Before we look Revelation 1:4, I want to ask a question. What would you do if the door was to open and Jesus Christ incarnate was to walk in? Would you bow down with your face to the floor? Would you shout with joy? Would you have a lot of questions? A lot of people have a lot of different ideas what they would do if Jesus were to appear before them. Let's read through the passage and see what happens here.

Revelation 1: (4) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; (v5) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, (v6) and He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Notice that John is writing here about Jesus being the faithful witness (as a prophet), the first born of the dead (which is His priestly function), and ruler of the kings of the earth, (which is His kingly function). Then he writes about what Jesus does: He loves us and He has released us from our sins. He's made us to be a kingdom. John then breaks into a doxology: "to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." You also see this in Paul's writing. They are overcome with the enormous glory of what they are writing about.

(v7)Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so, Amen. (v8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (v9) I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (v10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like of a trumpet, (v11) saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." (v12) And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; (v13) and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. (v14) And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; (v15) and His feet like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of many waters. (v16) and in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (v17) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (v19) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (v19) "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. (v20) "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Now, after reading this passage, what do you think might happen if we were to see Christ in reality? We would fall face down on the ground, just like John. You see, we've gotten this idea of Jesus as the wonderful, gentle shepherd opening His arms to the sheep, and He certainly is that. But what we fail to realize is that He is also the living and awesome and incredible God. Whenever people in Scripture see God as He really is, in His holiness & glory, falling down is the response you see. (v17) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. Looking back at Daniel 10, we see a similar kind of vision from Daniel.

Daniel 10: (2) In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. (v3) I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth… (v4) And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, (v5) I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphas. (v6) His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. … (v9) But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

In the Old Testament, when the angelic visitors came to Abraham, and he realized who they were, he fell down on the ground on his face. You see, we are creatures, and He is the creator. Yes, we will be able to say "Abba, Father." You've heard many sermons on the word "Abba" meaning "daddy," but it has a different connotation in the Greek. It really has the idea of father as the exalted one of the family. Yes, we have access to him, but we also have to remember who He really is. So John sees a vision of Christ and he falls down on his face. Let's back up to verse 9.

(v9) I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus,

What's curious about this verse in light of the modern teaching about Revelation? Does John say that "the tribulation" is going to come some day? No, he says he himself is a "fellow partaker in the tribulation…" He's writing in the present tense, not of some time in the far distant future. What does he say about "the kingdom?" Is "the kingdom" going to come when Christ returns and reigns for 1,000 years? No, again it's present tense. We studied in Daniel about the vision of Nebuchednezzar. The vision of the statue with the head of gold and the chest of silver; about the little stone which was cut without hands that came and destroyed that statue; which represented the natural order of things. Then the stone grew and grew and became a kingdom that filled the whole earth. Now, when does the text say that happened? The feet of the statue were made of clay and iron, representing Rome. So when did the kingdom come into being? I came into being during the time of Rome. That's exactly what John understands here. When Jesus Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, the kingdom came into being. Granted, as God Almighty He's been King from eternity, but in a very special way the church and His kingdom came into being during the time of Rome. It is an eternal kingdom that will never pass away, and John understands that.

(v9) I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Why was John on Patmos? He had been witnessing for Christ. He had been telling people about Jesus Christ. That had gotten him exiled to the island of Patmos. He was there "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."

(v10) I heard behind me a loud voice like of a trumpet. Over and over in scripture, we hear this kind of thing. Look at Genesis chapter three. After the fall of Adam and Eve; after their eyes had been opened and they knew they were naked and had sinned; (v8) And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [cool of the day] (the Hebrew word is actually translated the wind or spirit) and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Why do you think Adam and Eve hid from God? Granted, they knew they had sinned, but why if He was just out walking in the cool of the garden do you think they were hiding? Has anyone heard anything close to the sound of a tornado? What were Adam & Eve hearing? They were hearing this incredible, awesome, trumpet, roaring sound of God coming in judgment! Of course they were afraid! God wasn't just out for a stroll in the garden, God was coming in judgment upon them. That is why they were afraid when they heard that incredible roaring sound. Similarly, when the Hebrews were gathered around Mt. Sinai and God was speaking, they told Moses to go speak to God, saying, "If we hear His voice, we'll die!" That's what Adam and Eve heard and what John was hearing when he says (v10) I heard behind me a loud voice like of a trumpet. This is the sound of God coming, not a pretty, melodious tune from a windup music box. It's a sound of the awsomeness of God coming.

