in John twenty, when he came through the doors where the disciples were, closed in and locked in, fulfilled the Jews, and he walked through. And Jesus himself stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.
May I give you this thought. Let us never remember Jesus is in the midst. Today I say it lovingly and happily. Good to know the Lord with us. Jesus in the midst. Remember there's a time when some Greeks came to the Lord to Andrew and one of the disciples. I said, sir, we would see Jesus. I know how necessary it is to realize as believers. What you and I need to realize is the Lord's with us.
Remember he has promised I'll never leave you, never forsake you. He's in the midst. And may I give you this thought? Maybe I should, but I'm going to anyway. The bigger the crowd is, the easier you can lose them. You know, when Mary and Joseph lost their boy, they lost him in a crowd. Can I say this kindly? Can I speak to myself? We can be occupied with the numbers that we have meeting together. And miss the one who's in the mix.
Oh, how we need to realize. He's the one we need, the one who's in the midst of his people. And thank God we can say with those priests that came, saying, Sir, we will feed Jesus. And may I say lovingly, I want you to see him. For this is what John thought. The first vision of the book is the vision of the Son of Man. Now will you please go down here? Lesson she preached. And I want you to note on your lesson sheet, and under number three there, we have the glorious vision of Christ mentioned, and then a nine-fold description of him, which we're going to follow.
And we've mentioned his position in the midst of the lampstand. Now note, if you will, please the description. First of all, note with me in verse thirteen of your Bible. We find John saying in the midst of the seven candlesticks, There was one like unto the Son of Man. Now that it was the Lord, we have no doubt from the context, that's unquestioned. But here's the title, Son of Man. I would like you to think with me of the meaning of that title. As John sees him in the midst, Son of Man. The Lord Jesus has many titles.
It has been properly stated that you can find some names that belongs to Christ, perhaps one for every day in the year, in your Bible. There are many names that can be attributed to Christ. They refer to some aspect of his person or of his work. But here's the title, particularly title in the book of the Revelation, Son of Man. Son of Man. Now, if you have your Bible, will you turn with me to John's Gospel, Chapter Five? I want you to note something very significant in John chapter five, which we can link here. The fifth chapter of John's gospel, and may I begin reading with you, if I may, please, in chapter five, may I begin reading at verse twenty-two.
Well, I'll be, go back with me, please. Verse twenty-one. For if the Father raises up the dead, and quickness then, even so the Son quickness, whom he will. Now note verse twenty-two, for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Now let me pause for just a moment before we read further, and recognize that when you come to the book of the Revelation, which is the book of judgment, you have the authority saying here, The one who will be the executor of those judgments is none other than the Son of God himself.
The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Now let's read on further down the chapter, please. Will you please go with me down the chapter to verse twenty-five. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, When the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Will you please note verse twenty-five again?
Note the title. The dead are going to hear the voice of the Son of God. That was not the voice that John heard in the same aspect. John heard, as we shall see, the voice of the Son of Man. But here in this scripture of John's mind, it's the power of the Son of God. He's God. And he's going to raise the dead. And all that hear is right, says on earth. My beloved, one can recognize, it's the power of omnipotent deity that will bring the dead. arrived from the earth.
But now go to verse twenty-seven. And he has given him authority to execute judgment also because he's who? The Son of Man. There's a distinct meaning in those two names. Different. Son of God. Son of Man. I think you will find about seventy times in the Gospel the Lord Jesus spoke of himself as the Son of Man. What does it mean? Ah, beloved, he took upon him our humanity. Well, let me give you this thought. All right. The day of judgment. Name any judgment. Name any future judgment.
Whether it be the saints. Whether it be Israel as a nation. Whether it be the nations themselves. Whether it be the great white throne. Judgment. When all the dead shall stand before us. to be judged before him. Why is he the son of man? Oh, who's he going to judge? Human being. He's got to be one like him. He's got to be human himself. He not only came to be the man that he might die for us, but may I say he's the only competent man to be the judge of all the earth. Son of man. Son of Man.
Son of Man. So then when John sees the vision of the Son of Man here, go back to Revelation and let's follow it through God willing as best we can. It was like the Son of Man. Now let me say this. John knew Jesus as the Son of God. Oh, John knew him well. John knew him well. You take the gospel of John. John presents him in all the glory of his deity. The world became flesh and dwelt amongst us, full of grace and truth, and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father. No man has seen God at any time.
The only begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed him. And John magnifies the Son's God. But here in the vision, on a man. May I say, beloved, listen. Think of him, will you? I don't know how many millions he's going to have to judge. Is he competent? Well, I think of his competency. Competency in two ways. Not only is God, we know. But that is man. Put with me in John's Gospel Chapter Two for just a moment, please, will you?
John's Gospel Chapter Two. I want you to know something that John mentioned in Chapter Two. Right at the end of that second chapter, where the Lord Jesus manifested His glory in Jerusalem in Israel for the first time in Judah. And Chapter Two, if you please, right at the end of it, you have these words. Let me read verse twenty-four and twenty-five. Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man. He knew what was in man. He knew what was in man. Oh, beloved, let's look at the Lord Jesus in two particular ways, the perfection of his deity and his glory, yes, but also his humanity, in all of its perfection.
