1 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,920 John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace to you and 2 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:18,320 peace from him who is who was, who is to come, and from the 3 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,760 seven spirits who who are before his throne and from Jesus 4 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:30,480 Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead and 5 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,080 the ruler over the kings of the earth. 6 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:42,200 When was the book written in the Book of Revelation in around ID 7 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,520 95, when Domitian Caesar, Domitian emperor Domitian, I 8 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,200 should say, has just ascended to the throne in Rome. 9 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:58,320 He was as crazy as season Nero and he was an egomaniac 10 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,960 Domitian. He claimed to be God as a lot of 11 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,040 the emperor's wanted to be in demanded and he demanded people 12 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,400 worship him. But he unlike some of the 13 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,640 Emperor's before him, he wanted to people people to call him 14 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:21,880 Lord and God, which most of the Christians refused and a massive 15 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,920 wave of persecution was released against them in the Roman Empire 16 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:34,680 and it included the Apostle John who was around 90 odd years of 17 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:40,640 age at this time. It is believed that the Apostle 18 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:46,960 John, as the youngest of all the disciples, was banished by 19 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:49,480 Demetian to the island of Patmos. 20 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:55,240 And it is here on this island in the Greek Isles and the 21 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:01,280 barrenness of exile that Jesus appears to John, directs John to 22 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,120 write this amazing book which we're studying, which you have 23 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,440 in your hand today, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 24 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,640 Some 60 to 65 years prior to the apostle writing the Book of 25 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,040 Revelation, he and two other disciples, James and Peter, 26 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,760 you'll remember, we're given a preview of the coming 27 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,080 attractions when Jesus was transfigured before them on the 28 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:31,960 mount to the Mount of Transfiguration. 29 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,160 And I saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, and they were 30 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,280 talking about Christ's upcoming crucifixion, his death. 31 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,960 So John says he gives his name, John, to the seven churches 32 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,520 which are in Asia, modern Turkey today. 33 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:54,920 And he gives the usual Pauline structure, grace to you and 34 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:56,560 peace. You can't have peace until you 35 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:01,640 have grace from him who is and was and who is to come. 36 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,280 Now, when writing a letter, at the time that John wrote this, 37 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,400 when he penned this vision, if you were writing a letter to me 38 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:15,120 or I was writing a letter to you, I would put my name at the 39 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,840 beginning of the letter. We sign off at the end today. 40 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:24,080 So here John, keeping with the customs of the day as he's 41 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:30,360 writing to the seven churches at the in Asia, he puts his name at 42 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,440 the beginning and he gives us the Trinity in this in this 43 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:39,560 verse 4, it says for him who is and who was and who is to come. 44 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,640 This title identifies the first person of the Trinity, God the 45 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,800 Father, for he is the source of all blessings and salvation. 46 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:56,040 All grace and peace come from Him, and it says then, and from 47 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,000 the seven spirits who are before His throne. 48 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,880 This is a title again, and it scribes the person of the Holy 49 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,040 Spirit. This title is interpreted for us 50 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,440 in the Old Testament passages and you'll find there in Isaiah 51 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:19,440 11, which gives us a sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit. 52 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:25,360 And then in Zechariah Zechariah chapter 4, we find the seven 53 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,960 stemmed menorah like we have on the stage here today, 54 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,840 symbolising the presence of the Holy Spirit in the temple. 55 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:40,040 Remembering also that revelation was written to seven churches, 56 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,440 thus telling us with the number seven of the Holy Spirit's 57 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:50,400 presence with each church seven in the Bible and you Bible 58 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,040 numbers there is numerical numbers 12 being the number of 59 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:58,080 government. 40 we always see is judgement 7 is the number of 60 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,640 fullness and it says then goes on in verse 4 and from Jesus 61 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:09,760 Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead and 62 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,000 the ruler over the kings of the earth. 