Tuesday 22 May 2007

The Revelation of Jesus Christ...

1
I was thinking today that I so often read Revelation with a mindset to uncode and understand the prophecies in it etc and missing out on, perhaps much that it has to teach about Jesus.
So, at my folder I started flicking through this book and around 20 minutes and a few packed boxes later here's what I had (it is not a full study, merely a rough series of thoughts).

1:8 Jesus says "I am the Alpha & Omega..." we learn that He is everlasting, He was from the beginning and will be at the end. We find that He "is" (He exists now), He "was" (He existed in eternity past) and He "is to come" (He will exist for eternity future).
1:18 tells us that He lives, was dead (speaking of the cross) and He is alive forevermore.

I think that establishes that Jesus is eternal, that He has, does & always will exist.

1:18 also tells us that it is Jesus who has the "keys of Hell and of Death" which clears up any notion that satan takes people to Hell. It is Jesus, and He alone who controls death and hell in your life and mine. [Matt 10:28 tells us to fear God who can destroy both soul & body in hell].

1:20-2:1 We find Jesus in the midst of His church, He is not an absent Lord, He is a hands on saviour who is with us always, even unto the end.

During the letters to the churches we find Him rebuking, Judging, encouraging, promising reward & calling to repentance.

And in 5:1-7 we find that when no human, angel or any other creature in heaven or earth is worthy to take the scroll (possibly the title deads to the earth) from God the Father, that Jesus both the Fierce warrior Lion and the sacraficial Lamb is worthy to parade up to the throne and grasp the scroll!6:1-17 tells us that Jesus has wrath to pour upon the earth and 11:5 tells us that He will ultimately rule this planet.

And in 19:11-21 we see a Jesus who Mark Driscoll describes as the ultimate fighter Jesus, on His white horse coming to judge and make war against His enemies. Eyes like a blazing fire, (I think speaking of the expression of wrath, anger & hatred of sin seen in His eyes, He's all crowned up with His clothes covered in blood, and just to clarify who this is we read "His name is called The Word of God" which is how John 1 describes Jesus.
We read of a sword coming from His mouth which destroys His enemies, (I think this is the word of His mouth, as He spoke at the beginning "Let there be light" I think He speaks "Let there be decapitation"). Whether this is the way of it or not the end result is the defeat of His enemies who will be cast into Hell, Satan, the demons and all "unbelievers" (21:8) all being punished forever in the fire.

But He will rule over His people and will eternally be worshipped by them in the new Heaven and new Earth.

Jesus is amazing as seen in the book of Revelation!
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About Boaly
Gary has been involved in printing the Scriptures for 20 years, enjoys photography and rambling online

1 comment:

johnboy said...

This is such an easy trap to fall into brother. What is our reason for coming to the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Holy Writ, our God's Own words? While in the car last night a reading of Richard Baxter's writings on 'The Reformed Pastor' were playing through the car stereo and such challenging comments and observations were made such as the question just asked. The wording of this comment to your blog must be careful so as not to cause offence to readers. I believe I understood what Baxter had written - is our reason for coming to the Word to gain solely in our own head knowledge? I would ask "is to understand such topics as ‘end times’; ‘Daniel’s seventieth week’; ‘the book of Revelation’?" as you have shared brother and even in the opening verses of the book you have clearly shown how much we can learn about the King of kings and Lord of lords – a King Jesus not often taught, yet many gloss over such gems to put in a box their doctrines and tie it up in a bow to present to others for their own personal gain; ‘replacement theology’ etc.! Yes, I would be one of the first to commend someone for digging with pick-axe so deeply into the Word of God, however, I would ask what is in the heart of the scholar? Is it to study for 1 hour while our minds are on other things? Is it so that we might learn certain information and share it with others, using big words with no passion or emotion from the scholar having just feasted from this oh so valuable book to appear ‘holy’ before listeners? To look for a verse, a calling from God – is it for ‘self’ reasons or is it just laziness? Or…is it to learn more of our God, His attributes, to bask, feast, drink from Him that we would wield the sword of the Spirit mightily in the battle and bring Him honour for His Name’s sake and for many humble and God-glorifying reasons besides! Geoff and myself are leading classes through Daniel at present and it is so easy to get caught up in what kingdom comes when, what happens after 7, 62 and 69 weeks, does it relate to the Hebrew nation etc.? It would be so easy to be side-tracked by the flesh, by prideful thoughts solely for head-knowledge and to share such knowledge for our own gain but let us look to the sovereignty of God, His ultimate sovereignty – He changes times and seasons and removes and establishes kings and infinitely more in this vast universe – His dominion will not be destroyed, His kingdom is everlasting and we, His saints, will inherit this kingdom at His appointed time but in the interim let's [continue to] look for the city, that better country, that is to come praising, honouring, glorifying, humbling ourselves before the Uncreated One. Thank you for your recommendation about ‘The Reformed Pastor’ – what a writing and oh, to live it out!