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Book of Revelation chapter one verse.
4.
7 Revelation chapter one verse 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also were pscierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall well because of him Even so Amen. I am alpha Omega, the beginning and the ending saith the Lord, which is.
Which was which is to come the Almighty I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom of patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit of the Lord's Day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last.
And that what thou seest, write any book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, under Ephesus, and under Smyrna, and unto Perkins, unto Thyatia, unto Sardis, unto Philadelphia, unto Laodicea. And I turn to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks 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 Pabst with a golden girdle, his head and his hairs were white like wool as white as snow. In his eyes was a flame of fire, his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in the furnace. And his voice at the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet. Is dead. He laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the 1St and the last. And he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I'm alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and death write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. 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.
It's helpful to realize as we embark on this verse that this verse is not talking about the what we refer to as the rapture or the coming of the Lord Jesus for His Saints. Because when the Lord Jesus comes for us to call us to the Father's house in First Thessalonians 4, it's explained very carefully that he's going to come on the Cloud and give a shout.
And those who are have died in faith are going to be resurrected, and they with us who are alive and remain, are going to be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord? It's going to be, I believe, a quietly orderly exodus out of this world. Things are going to deteriorate in the world very quickly after we're gone and the Spirit of God is gone. But we're going to be quietly and orderly called out of this world.
And So what he's referring to here is when the Lord Jesus comes back in power and glory.
We referred to it this morning in connection with His coming with His Saints, and He's going to be glorified in His Saints and admired in all them that are about Him in that day. Now just say this about the Cloud and Scripture Cloud. The Cloud or clouds are often connected with the Lord's glory. You find that in the Old Testament so often. We mentioned this morning in connection with the glory of the Lord. They saw the glory of the Lord in the Cloud in Exodus chapter 16.
And often through the Old Testament, the glory of the Lord is connected with the Cloud and the glory of His person.
And this verse here will really be the fulfillment of what we have, or partially anyway in Acts. Just go to Acts chapter one because I think, again, it's good to have sorted out clearly from Scripture the difference between the Lord's coming for his Saints and the Lord's coming with his Saints. The rapture and the appearing notice been a lot of confusion and there is a lot of confusion often amongst Christians.
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And even amongst those gathered to the Lord's name sometimes miss applications because we don't take up the coming of the Lord in its proper context and character. Just notice in Acts chapter one when the Lord was taken up and again it's connected with the Cloud verse nine. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, he went. As he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Now again, I don't believe this is the Lord's coming for us.
That is referred to in First Thessalonians 4 and other places when the Lord, what he's referring to here is when the Lord Jesus comes back, the Cloud received Him out of their sight. They saw Him no more to the physical eye, but He is coming back and the world is going to see Him and His earthly people represented by the disciples here, these men of Galilee, they're going to see Him. He's going to reveal Himself to them.
Going to reveal himself to the world, but it's not going to be until that day, as we were saying this morning, when he comes back in power and glory to execute righteousness and judgment and to bring about eventually order and that millennial scene of of the Kingdom. So I just say that that when it says in the verse, we begin with, behold, he cometh with clouds. It's not the rapture, but it's that day of glory that he is anticipating.
He went up from the Mount of Olives. That's where he's going to come back to as well. Notice it in Zechariah 14, so beautiful to Connect this in Scripture, verse 4, Zechariah 14, four. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the West, and there shall be a very great valley.
Half of the mountains shall we move toward the north, and half of it toward the South.
You shall flee to the valley of the mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach into Hazel. Yeah, ye shall flee like as ye fled in the day before the earthquake, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the Lord my God shall come.
In all the Saints with thee.
So he's coming back. That should thrill us, brother, and that should encourage us. He's coming back, He's coming, and every eye shall see him and he comes for us. I don't think there will be wailing, but in this coming there's wailing because people will realize the partying's over. No more drinking, no more.
The ****** of this world.
They have to meet with the King of Kings and they're going to wail.
It's also a statement right in the beginning that.
Is a statement of the grace of God that He has not abandoned his earthly people.
The revelation has to do with the earth seeing from the perspective of heaven and.
And so John, in order to properly see what was going to take place, is taken envision up to heaven so he can see things as God sees them from his perspective and he gets to look down and see what's going to happen on the earth. The church having a heavenly destiny is seen in chapters 2 and three and it's testimony days on earth. But then from that point until the Lord comes in glory in chapter 19, it's not taken off. It's it's not the subject of the book.
But the subject of the book and much of the language of the book is Jewish.
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In its character, because God's dealings with the earth as an earth had to do first of all with His people, Israel, and then they have to do with the nations of the earth and His judgment upon all. And consequently, just as there's a word of grace to us to reassure us in John as to our portion, so there's this little message here, as John says about it in the new translation. Yay, all men. Yes, Amen. Thank you, Lord, for that little statement.
