Study 7 : The glorious eternal revelation of Christ and His commission to John and all His followers of all ages.

Study 7 : The glorious eternal revelation of Christ and His commission to John and all His followers of all ages.

Revelation  1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,  1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.  1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;  1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.  1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.  1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:  1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;  1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Our exalted glorious Master and Lord Jesus Christ,  revealed Himself to John as the eternal majestic Son of the living God.

This was far different from His earthly revelation and when apostle John saw Him, he fainted.

Christ is the eternal Lord. He is God and equal to the eternal Father.

Philippians  2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Hebrews  1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.  1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

1 John  5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

It was after this glorious revelation that, He commissioned apostle John to write the book of revelation.

In both old and new testaments,  God the Father and His exalted glorified Son, have always sustained that pattern.

Before anyone is given a unique commission, it is always preceded with glorious revelation…

Listen to some few examples.

1. Abraham 

Genesis  17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.  17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Isaiah  51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.  51:2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

2. Moses

Exodus  3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.  3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.  3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:  3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.  3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

3. Jeremiah 

Jeremiah  1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.  1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.  1:7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.  1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.  1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.  1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Saul of Tarsus

Acts  9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

The apostles.

Matthew  28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.  28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This revelation gives us assurance in times of trouble to continue to the end.

2 Timothy  1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,  1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:  1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.  1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Revelation  2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.  2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.  2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation  3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;  3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.  3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.  3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.  3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

All the saints of old and followers of Christ throughout the ages are strengthened through these various glorious revelations to continue faithfully to the end despite painful unavoidable afflictions.

The good Lord will help even you too, to fulfill His commission for you.

Let us pray.