63 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,200 John writes a full of description here of Jesus than 64 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,640 he did with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 65 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,720 Why? Because this book Jesus is the 66 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:28,520 theme of the Book of Revelation. John says he is the faithful 67 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,680 witness. In other words, Jesus always 68 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,680 speaks and represents truth. Jesus said I am the way, what 69 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:44,480 and the truth and the life. Jesus is incapable of lies or 70 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,040 falsehoods. You remember when Jesus stood 71 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,840 before Pontius Pilate and Pilate was questioning him, are you a 72 00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:54,080 king? Who? 73 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:55,960 Where are you? What are you? 74 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,000 Because Jesus wasn't saying too much. 75 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,000 And in chapter 18 of the Gospel of John verse 37, Pilate said to 76 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,080 him, are you a king? Then Jesus answered, you say 77 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:13,120 rightly I am a king for this 'cause I was born and for this 78 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:18,120 cause I've come into the world that I should bear witness to 79 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,680 the truth. Everyone who is of the truth 80 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,120 hears my voice. John then gives him another 81 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,800 title description. He says he's the first born from 82 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,480 the dead. And all the cults jump on this 83 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,880 and say, see Jesus, he's not God, he was created being. 84 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,680 And you can make anything, say anything. 85 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,200 If you take something out of the context, you make it a pretext. 86 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:47,920 It's the first poem from the dead. 87 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,760 The Greek word used here by John is the word protoco. 88 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:58,360 Protoco which speaks of priority, first in priority and 89 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:03,480 1st in preeminence. Because Jesus is not the first 90 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,880 to rise from the dead, is he the widow's son, you remember, 91 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,920 Elijah comes to a widow, son dies. 92 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,000 Elijah raises the son, remember, lays on top of him. 93 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:19,560 He comes back to life. As Jesus goes to a place called 94 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:25,360 Nain, he comes across a widow and a funeral and her only son 95 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,760 is dead in the casket being carried out. 96 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:34,000 Jesus stops, touches the the son of the widow of Nain, and he 97 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:41,320 rises and returns back to life. So this description by John of 98 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:46,800 Jesus means that of all those that have ever been raised from 99 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:54,920 the dead past and future, Jesus is the first and foremost in 100 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:01,760 position and prominence. He is the greatest of them all. 101 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:08,720 Only Jesus is eternal God at the same time, the others who we 102 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,320 talked about, yes they will rise from the dead. 103 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:12,760 There's another one called Lazarus. 104 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,960 We know about him. Thou arise from the death, dead 105 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:22,240 to life prior to Jesus. But they all eventually died 106 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:26,280 again, didn't they? But Jesus was the first to rise 107 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,720 from the dead and now he remains alive forever. 108 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:37,240 And I love this next part at the end of John chapter one, verse 4 109 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,720 here it says and the ruler over the kings of the earth. 110 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:47,000 I'm so glad that politicians aren't in in control. 111 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,600 They think they are. It's kind of funny, isn't it? 112 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,000 You know, when you people, when people think they're in control 113 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,320 of something and then you go, no, you're not. 114 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:57,320 You think you are, but you're not. 115 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,280 It says he is the ruler over the kings of the earth. 116 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:07,520 There are kings on the earth who rule over their domains, but 117 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:12,280 Jesus is the king of kings. He's the king of all the earth, 118 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,440 of all the kings, and over all the kingdoms. 119 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:21,440 Read Psalm to it says, and I love this now to him who loved 120 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:31,800 us and washed us from our sins. How in his own blood to him who 121 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,360 loved us. In the book of Ephesians chapter 122 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:39,680 2 verse one says Paul writes, and you speaking to believers he 123 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:44,520 made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you 124 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,600 once walked according to the course of this world, according 125 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,640 to the Prince of the power of the air. 126 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,600 That is the devil, the Spirit, who now works in the sons of 127 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:01,120 disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in 128 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,920 the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the 129 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:10,360 flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, 130 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:16,040 just as the others. But then Paul says, But God, who 131 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:20,560 is rich in mercy, why is He rich in mercy? 132 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:27,280 Because Paul says of His great love which He loved us, you can 133 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:31,200 never come to church and you can never say or leave church and 134 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,080 say, oh, I don't believe God loves me. 135 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,080 I don't think God loves me because that's biblically 136 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,760 incorrect. Because the Bible tells us for 137 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:46,920 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 138 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,600 whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting 139 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,560 life. There will be times in your life 140 00:10:53,560 --> 00:10:55,920 where you think, well, Gee, you know, this has happened to me. 141 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,200 Like I've the doctors just pronounced this on me. 142 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,400 I've got months to go or, or this has happened or this 143 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,200 tragedy has happened in my family. 