Charles Pack

Understanding Revelation Rev 1:1 - Rev 2:7
By Charles Pack

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST Revelation 1:1-15
This is the first of a series of messages on the entire Book of Revelation. This message is on "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," using the text Revelation 1: 1 through 1: 15.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant, John. "
The word "Revelation" literally means "the unveiling." in Eastern lands women (particularly religious women) wear veils over their faces. Then when they get married, the bridegroom lifts the veil and sees who he is marrying - after he is already married. We do not do that in America, but that is the way they do it in Eastern lands. The story of Jacob and Leah and Rachel is an example of this particular custom. So "The Revelation" literally means "the unveiling" of Jesus Christ. What the Holy Spirit does here through Jesus Christ, and written by John, is to pull aside the veil about the Lord Jesus Christ.
THE UNVEILING
That is why I love the Book of Revelation - because it unveils and shows me what my Savior is like - who He is, what He is going to do, how powerful He is, when He is coming, how He is coming, and what is going to happen when He comes. That is why I am so excited about teaching the entire Book of the Revelation.
Now, notice that God gave this unveiling of the Son to His Son; then the Son in the last part of the verse gave it to an angel; then the angel gave it to John; and John is giving it to us, His servants. So you see the four steps in the giving of the ORIENTAL BRIDE Book of Revelation. It is the unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word "shortly" is sometimes confusing to people. They say it means this was to happen very soon, and it has not happened yet. Another meaning of the word "shortly" is that when events begin to happen - after the church age ends-they will happen real ' real fast. The word "shortly" is from the word where we get the word "velocity" - the speed or the suddenness with which something happens. So what God is saying here is that when these things begin to happen, they will happen with speed, with suddenness. That means simply this-when the end of this age comes and the Rapture occurs, that many, many things will happen fast. In a few years one half of the whole world is going to die - during this seven year tribulation period. It is going to happen with velocity with speed-with quickness. it means that, rather than happening immediately after John spoke these words.
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
The next thing in verse 1 is the word "signified." This is a book of "signification," of "signs." We use a lot of signs today. For example, if I put my thumb down, that means "throw the rascal out." We do many things with our hands. For example, when I am driving down the street, if I put my hand out to the left, that means I am going to make a lefthand turn. if I put my hand up that means I am going to turn right. If I put it down with my palm visible from the back to the driver of the car behind, that means I am going to stop. That is a sign.
Many people wear a little piece of gold around their third finger of the left hand. When people see that, they recognize that person as being married. It is a sign, a symbol of a reality.
The Book of Revelation is a book of symbols or signs. On Mother's Day if you were in church wearing a white rose, I would immediately recognize that your mother is dead. If you had on a red rose, I would know that your mother is living. We use symbols so often, yet when we come to the Book of Revelation, we try to make it so complicated that nobody can understand it. But God wants us -to understand it and I hope that when we are through you will understand the Book of Revelation just like you could the Gospel of John, because it is not difficult to understand. it is a book of signs and those signs are usually explained in the context or by comparing Scripture with Scripture.
Now we come to verse 2 which says, "Who bore witness of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that He saw." In other words, John, there on the isle of Patmos, received this message from the angel. He is giving it to us and he is bearing testimony of what God gave to him-the testimony of Jesus Christ and all these things he saw. He saw these in vision form. Part of these things he saw taking place on the earth, but at the beginning of chapter 4, he is actually caught up into Heaven and is looking at things in and from Heaven. Later he is back on the earth and he sees things during the Tribulation period that are to happen on the earth. Then he goes back up into Heaven again. He is alternating between Heaven and earth and we have to watch in the context to see where this is taking place or else we will misunderstand the book.
CONDITIONAL BLESSING
Now look at Revelation 1:3. Notice the three verbs here first of all, "Blessed is he that readeth." Some pastors say that you ought not to try to understand the Book of the Revelation. They say that it is a book that nobody can understand. But God says that there is a special blessing for the person who reads this Revelation-not to preach it or teach it, but just to read it. The Lord says that just by your reading this book, He is going to bless you. That is why I believe that my teaching will be a blessing to you. I believe that as we study together and as we read and hear it together, I believe that God is going to bless us. I believe that you personally are going to be blessed as you hear or read the Book of the Revelation.
It says, ,Blessed is he that readeth" and then those who "hear." Those who hear the book are going to be blessed! Then the third thing - the third verb - is "keep those things which are written in it." In other words, if we hear it, if we read it, and if we keep it, God says that He is going to bless us. And do you know that this promise is not made in any other book of the Bible? No other book has this special promise attached to it. So how dare some preachers say that "We ought not to even read the book! We ought not to study it! We ought not to attempt to teach it! Nobody understands it!" Why would God say that He is going to bless the person who reads it, hears it, and keeps it if He did not mean for us to understand it? There is one book in the Bible which is sealed until the end of the age. That is the Book of Daniel. In Daniel 12:4,9, God said to Daniel, "Seal up the book until the time of the end." But Daniel is the only book that was sealed and only until the "time of the end." For those who have studied it, it certainly has been a great blessing. Believe verse 3 and be reading the Book of Revelation!