Next John sees a vision of the resurrected Christ, (v11) saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." What John writes down in the rest of the book of Revelation is what Jesus Christ told him to write. Who was it written to? The seven churches. It is not written primarily to us in the 20th century church, as so many seem to think. In principal, it's written to us. In other words, we can study it and derive from it principles that apply them to our lives. But it is clearly written specifically to the seven churches that existed during the time of John, for a particular purpose. If you were to look at a map of the area, you'd see that Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea all form a big circle. Ephesus was a seaport, with a trade road coming out of it that then went to each of the other 6 churches before returning to Ephesus. So when He says "write this letter to the seven churches," Jesus is sending it out to everybody in that area. This was a typical practice in those days. They would take the letters from John and Paul and send them from church to church, where they would be read aloud to the congregation. After all, they were Scripture and the people understood that.

John writes, (v12) And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; (v13) and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.

Obviously this is a vision of Christ. No one argues with that. What are the seven lampstands and what does it mean that He is standing in the middle of the lampstands? He is there, walking among the seven churches. He's not separated from the Church. He is the imminent God, who is always with us, among us, as He told His disciples, "And lo, I will be with you always." This is a picture of God among His people. When you study in the Old Testament how the Hebrews laid out their camp in the desert, what was right in the middle? The tabernacle, where, in the Holy of Holies, the Shekinah Glory-cloud of God Himself dwelled. Even back then, He was saying, "I am God and I am going to be incarnate, I'm going to be among my people." God doesn't leave us alone to struggle for ourselves. He is always here among us.

Jesus' clothes are kind of strange to us. He is "clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle." The High Priest of the Old Testament dressed in a similar robe. He had a pouch with jewels on the front that was worn across the chest. He had jewels on his shoulders that were attached to the pouch by gold chains, a turban with a crown that said 'Holy to the Lord.' Now if you think about all this jewelry, gold, and fine linen, what did the High Priest look like as he functioned in the temple? His appearance would be spectacular, with all the lights sparkling from the jewels and the gold flashing. He was representing the power and authority of Christ. He was a picture of Jesus Christ. In a small way, the High Priest was an earthly picture of what John is seeing here, of what Daniel saw; of this incredible, awesome, incarnation of God that is blinding with the force of light and truth. In response, each of these godly men fell to the ground.

(v15) … and His voice like the sound of many waters. Again, there is this incredible, rushing water, trumpet, wind sound. (v16) and in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. This is not a little sword, this was a Thracian sword. It was actually worn on the shoulder, as it wouldn't fit at the waist. It was too big and would drag on the ground. It was like the broadsword of the knights in armor. It required two hands to maneuver it. Now do you really think Christ has a big sword coming out of his mouth? No, what's being symbolized here is the Word of God. Scripture is that by which God judges. We will see later in Revelation that is the Word of God that gains the victory. We need to understand and remember that it's the Word of God that will stand. It's not how hard we work or how many doors we knock on. It's not how many good records we keep, as the Jehovah Witness' think. It's not even how many people we tell about Jesus Christ. It's the Word of God that is all-important. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He didn't respond with magic. He didn't respond with incredible feats. He responded, "It is written…" (Remember He responded with the Old Testament, He didn't have the New Testament. He was in the process of creating it.)

That is how we need to respond. That's why it's so important for us to regularly read the word. Why we should study it so that we can respond automatically. So that when people say something you know is wrong, you can respond with what God's Word says: "It is written that…" But, how can you do that unless you study the word and memorize it?