144 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:07,000 I don't sense God's love for me. That's an incorrect statement. 145 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,320 And we, we often do that. We, we're fuelled by our, our 146 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,040 emotions. And that's where you've always 147 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,160 when your emotions are taking over, you've got to go back to 148 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,160 the word because the word is the truth. 149 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:24,760 In the beginning was the word, The word was with God and the 150 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,760 word was God. And Jesus is the one who gives 151 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:29,360 you the truth. He can't lie. 152 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,560 And you need to know this tonight if you if you know 153 00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:38,160 nothing else, that God. And this is what's staggering to 154 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,040 me. God loves me. 155 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,680 I'm just, you know, think of all the people that sadly are taking 156 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:47,280 their own lives in our community. 157 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,760 Young people, it's a plague that's happening to us because 158 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,560 many of them think I'm I'm better off, the world's better 159 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:58,280 off without me, my family's better off without me, my kids 160 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:02,400 are better off without me, although, and I just need to be 161 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:11,640 gone because the Bible tells us God is rich in mercy and he 162 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,320 loves us. The hardest thing for you and I 163 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:21,360 often to accept is to be loved because we we know how bad we 164 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,080 are. We know but if I went to church, 165 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:29,320 the walls would fall in because the Bible also tells us that 166 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,040 none of us are righteous. No, not one. 167 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,480 We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but 168 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,200 God who was rich in his mercy, God loves us. 169 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,360 In 1 John chapter 4 verse 10, it says in this is love. 170 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,720 What is that? Not that we love God, but that 171 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:56,760 He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our 172 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:02,040 sins. He met the holy holiness that 173 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:07,880 was required of God, and he and he also met the payment of sin 174 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,440 that we had. We can't come to God and we 175 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,160 can't a Sinner can't, you know, a criminal can't go, well, I'm 176 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,280 doing, I'm doing a life sentence here. 177 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,880 You know, I'll go and pay a life sentence with somebody else. 178 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:20,840 They go, you've got nothing to give. 179 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:27,160 You're already doing time. But Christ came and he met the 180 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,920 requirements. He was sinless. 181 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,920 He was able to pay the penalty of sin. 182 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,040 He took upon our himself, our sins and he said, I'll take 183 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,080 them. I'm able to and I'll bury them 184 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,080 and I'll pay for them then as He paid for them because he's 185 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,560 sinless. He rose from the dead and the 186 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:50,720 resurrection of Christ past Israel taught on the other 187 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,080 night. The resurrection of Christ is 188 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,720 God's exclamation mark to you and I that we have been 189 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:04,600 forgiven. You need to know that one. 190 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,720 John 419 we love him. Why? 191 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:13,000 Because He first loved us and we didn't deserve it. 192 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,440 Jesus rescued us from our sins. He freed us from them. 193 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:21,360 Now remember, in Colossians he transported us out of the 194 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,760 Kingdom of darkness where we used to be ruled over by Satan, 195 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:26,720 and he took us into the Kingdom of what? 196 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,320 Of his beloved Son. We're now under his rule. 197 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,480 We're in His Kingdom. We're citizens of His Kingdom. 198 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:43,520 How did he do this? Was blood my sacrifice by his 199 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,320 pain, his suffering? Which is why we celebrated 200 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,520 communion last Sunday. Because Jesus said every time 201 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:52,760 you do this, do what? In remembrance of what? 202 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,760 Of how much he loves us, How much he loves us. 203 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,600 That's what Communion is about, the love of God for me that I 204 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:04,520 don't deserve. And I know each day how much I 205 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,360 don't deserve. That's why I'm overwhelmed. 206 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,480 That's why the woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and 207 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:16,840 cried over and then wiped it with his hair in Simon Pharisees 208 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,120 house, she loved him much. Why? 209 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,160 Jesus said because she knows she's been forgiven much. 210 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,840 Forgiven much? I think that's part of the 211 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:30,480 problem of the modern church today. 