GREETING TO SEVEN CHURCHES
In Revelation 1:4,john says: "John, to the seven churches which are in Asia." That would mean modern Turkey. These seven churches were just across the little isthmus, or little body of water, from the isle of Patmos over the present-day Turkey. There were seven churches there. I have visited all seven sites. As we get into chapters 2 and 3, we will study each individual church. These messages that John is getting are to those seven churches but also has an application to my church and your church. These are also individual messages to those churches which apply to individuals in churches today. The messages also have a prophetic interpretation as well. We will emphasize this when we get to chapters 2 and 3.
He says to those churches, "Grace" (which means "unmerited favor") - "Grace be unto you and peace from Him." Now notice Who this person is. He IS-that means, He is alive today. God is ever-present, always has existed and is still in existence today. He is the God Who IS, and then it says, "Who WAS." Now, I cannot say that about myself. I came into existence a few years ago, so I cannot say, "I was" and look back nine hundred years and more. You cannot either. But when it comes to Jesus, He is the One Who was, He is, and then it says He is the One Who is to come. He is the coming One, so He is the everlasting God. He is the eternal God. Jesus Christ is the Eternal One. He did not begin about 2,000 years ago. He has always been in existence in the past. He is in existence today and He will be in existence throughout all eternity in the future. So this Revelation is, "from Him who is, who was, and is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne."
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Now, what does that mean? The words "seven spirits" here speaks of the seven-fold characteristics of the Spirit of God. Now there are not seven Holy Spirits-each of them having different names. There is no such thing taught in the Bible. But in Isaiah 11: 2, the seven-fold characteristics of the Holy Spirit are listed. There are seven things said about Him; so in Revelation John says, "The seven Spirits of God." There are the spirits of the Devil-or demons, and there are other spirits-wicked spirits.
But this Spirit is the Spirit of Jehovah. Isaiah says the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him (upon Jesus) and then six other things are said about this Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowing how to take knowledge or facts and use them properly, intelligently. He is also the Spirit of "understanding." Maybe you think your mother or dad do not understand you. Maybe you think your husband or wife does not understand you, but the Holy Spirit does because He is a Spirit of understanding. He is also a Spirit of "counsel." Do you have problems to solve? Sometimes it seems we are overwhelmed with problems and we do not know which way to turn. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of "counsel." Confide and talk to Him and He will tell you what to do. He is also the Spirit of "might" He is the All-Powerful One. Think of the tornado that lifted up the car, twisted it all up, and sat it over in a field, and also destroyed a number of houses that way! Did you think that was powerful! Well, the Holy Spirit is far more powerful than that! He is the Spirit of "might." He is also the Spirit of "knowledge." God knows all things. There is nothing hidden from Him. The Holy Spirit, one of the members of the Trinity, is the Spirit of "knowledge." Also, the Holy Spirit has a fear or a "reverential trust" of Jehovah. He has the fear of the Lord. When you count these, you have the seven-fold characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 1:4 says this is from the seven-fold Spirit who is before His throne or before the throne of God.
THE FAITHFUL WITNESS
Verse 5 says: "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." These three things are said here about Jesus. He is the faithful witness. Can you say that you are a faithful witness? Jesus was always a faithful witness. You remember the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus was interested in her and wanted to help. His disciples were more interested in going into the city and getting something to eat. He was a "faithful witness" and if we are going to follow in His footsteps, we need also be a faithful witness. Jesus Christ is the faithful Witness.
Also He is the first begotten of the dead. Of those people who died, Jesus Christ was the first one who rose from the dead. He Himself raised people from the dead, but He is the first fruits of those who died and is the first begotten of the dead, or the "firstborn from among" the dead.
Also He is the coming "prince of the kings of the earth." He will be the ruler, or prince, of the kings of the earth. And after the Tribulation period is over-during the Millennial age Jesus Christ is going to rule and reign over this earth with a rod of iron. All kings of this earth are going to be subject to Him and He will be the prince-the head ruler of every country on the face of the earth after the Tribulation period. He is the prince of the kings of the earth.
OUR REDEMPTION
The Spirit says in verse 6: "Unto Him (the Lord Jesus) that loveth us" - it is in the present tense - Jesus Christ loves us all the time. "He loved me 'ere I knew Him," the hymn writer said. Before I ever knew Him, He loved me. And He drew me to Himself. What a wonderful Savior! When I was so wicked and out there in sin - leading such a rotten life - Jesus loved me. Present tense - He loves me. He will love me tomorrow if I slip and fall. He will still love me. Remember what happened to Peter? After he denied the Lord three times, Jesus still loved him. And even after Judas betrayed the Lord, Jesus called him "friend." He still loved him. He loves us. Present tense!
