Revelation 1:9-20

Well, good morning, Saylorville! If you brought a copy of scripture with you this morning, you can find the book of Revelation in the very first chapter. Revelation chapter one.

So let me start with a question. How many of you have ever seen Jesus? — ‘Cause I have, and I’m gonna tell you about it. It actually took place when I was 10 years old, and I’ll never forget it! I was raised in a strong… loving, but strong… Roman Catholic home. And so my mom had lots of statues. We had statues of Mary and statues of Jesus and statues… We had a statue of Moses right at the bottom foot of the steps, and he greeted us every day when we came down in the morning. And my mom had this bust of Jesus with an actual head the normal size of a head. And it was really creepy! And I think the whole family thought it was creepy because one day it just disappeared. I didn’t see it. It wasn’t anywhere to be found. And that was that. So as a 10-year-old, my favorite place to play in the house was the attic. We had a really cool attic, but mom didn’t like us up there, because she hid stuff up there. Actually, that’s where I discovered the truth about Santa. I won’t say anymore. Okay? But one day I snuck up there. And as I walked up… I’m walking up the steps. So you go up, and there was like another landing and you go up, so there’s like steps and then other steps. I go up these steps and I turned to walk onto the other steps, and right there was that bust of Jesus looking right at me! I’m telling you, it scared the Jesus out of me! Except Jesus wasn’t in me, so He couldn’t leave. I nearly fell out the window! There’s a window right there. I’m not kidding you! I nearly fell out the window! So that’s my experience seeing Jesus. (audience laughing)

In the opening chapter of the book of the Revelation or the unveiling of Jesus, John sees Jesus like never before, and like you will never see him in all of the Bible! Now remember, John had seen Jesus in actuality in life for three years. He writes about it in 1 John chapter 1.

[1 John 1:1 (ESV), “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—”]

He says that which we’ve seen with our own eyes we’ve handled, we’ve heard, we’ve handled with our own hands, the word of life! And then he actually saw Jesus in his second coming glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew chapter 17, along with his brother, James, and Peter. Remember, Jesus transfigured Himself in just a really awesome moment! Peter would later write about it! But this, this was something else. ‘This was so startling, so unnerving, it nearly killed me! Became like a dead man!’ It took Jesus to revive him from what he saw! And so with that, let’s look at the introduction here. John sort of introduces it by way of a testimony when he says in verse 9,

Revelation 1:9, “I, John,” (See that there?) I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”

So that gives us a little backdrop here. So the year is like 90 to 96-ish A.D. All right? — And Domitian is the Emperor of Rome at the time. He was a wicked emperor! He hated Christians, had them killed left and right, and many of them he would just banish. And Rome had some 50 islands, basically rocks in the middle of nowhere, where they would banish particularly those who were against the empire, against the… political prisoners, and many, many Christians. And the Christians would get incarcerated on these islands for several reasons. One, they were accused of atheism. I know it sounds weird, but Rome was a polytheistic society. They believed in many gods. Christians only believed in one God. Therefore they were atheists. They were accused of cannibalism because the Romans were hearing that when they got together they were eating their God, the Lord’s table. All of this stuff was a mess in their minds. And then the biggest one was for refusing to give reverence to Caesar. Everyone was to every once in a while declare Caesar is kurios, that is, “kurios” means “god” or “lord,” “boss.” He’s the god, and Christians wouldn’t do that, and this is the reason why many of them were banished. John tells us the real reason behind it all at the end of verse 9, and he says,

Revelation 1:9b. ‘The The reason I’m there was for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.’ And therein lies the truth. While anyone who names the name of Jesus, who will suffer for the name of Jesus. Those are the two reasons we will suffer. You will suffer for your stand on the Word of God and your life that backs it up. You take some of both. You can take your stand on the Word of God, but if your life doesn’t back it up, it doesn’t really matter. You’re not gonna suffer, but when those two come together, that usually brings some pressure. And that was John’s experience. All right?