212 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:38,680 We don't realise what Christ has forgiven us of how much so John 213 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,800 cannot help but now burst into praise as he writes these words 214 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:48,840 for John personally knew like us, that Jesus loves us and he 215 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,000 loves us with. And here's the other thing about 216 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,360 this love. It's an unbreakable love. 217 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,280 How unbreakable. I read this out at every funeral 218 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:03,840 that I do for a believer. Romans 835 Who shall separate us 219 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,680 from the love of Christ? It's a question shall 220 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,320 tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or 221 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:15,120 nakedness or peril or sword, as it is written for your sake? 222 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,960 We are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the 223 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,680 slaughter. Yet in all these things we are 224 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:26,000 more than conquerors. Through him who loves, loved us. 225 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:32,080 Past tense, Paul says. For I am persuaded, I know that 226 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:37,720 neither death nor life, angels, principalities, powers, things, 227 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:43,080 present, things to come, height nor depth, nor any other created 228 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,840 thing, He travels the universe with all these words shall be 229 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:51,000 able to separate us from the love which is in Christ Jesus 230 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,640 our our Lord. In other words, now that God 231 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:58,040 loves you and you know that here this, he's never going to leave 232 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,720 you, He's never going to leave you. 233 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,760 Nothing, nothing will separate you. 234 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,599 John chapter 10, my favourite passage in in the Gospel of 235 00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:14,760 John. I'm in his hands and nothing and 236 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,880 no one can Take Me Out of his hands. 237 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:24,800 He's the Good Shepherd. How did Jesus express his love 238 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:30,400 for you? How can we really know that God 239 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:36,240 loves us? We can know by that moment that 240 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:42,400 He released us from all our sins by his blood, His life, His 241 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,800 atonement. It is finished by his 242 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:52,560 sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, our place in our 243 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,560 place. Because Jesus didn't have to 244 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:57,840 die. He volunteered. 245 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,680 He was LED willingly away as the lamb to the slaughter. 246 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,240 I did not a word never complained. 247 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,760 John has to finish this verse with a burst of praise. 248 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,080 It's called you heard the term sometimes a doxology. 249 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,440 Doxology means a liturgical formula of praise unto God. 250 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:23,280 Verse 6 and has made us kings and priests to his God and 251 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,920 father. And John says now to him, you 252 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,080 can't help it be glory. John. 253 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,160 See, John loves God. This is why John served the Lord 254 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,800 while the disciples died. Only John is alive at this time. 255 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,520 All the others are dead. To him be glory and dominion 256 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,360 forever and ever. Amen. 257 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:53,520 John's on the island alone and he's going Yahoo didn't need to 258 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,920 be pumped up. I can't, John, praise the Lord, 259 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:03,880 praise the Lord. He's made us kings and priests. 260 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,240 Now, what does this mean? This doesn't mean you and I go 261 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,520 charging around the world going I'm a King's kid, I'm a priest 262 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,200 and I got specialist. No, no, no. 263 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,240 What it actually means truly in this context, it refers to our 264 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,800 future opportunities in the millennial reign, the Kingdom of 265 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:28,760 Christ, where we will serve and rule basically kings and 266 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:33,440 priests, you and I. It's saying you and I, our live 267 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,600 sole purpose is to serve the Lord forever. 268 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:41,080 If you want to go, I'm a King's kid and I'm a priest, OK, you 269 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,520 serve God forever. That's what it is. 270 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:50,360 Verse 7. Behold, He is coming with 271 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:55,640 clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him, 272 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,200 and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. 273 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,320 Even so. Amen. 274 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,320 John now gives us a preview of what is coming later. 275 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:11,400 That is Christ's second coming. We see in John's words here the 276 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,360 necessity of Christ's second coming means the word He starts 277 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:19,000 off behold. What that means in the Greek 278 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,320 means take notes, listen up. Attention. 279 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,760 The Book of Revelation demands our attention. 280 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,280 This is not a casual read. This is. 281 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:39,080 Behold the Coming 1 is a title for Christ and it's repeated 9 282 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,760 times throughout the Book of Revelation. 283 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:47,040 The Coming 1 Revelation for you and I is about the coming One, 284 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:52,080 Jesus Christ. Despite the ignorance, unbelief, 285 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,880 rebellion, and disbelief that fills this fallen world 286 00:20:55,880 --> 00:21:02,000 currently and prior to Christ's return, Christ's return, the 287 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:10,160 Bible repeatedly affirms Jesus will return 500 times. 