"Unto Him that loveth us and washed" (or loosed us - when you wash your hands, you loose the dirt from your body.) Whenever we were saved, we were "loosed" from our sins. All those old sins that were accountable to us, and charged to us, were loosed from us, just like dirt comes off in water. The old sins were loosed from us when we received Jesus Christ as our Savior. Hallelujah! What a day! I am so glad that everything I have ever done wrong in this life and everything that you have done has been loosed Oust like dirt off your hands) and you will never face those sins any more - all from the time you were born and - you began to sin until the time you were saved! When you got saved, every ONE of those things were washed in His blood, never to be remembered any more. isn't that wonderful! I just praise God for that! That is what it means to be saved. So this is what John says, "Unto Him that loveth us and washed us from our sins in His own blood."
REIGNING WITH CHRIST
Look at verse 6: We have not come into this inheritance yet, but it says "he hath made us a kingdom of priests." (in the King James Version, "kings and priests.") Now, both are true. The New Scofield Reference Bible says, "a kingdom of priests." We are going, to be a kingdom of priests. Peter says that we are a royal priest-hood. We are priests, every one of us Christians. I am a priest. If you are a woman, you are a priest before God. Every saved person is a priest. Now what do priests do? Priests in the Old Testament offered up sacrifices to God. They also offered up praise and worship to God. So we Christians are also literally "a kingdom of priests." And someday we are going to rule as kings and priests. What do we mean by that? The Bible says in the Gospel of Luke that some of us are going to be over five cities and some over ten cities. Everyone is going to be rewarded during the Millennial age - during the thousand years that Christ rules and reigns over the earth - we are going to be rewarded and we are going to rule over people. This will be determined by how we have lived for God during our threescore and ten years down here. We are going to be kings! We are going to be priests! Some will probably rule over little cities like Corntassel or Podunk Center. is that the kind of city that you may be over? it will depend upon what you did with your life in relation to Jesus Christ while you were alive on earth. I tell you, I really want something to rule and reign over. I have not had much down here, but I am looking forward to the Kingdom Age when Jesus sets up His kingdom. I will rule and reign with Him. So truly, we are going to be kings and we are going to be priests and it is also true that "He has made us a kingdom of priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
CHRIST RETURNS TWICE
I want you to notice verse 7 because we are concerned about two aspects of the return of Christ. He comes soon two different times-they are seven years apart and they are different. This one here will be at the close of the Tribulation period. This is not the rapture of the church. This is at the close of the Tribulation period. How do I know that? Because it says, "Behold He cometh with clouds and every eye shall see Him and they also who pierced Him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." This has to do with when Christ comes at the end of the Tribulation period. It is not when He comes in the Rapture.
HIS COMING WILL BE SUDDEN AS THE LIGHTNING.
Now, what is the Rapture? Seven years before He comes in His revelation to set up His kingdom, He will come "in the air" and will come "like a thief in the night." He will come to take the Church home. Both the dead Christians in the graves and the living at that time will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. He will come like a thief. it will be quickly-like lightning. When a thief comes, he gets what he wants. He does it quickly and then he gets away. He does not want anyone to see him. No unsaved ones will see the Lord Jesus when He comes in the Rapture. The Bible says that His coming will be as fast as the "twinkling of an eye." Now, He doesn't say "the batting of an eye." He says, "the twinkling of an eye." That means the speed with which a beam of light hits your eye and bounces off, it makes that little sparkle! Have you seen that as you looked into your lover's eye? You know what I am talking about. in the twinkling of an eye. it is all over-quickly, suddenly, quietly, and we will be up there with the Lord in the air. That is the first aspect of His second coming.
THE SECOND STAGE
The second aspect is right here in verse 7: "Behold He cometh with clouds." Now, does that mean it will have to be a cloudy day when He comes? If so, He might come tomorrow because it is supposed to be cloudy. But what about over in China? Will it be cloudy over there? it may be clear in China. No, this is not what it means. Usually you see His coming pictured with clouds all around Him or He is standing on a cloud. This is not what this means. it means that when He comes back, there will be great numbers of believers in their glorified bodies who will be coming with Him. Here will be a great group. There will be a great group - and here will be another group-and another, and another. And Jesus Christ will be leading the way. He comes with clouds of people (like flocks of birds). That is what Jude 14 says: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints." So here He comes back from Heaven and all the saints with Him. This is after the Tribulation. They are coming in their glorified bodies. They have already been rewarded for their deeds done on earth. They are coming back with Him to set up the kingdom. That is why John says, "He cometh with clouds." Here He comes! And when He comes this time, every eye shall see Him.;: How can that be? I believe, beloved, through the means of television. I believe the television cameras are going to be pointed out there in space and there in the stellar heavens they will see His brilliancy coming through those planets and stars. This will be transmitted by television throughout the world. This could not have happened until our age - that every eye could see Jesus Christ when He comes back to set up His kingdom. I believe it will be through international satellite television. I believe it - I really do, with all of my heart. And who could have understood this until recent years? it did not seem possible!
