Random revelation notes. Sorry if this doesn't really have a
perfect flow. I had to listen to this sermon twice because there was SO much in
it..
‘Death, life and one like a Son of Man among the candlesticks.’
(Opening reading, Rev 1 and Isaiah 22: 15-25) In reference to the clothes of Christ-
‘The Clothes make the man.’ When we look at people we size them up by how
they dress. This appearance of Christ is the most significant thing in all
revelation. What is coming in the latter parts of the book is defined by who
Christ is. Every attribute of Christ, has to do with what the book is about.
*We need to think more broadly about the whole Bible when
understanding Revelation. When you read the Bible, it is telling our redemptive
history and how God has revealed himself to us. You have to understand geneses
1,2,3 and 4 or you cannot understand the flow of the Bible.
*The Garden of Eden is pictured in and throughout the whole
bible. Eden is where God lives. You go on the top of the mountain to be with
him. There is a river that flows out to the four corners of the earth. We have
perfect communion with God but then we are thrust out and there are angels guarding
the door. We cannot get in. Corresponding is the tabernacle. It is a kind of
Eden. In the garden, tabernacle and the temple there is a picture of a person.
Holy of Holies- The head
Show bread table- The body
Bronze alter- The Feet
(Daniel is behind all of revelation. 10:5-6 is a corresponding
picture of Jesus)
When God thrust Israel out that does not mean He is not done
with His people. He is still working with them but they then lived in the 'time of
the gentiles.'
*The statue from Daniel has fallen down. It toppled from the bottle
to top. It toppled all at once. This is very important. When the statue falls,
the ‘time of the Gentiles’ is over. The people of God no longer had protection
by the rulers and governors. We have a kingdom now. We are in Christ’s kingdom.
There is now a new man and the new man is Jesus.
John was in the realm of the spirit. On the Lords day-
Sunday.
The trumpet: God calls his people together by trumpets. God
is calling John.
(1: 14-16 is a description of Jesus.)
Golden lampstands:
1.) As you enter into the holy room, by the curtain
there is a golden lampstand, a table of showbread and the alter of incense. The
Lampstand is casting light on the showbread.
2.) The lampstand represents an ‘almond’ tree. The Hebrew
does not have a word for ‘almond’ however, that is how the bible translates it.
Jer 1: 11-12 What does Jeremiah see? ‘A rod of an almond tree.’ The word comes
from the root that means, ‘to watch.’ Jeremiah sees a “watcher tree.”
3.) What is it watching? It is watching the
showbread. Just like the priest has to trim the lamp, Jesus is walking through
the 7 churches and he is trimming the lampstands.
4.)Jesus is the Gardener. When He was raised from
the dead and Mary mistakes Him for the ‘Gardener’ She does not mistake Him by
accident. This is a literary devise God planned because Jesus IS the TRUE
gardener. Jesus is the NEW Adam. Go back to creation. Adam fails, but then
along comes one like a Son of Man, a second Adam. He does everything perfectly
and that is what revelation is about.
The Garden is now the 7 churches and the 7 churches are ‘watchers.’
*On the table there are 12 loaves of bread which correspond
in Israel literature to the 12 constellations. If you went into an early synagogue
you would see on the floor the zodiac. (And the 7 stars) Each constellation
corresponds to a tribe of Israel. (Leo- Judah. Aquarius- Ephraim. Taurus- Rueben.
Scorpio- Dan) (Mr. Nelson called this a fun fact. ;)
* The watcher tree in the tabernacle is watching the 12
tribes of Israel. Gen 1:14-18 (the word ‘Seasons’ should be better translated
as ‘Festivals.’) All the stars are made in a certain pattern. The stars are governors
between light and darkness. When you look through the O.T. the stars, the sun
and the moon are representatives of people who govern.
“The sun will go dark...” Babylon has fallen and died, Edom
has fallen and died, Egypt has fallen and died. These things have already
happened.
1.) We see a picture of a lampstand which is the
picture of the tabernacle. Rev 1:20. The seven lampstands are the stars and
they are watching the showbread. They are looking at Israel which is a greater
picture of the 12 constellations and also a picture of the whole world. We are
supposed to be watching the whole world.
2.) Every Sunday we gather report to the Lord and we
talk with each other about what is happening in the world. We are watchers. Jesus
has 7 lampstands and He begins is trimming the lamps in chapter 2. He has
something to say to each of the churches about their behavior. And He tells
them if they do not do whatever He commands then He will remove their lampstand.
*Angels in the O.T are compared to stars. In the N.T, angels
do not govern anymore but instead, man governs now over the world and under Christ.
The word ‘Angel’ is the word messenger’
The church is a watcher. It’s a type of the Garden of Eden
and here in the Garden Jesus is trimming the trees, taking care of the garden. Jesus
takes care of the Garden unlike Adam ever did. *The lord is in the church (as a
whole) still trimming us, taking care of us and shaping us. We don’t need to
fret about the different denominations because the gardener is still here and
he is walking among us.
*Jesus is clothed like a priest. (His clothes resemble the ephod
in the O.T.) These clothes are for glory and beauty. (The priest wears Linen on
the day of atonement. Which resemble ‘Work clothes’ for Him. ) Jesus is walking
through these lampstands but His work is done. He put on His linen clothes (His
work clothes) at the cross and He presented the sacrifice to God almighty. And He
now has put the clothes on that are for glory and for beauty. He work is done,
He is at rest.
(In Hebrew the words for ‘temple’ and ‘palace’ are the same
and also, the word for ‘priest’ and the word for ‘servants’ (of the King) are
the same.)
Jesus is clothed like Eliakim. (Is. 22) Jesus is the
doorkeeper and you can’t get to God unless you go through Jesus.
“Blessed is the one who hears and keeps what he hears.” The
Lord has a voice like many waters and we are to listen to Him.
*John fell at his feet, “Like a dead man.”… “And he placed
his right hand on me….”
The most numerous command that the Lord gives to His
people is the command, “Do not fear."
1) John is an apostle, he had seen Jesus on earth
and John had seen Jesus after He died when He had appeared to the 12... But now
when John sees Jesus he is afraid. Why?
2.) Why is the right hand significant? In the Garden,
Adam and Eve see they are naked; their eyes are opened to see good and evil and
they look at themselves and realize they are NOT worthy. So they sew fig leaves
to cover their nakedness and then they hear God. The NASB says they heard God “Walking
in the cool of the day.” The Word ‘cool’ is the word ‘Spirit.’ ‘The Spirit of
the day.” The ‘Wind.’ God comes like Wind. This is the first picture of God
riding the clouds like a chariot. Flashes of lightening and peals of thunder. They
hear him and they hide because they know they as good as dead. But God raises
them up and clothes them by a bloody sacrifice.
3.)All throughout scripture there are pictures of
us being dead and Jesus reaches down and raises us up to new life. John was
raised up to new life.
*One of the things that is lacking in the evangelical church is a true fear and revering for God. Real joy comes
out of real fear for knowing God. When we hear what the Bible says and we choose
not to do it we show ourselves not to fear God.
John understood he
was dead and Jesus saved him. Jesus has raised us with His right hand out of
darkness into light. We have passed out of death into new life.
Love Always
HollyDee
But remember this, my
brother
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for God