288 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,920 More than 500 times. The Bible tells us this truth, 289 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,800 that Christ is coming again. How many times do you have to be 290 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,240 told? How many times do you say that 291 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,560 the kids as you go out, How many times do I have to tell you, Oh, 292 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,360 I've told you twice? Well, the Bible's telling us 293 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,080 more than 500 times He's coming again. 294 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:34,800 One out of every 25 verses in the New Testament refer to 295 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:40,040 Christ's second coming. And with this powerful hope that 296 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:45,080 Christ is coming again to take His children home to heaven, to 297 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,680 live in His presence, and to bring then at the same time a 298 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:55,160 righteous judgement to a wicked, evil world, this ensures peace 299 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:59,720 forever to remain within us. Let not your heart be troubled, 300 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,160 Jesus said at the beginning of John 14. 301 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,080 And John's not writing this and going, oh, he's coming. 302 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:10,000 Oh man, what's going on? Look at the how John is, is 303 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:19,320 telling us he, he's a 90 year old guy exiled on and he is high 304 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:26,480 on the Holy Spirit. We need to have peace forever 305 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,640 within us, grace and peace, John wrote. 306 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,960 In spite of what's happening in our world. 307 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,360 And tomorrow you'll see in the devotion that about the military 308 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:43,520 buildup and everyone's, you know, it's on now, Ukraine, the 309 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,960 war in Ukraine. And Russia has stepped up. 310 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:54,920 I'm told China, they believe is, is, is contemplating close to 311 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,600 taking on Taiwan. America has just told our Prime 312 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:08,160 Minister you need to boost your military spending because it's 313 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,880 pathetic and if you don't, don't come to us when you get in 314 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:19,600 trouble. We've got at least 25 soldiers, 315 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,440 2 guns, air rifle and a slingshot. 316 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,040 Paul wrote to us about the coming of the Lord. 317 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:38,800 He said comfort one another with these words and Jesus is coming. 318 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,120 John says he's coming in the clouds. 319 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,440 John tells us in the Old Testament a cloud, the Shekinah 320 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:49,720 glory of God, was to be a visible manifestation of God's 321 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,680 presence with Israel. Remember the cloud that led them 322 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:58,160 during the day through the desert at Mount Sinai. 323 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:03,680 As Moses was on top of Mount Sinai speaking to the Lord, 324 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,120 there was a thick cloud that sat on top of the mountain. 325 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,120 The cloud, the Shekinah glory was seen in both the Tabernacle 326 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:18,960 of Meaning and then later in the Temple, and Solomon dedicated 327 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:25,000 the Temple at the Rapture. We will ascend with clouds. 328 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,840 At this time it says 1 Thessalonians 417 Then we who 329 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,920 are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in 330 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,040 the clouds. I don't know about you, but is 331 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,400 this why we always have a fascination with clouds? 332 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:38,960 I mean, isn't there something about? 333 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,440 I mean, we do. I mean, I do, maybe one or two 334 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,040 others do, but I'm fascinated with clouds. 335 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:54,640 To meet the Lord in the air, Jesus will return with clouds. 336 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:58,840 Matthew 2430. Then the sign of the Son of Man 337 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:01,720 will appear in heaven. Then all the tribes of the earth 338 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,600 will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the 339 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,200 clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 340 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:14,040 Shekinah Glory verse 7. Behold, He is coming with 341 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,960 clouds, and every eye will see Him. 342 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,360 When Christ walked upon the earth, His glory was hidden in 343 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:26,520 Bethlehem. When he was born few shepherds 344 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,520 and then later on and he's about to the wise men turn up. 345 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,000 When Christ walked upon the earth, his glory was hidden. 346 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,080 Only Peter, James and John caught a glimpse, as I said 347 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:42,200 before, of his glory at the Mount of Transfiguration 60 to 348 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:47,400 65 years earlier than this book. But at Christ's second coming, 349 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,280 Christ's glory will be obvious to all. 350 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,760 I mean, he's coming. It'll be an entrance. 351 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,560 But of the eyes that will see Jesus at his return, there will 352 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,440 be two divisions of people. As Christ returned, there'll be 353 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,480 two reactions to the people on the earth at that time. 354 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,600 It says those who pierced him. There's one group. 355 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,960 This is not referring to the Roman soldiers involved in 356 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:21,160 Christ's crucifixion, but it is referring to the unbelieving 357 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,040 Jews who called for Christ's death. 