Many Scriptures our forefathers read could not be understood. They tried to explain them in the commentaries but they did not understand them. Today we see how these things can actually take place. As you study the Book of Revelation you will see how man things have happened since you last read this book.
"Every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him." That means the Jew and the Gentile both are going to see Him and "all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." Do you know why? They are going to be afraid. They are going to cry out for the mountains and the rocks to fall on them (Revelation 6:15-16) because they rejected Him and here He comes back to set up His kingdom. And to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote saying He will come "in flaming fire taking vengence on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel." Beloved, they will cringe in fear when they see Him coming in the air or as they are watching it on television. They are going to be scared because of Him. They are going to wail because of Him. But John says, "Even so, Amen." Today as we look at the wickedness of this old world and try to witness to people and try to get them to respond, you know they are not interested. Friend, 1, too, can say with John, "Even so, Lord Jesus, come on. Amen." I will be so glad when You come and You wind up this whole thing down here. I don't know how others feel, but I will be happy when Jesus takes me home.
CHRIST IS FIRST AND LAST
Verse 8 says, "I am Alpha and Omega." To the Greeks this was very simple. Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. in our language, we would say, "I am the A and the Z." What is Jesus saying? "I am the originator of all beings and I am also the One who will consummate all things." That is what He means. He is everything. He is the beginning and He is the end and He is also everything in between. He is the all in all and that is what He is saying here. "I am the Alpha and Omega." Now He says: "The beginning and the ending saith the Lord." Again we have this statement - He is in existence He was in existence, and He is the One who is to come and He is also the Almighty.
In Isaiah 9:6 He is called "The Mighty God." He is God and He is The Mighty God. He is all-powerful. We turn over to Colossians 2:9 and it says, "In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (that is Jesus)." In Jesus Christ all the power of God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit dwell. That is what the Book of Revelation is about - Jesus. it is about the unveiling of Jesus Christ. How I love Him! How I look forward to see Him and be like Him! He is the One who is to come. He is the Almighty.
TRIBULATION
John says in verse 9: "1, John, who also am your brother" think of that! He is my brother and he is also your brother. I am your "companion in tribulation." Now, he does not speak here of the Great Tribulation. He says, "in tribulation." The Great Tribulation is identified by the words "The Great" Tribulation-a specific period of time. But the Bible teaches that all people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have a certain amount of tribulation. Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. , (2 Timothy 3:12) That applies to any age in which one lives. You try to live for Jesus Christ; you are going to suffer a certain amount of persecution. John at that time was in a period of persecution, but not The Great Tribulation. This does not begin until Revelation, chapter 6. It is still future today.
And so he says, "I am in tribulation." What kind of tribulation was he in? Look at what he said: I am "in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. I was in the isle that is called Patmos." Why? "For the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Or we might translate this, "for preaching God's message and testifying to Jesus." He was there because of teaching God's message and testifying about Jesus Christ. So you see he was in tribulation because of this. Do you realize there are people like John that are suffering in Russia and other countries of the earth today? There are believers who are our brothers and sisters who are in Prisons and in mental asylums because of their faith in Jesus Christ. There is persecution and tribulation going on - not The Great Tribulation - but tribulation going on among our brothers and sisters in the world today. John says, over 1,900 years ago, that he was in tribulation - but not The Great Tribulation.
THE VOICE ON THE LORD'S DAY
In Revelation 1:10 he tells us the day of the week. He says, "I was in the Spirit (in the Holy Spirit) on the Lord's day." Now notice he does not say "Sunday." That is a pagan title for the first day of the week. He says" the Lord's day" and that is the proper title for the first day of the week. The Bible tells us that on "the first day of the week" the disciples gathered together and broke bread and took the offering. (Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2) on the first day of the week. So you see, the Lord's day is the proper title - not Sunday.
Notice that this is not "The Day of the Lord" which is all together different! This is the first day of the week. He was in the Spirit on the first day of the week and he heard behind him a "great voice as of a trumpet." He was standing there and suddenly behind Him there was this voice and it was blasting like a trumpet - it scared him, I would imagine. And the voice said, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. "And the voice said, 'What thou seest write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia (or Turkey today).' " Then it lists those churches. I have been there to see the ruins of all of them. "Unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamum" - I've seen those ruins. "And unto Thyatira" - we saw those ruins. To Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea - these city ruins are there and you can see the ruins today. Smyrna is the present-day Izmir, Turkey, you can see the very places where the Christians of that day held their services when you go to those countries.
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST
This letter was to be given to those seven churches. He says in verse 12, "And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me and being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands (or candlesticks). And in the midst of the seven lampstands (or candlesticks) there was one like the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and girded about the breasts with a golden girdle." Verse 14 says: "His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire. And His feet like fine bronze as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice like the sound of many waters."
