Thoughts On The Vision Of Jesus In Revelation 1

Tumultuous times! Both the apostle John and Ezekiel lived in such times – when the world suffered great mayhem, murder and misery on a grand scale. John saw the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and some millions of Jews killed in the War of the Jews under Emperors Nero and Vespasian. Ezekiel lived through the three deportations  by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon around 600BC and all the resultant loss of life and property in the resistance to the Babylonian invasion and control. Daniel went through the same things with Ezekiel – though Daniel lived in Babylon and Ezekiel lived some 80.4 kilometers south east of Babylon.

John has drawn much of his imagery in Revelation from both Ezekiel and Daniel. Both Revelation and the book Daniel are apocalyptic books – dealing with revelation, or dealing with the telos/end of things. Both reveal the Son of Man – see the similarities between Daniel 10:4-14 and Revelation 1:10-19.

See the pattern of things – the pattern of the man with the sword!                                     The Angel guarding the way to the Tree of Life Genesis 3:24; the commander of the Lord’s army who met Joshua at Gilgal Joshua 5:13-15; the Word of God Hebrew 4:12; and here in Revelation 1 and 19 Jesus is revealed as the one who can open up the guarded way to the tree of life.

Revelation 19:11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.  12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Stars and sun – remember Joseph – the deliverer of His people!

John fell at His feet – Jesus raised him up by hand! Daniel fell at the Son of Man’s feet and He lifted Him up.

There is not a one-to-one correspondence between these things, but there is pattern. Life is not ruled by chaos. Look for pattern in what appears chaotic. Look to the pattern-maker and to what He is revealing.

Thoughts on John 8:48-59 – Jesus’ Claim To Be God = Mad – Bad – Or God

John 8:48-59, Exodus 3:1-15

Jesus – Mad, Bad Or God

To people who had believed in Him but had turned away because of His hard sayings. 8:31

A Samaritan – not a true Jew!

Demon-possessed – evil and under satanic control!

CS Lewis regarding the claims of Jesus about Himself: Jesus – Mad, Bad, or the Son Of God!

Faith in Christ is a rational faith. It is not against reason that you believe. You can look at the claims of Jesus Himself. You and I can stand with Luke back in the first century – is Jesus who He says He is or is He a charlatan or is He mad? All the Apostles except John died terrible deaths testifying to Jesus Christ as God’s Son our Saviour! Who convinced them? They were not con-men – conmen are in it either for riches or power.

The Promise:

• If Anyone Keeps My Word He Will Never See Death! Jesus to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with Me in paradise!” Luke 24:43
• We experience death, but will not see death – ie death be our final reality!
• Remember Jesus taught His disciples that He would go up to Jerusalem and that the Jewish authorities would put Him to death.
• Death is swallowed up in victory – we are delivered from eternal death unto eternal life – life to the full!
• Keep His word! Be faithful to Him as He is to you!
• We also see death in a different light. The Apostle Paul said: 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

The Glory:

• My Father … Your God … Is The One Who Glorifies Me.
• Jesus does not honour Himself! Self-glory is no true and worthwhile glory!
• Jesus gives their God and their ancestor Abraham as those who will testify for Him! Abraham rejoiced at the thought of the day of Christ!
• Jesus charges these devout people with being unacquainted with their God. If they truly knew Him they would honour those He honoured! Never be surprised at what religious people do – be they devout atheists or devout whatever, even professed Christians. Our great problem is not religion, but wrong religion! In the world we will have anger and persecution and mis-understanding.
• I know Him! What a claim!

The Claim:

• Before Abraham Was Born, I Am!
• Jesus claimed quite openly to be God. People who make such claims are usually mad or bad, mentally disturbed or con-men. There are countless people today in both categories.
• I AM – the personal Name of God.
• Jesus’ teaching is no novelty but the very substance of Abraham’s religion and faith – before Abraham was Jesus is!
• The witness of Jesus’ life – at Nazareth and later
• The witness of Jesus’ miracles
• The witness of Jesus’ teaching
• The witness of Jesus’ resurrection
• Pilate knew that Jesus was not mad nor was He bad! He wanted to let Jesus go.
• Who do you think Jesus is! This question is the point of faith. We come to it and either stop or go on!
• Go on!

Thoughts On 2 Samuel 12 – Old Testament Parables Sunday October 30th 2011

2 Samuel 12:1-13

The Parable Of The Ewe Lamb

The parable that obliged David to condemn himself – just like the parable of the vinedressers. Matthew 21:33-46

The grace of God is evident and paramount in this history. Without God’s gracious work in his heart, David would have been like Saul and murdered Nathan. By God’s grace, David didn’t, but turned to God, confessed his sin so that his repentance became as notorious as his sin!

A Believer’s Hypocrisy

• David God’s Christ, the King of Israel. David stood for godliness, justice, fairness, equity!
• Adultery and murder, with lies. David involved the whole Palace in collusion and hypocrisy – at the very centre of God’s peoples heart and life.
• Devastating effects of David’s hypocrisy – within his family – sons and cousins and nephews; within the civil service and leadership of the nation. Eg: moral rot with consequent violence, injustice, social disorder and uproar, self-serving people being promoted above good governance people.

The Story That Cut

• A simple story of injustice and cruel disregard for those unable to defend themselves. It stirred David to anger, real anger at such pitiless and callous treatment of one of his people.
• David was God’s Christ – he was the protector and defender of God’s people. It was his role to restrain evil and promote what was good – and he tried with all his heart and might. David wanted his reign to be the opposite of Saul’s – to have a different end!
• “You are the man!” Nathan’s words cut through his pride so that he was willing to lose face before his court and admit his guilt. David’s repentance became as notorious as his sin! Nathan was a faithful prophet and friend!

 The Heart that Hearkened

• By grace David is saved through faith and that not of himself. It was the gift of god, not of works, lest David should boast. God saved David unto good works – the Ten Commandments!
• David saw the evil of his sin in a way he hadn’t. Before he had excused himself, now he does not. “I have sinned against the LORD!” David thought he had sinned against his neighbour. He thought that that wasn’t as bad as against God.
• God forgave David’s sin. David had to suffer the results of his sin in his family and nation – the sword will never depart from your house.
• In God’s grace and mercy, the sword of judgment was the means of David’s salvation and ours – the sword took Jesus’ life. This sword judgment was overcome in Jesus’ resurrection! The sword has now departed from David’s house – an eternal salvation overcoming an eternal judgment! Hallelujah! David’s greater Son died that we born in sin might live and not die as this babe of David and Bathsheba!