If you were to close your eyes and to try to imagine a picture of Jesus in your mind's eye, he's standing before you. What does he look like? And what would help form your impression of him? Famous paintings, Sunday school art, a recent Hollywood movie, a stained glass image that you have seen. Each of these have helped form my vision and trying to envision him. I was raised in a church with magnificent, beautiful stained glass windows of different scenes involving Jesus. You know, it is interesting that the New Testament writers speak not one word concerning the physical appearance of Jesus. Whether he was short or tall, whether he was dark or light, whether he was lean or stout, Now Isaiah, the prophet, did record for us, but it's in very general terms what his physical appearance would one day be. Here's what Isaiah wrote. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. Isaiah says that his physical appearance did not stand out in any way. People would not be attracted to him for his looks. There would not be anything too memorable about his outside features. Why is this? Because he is the son of man. He is the representative man. And most of us have no beauty that others should desire us either. Okay, let me just speak for myself. The omission about Christ's appearance changes in our passage of this study this morning. In fact, not only will we be given specific details, but we are encouraged to know how Jesus looks as something that is important for us to know. Today, we are going to come to some verses where Christ is clearly outlining everything he wants John to write in the book of Revelation. One verse in particular, Revelation 119, does that. Jesus gave John three things that he wanted him to emphasize. And one of these three important categories, each of them as important as the other of this entire book, is what Jesus looks like. John was told to record what Jesus looks like right now in his heavenly state. And we'll probably look like that when we see him. Our knowing what Christ, how he looks, is important. Before it wasn't. Now it is. As we delve into the passage this morning, you're gonna see why. But at this point, let me just say that we might need to change our perception of him, because how we see him is to have a tremendous impact on the way that we worship and serve him, how we pray to him, and how we face the challenges of everyday life. A correct vision of Christ is just as important about knowing the future events that are presented here in Revelation. Now in Revelation chapter 1 verses 9 through 20, our passage today, the risen Christ appears to John to commission him to write this prophecy of Revelation. John sees Jesus in the fullness of his splendor and majesty. John has been exiled on the island of Patmos because of his testimony to Jesus and he writes to the churches facing tribulation and persecution. The message that John communicates or that Jesus gives to John and John communicates is that they are to endure faithfully, and that message, to endure faithfully, is made compelling. We are compelled by the glory of the risen Christ to endure faithfully. So let's take another look at Revelation chapter one. I wanna read now verses nine through 11 here. It reads this way. 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. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 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. It is the apostle John who records this book of prophecy for us. During Christ's earthly ministry, John and his brother James asked Jesus for a very special place of honor on his right and on his left when he comes to his throne. And the Lord told them that they would have to merit their thrones by sharing in his suffering. James was the first apostle to be martyred. Acts 12 verses 1 and 2 give us that. John was the last of the apostles to die, but he suffered on Patmos before his death. While banishment to Patmos was a lesser penalty than execution, we should hardly think of John's sentence as being light. He may have been treated less harshly than his brother James and others, but banishment involved a great deal of suffering and a great deal of loss of honor. John had been exiled for a strong stand for Jesus. Verse nine, which we just read, declares that it was on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. He had been pastor of the church at Ephesus, but now is sentenced to exile on the island of Patmos. Now, Patmos is an island located about 50 to 60 miles southwest of Ephesus. It's situated in the Aegean Sea. It was barren. It was treeless. It was rocky. No shade. No doubt the emperor of Rome, Domitian, intended John to live out his life there. However, one year later, after the death of Domitian in AD 96, history shows that John was allowed to return to Ephesus. But at the time when John wrote Revelation, He partook of the persecution sufferings just like what his fellow believers were experiencing. He was not exempt from persecution. Tribulation, let's not confuse that with the great tribulation that he will go on to write about. That's gonna be described a little bit later when John records the things that will be. These are lighter, but even still very cruel, persecutions by Roman Emperor Domitian that he was bringing on to Christians all over the Roman Empire. Almost all believers were socially, politically, or economically suffering. Many were being killed for their faith. John was exiled to Patmos because he refused to stop preaching the good news. So John identifies with his readers in at least three ways, which he mentions right there in verse nine. He is a partner with them in the current tribulation, the kingdom of God, and the patient endurance that is in Christ Jesus. I find that third one very interesting, patient endurance. Patient endurance is called for in believers. And yet when we don't keep the right vision of who Jesus is, we're far more likely to be quick to retaliate, to lash out whenever we first sense that our rights have been stepped upon. This is true even though scripture says that it takes much patience for believers to realize the promises of God in our lives. I want you to take a look at a couple of verses with me here that speak to this. Hebrews 