Here is a description of Jesus Christ in His glorified body walking in the midst of the seven churches. Now what does that teach me? Simply this: That during the church age, detailed in chapters 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus is in the midst of each of the churches. He is walking around and watching what is going on in each of these churches. When we come to those chapters, you will notice that it is said over and over, "I know thy works." He knows exactly what they are doing. He is walking there. He is still walking in Faith Baptist Church where I was the founder and pastor. He knows what is going on there. "I know thy works."
A LOCAL CHURCH
A Sunday School teacher has a Bible class in his home. The Bible says, "Where two or more are gathered together in My name, There am I in the midst." If just two people get together, as far as Jesus is concerned, that is a local assembly and He has promised to be in the midst of that. When two people get together to study the Word of God, He promised to be there.
Here you see the Lord Jesus Christ walking in the midst of these seven lampstands. These lampstands are the churches; it tells us this down in verse 20 where we will look later. But these lampstands represent the seven churches. Now, what do lampstands or candlesticks do? What does it do? it gives light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." But Jesus also said, "Ye are the light of the world." And He also said, "A city set on a hill cannot be hid." Jesus wants us to shine as a light in this world.
I want to ask you as we close this message, are you shining for the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you like the lampstand, the candlestick? if not, why not trim your wick and begin to shine for Jesus?
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST And LEAVING YOUR FIRST LOVE
We noticed in our previous study in Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand." There are three verbs here. A blessing is promised to those who read the Book of the Revelation. I am claiming this promise during this time of studying this Book that God is going to bless me personally as I am reading the Book of the Revelation. Also, He says, "Blessed are those who heareth." There is another blessing. The third is for those people who keep the things that are promised in the book. God has promised to bless those people because He says, "The time is at hand." We, today, are living in the same dispensation that John was when he wrote this.
There are seven dispensations. Each is a period of time in which God deals with the human race according to a certain agreement or covenant that He has with them. Our previous dispensation was the dispensation of Law. Today we are living in the same age as John was. That is why He says, "the time is at hand." in this dispensation the Lord is going to make His appearance upon the earth.
Verse 4 says that this is from John to seven churches which are in Asia (present-day Turkey). These seven churches literally existed there. Verse 9 says, "I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation . . . " (We said that this is not the Great Tribulation but that every age has some Christians who are in trouble - in tribulation.) In one country it may be in one age-in another country, another age. Today there is suffering in Russia and in other parts of the earth. But Russia once was a Christian nation. They used to have Christian Czars in Russia, but not so today. The word "tribulation" means that at this time John had been exiled on the isle of Patmos because of his faithfulness to the Lord. So he said, "your companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos," (here is why he was there) "for the word of God," (that is, for preaching God's message) "and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" (for testifying about Jesus Christ). He was exiled - he was sent away from his home country because of his faithfulness to the Word of God.
And while he was there (in verse 10) the Spirit of the Lord, like a trumpet, spoke to him. He looked behind him and saw a Person who was described in verse 11 and following. Of course we recognize this One as the Lord Jesus Christ. I love to read the Book of the Revelation because it is about Jesus. I love the Lord Jesus Christ because He first loved me. The Book of the Revelation is all about Him and His glory; of His coming to set up His kingdom; of His getting revenge upon those who hate Him.
We shall see at the end of this book that justice will be done and we are going to reign with Him forever. it is a thrilling book to study. We start where we left off in our first message.
OUR LORD'S APPEARANCE
Revelation 1:13 says, "And in the midst of the seven lampstands (or candlesticks) one like the Son of Man." (Notice the word "Son" is capitalized so this is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ.) He was "clothed with a garment down to the foot" - with something like a robe. He was "girded about the breasts with a golden girdle." Now, this is the way He looked in His glory. We have said, and I will say it again, there is no authentic description of the Lord Jesus as to the color of His hair, His eyes, or His complexion. There is nothing in the Bible about His height before He was glorified. Any of the pictures that you see in booklets, Sunday School literature, are all the imagination of the artist. I have seen black Christs; I have seen ruddy - colored Christs; I have seen White Christs; I have seen Chinese Christs; and I have seen Japanese Christs in pictures. They are all just the artists' ideas. There were no pictures or portraits made of Jesus Christ. He never sat for a portrait. No one ever took an Instamatic picture of Him. All pictures are just the artist's idea. Nobody knows the color of His hair, eyes, and other things about His countenance. What we are studying here is His glorified body. We know this is the way He will appear when we see Him face to face.
Notice, "His head and His hair were white like wool." You want to know what He will look like? Pick out some elderly person who has a beautiful head of white hair, and that will give you a little indication of what Jesus is going to look like as to His hair and its color. it will be as "white as snow."
John said in verse 14: "And His eyes were like a flame of fire." You might think of it as a coal of fire. if you have looked at a fire to see how bright and piercing that fire is, that is the way the eyes of the Lord Jesus are going to be. Someone has said, "That person seems to look a hole right through you." That is the way the Lord Jesus will appear when He sees you. You will not stand before Him with excuses and lies and deception. He will look at us, and we will have to say, "Yes, Lord, that is true" when we stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. His eyes will be like a flame of fire.