Now, Patmos was a penal colony. And if you were put on one of these penal colonies, it was a fate worse than death. Sometimes we talk about all these apostles, Judas, he, offed himself, but the other 10 all died by martyrdom! And we think, ‘Oh, they died as martyrs!’ — And they did. But those deaths would have been a pretty quick death. To be assigned to an island like Patmos was a fate worse than death, because under the Roman whip you were given very little by way of clothing, very little by way of food. And you were assigned to the mines to pick at rocks. This is what John had. And then add to that, John is somewhere between 80 and 90 years old. I don’t know about you, they’re getting older. Right? I’m not that old, but I ain’t 30 something, either! Imagine being that old under that kind of stress constantly. This is what John had. By the way, and then to add emotional stress to it all, Ephesus, the very first church we’ll see of the seven churches in the next two chapters, that was John’s church. That was the church the apostle John was the pastor of. And that church was just 15 miles away from Patmos, but it might as well have been a thousand miles because he couldn’t get to them, he couldn’t encourage them, they weren’t encouraging him. And if you just imagine all of that stress on you, this church is 30 years old and he’s just received news that their light is flickering. Their lamp stand is about to be taken away. Their fervor, their love, their passion for Jesus had taken a back seat. All of this is on John!

So what do you do? Imagine how he felt. What do you do when you’re down? — because some of you are down. I prayed with somebody just after last service… really down for legitimate reasons. Some of you are down because of some health issue. Some of you are down because of a relational issue. You’re struggling with your wife. You’re struggling with your husband. You’re struggling with your kids. You’re struggling with your job. You’re struggling with a friend. What do you do when you’re really down? Well, you could remember, you could go have a remembrance. Remember the good old days. And by the way, there’s something to that. The Bible actually says that. It’s good to reminisce on the things that God has done. Right? But John didn’t just need a memory. He needed a vision, and he would get it in spades!

So let’s pick it up here in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 10 after John introduces us. He says,

Revelation 1:10, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.”

Now we have to stop here again. So there’s two phrases here that need some explanation anyway. “I was in the Spirit.” What does that mean? We’re actually gonna talk about this next week in our module. What does it mean to be in the Spirit? What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? What does John mean when he says, “I was in the Spirit?” Now we know he’s talking about the Holy Spirit, but what is he getting at when he says that? This is how the book of the Revelation… this is how the book of the unveiling of Jesus with all of its imagery… came to John… by the Holy Spirit. This is much like Daniel, if you’ve read through Daniel, or Ezekiel, if you’ve read through Ezekiel, chapter one, you’ve got these fiery wheels that he sees as you read. They go, ‘What? no!’ This was the Spirit of God casting these images on the mind of John who would then, led by the Spirit, record them. And by the way, this is exactly how Peter put it in second Peter chapter one. He said,

2 Peter 1:20-21 (ESV)

[20 “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”]

Have you ever read that? That’s what’s going on here. [Revelation 1:10] John is in the Spirit and the Spirit is revealing this revelation of Jesus. Now he’s in the Spirit on “the Lord’s day” Now I’ve always taken that… What does that mean? What is “the Lord’s day?” Today. It’s Sunday. It’s possessive. The Lord’s day. It’s the day Jesus rose from the dead. The reason why we worship on Sunday is because Sunday is the day Jesus rose from the dead. And I’ve always taken this to mean that… and it might. But it might also mean the day of the Lord, which is what the entire book of the Revelation is about, the day of the Lord, which is so often spoken of in the Old Testament. That’s what this may refer to as well. So take your pick. It doesn’t hurt the interpretation one way or another. But here is John on the Lord’s day, in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and now without too much more commentary, here’s the vision.

Revelation 1:10b-20

10b and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (seven churches, all in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, churches that have been around for about 30 years. John has to write seven separate letters to those churches, probably with an addendum on each one of the actual letter that Jesus writes to them in the next two chapters, which we’ll be getting to. But I told you that we had just a little more commentary. Let me keep reading.)

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp stands,

13 and in the midst (one of my favorite expressions) of the lamp stands one like a son of man, (right out of the book of Daniel chapter 7) clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,

15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (So it’d be like staring at the sun, which we don’t recommend.)

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, (It’d be appropriate to say ‘Amen’ at this point. (congregation laughing) Thank you!) and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. (By the way, verse 19, a virtual outline of the book of Revelation right there. And then verse 20, which is really key to this message.)

20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands, the seven stars are the angels (that word could be translated messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.”

So you have Jesus interpreting Jesus here. Okay? — Which is really cool, by the way! So what would a vision like this have done to the Apostle John, 90 years old, living under those circumstances? Put yourself in that place if you can, because what it did for him is what it can do for you, no matter what you’re going through in your life.