6.12 says, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Yeah, patience is key for a believer. James 5, 7, be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and the late rains. I don't know about you, but this whole concept of patience and being brought up here by the apostle John in the midst of all the tribulation that they were facing convicts me. I was getting ready this morning going over these verses and I thought, oh my, last night I was trying to get to my football game and I couldn't find the remote. I was not patient. I was angry. Where is it? The game is going. I wasn't being persecuted. Patience is to be a characteristic of our life. If John were impatient, I doubt what he describes in verse 10 would have ever happened. John's patience allowed him to be enraptured by a divine ecstasy that he was literally under the control of the Holy Spirit, and while he was in this state, he heard a magnificent voice. It was so astounding and clear that it was like the sound of Ty playing the trumpet. I didn't put myself in that one, because I don't play it as good as Ty does. The reference to a loud voice like a trumpet adds to the impression of God's special revelation, reminding us of the very loud trumpet sound that accompanied God's message to Moses on Mount Sinai back in Exodus 19. This expression presumably refers to the clarity of Jesus's voice, a distinctively authoritative voice that would strike terror in the hearts of the unprepared. The powerful voice of authority told John to write to the seven churches. And now they are specifically named. We didn't see it earlier in the chapter when the seven churches of Asia were mentioned. Last week, I told you what I believe about the only seven churches being mentioned here and what that's all about. In verse four, they're referred to as the seven churches of Asia. And yet, as I pointed out last week, Asia had more than seven churches at that time. Colossae is in Asia. And of course, that was a well-known church. Paul wrote the book of Colossians to them. Troas was also in Asia. But these and other churches are not included in this heading. The seven churches that we see mentioned right now. Troas isn't one of them. Colossae is not one of them. Well, the number seven is used more frequently throughout Revelation, more than any other number. And it speaks of completion, it speaks of perfection. God completes his work in cycles of seven. We see this in nature and in scripture. Seven colors make a perfect spectrum. Seven musical notes make up the scale. Seven days constitute one week. At the fall of Jericho, there were seven priests, seven trumpets. On the seventh day, the people marched around the wall seven times. And then there are seven feasts of Jehovah, Leviticus chapter 23. Seven sayings of the Savior on the cross. In Revelation, the number seven appears 49 times. Seven times seven. Again, seven speaks of completion, perfection. And so that's how we are to see the seven churches, the completion of something. John was told to write to the seven churches because each one were facing situations, they had characteristics about them that would represent the conditions of the complete church of Christ. Seven distinct periods of church history from its beginning when it started at Pentecost to the end of the church age when the church will be raptured. The complete universal church of Jesus Christ spreads itself out before the omniscient gaze of Jesus. As he tells John, I want you to write down these things about the character of what the church age is gonna look like in seven distinct periods of time. John writes to specific and contemporary situations that were going on in those churches at the time. But just like prophecies in the Older Testament, what we observe here is what's called the law of double reference. John writes about current situations in each of these churches, but he also is prophesying about the complete church history broken up into seven different church eras, or periods of time. The law of double reference is how prophecy, in large part, often worked. And we see that it speaks to the current generation there to John, which the prophecy is first given, and just like how prophecy often does, it also addresses, at the same time, a different event that happens much later. In this case, the later events were seven distinct periods of church history down through the ages, the entire span of time that the church will be on earth. It is the complete picture of the church age. And so we will see both the immediate situations that happen that were going on at the time when John wrote and is addressing these particular situations and how those situations match perfectly. They perfectly correlate with the character of seven distinct periods of church history. Each church letter represents a well-defined era of church history that we can now look back on past records and observe. We're going to see this in chapters two and three starting next week. Now, for now, let's move forward with verses 12 through 16, and then I'm going to jump over a couple of verses. We'll come back to them. But we're going to look at verses 12 through 16 and then jump down to verse 20. Here's how it reads. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace. And his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand, he held seven stars. And from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. Verse 20. As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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. Well, after naming the seven churches, John saw seven golden lampstands, which symbolized the seven churches, or the entire period of church history, the church on earth. The responsibility of every church and Christian is to be a light bearer. It's a great symbol for the church. We display the light of the gospel to a dark, sin-filled world. In the very midst of the churches was one like the Son of Man. The picture, language used here is drawing upon the book of Daniel, particularly chapter 7 and 10. For example, here's One of those passages, Daniel 7 verses 13 and 14, I saw in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people's nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Well, this