And it says, "His feet like fine bronze as if they burned in a furnace." Have you ever seen metal burning in a furnace? if you have, you can picture what His feet must have looked like. And "His voice like the sound of many waters." The scientists tell us that the most beautiful musical tune and notes that are played are made from water. I do not know. But I have stood along the Pacific Coast in California. I have listened to the surf as it comes in and there is something so beautiful, so relaxing, so majestic and thrilling just to stand there and listen to the surf pounding. There you do not hear different musical notes, but there is something about it that is unusual. Scientists tell us it is the most beautiful music. That is the way the voice of the Lord Jesus will be. it will be melodious "like the sound of many waters."
STARS AND A SWORD
He had in His right hand seven stars. We said previously, the Book of Revelation in many places interprets itself. No one need be confused. We do not have to listen to that skeptical preacher that said, "We are not even supposed to read the Book of the Revelation, much less try to understand it." The Bible itself, in the Book of Revelation and in other books, gives us the interpretative Scriptures to help us understand. Here it is simple. Notice in verse 20 it tells exactly what the seven stars represent. in the middle of the verse it says, "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches." "Angels" in Greek means a "messenger." Apparently what had happened was, seven men, no doubt the pastors of those seven churches, had come over to Patmos. They were there with the Apostle John and so he gave them these messages to take back to their seven churches.
The angels are the messengers of the seven churches. These seven stars in the right hand of the Lord Jesus were the seven angels or messengers of the seven churches. Of course, a star is meant - to shine. Stars shine! A pastor, a messenger, of the church should be one whose light shines before men. Jesus said, "let your light shine before men. Ye are like lights in the world. Ye are like lights in a dark place." So not only should the pastor shine but also the people should shine. We are to be "like a city which is set on a hill," the Bible says.
So, in His right hand He holds these seven stars and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Now, what does that mean? Well, we have that interpreted in two places in the Bible. in Hebrews 4:12 it says, "The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged (or double edged) sword." Undoubtedly this symbol here is speaking of the Word of God which proceeded out of the mouth of Jesus Christ. Also Ephesians 6:17 says, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." Revelation says, "Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword." The Bible is the sword which the Spirit uses. No doubt this is the meaning here.
Someone said that one side of the sword represents the Old Testament and the other side the New Testament. One time in Kansas City, Dr. Walter Wilson was talking to a man. The man was carrying only his New Testament. Dr. Wilson said to him, "Well, my dear brother, you have only a sword with a one-sided blade." He had only the New Testament! He did not believe in the Old Testament. But the Bible is both the Old and the New! And out of the mouth of the Lord goes the two-edged sword."
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST
Revelation 1:16 says, "And His countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength." if Jesus Christ ever came to your house, walked in your door and sat on your bed, as some people say He has done, it would affect your eyes as looking at the sun would do today. That is the way Christ is today. He is like the sun "shining in its strength" - when it is the very brightest. Ophthalmologists tell us we should never look into the sun because it is very dangerous to our eyes. Therefore, I doubt the stories of people who tell me the Lord came, sat on their bed, and talked with them. I question that because I am afraid they would be blind like Paul for three days. Why? In His glorified body, He is like the sun at Noonday that is the way He looks. We will have to be in glorified bodies to look upon Him and to carry on a conversation and have fellowship with Him. We will be like Him according to the Word of God when we see Him.
In verse 17, John says: "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last." We know this could have several applications. We know He was the first to be resurrected from the dead. it could have other meanings. In the previous Scriptures, we noticed He is calling Himself the Alpha and Omega, that is, the first letter and the last letter of the Greek alphabet. He is the originator of all things and He is the one that is going to bring everything into consummation. He is the All in All. He is not only the beginning and the ending, He is all that is in the middle. Praise God! That is the kind of a Savior we have.
Read verse 18: "1 am He that liveth, and was dead." That person who wrote the book saying the bones of Jesus are resting in some Syrian tomb is a liar! The Bible says here that Jesus Christ was dead and now is alive. I believe that!
THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS
He is the one who was dead and now is alive. And He said, "Behold, I am alive for evermore." He is "a living Savior", as we say in the song. He is seated at the right hand of God and today He is alive. Who said that God is dead? An evangelist had a sign on his car that read, "God is not dead. I just talked to Him this morning." Beloved, God is alive! He is not dead! And if you are a saved person and have the Holy Spirit in you, then you know that you can talk to God. You can sense His presence and you can have fellowship back and forth with Him. Jesus says, "I am alive and I was dead. I am alive for evermore." And here we have the word "Amen" which literally means "verily" or "surely." In some places it is translated "verily" because it is the same word in the original language. "Amen," He says, "and have the keys of hades and of death." You notice, Jesus speaks again about hades as He did many times in previous books of the Bible. Hell or hades is a real place. Christ spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. About thirteen times more Scriptures are used about Hell than about Heaven. Christ spoke more about it than all the others put together. He says, "I have the key of Hell, or hades. "
I carry a bunch of keys in my pocket. They wear out my coat pocket. For every one of these keys there is a door. One goes into the tool shed. One admits me into the television building. One works on the church building; here is one for my office. There is a place for every one of these keys. When Jesus Christ says, "I have the keys to Hell, "I believe that He is talking about a literal place. it is as real as my office, the television building, or any other building for which I carry a key. He said, "I have the keys of hell and of death." I know that I do not have the keys to Hell and death. I know that only Jesus has the keys. I do not need to go to a Roman Catholic priest to pray that my loved ones may get out of a so-called purgatory because I know that only Christ has the keys to hell and to death. He is the One. In your Bible, 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator or go between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." He is the only go-between. We do not need to go to an earthly priest and have him to pray our children out of limbo or adults out of purgatory. Jesus Christ alone has the keys to death and to Hell. So we know there is a Hell. We know that death is real and that Jesus Christ has the keys.
THE KEY VERSE OF REVELATION
Revelation 1:19 is the key verse giving the three-fold division of the Book of Revelation. "Write the things which thou hast seen." That is chapter one or the vision that he saw in chapter one. "And the things which are." Those are chapters two and three-messages to the seven churches which were then in existence. And then the third division is "the things which shall be hereafter" or "after these things" or "after the churches" or we could say, "after the church age is over."
Revelation 1: 20 explains the things we are studying. "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands." Here is the explanation-how simple. Even little children could understand this. "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches" or the pastors, the messengers, of the seven churches. So those stars He held in His hand represented the angels, or the pastors, or the messengers of the seven churches. What are the seven lampstands among which He was walking in verse 13? "The seven lampstands or candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." What is a church supposed to do? We say as w ) 46M y this lighthouse be used of Thee and may its testimony shine to the ends of the earth." That is what a church should be. A church is to give forth a testimony. Praise God that my church and television ministry had ninety missionaries preaching and teaching the Word of God. You see, we really did have a light that shined all around the earth. Someone said, "The sun never sets upon the ministry of Faith Baptist Church." Is that not wonderful? Because we had missionaries around the world! As people gave to the mission fund, they were having a part in the light shining. This is what a candlestick or lampstand is supposed to do; those candlesticks or lampstands represent the seven churches.
A PROPHETIC APPLICATION
Now we come to chapter two, verse one-the first of the seven churches. Remember that these messages to the seven churches have a four-fold application. First, to the literal church then existing. It was a message directed to them. Secondly, it is a message to any church that has the same problems or the same good works mentioned about these particular churches. Thirdly, there are messages here which have a personal application to anybody who is willing to listen. For example, it says, "Let him that hath ears to hear, let him hear." it also says, "for him that overcometh "-that would be anybody at any time-for him He would do certain things. Fourthly, the application of these messages to the seven churches is a prophetic application. Now what do we mean by that? Simply this: in the same order as these messages are listed in Revelation 2 and 3, they present an exact picture of the seven different periods of the church age through today * We are going to study about the first one hundred years of the church age on from Pentecost until about 100 A.D.
From Pentecost (about A.D. 33) down to about A.D. 100, most churches were similar to the church at Ephesus. Today we are living in the Laodicean period - the last of those seven periods. Prophetically, we are living in the last period. It is a period where the church is neither hot nor cold - it is lukewarm. That is a picture of the church today.
TO THE PASTOR FIRST
Revelation 2:1: "Unto the angel" which represents the pastor. The first trouble with the church was the pastor, be loved. This is what is wrong with many of the churches in America today. It is the pastor. This is where God startswith the man who is leading the church. He says unto the angel of the church of Ephesus, "Write these things." In Hebrews 13:17, it says that the pastors must "give account." God is going to hold me accountable for everything I have done in my three churches in the 31 years I served, whether it is good or bad. I am going to have to give an account some day. Every pastor will have to give an account. He starts here with the pastor. "Write: These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of seven golden lampstands."
He says, "I know thy works." This is mentioned to each of these seven churches. No matter in what age a person lived; no matter what kind of a church He may have attended, Jesus said, "I know." A better rendering is, "I am intimately acquainted with all of your works. I know exactly what you are doing." Jesus Christ knows about this church. He knows about the church that you attend. He knows their works, He says. "And I know your labor." This was a church that worked hard, labored hard, and He says, "I know your patience. " They were patient. They did not blow up and split and have problems like a lot of churches have. He said, "I know how you are patient with all the problems that you have." Then He said, "I know how you canst not bear them who are evil." This church would not have done like some churches today. They call a man as pastor because he has a doctors' degree. After he gets there, they find out he does not believe the Bible is the Word of God. They learn that he does not believe in the deity of Christ. They learn that this man does not believe in the virgin birth. Some of the people complain to the deacons or the elders. They have a meeting. It is said, "Well, he doesn't believe in these things, but he is such a nice fellow. You know, he has such a gift of speaking, such a nice personality. Let us not have any troubles in the church. Let us keep him here." Now, that is the kind of church we have in many of our cities today. That is the kind they are. Beloved, the church at Ephesus was not that way. They would not put up with that sort of thing.