When Dave Heisterkamp, our very first church planter, he wasn’t planning a church, he was biting at the bit to plant a church. He was our administrative pastor and he left me, he just left me in the lurch about 23 years ago and took a church that was established up north. His own testimony is like this. He got to this church, he said, “Pat, it’s really old up here in more ways than one.” He goes, “My boxes were laying around in my… were all unpacked in the office, and the place had a stale smell to it. The whole church did!” He said, “Pat,” he says, “it reeks of death!” Books were piled up in the baptismal, because nobody was ever getting baptized there. And he literally was standing in his room questioning his decision to go there. And he said, “Pat, I’m telling you, a fear came over me! But I was in… studying at the time in my devotions, and I was in Acts chapter 18 where the apostle Paul was in Corinth evangelizing Corinth, and fear had come over Paul, and … just then he gets a vision of Jesus.” Here it is right here.

Acts 18:9-10

9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

What do you think that did to Dave HeisterKamp in that moment? It literally was the wind in his sails!

And if you’re lonely here, if you’re fearful here, if you’re beat up here, for whatever reason, you don’t just need an old memory. You need a fresh vision of Jesus! That’s what you need.

By the way, interestingly enough, in Acts chapter 18 where Paul is in Corinth, that vision comes on the heels, not of persecution… Just the opposite! The scripture before that, Paul had led the synagogue leader to Christ and it says many Corinthians believed and were baptized. I mean, there was a revival! This was a time of great joy! — But Paul, this wasn’t his first rodeo. Okay? He knew what would happen when people got saved and identified it in baptism. He knew what was waiting. What was waiting for him was threatenings, beatings and stonings, maybe death. And so it was in that context that he was overwhelmed with that fear! That’s when Jesus appeared to him… and that’s when Jesus appears to us!

When things are really, really heavy and you’re just almost anticipating, ’cause I could tell you, the greatest seasons of my life are when souls are coming to Jesus and getting baptized! The greatest seasons of my life! And the greatest hardships of my life are at the same time! Same time! — So much so, when I see souls coming to Christ, I’m almost like, ‘Whoa! What’s next here?’ But that’s when Jesus comes to me! He comes to me through His word! He comes to me through His people! He comes to me through His church! He comes to me through experiences and lifts me up! — like He’ll lift you up!

Soon after I became a Christian, I was burning every single bridge in my life! Not intentionally, — I just was. My family ostracized me. All of my friends ostracized me. I could still remember the location I was… I can still remember I was walking around the block on a fall day and really just super, super down. I mean, nobody liked me anymore! — and I was super down, and I was reading in second Timothy chapter four and I read where Paul testifies,

2 Timothy 4:16, “At my first defense, no man stood with me; all men forsook me.”

And I remember thinking, “That’s me Lord! I’m the apostle Paul! No one is with me! Everyone’s forsaken me!” — and then I read the next line.

2 Timothy 4:17, “But the Lord stood with me, and He strengthened me…”

And that’s what I experienced in that moment! I went from being a little wussy, whining about my circumstances, to being somebody who could rely on the One who comes and gives fresh vision when you need fresh vision. Amen?

Some of you need more than an old memory. You need a fresh vision of Jesus; the crucified, risen, ascended, glorified and almighty Jesus Christ! That’s what you need!

I can still remember like yesterday, when I was a student, right over here, when we had pews, and I was sitting over here somewhere and old Dave Leonard, Jared’s grandpa, standing up. He was like 114 at the time! He was all bent over! He opens up his Bible to Isaiah 6.

Isaiah 6:1,

1 “In the year that king Uzziah“— (I can’t replicate his voice, but it was just a grumpy kind of a mean voice, but you knew he loved God. And he’s reading)

“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord… high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple…

3 and the angels were singing holy, “holy, holy…”

And then, his back was turned around and he goes, “How do you see Him?”

Dave Leonard

And all I remember is how that shot right through me when he said that. How do I see Jesus? Is He high? Is He lifted up? Is He exalted? I mean, just the other day, someone wrote in asking, is the Jesus of Revelation different than the Jesus we meet in the gospels? — and my reply is “No!  He’s not unfamiliar. He’s unveiled!” This is the clearest depiction, human depiction, of the unveiled Jesus you’ll find anywhere in the Bible, and I don’t think it even comes close to what John actually saw! He just did the best he could to record it for you and me.