358 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:29,120 The nation Israel. Zechariah 12/10 And I'll pour on 359 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,720 the House of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the 360 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:34,640 spirit of grace and supplication. 361 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,960 Then they will look upon me whom they pierced. 362 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:46,080 Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only Son, and 363 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,480 grieve for him as one grieves for a first born. 364 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,840 Notice this morning it's Oh no, what do we do? 365 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:56,680 What do we do? Israel's mourning will be so 366 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:01,360 heartfelt that wonderfully. As a result, many Jews at that 367 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:04,440 time will be saved during the tribulation period. 368 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:09,200 Zechariah 13 One in that day a fountain shall be opened for the 369 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:12,080 House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 370 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,640 For sin and uncleanness come be washed. 371 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:22,400 But the other group, it's different, it says, and all the 372 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,920 tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. 373 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:26,680 But this word mourn is different. 374 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:33,040 This refers to the unbelieving Gentile nations. 375 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:34,440 Because he's coming ready or not. 376 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,080 Many Gentiles will also mourn at this time. 377 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,920 This word here mourn is the Greek word copto and it means to 378 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:49,440 cut like remember the prophets of bar when they're having that, 379 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:55,760 that pray off with Elijah or Mount Carmel, they're cutting 380 00:27:55,760 --> 00:28:00,560 themselves and all that. This group's mourning will be a 381 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:09,480 result, a prompting by terror, not repentance, not repentance. 382 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:15,880 They will mourn not for the Christ they rejected, but they 383 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:20,720 will mourn over their own doom. Court too late. 384 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:26,440 In Revelation 921 it goes into a greater detail and says, and 385 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:33,520 they did not repent of their murders of their sorceries, or 386 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,920 their sexual immorality or their thefts. 387 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:42,400 In Romans 6, when the judgement begins, they run and hide 388 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,640 themselves under the rocks, and say, fall upon us, fall upon us, 389 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,080 for the judgement of the Lamb has come. 390 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,440 John writes lastly, lastly of his own response to Christ 391 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,560 coming again, he says Even so. Amen. 392 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:02,160 In other words, bring it on, Come Lord, come, hurry. 393 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:10,800 Verse 8 The Lord speaks in this I am the Alpha and the Omega, 394 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,800 the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the 395 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,080 beginning of the Greek alphabet, first letter and the last 396 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,440 letter. I am the Alpha and the Amiga, 397 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:26,200 the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is, who was and 398 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:30,520 who is to come the Almighty. Now why is this statement here? 399 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:35,520 For the sight here the Lord personally signs off with His 400 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:41,040 signature of who He is on the prophecy of His second coming. 401 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:46,240 He says I'm coming, I can guarantee you and I tell you who 402 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:52,560 is coming, The Alpha and the Amiga emphasising God's perfect 403 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,000 knowledge of all things Jesus Christ. 404 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:56,600 Second, coming here is going to happen. 405 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:01,800 God is the beginning and the end, and in Him is all knowledge 406 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,120 and truth. People can say, well as I said, 407 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,560 Peter will say in the last days there'll be scoffers. 408 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,160 So well this has been going on for years and we've heard this 409 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:14,280 all around. I am coming, I'm telling you I'm 410 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:20,880 coming. Jesus is the one who is to come. 411 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:27,360 There are at least 50 references in the New Testament for us as 412 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:35,520 believers to be ready and I I wonder how much of the church 413 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:41,080 today is ready? How much of the church actually 414 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,720 has read or believes the Book of Revelation? 415 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,400 John wrote his Gospel. John 20. 416 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:57,040 Remember, at the end of the Gospel of John, John wrote the 417 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:58,440 Gospel. Why? 418 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,320 I said I could write many, many, many things too much. 419 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:07,240 I write this that you may believe that he is, or I say he 420 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,720 is. Then John wrote the epistles, 421 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:14,560 first, second, third John. Why do you write first, second, 422 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,640 and third John? Then you can be sure of who he 423 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:19,920 is, because it tells us who he is. 424 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:25,600 We touched him. We saw him who are his how they 425 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,360 should live. And then he wrote the Book of 426 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:35,640 Revelation. Why that we might be ready that 427 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:40,080 we might be ready and we're we're in this letter church so 428 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:44,560 that you and I can always will always be ready because the time 429 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:45,160 is at hand.