son of man is Jesus himself. The title Son of Man occurs many times in the New Testament as reference to Jesus the Messiah. In fact, that is the title that Jesus used almost exclusively whenever referring to himself, the Son of Man. John recognized Jesus even though Jesus was much different now than when he lived with him for three years. However, John did see Jesus when he revealed his glory like this, as he glorified son of God transfigured in Matthew chapter 17. But what we see here is that Christ abides with the church in his full glory. No matter what churches face, Jesus protects them with his all-encompassing love and reassuring power. Jesus Christ is standing among the churches today. When a church faces persecution, it needs to remember Christ's deep love and compassion. When a church is troubled by internal strife and conflict, should remember Christ's concern for purity and his intolerance for sin. You see, the imagery here is not only that he is protecting his churches. This also has allusions that go back to the book of Exodus. We also see this in Jesus's ministry of inspection On this, I want to quote J. Vernon McGee. It's been a while since I've quoted him, hasn't it? So it's about time. Here is J. Vernon McGee on these verses that we were just looking at here. He writes, In the tabernacle, the high priest had the sole oversight of the lampstand. The other priests had other duties to perform, but the high priest took care of the lampstand. He was the one who lighted the seven branches of the candles. He poured in the oil and trimmed the wicks. If one of the lamps, candles, began to smoke and did not give a good clear light, he was the one who snuffed it out. The Lord Jesus is walking in the midst of the lampstands today. He is in the midst of his church, made up of individual believers. He is doing several things. He trims the wicks. In John 15, we're told that he prunes the branches of believers so they might bring forth fruit. One of the reasons he lets us go through certain trials on earth is that he might get some fruit off our branches, or that he might make our light burn more brightly. He is the one who pours in the oil, which represents the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants light, and he is the one who pours in the Holy Spirit to get that light. If there is any light coming from my ministry, it comes from the Holy Spirit. He is the source. Christ does something else, and it makes me shiver. He sometimes uses a snuffer. If the lamp won't give good light and it keeps smoking up the place, The Lord Jesus snuffs it out. You and I can be set aside. Oh, the number of people whom I have known to be set aside, preachers and elders and deacons and Sunday school teachers, Christ put them aside. He is walking in the midst of the lampstands and he wants them. to produce light. Wow. The reason John was told to write to the seven churches is that Jesus has been inspecting them. The seven letters that we're gonna start to look at next week are the result of his inspection. Jesus is coming to judge the whole earth. but judgment begins in the house of God. 1 Peter 4, 7 says, 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? Not having the right vision of Jesus, If we only see Jesus as gentle Jesus, meek and mild, we'll be people in the church that think that confessing our sin isn't all that necessary. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, doesn't really care if I fulfill his call on my life. Yeah, I know he's given me gifting. I know he has a special call on my life, but it's really my option whether or not I'm going to invest what he's given me into his kingdom. That comes from not seeing Jesus for who he is and what he's doing. 1 Peter 4.17 begs to differ with such casualness. And so does the vision of Christ in the church that we're about to look at specifically. And before we go on and examine this description of Jesus in the vision that John had of him, let me first show you the importance of this vision. I've already hinted a little bit about it to you, but I wanna show you why I said what I said earlier, that it's just as important what Jesus looks like today as what's gonna be happening in the future. It's every bit as important. And I say that on the basis of verse 19 here. Revelation 119, right, therefore, the things that you have seen, those that are, and those that are to take place after this. So we have here the complete outline of the book of Revelation. Jesus gives John three categories of things that he is to write down. These three things are the emphasis of the book of Revelation. This verse is the key to the book and to our understanding it. It tells us that there is a past, a present, and a future that's written down here in this book. It's this threefold division, and the divisions are very clear. The things that you have seen, these are the words of the vision of the glorified Christ that was shown to John. It constitutes the verses of our study today, Revelation 1, verses 9 through 20. Then, number two, he is to write about the things that are. This refers to the letters to the seven churches. The history of the church from the time of Pentecost to the rapture. Those are the things that are. The church age. That's composing chapters two and three. Our church age that we are living in right now. But once the rapture occurs, the church will cease to exist because it will be with Christ. And then those things that are to take place will happen. That will be the unleashing of God's wrath as Jesus retakes control of the earth. Those things that are to take place comprise the majority of the book of Revelation, chapters four through 22. Now, skip ahead over the things which are, these letters to the seven churches, skip ahead with me to chapter four, and chapter four commences the things that are to take place, but Revelation four, verse one says, after this, I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. After what? There can be no other answer to that, but after what he just described in chapters two and three. And what was that? The church age from the time of Pentecost to the rapture. After this, these things will happen. What must take place are the events of Revelation chapters four through 22. And Revelation 4.1 says that they will occur after the church age. Folks, we are not going to be around during the time of the tribulation. The outline that Jesus gives John for the book that he is writing is pretty strong evidence of that. There is much more evidence just as strong. And when we get to chapter four, I'm going to present some more evidence of scripture that just makes it very clear. Now, the point of Revelation 119 is that Jesus gave John three clear divisions, the appearance of Christ, which he was told to write about, and the character of the church through its entire history, and then Christ's terrible judgment on the world. They do not overlap. Each division is complete in itself and distinct from the other two. Each is important with its own emphasis. So now let's turn to that first emphasis. What Jesus looked like when John saw him. Now we return to verse 14. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. John is describing Jesus in the same terms that were used to describe the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7.9. As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head were pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. The white hair we see in Revelation 1 symbolizes Christ's eternality, just as it did for the ancient of days, God the Father in the book of Daniel. Second, his eyes were like a flame of fire, and that shows his ability to see through you and I, to penetrate well beneath the surface As he stands among the lampstands, Jesus's eyes, like flames of fire, see through every facade that you or I would ever try to put up. He can say to each church and to every church member, I know you. He infallibly diagnoses our condition. Now, have you ever been around someone who made you feel uncomfortable because they seem to read you like a book? Jesus knows all about you. He knows all about me. He knows our private thought life, everything we think nobody else notices. He knows the things we do when nobody is around us to see it. His eyes search in judgment. They pierce, they penetrate, they commend, they condemn. Now this has at least three implications. No sin that we commit will escape his notice. However, he will see every faithful thing his people do. And three, he will note every injustice that is done to his people by their enemies. Verse 15, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace. His feet of burnished bronze suggest judgment, since the burnished bronze altar of the temple of Israel was the place where the fire consumed sin offering. His feet will crush evil. The Lord will come to judge the evil world system, but first he begins with the house of God. Right now, the Lord is judging those who are his own. We who comprise this present church age, the things that are. He prunes us through trials so that we would be more productive for his kingdom. Some are laid aside from ministry. Some are taken home to glory by premature death. And all of us will be rewarded according to Christ's judgment during this church age. Again, 1 Peter 4, 7, for it is a time of judgment to begin in 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? If the image that John saw is not your image of Jesus right now, you need to change it. If you cling to a gentle Jesus, meek and mild, who every now and then only suggests optional changes, and he's never going to hold you accountable, please update your image. The second part of verse 15 says, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. I've never been to Niagara Falls, but I have no problem imagining it to be a deafening roar, because I've heard the falls around here, and I've been up close to the waterfalls of Yosemite. The sound is impressive. Rushing water is beautiful, but it's dangerous at the same time. The voice of the Lord would be a roar of a beautiful and dangerous judgment. Men inside and outside the church are not going to listen to that voice, but one day they'll hear him whether they like it or not. Revelation 1.16, 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. Now, a few moments ago, we looked ahead to verse 20, so we know that the symbolism of the stars in Jesus's hand was defined for us there in verse 20. Jesus tells us what they represent. He says, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Now, even though we have verse 20 here telling us what they are, There is an awful lot of ambiguity today among theologians as to what that means. There's disagreement among those who study the book of Revelation. You see the word angels, angelos in the Greek, most literally means messengers. Angolas, messengers of the churches. Now, angels were messengers, weren't they? And most translations automatically render this Greek word, angolas, that's used here in Revelation 120, they automatically translated angels. I wish they didn't do that. I wish they weren't so automatic. because I think it's much better to keep it what the word literally means, which is our English word, messengers. Here's why. Here's why I say that. In chapters two and three, which we're going to begin next week, every letter to the seven churches starts off with the same, in the exact same manner. To the Angelus, of the church in Ephesus, and then the next letter starts off, to the Angelus of the church at Smyrna, and to each of the subsequent five letters, it begins the same way, to the Angelus of the church in... Now, we can assume that every church has its own angel. Okay, I like that kind of thinking that every church has its angel. It's hard for me not to think that this might be true, But you know, there's nothing in scripture that suggests that it is true, that every church has its own angel. Now, I want to give you the reason why I don't like them automatically putting the word angel here, that it should be messenger. And I hope you evaluate this with me here too. Several of these letters are admonitions to the churches. I don't think God would admonish angels. God's angels obey him. And as we get into these letters to the angelos, to the messengers of the churches, we're going to see that they are rebuked for allowing sin into the church. That's why I think it should be translated messengers, not angels, because