So here from this stunning vision, I ask you with me to see Jesus… See Him in His exaltation. See Him in His exaltation. And the best thing I can do is sort of do it by a series of contrast. The veiled Jesus — That’s the Jesus who hung out for three years as a human, and the unveiled Jesus here in Revelation. The veiled Jesus came to us as a lowly servant. Right? Remember what He said in Luke 22? He said,

Luke 22:27, “For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.“

But the unveiled Jesus appears to us as the glorified high priest. And did you even notice just from the reading, it’s very temple-esque. He looks like a high priest in your mind. You’ve got things like golden lamp stands that are mentioned. There’s worship. There’s these garments. There’s even a sacrifice alluded to. He says, “I was dead and now, I’m alive!” It’s all transporting us to a greater tabernacle! So the veiled Jesus; Lowly. The unveiled Jesus; exalted, glorified. The veiled Jesus was Silent. Right? Isaiah 53 says,

[Isaiah 53:7b (ASV)

“…As a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He, (before Pilate) opened not His mouth.”

But the unveiled Jesus, He is LOUD! You see that? Verse 15?

Revelation 1:15, “… and his voice was like the roar of many waters.“

It’s like the roar of lions! Not lions… waters. He’s a lion too! The veiled Jesus was young. We meet Him when He’s in the womb of His mother! And He only gives us 33 years before He  dies, He’s crucified and rises again. But we see Him when He’s young. But here He’s depicted as ancient. Look at verse 14.

Revelation 1:14, “The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow.”

When you read that, you think, ‘Well, that’s talking about Father God. Right?’ — ‘Cause you go to Daniel chapter seven where the Son of Man comes before Father God. That’s how He’s depicted. But the reason I’m telling you that is ’cause when you read about the Father and you read about Jesus and you have a hard time distinguishing between the two… welcome to my world! They are God! Amen? You can’t distinguish God very well. Matter of fact, back to Jesus:

John 14:9b, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.“

‘If you’ve seen Me,’ (what?) you’ve seen the Father!’ — and you have it right here! The unveiled Jesus is ancient. The veiled Jesus is humiliated, stripped naked and on a cross. And this one is clothed in glory! The veiled Jesus comes at us as a lover. And I mean you know that. You read the Gospel account, you see His love. But one of my favorite accounts is one that I hardly ever hear people mention. It’s actually in Mark’s Gospel, and Mark is the only one who records this particular incident. Mark 10:21 is where the rich young ruler, (Remember that story?) Matthew tells us, He comes. ‘Hey, what do I need to do to have eternal life?’ Jesus lays out part of the 10 Commandments. He goes, ‘I’ve done all these things.’ ‘Yeah? Well go, sell everything you have and follow Me.’ He’s not willing to do it. He rejects Jesus. He pushes Jesus away, and he walks away. Remember that story? You know what Mark tells us in that moment? — only Mark. It says that Jesus “loved him,” and it uses the word “agape.”

Some of you are here right now. You’ve rejected Jesus. You’ve pushed Him away. You’ve heard about Jesus, the challenges have been laid for you to receive Him as your Savior, and you’ve pushed Him away. You’ve walked away. Listen… He still loves you. He still loves you! And don’t let anybody tell you that the only people God loves are the one He’s picked from eternity past. Has He picked people from eternity past? Yes, He has. Are they the only ones He loves? No, they aren’t. Christ died for you! Don’t reject Him!

The veiled Jesus came to us as a lover, but the unveiled Jesus is presented to us as the Judge. Look at verse 15. These are powerful words! Here they are.

Revelation 1:15-16

15 “His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.

16 In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

He’s coming at us as a Judge. The veiled Jesus is presented to us as approachable. Right?

[Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”]

‘Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden…’ Matthew 11, 28 through 30. ‘I’ll give you rest for your souls.’ Right? ‘Yoke is easy… burden is light…’ He’s approachable.

But the unveiled Jesus is Awesome! — And in His awesomeness, in His holiness, in His grandeur, in His resplendence, He is unapproachable… unless God prepares you to approach Him! In fact, look at 1 Timothy chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6:15b-16

15b “…He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

I mean, John himself, who writes this leaned on Him in life. He falls before Him as a dead man, as He sees Him glorified! The veiled Jesus led his men. Remember that?

[Matthew 4:19]  “Follow Me and I’ll make you fishers of men.”

Remember that? He led them. I love this! The young veiled Jesus possesses them. Look at … verse 16.

Revelation 1:16, “In His right hand, He held seven stars.”

And what’s so cool about this is He interprets who they are in verse 20. He says

Revelation 1:20, “… the seven stars are the angels (are the messengers) of the seven churches…” (the pastors of the churches!)

He says, ‘I’m not just leading them, I’m possessing them.’ You’re in My hand, remember He says in John 10, ‘you’re in my hand, my hand of omnipotence.’

