Max's Weekly Musings
Vol. 9, No. 26, for the week of July 21-28
Revelation 1
I trust you are remembering the situation in the Middle East in your prayers. This has been a critical week...and the coming week may even be more critical as Israel increases her presence in southern Lebanon and the strife in Gaza continues to escalate. To compound the difficulties, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lies near death in a hospital, the ending of his life seems imminent. Our Secretary of State was able to persuade a group of European leaders that a cease fire should only be enacted if there was a stable sense of order present to enforce a cease fire. I have found some very interesting websites that have provided helpful information:
www.jpost.com (Jerusalem Post),
www.haaretz.com (Ha'Aretz newspaper),
www.worldnetdaily.com (a collection of conservative papers), and
www.jerusalemonline.com (a site where you will get a short video update on the strife). You can let me know of sites that you have found interesting.
Revelation 1
I promised you that we would begin in Revelation 1 this week. I want to focus upon verses 4-20, the description of the glorified Christ that the Apostle John had received. Let's first look at the titles that are used of Christ in this passage:
1. Who is, who was, and who is to come (verses 4, 8)
a. This title for Christ appears five times in this book (Revelation 4:8; 11:17; 16:5)
b. This title expresses the eternal existence of the great I AM who inhabits all of eternity (refer to Exodus 3:14-15)
2. Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness (verse 5) - this title depicts Christ in His role as a prophet
3. Jesus Christ, who is the firstborn from the dead (verse 5) - this title depicts Christ's absolute power over death (refer to 1 Corinthians 15:20)
4. Jesus Christ, the ruler of the kings of the earth (verse 5) - this title relates to an event yet future when Christ will rule over His earth
5. The Alpha and Omega (verse 8)
a. Alpha was the first letter in the Greek alphabet; Omega was the last letter
b. This title expresses the entirety of a matter, the completeness of God.
c. God is the Lord of all history, its beginning, its ending, and the everything that courses between
6. "I am the First and the Last" (verse 17) - Jesus is the Eternal One, the Self-Existent One (refer to Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12)
7. "I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever" (verse 18) - Christ is the conqueror of death
8. "I hold the keys of death and Hades" (verse 18) - Christ has the power and authority over death and Hades
Next, let us focus upon the portrait of Christ found in this passage:
1. A loud voice like a trumpet (verse 10)
a. A trumpet emphasized authority, whether for sounding an alarm, for announcing a time of gladness, or for addressing a time of solemnity (refer to Numbers 10:1-10; Leviticus 25:9; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16)
b. When Christ speaks, we need to listen
2. Dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet (verse 13)
a. This is the robe of the priest who is about to enter into a time of judgment
b. Christ is about to judge each church for their testimony
3. With a golden sash around his chest (verse 13) - represents Christ's divine glory
4. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow (verse 14)
a. White was the color of holiness, of eternity
b. Relate this to the scene in Daniel 7:9-10, 13, 22
5. His eyes were like blazing fire (verse 14)
a. This depicts eyes that penetrate with holiness, omniscience, and scrutiny (refer to 1 Corinthians 3:13)
b. Christ has eyes that penetrate with holiness
6. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace (verse 15)
a. A furnace speaks of purification, while bronze speaks of strength of judgment
b. One writer said that this phrase has reference to the trials Jesus experienced in His earthly life that made Him a sympathetic High Priest and an experienced Judge.
c. Feet that understand our trials
7. His voice was like the sound of rushing waters (verse 15) - I believe this phrase draws attention to the attraction that comes when Jesus speaks - it is a voice that speaks with authority (refer to Psalm 29:3-5, 7-9)
8. Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword (verse 16)
a. This represents the truth that flows from His Word (refer to Hebrews 4:12)
b. The voice of Jesus projects the truth
9. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance (verse 16) - this phrase depicts Christ's holiness and glory.
Now for some devotional thoughts from these exciting verses:
1. This book is one of the most amazing in all the Bible. Within its pages we discover God's plan for how His story will end. This story is told in a series of visions given to the Apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos. Just as God used those times of imprisonment for Paul to write some powerful letters of instruction and encouragement, so God used those moments of John's imprisonment to share the story of the end of the age. One of the great lessons to be found within the pages of this book is that of God's sovereignty. God is in total control of this world and He is directing its every moment in order to bring about the coming of the King. He is the one whose glory is so sharply defined in this first chapter. So, we begin our reading with eagerness, seeking to better understand our times so that we might better understand His time.
2. Have you ever had God startle you in your worship with a keen sense of His presence? Have you ever been overwhelmed with the magnitude of His person? Have you ever just stood in awe of who God really is? If you have, then you have experienced just a small portion of what John experienced there on that Lord's Day while exiled on the Island of Patmos. The God whom we worship is indeed an awesome God. He is clothed in the brilliant white robes of His holiness. His face glows with all the regality of His magnificent glory. When He speaks His voice thunders with the authority given to the one who sits upon the throne of the universe. And yet, He whispers to us words of mercy and compassion. "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art."
3. One of the powerful lessons to be learned from this chapter is the sovereignty of God over all of history. He is the God "who was"...He was ruling in days past. He is the God "who is"...active in the present. He is the God "who is to come"...all future events are in His hands. Although we live in a world which seems to be out of control, we know it isn't. God is still in control. He is still sovereign. As the old spiritual says, "He has the whole world in His hands."
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: The most amiable man on earth can live at peace with his neighbor only as long as his neighbor chooses.
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