FALSE APOSTLES TRIED
It says that, "They could not bear them who were evil" and 'ithou hast tried them who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." They went after these people who did not believe the truth of the Word of God; who did not believe in the deity of Christ; who did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. They went after those people and they tested them. And if they did not meet up to the test, they called them what God and what the Bible said they were! They were called "liars!" And we ought to do that today. Many churches would not think of calling a person a liar today. As a result, the churches continue to disintegrate and today we are in the Laodician period. We are lukewarmneither hot nor cold. So you see this church was not like Laodicea.
PASTORED BY PAUL AND TIMOTHY
Now look at verse 3: "You have borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast laboured; and hast not fainted." You have not given up! Now they had all kinds of problems, just like any other church. But they had not given up. Now let us think about this church.
This is the church to which the book of Ephesians was written. This was really a wonderful church. it had a wonderful pastor to begin with - none other than Saul, later called Paul. in the book of Acts Paul said, "I have been with you three years, night and day, with tears" as he left those Ephesian elders. (Acts 20:31)
He said, "I ceased not to warn everyone for three years." in Acts 20:29 he said, "After my departing grievous wolves are going to come in among you." They will come in from the outside and then from your midst. People will arise who will speak perverse things; and they will try to destroy this church. He warned them about it. Timothy came on the Scene - young and with stomach trouble, and tense. In 1 Timothy 1:3, he was about to quit and leave like some pastors have done. So Paul wrote to him and said, "Timothy, stay on at Ephesus. Do not throw in the towel. Stay there." Paul had worked three years to start that church and he wanted Timothy to stay there. But what happened was, they apostasized - they got cold - and here he starts to reprimand them.
YOU DON'T LOVE ME AS YOU DID
We see in verse 4 He says, "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love." Or we might say, you don't love me like you used to. Husband, do you love your wife like you did when you were married? Do you take flowers to her like you did when you were just married? Do you do that? Now, this is what Jesus is saying. "You Ephesians don't love me like you once did. You are not doing like you once did." Do you love the Lord like you did when you were saved - those first few weeks, those first few months? Do you really love Him? Those first six months I could not read the Bible enough. I just lived in the Bible the first six months. People said I was losing my mind. "Pack's gone crazy," they said. "All he does is read the Bible." Do you love the Bible like you did when you were saved? Do you love the Lord? Do you tell people about Him? Are you really enthusiastic about the Bible?
In verse 5 He says, "Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen." if you don't love the Lord like you did when you were just saved, you are fallen, He says. "And repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except ye repent."
CHURCH TESTIMONY REMOVED
Come to Ephesus with me. The church is no longer there. The testimony is no longer there. But you say, "Preacher, that was 1,900 years ago." Yet in many cities and counties in America are buildings used as stores, warehouses, and offices. They were built as churches. God removed their lampstand. I do not need to go into the details. I could tell you many stories about them. Beloved, God removed their testimony and He can do that to any church that forgets and loses the first love that they had. if we do not love lost souls, if we do not have a zeal, God is likely to write "Ichabod" over the door and take away our candlestick. it happened over and over again to those early churches. it happened near my last pastorate. it has happened to many a church right here in America. Beloved, what should we do? It says, "Repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy lampstand out of its place."
CLERGY OVER LAITY
He says in verse 6: "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans." Now, the word "nikao" means "to conquer" and the word "laos" means the people or the laity. So there was a group there who were beginning to practice "the clergy over the laity" and yet the Bible says, "ye are brethren." in Christ, there is not supposed to be one person who is in ascendancy over all other people, and you have to come and kiss his ring and all that sort of thing. These were I the deeds of the Nicolaitans.
When we get to chapter 2, verse 15, in the third church period, it says, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans." By then, they had made it a church doctrine. What a church begins to practice may later become a doctrine of that church. So we have to be careful what we are practicing - the deeds that we are doing - because we may make that a doctrine in time, you see. That is what happened to the first two churches here that represent the first two sections of the church age. So he says, "You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans." And Jesus says, "I also hate that." Peter said, "Stand up. I myself also am a man." You should not worship me; we should worship the Lord.
AN OVERCOMER
Now look at verse 7. He says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." if you have an ear today, you should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Now, what is He saying? "To him that overcometh will I give to cat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Now, what does that mean? "To him that overcometh" - I want you to turn back to the little book of 1 John 5:4-5. It says, "For whatever is born of God overcometh the world ... even our faith." Notice, "Who is he that overcometh the world?" And here is the answer: "He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." Are you an overcomer? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? if not, why not place your faith in Him today?