[John 10:29] “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”]

We’ve got double omnipotence holding onto us! This is really encouraging to me! Sometimes I just need Jesus to hold me, the One who possesses me.

So today, see Jesus from His humiliation to his exaltation. And secondly, see Jesus in our and in your examination. And He’s the examiner. Now I’ve purposely gotten ahead of myself by reading verse 20 and kind of going back to repeatedly because I want you to see something that’s super cool! There’s going to be a lot of symbols when we get to the book of Revelation. I’m going to be honest with you that we may mess some of them up. We might not get some of them right. I won’t ever purposely do that, but God forgive me, we might interpret a symbol or two wrongly. We can’t mess these up because Jesus interpreted it for us! Right? He tells us what the stars are. They’re the messengers, the pastors of the churches… and He tells us what the lamp stands represent. They represent (what?) the seven churches. But here’s what I want you to key in on. Where is Jesus in all of this? — Amongst the lamp stands. Where is He, verse 13? He’s in our midst. He’s here. He’s in our midst. What does that do to you to know that Jesus is here? — And to know that we meant it when we said that we don’t worship Jesus as if He were here. We worship Him because He IS here, and this should change everything in our lives! You see in verse 14 the reference to His eyes that are ablaze!

[Revelation 1:14b] “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire…”

That’s a reference to His omniscience. His eyes… He sees…He knows… everything! Nothing is hidden from Him!

My wife and I, a couple weeks ago, went to California to ministers to some friends of ours for a couple days. Quick turn around. Went through the airport and got the dreaded TSA pat down. Have you ever had that? I mean, if you’ve had their pat down, it’s kind of like, ‘Please get this over! Please get this over! Please get this over!’ — I had like a Kleenex in my pocket and I got doomed to a pat down! — ‘Cause they don’t want to miss anything! Right? Well, let me tell you something. You’re getting more than a pat down! You are being examined by the One whose eyes are ablaze! He sees everything!

A number of us were shocked just the other day, when a highly esteemed Bible expositor, highly esteemed man of God, great preacher, turned out to have a very dubious life. What was he thinking? What are any of us thinking when we do things behind the scenes as if we’re not being seen? I mean, look at the verbiage in verse 15. These are strong judgmental words, fearful wording! Look at this!

[Revelation 1:15-16]

15 “…His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

…Brass feet… Powerful voice… two-edged sword! And by the way, that sword is a broad sword. That’s not a dagger, that’s not an army dagger. This is one of these long swords, double-edged, “Whomp! whomp! whomp!” That’s the kind of sword! That’s the Greek word for this word sword here. And you got the blinding brightness. It all speaks of judgment, which should beg the question, why would Jesus who purchased the Church with His blood, who loves His church, who is in the midst of His church, right now as I speak, right now as you sit, why would Jesus be pictured as a judge in our midst? — Because judgment begins at the house of God. That’s what the Bible says. In fact, Peter said as much in chapter 4 and verse 17.

1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

This is where it starts! Judgment in the Church doesn’t start with someone judging you. Listen to this. It starts with you judging yourself! There are different words for judgment in the Bible. And when I say that, you say, ‘Well, I’m not supposed to judge myself.’ Yes, you are! You’re supposed to examine yourself. Isn’t that what it says? When we come to the Lord’s table, examine yourself, lest you be examined. Judge yourself, lest you be judged. Why? So that the Perfect Examiner doesn’t have to pull out His sword! That’s why!

Remember David in Psalm 139 starts by saying this. He says;

Psalm 139:1 “O Lord, You have searched me and known me! (Just a cold, hard fact. “Lord, You’ve searched me and known me.”

And then he starts to describe what that looks like, and you get to the end of the Psalm and it says this:)

Psalm 139:23-24

23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my (anxious) thoughts!

24 And see if there be any (anything wicked) grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

What happened? What happened between the cold, hard, “Lord, you’ve searched me and known me,”  and “Search me, O God.” What happened? I’ll tell you what happened. David was welcoming, but God was already doing.

There are some of you here today, you know the theology. Your theology demands that you know. God knows everything about you, but you don’t welcome it. That’s where you’ve gotta get. You gotta get to see Jesus as your examiner… Yes, as a judge, but as a loving judge! He loves you! He wants you to root out things in your life for His glory! And while this chapter puts Jesus on display, in reality, we are the ones being examined. Right?

