Revelation

There's been a fair bit of horror news lately.

I think for me the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines flights,

or both flights, but certainly the one in recent times

on the Flight 17, 17th of July,

missile shot it out of the sky apparently.

Still working that one out.

298 people dead.

A number of those are Australians.

That sort of thing puts a sort of a shudder up your spine.

Having flown a number of times in the past,

I couldn't think of a worse way to die really

than to be up there in the sky

and all of a sudden for your life to be gone

or knowing that your life's about to end.

I actually witnessed a plane accident when I was 18.

A plane crashed. A person was killed.

And awful, awful experience to see that.

And it's planted clearly on my mind.

I'll never forget the image of it.

But to be part of something like this

and to see the number of people that were impacted by this,

no one would have seen it coming.

But imagine you could.

Imagine you did, in fact.

Imagine that on the 16th of July,

you got some information on the afternoon on the 16th of July

about what was going to happen the next day.

And what if your wife or your son or your mother

or your brother-in-law or your neighbour or your friend

or some random person that you knew was going to be on that plane?

Or, in fact, not even on that plane,

but on any plane in the vicinity of Eastern Europe?

You knew that someone was flying back from Europe to Australia on a plane

and you got this information that something terrible was going to happen.

Would you not do everything within your power

to use the information that you've received

to help people avoid the destruction that was about to come?

It's pretty obvious.

I would do everything in my power to make sure

that people would avoid that destruction.

And what the Bible tells us

is that something is coming that's infinitely worse

than Malaysian Airlines 17

and every other disaster you can think of.

It's eternally worse.

It will impact every human being.

The Bible describes it as the judgment of God.

It's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It's judgment.

It's decisive.

It's final.

It's eternal.

And what that information is meant to do for us

is meant to shape the course of our lives now.

And the question I want us to have in the back of our minds

or in fact in the forefront of our minds

as we look into Revelation chapter 1 right now

Revelation 1 · chapter mention

is what would it look like for God

to become the dominant reality of your life?

What would it be like for him, ultimate reality,

to be the dominant reality in your life?

What would it look like for the things in the Bible,

God's revelation of himself,

to be more real to us

than the things on television or on the internet?

You see, God has revealed himself

to accomplish that very purpose,

that he would become the dominant reality of our life.

God reveals himself

so that we would know ultimate reality.

I fear, however,

that because of what we,

even what we read just now,

was written so long ago

that we've been lulled to sleep

by just the ordinariness of our lives.

We've been lulled to sleep

because one day ticks over to another day,

ticks over to another day,

ticks over to another day.

Our senses have been dulled by the hundredth

of day after day after day.

And so what we need as Christians

is to consistently be coming back,

looking at the scriptures,

reminding ourselves of God

and how he sees things,

how he sees reality played out,

not how we see things.

We need to be convinced as Christians day by day

in the humdrum of life

that Jesus is reigning,

that he is the risen king.

We need to have him speak

to the situations in our church.

We need to know that God is right now,

he is right now in this very moment

on his throne.

He's in control in heaven.

He is worshipped by myriads

upon myriads of heavenly hosts.

We need to see the way that God

is going to ultimately pulverize wickedness.

He will obliterate those who oppose him

and he is setting up his kingdom.

What we need is this book of revelation.

It's exactly what we need.

You see, God has given us this book of revelation

so that we can see him

in all his glorious mercy and justice,

so that we can see that if you've got Jesus,

you are so, so fundamentally blessed

and so that we would live our lives

in worship of him

above everything else.

That's what we've got here in front of us

in this book.

You see, the message of revelation

was essential for these very first recipients

of this letter.

It's written first and foremost

to Christians almost 2,000 years ago

is living in the Roman Empire

and they're facing the biggest nightmare

that you can imagine.

Revelation 1 verse 9 tells us

Revelation 1:9

that John was exiled on the island of Patmos

because of the word of God

and the testimony of Jesus.

So John, the guy who's written this,

is representing Jesus

and has got him into a whole heap of trouble.

John's writing to the church,

to the churches from exile.

He's writing from the island of Patmos.

Now you can go to Patmos nowadays,

it's only a fairly small island,

but it's got about 3,000 inhabitants

and it's full of five-star resorts

and luxury villas.

In John's day, it was a prison island,

so he's there smashing stones

without sledgehammers.

And he's there as an old man

sentenced to work in the quarries

because of the word of God

and the testimony of Jesus.

That is, what it's saying here

is that Jesus was so real,

so precious to John,

that he would rather be exiled

to a barren prison island

than not represent Jesus.