And one must humbly recognize, and please, may I say it, he's going to be the judge of all. Paul, speaking to the Athenians in chapter seventeen of Acts, said, God has appointed a day in which he will judge the earth by that man which he hath ordained, and then he had whom he raised from the dead. He pinpoints the man. Beloved, you and I have to confess, When he came to the... Well, we used to sing a little chorus when I was young with the children in Sunday school. He did not come to judge the earth. He did not come to blame. He did not come alone to speak.
He also came to save. And when we call him Savior, we call him by his name. He came first to be a Savior. The second time he's coming as the judge. But now let's read the description. The first description is this. His garment. clothes with a garment down to the feet. A judicial garment without question of doubt. A priestly judicial garment. And will you please note, it doesn't cover its feet. This goes to the feet. You'll see why later on, because the feet are shown. But it's the picture of its judicial character, the personal character of the Lord Jesus as the judge.
And then you get the second description. You've got it girdled about the breast with a golden girdle. Now please, why then? Oh, beloved me, I say. When it comes to be the judge of all, he can't show favoritism, partiality, nothing but righteous judgment. The affections are restrained. Recall John, verse sixteen, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And the outpouring of the love of God came through the gifts of his son, upon Calvary's cross.
Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us. Sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. But may I try to think of it with you this way. Think of the world. I'm saying they've got to meet him at the church. And when they meet him, have you ever heard anyone say, I don't believe a loving God will put anybody in hell? No, they're wrong. He's shown his love. He's manifested his love.
He's displayed it. And when it comes to the day of judgment for the unsaved of the world, it's too late to have mercy. It'll be justice. Then go further, the next description. His head and his hairs were white like wool. One could... No, not your lesson, she. First is judicial garment. Second is restrained affections. He judges in righteousness and justice. Third, his perfect wisdom. Daniel had a vision of this great judgment day. Read Daniel chapter seven. It scared the life out of Daniel.
As it did John when John saw the Lord in his vision, he fell on his feet as dead. And Daniel saw the ancient of days. His air white as one. One can recognize, symbolically, the perfect wisdom that you have. could thus carry out the judgment? Do you ever notice something? I don't know. Well, I know in the old country where I came from. It was very customary when the judges and the legal profession sat on the bar of justice, they wore white wigs. Totally the symbol of their justice and legal requirements to carry out wisely.
Judgment. And here's the Lord Jesus. As it were, the first three descriptions are personal about him. His garments. And his girdle around his breast. Golden girdle. That girdle who gold speaks of divine righteousness. Let me give you this thought. You read in the book Prophecy of Isaiah. When the Lord reigns on the earth, righteousness will be the girdle of his reign. Amen. Oh, beloved, please let me say, oh, I do it solemnly. And it makes me tremble to realize how very few unsaved people recognize when they meet the Lord in judgment, they'll be judged righteously.
They'll have nothing to say, nothing to please, if there are not under the blood of Christ. Oh, how blessed to recognize that you and I who are saved can rejoice. Well, let me give you the thought from Romans eight once. There is therefore now no condemnation of judgment to them who are in Christ Jesus. And, beloved, let me close. The time's gone so quickly. So with this thought, the very first three descriptions, the son of man, his personal glory, with a judicial garment to the feet, And then his breast girdled with a golden girdle, knowing he'll have to rule in strict righteousness and justice, past things.
Can I say this sadly? It's going to be a shock to the world, isn't it? But his Judgment will be right. Perfect wisdom. Beloved, you know, isn't that a different side of the Savior than we usually think of on the cross, dying for us? Oh, please let me say this. The poor, sinful world has refused the Lord Jesus. We'll meet. Go back to verse seven, the Athene. Behold, he comes. The cross, every eye.
shall see him. And you go to Matthew twenty-four, Matthew twenty-five, they shall see the Son of Man coming in all of its glory. Beloved can I say, I often think of it when you think of the nets the whole world's in, and the Middle East particularly. What a shock it's going to be to the whole world. Divine intervention from heaven. I wish the Lord had come soon. Thank God he is coming. But, oh, beloved, please let me say, you and I, let me give you this contrast. He said to his disciples, let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. And what receives you unto myself? He's going to take you in his arms. I'm not going to stand away in judgment. You know, I'm glad I'm saved. I think I can get saved right now again. I wasn't. But I don't have to. Beloved, Lord, please let me say as we call it, how precious to realize as a believer we're safe from judgment.
So we know who the judge is. And what is it? Shall we pray? Oh, Father, what can we say? We bow very solemnly in thy presence. We see a little bit more of the greatness of our beloved Lord. The world is yet to see its greatness. And yet you've brought us here together this morning to look into thy word and let John by the Spirit show us some of it. Just pray that we'll have its salutary effect upon our hearts, upon our consciences and in our lives. And yet we lift our hearts again for the unsaved, blinded by Satan, the God of this world.
May the Holy Spirit do his work throughout the world today to convict and save, giving thee thanks for bringing us together in our Savior's worthy name. Amen.