McNeil, William: The Person Of Christ 01-04 ~ Beholds In The Revelation

Now we continue with our lessons pertaining to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, setting him forth in all his greatness. I want to read to you some verses today from the last book of the Bible, the book of the Revelation. You know, it starts off by saying it's the revelation of Jesus Christ, so our attention is directed to him from the very start of this great book. Now here is what we read in verse seven of chapter one: Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, amen. Now in the same chapter, chapter one and verse eighteen: I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, amen, and have the keys of hell and of death. Now I want to go right over to chapter nineteen, the same book, book of the Revelation, chapter nineteen, verse eleven. And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. He that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Then we'll look again at chapter twenty one, chapter twenty one, verse three. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. May the Lord be pleased to bless to us the reading of these verses. Let us bow for prayer. We thank thee, our Father, for thy kindness to us once again, permitting us to read thy holy word, and we pray that by thy spirit now, thou shalt enlighten all our minds. Grant, O God, that the light of thy word shall shine in in such a way that we'll understand these truths and be able to put them into practice and live our lives in the good of these things. So we do pray thou shalt bless thy people at this time, no matter where they are, we'll give thee all the glory in the Savior's name. Amen. Now, the man who was used of the Holy Spirit to write the last book of the Bible was the man who was called John. That is, he was John the Apostle. Now, it's a strange thing that when John became a disciple of the Lord Jesus and began to follow him, it seemed to be as the outcome of the message he heard from another preacher, a man who had the same name as himself, another John. He was listening one day to John the Baptist, and John the Baptist seemed to raise his finger, as it were, and he points away from himself, and he said, look, behold, look to him, there he is, behold the Lamb of God. Now, it's that word behold that I want to direct your attention to for a little while today. John, who was the fisherman, heard John the Baptist say, behold. At that moment, John turned his eyes in the direction that John the Baptist was indicating. And John the fisherman let his eyes rest on a person whom he knew, he knew who he was, but he learned something about him that day that he didn't know before. He had this wonderful message, behold the Lamb of God. And John left John the Baptist, and along with another man who we believe to be Andrew, the brother of Peter, they followed the Lord. The Lord said, what seekest thou? They said, Master, where dwellest thou? He said, come and see. Now that seemed to be the occasion when John became a real follower of the Lord Jesus. Now notice how his whole life was changed by listening to a preacher saying, behold. I mention that because John, in his writings, seems to take up the same word. And here, as he is being led by the Spirit of God to set before us the wonderful truths in the last book of the Bible, John uses this word over and over again. The first thing I- I want to draw your attention to where he uses it, in chapter one. Now, we'll look first at verse eighteen of chapter one where I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death. Now notice that word, behold. Behold, I am alive forevermore. Over that you could write these words, behold Christ the risen one, I am alive forevermore. But in verse seven of this same chapter, we have these remarkable words, behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. Behold, he cometh. There John would say to us, get your eye on this. Behold Christ, the returning one. When you come to chapter nineteen and verse eleven, we have the same idea again presented in another angle or from another angle, this time he says, and I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he d- he doth judge and make war. Here I suggest to you, when he says, behold a white horse and he that sat on him, here we have again Christ. He's not only the returning one here, but he is the righteous one, because it says that in righteousness he doth judge and make war. So we see him as the risen one. John says, behold, he is the returning one. Then he says, behold, he is the righteous one. But then again, when I go to chapter twenty one and verse five, it says, and he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, write, for these words are true and faithful. Here he's saying, behold Christ, the renewing one. Now there's a number of other scriptures that relate to this same idea, but these four will be sufficient to keep us occupied now for a short time in this study. Remember now, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants. He says that in Revelation chapter one verse one. And so he stresses the fact in chapter one that Christ is the risen one. Here we have the preeminence of Christ in resurrection in this chapter because he is the first begotten of the dead. In our first study this week, we stressed this great truth that Christ must have the preeminence in all things. And here in the very last book of the Bible, this truth is stated again. Christ must have the preeminence in resurrection. He is the first begotten of the dead. Again, we stress this great fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on Calvary's cross and was buried in Joseph's tomb, is the risen living Christ. He said, I have power to lay down my life. I have power to take it up again. That's exactly what is borne out in verse eighteen of chapter one. He says, I am he that liveth and was dead. That is, he is the one who ever lived in eternity and became dead. But behold, he said, I am alive forevermore and have the keys of hell and of death. That is, he has power over these things. He holds the keys of death and hell. Here is the power of Christ in resurrection. Then again, there's the position of Christ in resurrection, for in verse thirteen of this same chapter, it says, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot. Here was the man seen in resurrection power and in his position, moving in the midst of the seven candlesticks or lampstands, which were indicative of the church and the churches. So then we see Christ in resurrection, and John is saying, behold the risen one, preeminent in resurrection, the first begotten of the dead, the power of his resurrection, holding the keys of hell and death. The position of Christ in resurrection, moving in the midst of the churches as the one who had all authority in heaven and on earth. But now, when you read again that verse, verse seven, behold, get your eye on this, get your mind centered on this, get your heart gripped with this great truth, behold, he cometh with clouds. Surely the rulers of that day thought they had got rid of him when they put him on a cross. They knew nothing at all about his power to lay down his life and his power to take it up again. But Christ arose. He's not only the risen one, not only has he gone back to the glory and taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high, but, my friends, remember this, Christ is coming again. There's the certainty of the event. God has plans, and God's plans must be carried out. The Lord Jesus Christ made promises. He promised he would come again. If you go through the Bible, you'll find prophecies concerning things that will yet be accomplished. So in order to carry out God's plans, Christ must return to this planet. In order to keep his own promises which he made to his disciples, he must come back and keep his promises. There were prophecies stated concerning him, and in order to fulfill these prophecies, Christ must come again. There is the certainty of this event. Behold, he said, he cometh with clouds. At the present time, this old world of ours is in an awful state of chaos. Even the so-called civilized nations are at a stage these days that no one seems to have the answer to the world's problems. Might I remind every listener tonight, the man who has the answer to the world's problems sits tonight at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, and very soon he will rise from that throne. Very soon he will come and interfere again with world's affairs, and when he interferes with this world's affairs, he's coming in power. And when he comes, my friend, remember this, he has the answer to the world's problems. Oh, the certainty of this coming event. Behold the returning one. Of course, the world doesn't want him. They didn't want him when he came the first time, and if he came back today, the world would still reject him. But thank God there's a great number of people who have exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They're longing for him to return, and they're simply responding in these days and saying, even so come, Lord Jesus. Remember, not only is there the certainty of this event, there is a comfort attached to this event, for he says in chapter three and verse ten of this same book, he says this, because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, he said, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. There's a great amount of comfort in this great thought for those that know the Lord, the comfort of his coming. When the great Apostle Paul wrote concerning it to the Christians at Thessalonica, he concluded that chapter, First Thessalonians chapter four, with these words, wherefore comfort one another with these words. You see, there is the certainty of the event that Christ is the returning one. There is the comfort attached to this event. It brings comfort to those who are ready for his coming, comfort to those who are longing for his coming, and we know that we'll be kept from the time of the great tribulation which is coming upon the earth dwellers. Then there is the cry of those who are expecting the event found in chapter twenty two. They're saying, even so, come, Lord Jesus. They're in perfect agreement with this great truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the returning one. He's coming, he's coming soon. My friend, may I ask each listener today, are you ready for this great event, the return of the Lord? Christ is the returning one. But when we turn to chapter nineteen of this same book, then again he wants our eye and our thoughts to be directed to the Lord Jesus Christ. And you know, it's a most remarkable thing in chapter nineteen. He says, and I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. When Christ comes back, he'll come back as the righteous one. In righteousness, he shall smite his enemies. In righteousness, he shall rule the nations. In righteousness, he shall reign for a thousand years. When he came in his first advent, he came in grace. You see, the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. His coming to this earth in the first place, when he came to Bethlehem, was a movement of grace. The message that he preached to men was a message of grace. Anything that came from his lips, why, it was the message of grace to sinners. His very life is a monument of grace. Ah, but remember, when he comes back again to this earth, he's not coming back to show grace, he's coming back in righteousness. See, he's coming out, riding on the white horse, and he's called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. When he comes back the next time to this earth, he will judge the world. You know, it's a strange thing when Paul was preaching in Athens, he told them that the day would come when God would judge this world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead. My friend, listen. We've been living now from the time that Christ died. This old world has been going on. Men have been living now for over nineteen hundred years in the age of grace. But the age of grace will come to an end. The door of salvation will be closed someday. The Lord shall come then and shall set up his throne, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. And then he'll set up his kingdom, and his kingdom shall be a kingdom of righteousness, for he is the righteous one. But then again, in chapter twenty one, he says, behold, I make all things new. What an encouragement to read the verses in chapter twenty one. There's a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. There was no more sea. I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. You see, he's coming back to make all things new. That's what's said in verse five. and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Now then, when he comes back, there will be a new environment, new heavens and a new earth, no pollution. There will be a new establishment, for it will be the new city. There will be a new enjoyment, for all tears are wiped away. You know, this old world in which we live now has been polluted in every way. Why, we've had pollution of our rivers, we've had pollution in our highways, we've got pollution in the air, and the pollution is of such a character today that men can't find the answer to it. They're doing their best. But when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, he says, I will make all things new. There will be a new environment, new heavens and new earth. Men today have tried every form of government, and each one seems to break down. But when he comes, there will be a new establishment, a new city, a new way of government. There will be a new enjoyment. There's a lot of tears being shed today. People weep. They cry. They're burdened. When he comes, all tears will be wiped away. There will be a new enjoyment. He will be the renewing one. If you care to read down through chapter twenty two, you'll also find that he is the reigning one. He'll reign as the perfect sovereign, no flaw nor failure with him. He's a lamb upon the throne. There will be perfect service. There will be those who will be serving the perfect master. And then there will be a perfect conclusion. They shall reign forever and ever with perfect illumination, for the Lord God giveth them light. There will be perfect administration, the Redeemer and the redeemed. There will be a perfect provision, twelve manner of fruits. Crown him the Lord of heaven, one with the Father known, one with the Spirit through him given from yonder glorious throne. To thee be endless praise, for thou for us hast died. Be thou, O Lord, through endless days adored and magnified. Behold the returning one. Behold the righteous one. Behold the renewing one. But remember, it's all based on this. Behold the risen one who lives in the power of an indissoluble life. This is the Christ who is presented throughout the whole book of the Revelation. I'm wondering, my friend, as you listen to my voice coming into your home or into your car right now, I wonder, do you know this Savior? Have you ever come to grips with his claims? Do you realize that the one who died on the cross and who is now seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high is coming again? And when Christ comes with trumpet sound, he's coming to rapture his own believers to be forever with himself. But remember, when he comes down to this earth and his feet shall stand on Olive's Mount, he's coming back as the righteous one to deal with his enemies. He shall rule over them with a rod of iron. He shall come and shall reign in righteousness. This is the Christ who died on the cross to save men and women, but if you will not have him as a savior, you'll have to face him as a judge. Oh, may I ask you right now, my friend, why don't you get right with God and do it now? Get right with God, he tells you how. Oh, come to Christ who shed his blood and at the cross get right with God.