John is typical, I think,

and what he's experienced here

is typical of the hardship

of many Christians were facing in his time.

They were feeling the full force

of the Roman Empire.

According to the Roman writer Suetonius,

the Roman emperor Domitian,

who was the kingpin in the world

at John's day,

was both physically unimpressive

and a moral catastrophe of a man.

He had many affairs with married women

and eventually stole someone else's wife

to be his own.

When his own brother Titus

was hit with a serious illness,

he ordered that he'd be left for dead.

Another bloke,

I think this guy was probably an actor

or some kind of stand-up comedian

or something like that,

made some fairly harmless

but humorous remarks about Domitian.

Everyone thought it was funny,

except Domitian,

so he had him executed.

He seduced his married niece,

got her pregnant.

She then died from the abortion

that he forced her to have.

This moral catastrophe of a man,

that's just some of the things,

I mean, it just goes on from there.

He was sensitive about his baldness.

He had a pot belly, spindly legs,

and he demanded that the whole empire

called him Lord God.

And John is writing to a bunch of Christians

who are suffering extreme hardship

because they refuse to have this man

say,

I am your God.

They refuse to allow Domitian

to be the dominant reality in their life.

Now, many of you would be aware

that Christians in northern Iraq right now

are being severely persecuted

by the militant group called

the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,

the ISIS group.

They've issued a decree

offering Christians three options,

either convert to Islam,

pay a special tax,

or be killed.

And you've probably seen it on Facebook.

They've painted a symbol

on the houses of Christians

so that they are identified.

They've painted other symbols

on the houses of other religious groups

they don't agree with either.

And the ultimatum that was given

to Christians was

deadline for it was midday

on the 19th of July.

So choose that.

That's your choice.

Either convert to Islam,

special tax,

which is confiscation of goods in the end,

or die.

That's our brothers and sisters

right now.

That's what they're facing.

And thousands upon thousands

have fled and left everything.

Everything.

And it must be a question

that's in their mind.

Would you not imagine

of where is Jesus right now

in amongst that

if he is the ruler of the world?

And I can only say

that what we've read tonight

would be a word of comfort

and perspective for them

as it should be for us

as it was for these Christians

in the first century in Rome.

The first thing

that this revelation says

that in spite of the terrible

hardship that you're facing,

you are truly blessed.

Your life is one of blessing.

That's the first bit of perspective

they need to see.

They were blessed

because God has given

this revelation of Jesus Christ

about what will soon take place.

They're blessed

because they can see

ultimate reality.

They can see

what truly is.

They were blessed

because God was giving them

perspective and clarity

not just on their present

but in their future as well.

They were also blessed

because of what Jesus

has done for them.

See verse 5.

He says,

To him who loves us.

What a great word to say

in these very first verses.

Jesus loves them.

This is in the present tense.

It's not that just

he loved them in the past

but he loves them right now.

Right now.

And Jesus' love for his people

led Jesus ultimately

to lay down his life for them.

They are blessed

because in laying down

his life for them,

verse 5,

he has freed them

from our sins

by his blood.

You see,

those who sin,

according to the Bible,

deserve to die.

And death

is separation from God.

And Jesus' death

cancels our obligation

to pay the penalty

for our sins to God

so that we might in fact

be reconciled to God

and live forever.

And when you've got that,

you've got everything.

The blood of Jesus

frees people

from enslaving sin,

lust and greed

and pride and anger

and everything else.

The blood of Jesus

breaks the power

of cancelled sin.

We are blessed

because of what we have

in Jesus

regardless of the circumstances.

Verse 6 says,

He has made us

a kingdom and priest

to his God and Father.

That is,

we belong to Jesus,

we are his people

and our allegiance is to him.

We are blessed

because the kingdom

of Jesus

cannot be overcome.

This blessing of love

and forgiveness of sins

that comes from Jesus

is a secure blessing.

No one can take it from you.

Notice who gives it to us.

Verse 4,

From him who was

and who is to come.

Verse 5,

From Jesus Christ,

the firstborn from the dead

and the ruler of the kings

of the earth.

Verse 6,

The one to whom power

and glory belong forever.

Verse 8,

The one who is

and who was

and who is to come.

the almighty.

How good

must John's experience

of Christ be

for him to declare

this blessing.

You know,

don't let this point

miss you.

John is sitting

in a prison cell

as an old man

breaking stones

for a living

and he says,

Man,

how great it is

to be in Christ.