angels obey God. And these Angolos are being rebuked for their disobedience. That's why messengers should be the translation. I think it's better to understand that these are messengers of every church. They are the lead teachers in the church. You know, the first century didn't have a formal system of pastors. That's why we don't see the word pastor here. But it's messenger, lead teacher of the church. Each one did have its own primary teacher who is responsible for leading that congregation the right way through the teaching of God's Word. They are accountable to God for the churches they represent. Now, this image of stars, I think that's a beautiful symbol. It's a wonderful symbol of the main messenger of a church. Stars have always guided people. Stars illuminate. They shine in the darkness. I think it's a great symbol here. Most of all, most of the scholars that I have studied They see this as the lead pastors of churches are being addressed here. And what is depicted here are these pastors in Jesus's right hand. Pastors have very severe judgment if they mislead God's people, but they also have Christ's protection when they're faithful. I don't mean to be self-serving by what I'm about to say. In fact, my temptation was not to mention it at all, but I think I would not be giving you the full picture of this verse in its context if I didn't. You know the history of the church down through the ages? Unfortunately, includes the church attacking its pastors. Church members can be rather cruel and think nothing at all about gossiping about him, destroying his character, destroying his ability to minister to others in the church and in the community. Pastors are often forced out of ministry by those who do not know that Christ has them in his right hand. Yes, Jesus judges pastors more severely, but he also protects those who are faithful more strenuously. The picture of Christ holding the angolas, the messengers of the churches, in his right hand comes right in the middle of his image of judging the church in the world. I think that he's going to be judging a lot of churches for flippantly acting as though they are free to destroy a pastor if they don't like him, without any repercussion from Christ. The faithful messenger will be securely held in the hand of his all-glorious Lord. Okay, let's move on now. Out of his mouth came a two-edged sword, and this is, of course, the Word of God. The sword in Jesus's mouth symbolizes the power and force of his message. People today can be very trifling and careless about the Word of God, but one day they'll have this powerful word sword judge them. And his face was like the sun shining in full strength. The Lord's shining countenance reminds us of his transfiguration, doesn't it? And the sun is a familiar image of God in the Old Testament, for example, in Psalm 84, reminding us not only of blessing, but of judgment. The sun can burn and it can bless. The vision of Christ was totally different in appearance from the Savior that John knew in the flesh when he was ministering here on earth. He was not here, the gentle Jewish carpenter that sentimentalists like to sing about. He is the risen, glorified, exalted Son of God, who has the authority to judge all men, beginning with his own people. Taken at home now, verses 17 and 18. 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 and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. John's falling down as though dead is not an act of worship here. It's rather a fainting of fear. Have you ever heard somebody say, you know, when I get to heaven, I'm gonna have a little talk with Jesus and I'm gonna tell him this and I'm gonna ask him that? No, you're not. No, you're not. You're probably gonna respond like John here, just, you're gonna faint before his glory. You're not his equal. the one who spoke grace and peace to his people, which we saw back in verse four, placed his right hand on John as a gesture of comfort. He then spoke words of comfort, and he gave reasons why John should not be afraid, and he began with a reminder of his divinity, and then he gave encouragement to any follower who faces possible death. You know, today, every single one of us has to have the right desperately needs to have the right perception of Jesus. For some, the need is to see him in his majestic splendor, poised to judge the world, starting with the church. The world seems so far out of control without any repercussions of evil and debauchery that seems to be getting worse and worse and worse. But it has not slipped out of Christ's control. He is coming to judge the world. and make no mistake about this, your best life is not right now. Your best life will begin when the skies are split and the shout of the archangel comes. Your encouragement from this passage is so much to patiently endure whatever afflictions you are facing right now in your life. Now others, Maybe some listening to me right now have a great need to adjust their vision of Christ in a different way. Their necessity is to know that he sees what they think, what they're doing in private, and it's not that he is unconcerned. They don't know or they don't care that his eyes are like flames of fire and his feet are like burnished bronze. He stands in the midst of the candles. So I have two questions to ask anyone that's listening to me today. Number one, who is Jesus to you? What kind of Jesus do you believe in? Is he just the man upstairs? Or is he something more? Is your Jesus big enough to meet your financial needs after a job loss? Is your Jesus enough to meet your financial needs amidst huge inflation? Can he offer you strength after the doctor gives you difficult news of the lab results? after facing unexpected death of a loved one? Is Jesus someone who looks away at your sin? Does he ignore the talents he gave you to invest for his kingdom? Number two, what do you fear? What is it that you wake up in the middle of the night obsessing about? Jesus is right now the Jesus that John saw. What do you really have to fear? Having the right image of Christ is the first of three important emphases that we come to in the book of Revelation. I hope you see why it is so important. See Jesus as he really is. Let's pray.