One more thing. See Jesus in His exaltation and your examination and in our illumination… in our illumination. In a book known for its dazzling and sometimes fearful symbols and images that are not easily identified, Jesus interprets again what the stars are. Those are the pastors, and the lamp stands. The stars are the angels, the messengers, the pastors of the churches, and the lamp stands. Look at the very end of verse 20.

Revelation 1:20b, “The seven lamp stands are the seven churches.“

We don’t have to get fancy and creative and think of what these… No, He just tells us they’re the churches. The lamp stands are the churches. Listen, Jesus is the light of the world, and His lamp stands are the churches. His Holy Spirit is perpetually fueling His people to burn brightly regardless of your circumstances! Jesus said in

Matthew 5:14-16

14 “You…” (Greek emphasis on the word “you”) “You are the light of the world. A city that’s set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but (rather what? Anybody know what the next phrase is?) on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16, In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.“

Listen to this. The church is a lamp stand. It’s not the lamp. Jesus is our lamp! Amen?

Some of you here this morning, you feel like the apostle John. You’re down, you’re lonely, you’re hurting, you’re beat up, probably at least figuratively speaking, maybe physically, I don’t know! You don’t need an old memory. You need a fresh vision of Jesus! By faith, the crucified risen, ascended, glorified, Almighty Jesus Christ! That’s what you need to see. That’s Who you need to see. And why? — So that He might shine! That’s why. — Shine in you, for sure.

And some of you need the light of the Gospel in your heart right now. You have never, ever repented of your sin to believe on the Lord Jesus. There’s never been a time where you said, ‘Lord, I am a sinner. I’m lost. I’m destined for darkness. Please be my light, be my salvation, be my Savior. Come into my life.’ And when that happens, the light comes in. Amen? So shine in you for sure, but also to shine on you for others.

The very first church that we’re going to see next week is the church that John himself pastored at one time… 30 years old… the light is flickering. How’s yours looking?

There’s an old hymn and it’s kind of a dirge so we don’t sing it but it’s a pretty cool hymn, and it has a really cool story behind it. It involves Lake Erie, the city of Cleveland. (with a nod to Pastor Paul) D.L. Moody, the great evangelist in the 1800s, and his sidekick, P.P. Bliss… True story! There was a lighthouse in the harbor in Cleveland in those days. That’s the way ships got in. They knew, figured out how to get into the harbor, but because the harbor was so rocky, they put lower lights to guide the ships along the way. They’d look at the big light and they’d follow the lower lights to get into the harbor. That’s how they did it. On one particular stormy night as a ship was making its way into the harbor, they saw the light beaming. But as the captain and the pilot dialogue they asked, “Do you see the light?” “Yes, we see the light. We see the lighthouse.” “Do you see the lower lights?” The captain asked. The pilot said, “They’re not on, sir.” Someone in the lighthouse during a stormy night failed to light the lower lights which would guide that ship in, and that ship hit the rocks, was broken up, and souls perished; drowned. Made the front news of the paper! Dwight L. Moody read it, and saw it as a powerful illustration, and so he preached it! He said,

“Jesus is our lighthouse! We are the lower lights! If they’re not burning, souls will shipwrecked!“

Dwight L. Moody

P. P. Bliss captivated by the illustration, took pen in hand and wrote down,

“Let the lower lights be burning

Send a beam across the wave

Some poor failing, fleeting seamen

You may rescue, you may save.” 

Excerpt from the hymn Let the Lower Lights Be Burning by P. P. Bliss

How’s that light?

Father in heaven, we thank You for the Light of the world. This God, Savior and glorified, resurrected Lord Jesus that we just saw in this chapter, in all of His resplendence, and glory, and power and John’s attempt to record it. None of us could look upon You, Lord, not on this glory, and live to talk about it. But someday those of us who know You, You will prepare us to see You in Your glory, and we’ll see You face to face, and we will love every moment of it and adore You! Lord, help us to see You. There are people here that are just discouraged. Life itself has just been a bummer, and for all kinds of reasons. They don’t need another memory. They need another vision. Would You give it to them? Let them see You in Your glory and be encouraged to go forward because You’ll be with them. You’ll strengthen them. You’ll appear to them in Your Word and with Your people, with your Church. And with experiences that will cause them to say, ‘Thank You, Lord! Thank You for being with me and strengthening me.’ Lord, we know that You’re the examiner, know everything about us. There’s nothing hidden from Your sight. That’s a fearful thing, but if we know and love You Lord, we know that You know and love us so much more! So Lord, we are Your illumination here on earth. Make us shine brightly for Your glory. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Let’s stand. [Music]