In spite of the way

that Christianity

will not advance

you in the Roman Empire,

in spite of the fact

that knowing Jesus

could cost you

your possessions,

land you in prison

or cost you your life,

you're blessed

if you know Jesus.

John must think

it is better

to stand right before God

by faith in Christ,

forgiven and free

of all of your sin

than it is

to have all of the

Roman Empire

bow to you.

John must think

that there is life

after this life

in which the rewards

for those

who belong to Jesus

will be superior

to all the pleasures

of sin

in this present world.

This must have been

an enormous comfort

to John

sitting in the island

of Patmos.

But it's also

a comfort

for the Christians

in the Roman Empire.

and ultimately

for us as well.

The voice that he heard

in verse 10

says in verse 11,

write on a scroll

what you see

and send it

to the seven churches.

And so this vision

John is about to get

in the next number

of chapters

is meant not just

for him

sitting in the island

of Patmos

but for us too.

The point of writing

it down

is to transmit

to us

the same kind

experience

that John

has in seeing

Christ.

John

God has

graciously

given John

this vision

of the supremacy

of Christ

and all of history

being in his hands.

And he writes it down

so that we might

see it too

and so that we

would be comforted

as well.

He appears

to John

and says

write in a book

what you see

and send it

to the seven churches.

John gets the vision

we get the book

about the vision.

That is

God wants to come

to us as well

through his word.

He wants us

to seek him

in his word

and know him

by his word

and gaze upon him

steadily through

his word

so that we

would know

how blessed

we are.

This is a revelation

for imprisoned

John

for persecuted

Christians in the

Roman Empire

and for our

brothers and

sisters right now

in northern Iraq

and for us

sitting right here

with our

senses dulled.

for us

sitting right here

who are suffering

for those who

are tired

and weary

and running

out of steam

and confused

and disheartened

and disenfranchised

and insecure

despite the

circumstances

you need to know

how blessed you are

if you are in

Christ

knowing how

blessed you are

we are called

here

to treasure

Jesus

to make him

the dominant

reality in our

life.

Let's have a look

at what John

saw in verse 12.

John turns

to see the voice

that was like a

trumpet in verse 10

and what he saw

was seven golden

lampstands and

Christ in the

midst of them.

Notice down to

verse 20

at the end of

the chapter

for an interpretation

of what the

lampstands are.

It says the

mystery of the

seven stars

that you saw

in my right hand

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.

So the vision

of Jesus

that John

gets is

Jesus

among his

churches

among his

people.

Christ is

standing

amongst his

churches.

He's not

merely over

the churches.

He's not

distant from

the churches.

He's in the

middle of the

churches.

And John

saw according

to verse 13

one like a

son of man.

In Daniel

Daniel 7:13

chapter 7

verses 13

and 14

the term

son of man

or one

like the

son of man

refers to

a great

ruler.

This is what

it says in

Daniel chapter

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

7.

In my vision

at night

I looked

and there

before me

was one

like a

son of man

coming with

the clouds

of heaven.

He approached

the ancient

of days

and was led

into his

presence.

He was

given

authority,

glory and

sovereign power.

All peoples,

nations and

men of every

language worshipped

him.

His dominion

is an

everlasting

dominion that

will not

pass away and

his kingdom

is one that

will never be

destroyed.

And so what

John saw

when he saw

this one like a

son of man

standing in the

middle of the

lampstands,

he means that

he saw someone

who stands

over the top

of his kingdom

with all

dominion,

glory and

kingdom power.

It will be

an eternal

kingdom.

kingdom,

someone with

authority over

all nations,

all peoples,

who would

rule forever

and ever

and ever

and nothing

can touch

his kingdom.

The one who

stands among

the churches

is the one

who received

from the

ancient of

days,

God himself

dominion and

glory and

kingdom,

rule and

power and

authority in

heaven and

on earth.

That pretty

much matches

this figure

that John

saw in

verse 13.

The son of

man was

dressed in

a robe

reaching down

to his feet

with a gold

sash around

his chest.

The robe

here is similar

to the picture

of the Old

Testament robe

where the

priest wore.

The gold

sash around

his chest

shows two

things.

It's up here

around his

chest,

it's not

around his

waist and

it's gold.

The fact

that it's

gold shows

that his

priesthood is

a highly

valued priesthood

and it is a

great priesthood.

Jesus is not

only the son

of man from

Daniel chapter

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

7 who

receives

everlasting

dominion over

all nations

and people,

he is also

the final

high priest

who brings

all the

priestly work

of the

temple to

the end.