John writes, (v17) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

Many people have a problem with the Trinity. They have a problem with the fact that Jesus prays to God the Father. How can He be God if He prays to Him? But notice when Jesus says, "I am the first and the last," He is saying, "I am Yahweh." In Isaiah 44:6 God (Yahweh) says, "I am the first and the last." There is absolutely no doubt about this if you understand that it was God who first says "I am the first and the last," and now Jesus says, "I am the first and the last." Which is it? There can not be two "firsts and lasts." Jesus is saying very clearly that He is Yahweh of the Old Testament, God Almighty.

Notice the symbology here – Jesus is described as "someone like a son of man" which is a very clear reference to the Messiah of Daniel 7. Then He is immediately described using the same terminology as the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7; both the Father and the Son. So what you see symbolized here in Revelation is the Divine Messiah. Note also that what we're seeing here is a picture of the Son of Man reigning in heaven. This is the reality of which the destruction of Jerusalem is the sign, as Jesus says in Matthew 24:30, At that time will appear the sign of the Son of Man [reigning] in heaven…

(v19) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, I don't know how much clearer you can get than that! People argue about whether or not Jesus Christ died. There is the "Swoon Theory" that states He "swooned on the cross." He just sort of fainted, lost consciousness and when they put Him in the cool tomb it revived Him and He came to life. There are many other theories that say Jesus either didn't really die or He didn't really rise from the dead. But, if you accept the fact that this is Jesus Christ speaking, He says in the Greek, "I became dead." We have a choice: either Jesus died and became alive again or we have to accept that Jesus is a liar.

(v19) … I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. When you look at what Scripture says, there really is no question that Jesus is God. At the same time, Jesus is fully man – yet He died and rose again and is alive forevermore. And because of His victory on the cross, He is the only one who holds the keys to death and Hades. It's not how much you or I do that gets us into heaven. It's what we do that gets us into Hell. It is only Jesus who gets us into heaven. It's what we believe that matters. He alone has the keys to death and Hades.

Jesus says to John (v19) "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. He's telling John that some of the things he is going to write down are past, some of the things present and some are future. A lot of people look at the book of Revelation as being broken up into those categories. Chapter 1:9-18 is past. The present is Chapter 1:19-3:22, talking about the seven churches. Everything else is future. That's one way of breaking up the book, but personally, I don't agree with all of that. But here, Jesus is telling John to write past things, present things and future things.

(v20) "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Notice that Jesus says it is a mystery. The word "mysterion" in the New Testament doesn't quite mean the same thing as the usual meaning of our English word. Rather, it denotes something that was previously unknown and has now been revealed. Here in this passage, that's what Jesus is doing; He's revealing the mystery: the seven stars and seven lampstands are the seven angels and the seven churches. Does every church have an angel? Is there an angel watching over your church? The Greek word "angelos" means messenger (either human or angelic), and it is also used for the "messenger of the Word" which is the pastor of a church.

Notice in chapter 2 Jesus says, (v1) "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write" and then on in verse two He says (v2) I know your deeds." Spiritual angels would not be doing the kinds of things that the "angelos" of these churches are doing. Therefore it should be clear that Jesus is speaking specifically to the pastors of the churches. Continuing in verse 2, when He says, "I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles…", He's talking about a human being who's contemporary with the church. Jesus must therefore, be speaking of the pastor of the church.

God's judgment of a given church comes through the church’s pastor. You see this kind of "federal headship" throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament when Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judea), there were no good kings in the north and some good kings in the south. When the kings were good, the people were good and faithful. When the kings were bad, the people were very bad and sinful. Similarly, this idea of "federal headship" is at work in the church today. The pastor leads the congregation into either righteousness or sinfulness. "Judgment starts with the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17), with its leaders. The congregation has the right and responsibility to confront their pastor(s) with the truths of the Bible, if they hear them teach something that is wrong. All of us, as brothers and sisters, have a responsibility to correct each other when we hear something that conflicts with the Word of God.