There's no

more need

to sacrifice

any animals

to get right

with God.

Verse 5

says that

Christ freed

us from

our sins

by his

blood.

You see

this priest

is so

great that

he gave

his own

blood once

and for

all.

For the

sin of

all

humanity

so that

we might

be reconciled

to God.

He stands

among the

lampstands,

he stands

here by

us today

as one

with authority

and everlasting

dominion,

the one

with final

decisive

forgiveness

for our

sins.

Then John

sees in

verse 14

that his

head and

his hair

were white

like wool

as white

as snow.

And this

is remarkable

because Daniel

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7,

you know,

when John

gets his

picture of the

one like a

son of man

in verses

13 and

14,

a few

verses

further,

earlier than

that,

God the

father is

described in

verse 9,

as I looked,

thrones were

set in place

and the

ancient of

days took

his seat.

His clothing

was as

white as

snow and

the hair of

his head

was white

like wool.

people.

In other

words,

John is

describing the

son of

man in

terms used

by God

himself.

And so

you put

this picture

together with

the next

thing that

John sees

in verse

14,

that his

eyes were

like blazing

fire.

You see,

the eyes of

this son of

man were

not the

clouded eye

of fading

glory.

These

eyes have

eyes of

sharpest

clarity and

purity.

they miss

nothing that

happens in

the universe

and they

are exploding

with energy.

You see,

we all know

the drooping

eye that's

about to go

to sleep.

You know,

you're trying

to stay

awake to

finally get

the end of

the movie

and the

plot line.

Or the

resentful eye.

Or the

grumpy eye.

Or the

half-shut eye

with a scowl

and a bad

mood.

We know

the eye that

is alive with

wonder and

excitement.

hope and

expectancy and

energy.

Jesus' eyes

here are

described as

flaming fire.

What we

see then is

hair as

white as

snow and

eyes like

fire.

You've

got to

know today

2,000 years

after John

saw this

vision that

Jesus is

not tired,

he's not

burnt out,

he's not

fatigued.

His eyes

are aflame

with a

flashing fire

of inexhaustible

energy and

hope.

He sees

everything that

has been

and everything

that will

be.

Nothing

takes him

by surprise

that when

Jesus thinks

about his

plans for

you and

for

Paul's and

for Australia

and for

Christians in

northern Iraq

and the

nations of

the world,

beyond this

day, he is

not hesitant,

he is not

tired, he

is not

bored.

his eyes

are aflame

of fire

with utter

exhilaration

and passion

and enthusiasm

for the

work that

he intends

to do.

His

enthusiasm

for his

mission

is as

bright today

as it was

2,000 years

ago when

John saw

this.

Notice

also the

bronze feet

in verse

15,

they are the

feet of a

glorious and

mighty conqueror

and again in

verse 15 is

the voice of

the sound of

many waters.

It's just a

picture of

raw power,

the thunder of

the voice of

authority and

then there is

this right hand

with the seven

stars and a

sharp sword

coming out of

his mouth and

his face,

shining with

the sun in

all its

brilliance.

What do you

do when you're

confronted with

such power and

majesty and

splendor and

just sheer

awe?

verse 16,

verse 17,

when I saw

him I fell

at his feet

as though

dead.

I fell at

his feet

as though

dead.

This is the

resurrected,

glorified Christ

and the person

who's writing

this, the

person who fell

at his feet

as though

dead is

John.

John.

Just a

matter of

decades

earlier,

John was

Jesus'

best mate.

John was

the guy

when the

moment of

quietness was

there, Jesus

would gather

John with

him.

John was

the one who

leaned on

Jesus and

had a nap.

Sam doesn't

do that for

me.

Not even

on a long

flight.

That's how

close John

and Jesus

were and

John sees

Jesus here

and he

falls down

as though

dead.

I am not

worthy to

be in your

presence.

This Jesus

is not to

be trifled

with.

He's not

to be

treated

with

disdain.

Domitian

might be

the emperor

of the

Roman Empire

but he's

a librarian

compared to

Jesus.

And to

John's

immense

relief,

his once

best mate

leans over

to him.

The judge,

the king,

the majestic

eternal ruler

places his

hand on his

right shoulders

and speaks

words of

comfort to

him,

do not

be afraid.

See,

this is a

word of

comfort for

Christians

struggling in

this world.

Do not

be afraid.

This is

astounding

words of

comfort for

a prisoner

of the

Lord

Jesus.

This

Jesus

stands with

his people

suffering

terribly in

Iraq right

now and

from this

word you

can say

do not

be afraid.

Someone

greater than

ISIS is

here.

The

encouragement

here is

that despite

how it

looks,

Jesus is

with his

church,

he's in

Iraq,

he's right

here with

us right

now as

the son

of man,

the one

with power

over all

that is,

seen and

unseen,

the one

with everlasting

dominion and

glory.

He is the

great high

priest and

he has put

away your

sins once

and for

all.

He is the

great and

wise ancient

of days and

yet his

eyes are

aflamed with

the fire of

youth and

energy and

hope and

exhilaration for

his unstoppable

plans for you

and for his

church and for

his world and

for his

universe.

gaze upon

Jesus and

let his

royal power

and his

priestly

forgiveness and

his fiery

hope fill

you with

confidence

afresh that

treasuring this

Jesus and

making him

the dominant

reality in

your life

is not a

vanity.

vanity.

It is never

a vanity to

throw your

lot or

everything behind

this Jesus and

with this

Jesus.

You see the

most significant

feature of this

passage is the

overwhelming glory

of Jesus.

He is risen,

he is indestructible,

he is unconquerable,

he is Lord and

as such he

summons forth

obedience and

allegiance and

worship from his

blessed people.

Jesus is to be

worshipped, he is

to be obeyed

because of his

surpassing worth

and power.

And John intends

this book of

Revelation to

produce a radical

change in

perspective for

us, for

everyone.

Is your gaze

consistently upon

Jesus?

Do you preach

this gospel to

yourself every

day and remind

you that you

are so blessed

regardless of

the circumstances

in your life?

That you are so

blessed because of

Jesus.

Are you

announcing to

everyone who

will listen how

blessed it is to

know Jesus?

Are you calling

people to taste

and see that this

Lord is good?

Do people see it

in your life,

in your values,

in your priorities,

in your attitude,

and your

perspective,

that Jesus is

the dominant

reality of your

life?

Let me read to

you something that

was written.

So, John gets

this revelation,

sends it to the

churches in Rome.

Let me read

you, to you,

how the

Christians in

Rome responded

to this

revelation.

This is one

writer reflecting

on the

Christians at

this time of

enormous

persecution.

They loved

everyone, but

by everyone

they are

persecuted.

They are

unknown, yet

they are

condemned.

They are put

to death, and

yet they are

brought to

life.

They are

poor, and

yet they make

so many rich.

They are in

need of

everything, and

yet they are

bound in

everything.

They are

dishonored, and

yet they are

glorified in

their dishonor.

They are

slandered, and

yet they are

vindicated.

They are

cursed, and

yet they

bless.

They are

insulted, yet

they offer

respect.

And when

they do

good, they

are punished

as evildoers.

And when

they are

punished, they

rejoice as

though they

are brought

to life.

And so

Christians were

punished daily.

And so

Christians, when

punished, daily

increase more

and more.

don't miss

what that

quotation

communicates.

These

Christians live

in a way that

says that

knowing and

treasuring Jesus

is better than

everything.

It's better

than freedom

from persecution.

Knowing and

treasuring Jesus

is better than

avoiding martyrdom

by denying

him.

Knowing and

treasuring Jesus

is better than

money and

status.

Knowing and

treasuring Jesus

is better than

fame.

Knowing and

treasuring Jesus

is better than

doing evil to

avoid persecution

from criminal

governments.

You see, when

Christians joyfully

embrace Jesus

as the dominant

reality of their

lives, through

difficult times

especially, it

causes their

numbers to

increase.

When Christians

treasure Jesus

by joyfully

showing by their

lives that

knowing God

is so

immensely good,

others want to

know such a

God.

Is Jesus

the dominant

reality in

your life?

And do

others see it?

Let's pray.

Father God,

we pray that

you would help

us to see

Jesus.

Give us a

glimpse of

his majesty,

of his worth.

earth, we

ask that we

would be a

church that

lives out what

we say that we

exist for, to

know, to

treasure, to

represent Jesus.

Help us with

pray.

Give us such a

glimpse of your

glory and your

purposes that he

might become the

dominant reality of

our lives.

grace.

We pray for our

brothers and

sisters in Iraq,

right now and

in many other

places in the

world, where

they are not

dulled to the

senses of what

the cost is in

following you.

Father, we pray

that you would

pour out your

spirit upon them

so that they

might see Jesus

in all his

splendor, that

they might feel

his hand upon

them.

they might hear

the words from

your word by

your spirit to

their hearts,

their minds.

Do not be

afraid.

We ask it for

your glory.

Amen.