Should go back to see it as it says here, they which pierced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Go back again to Zachariah chapter 13, where you have what's going to take place and what this verse just described or states is going to happen. And here in Zechariah chapter 12, did I say 13, chapter 12, you see why it's a word of grace.
To the earthly people.
In chapter 12 and.
Uh, verse, don't want to take too much time with this, but it says verse 7, the Lord also shall save the tents of Judah. First, that the glory of the House of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah in that day. So the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them in that day shall be as David, and the House of David shall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them.
And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem, and I will pour upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications. And they this is what's directly connected with the verse in our chapter. And they shall look on him whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall see in bitterness for him the one that is in bitterness for his first born.
In that day there should be a great morning. This is again the wailing of our chapter. A great morning in Jerusalem as the morning of Aden ribbon in the valley of Mageddon. And the land shall mourn. Every family apart. The House of David apart, their wives apart. The family of the House of Nathan apart and their wives apart. The family of the House of Levi apart and their wives apart. The family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart.
All the families that remain, every family apart and their wives support what's being described here in Zachariah is the Lord Jesus when he takes up his earthly people again, they're going to have to go through all these judgments that are given in the in the book of the revelation. But he gives them a word and he says, but I'm going to take you through it. But first I have to Restore you to myself so that when I take you through it, you'll be able to be with me in it.
And so there will be a process in which those who have faith on earth in in the land, this is speaking about the Jewish people. Those of them that have faith will be restored to the Lord and they'll be restored through a process in which they see the the hands pierced and they say, he can say to them, what are these wounds which which I was afflicted in the House of my friends?
And they'll say, we did it, we crucified you, but you were our Messiah. And uh, there will be mourning among them. Every family apart will mourn for their collective responsibility and having put him to death and crucified him. And in the revelation as it unfolds itself in Chapter 7 and in chapter 14, we see these same ones again as marked out by God to be preserved through it all.
Aft and also, as he says here, you'll know when these things unfold that the nations will come against Jerusalem. But I'll be with you. I'll be with you and I'll take you through it and I'll preserve you. They have to go through a process of restoration. It's not instantaneous. And they'll suffer as an as a people and and yet these words are to them or for them.
A little statement of the Lord before I unfold this whole picture to you. Yes, you'll mourn, you'll know you crucified me, but I'll be with you in it. My soul is very, very touched whenever I read the story of Joseph in this respect, because Joseph and his brethren is a picture to us of the Lord Jesus in this process in which his people are restored to him. And I think it's seven times in the end of Genesis, the Lord weeps.
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And uh, we'll see the Lord Jesus week then I believe we'll weep with him as this process takes place and they are restored to him and then he protects them. Many of them, some of them will die and have a heavenly heart in the first resurrection, but many of them will be preserved as well to go into the, to the Millennium, their brethren who are not of faith. One more comment about it. We learn from Zechariah.
That of the if you take the people of Israel during this period of which the revelation covers 1/3 of them will survive as being of faith or at least submission to the Lord, 2/3 of them will die. Tremendous terrible day is coming, but the Lord says I'll be with you. So what you're saying brother, is that this is.
Not all the people that are in the earth at that time, but this is the tribes and it says every eye shall see him. That's not every eye on earth. It's the 10 tribes, right?
Well, it's.
In Scripture.
And the prophetic word, there's a distinction carefully made between the land, the earth, and the world. And this is describing the restoration of all 12 tribes. And in fact, the two tribes are restored first. I'm afraid we're going to get too far down this road, get away from our chapter. But the two stripes are restored first. But they're restored in such a way that they don't glory.
Over the restoration of the other ten. That's what you have in chapter 12 That we read. But what he is saying to them is that in the total process, the all 12 tribes will be dis restored. The one third 2/3 is the two tribes. The other 10 tribes are restored later and they're restored with an even greater loss of life. Just to bring that out that we don't want to belabor it, but let me read in Mr. Darby's translation the verse we're considering.
In our chapter, because as Brother Dawn has said, there's really two, if I can put it this way, two parts to the restoration of God's earthly people. The one we get in the 12Th chapter of Zechariah, and the other we get in the 13th chapter, and we'll notice it in a minute. But let me just read this in Mr. Darby's translation. Behold, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and, and they which have pierced him. I'm going to stop there for a moment.
When the Lord Jesus was here, it was the Jews that were in the land. It was not the nation as a whole. And so they are held responsible for having pierced Him. And so they're going, they're going to look on him whom they pierced, those that were in the land at at the time. But let me finish the verse in Mr. Darby's translation. And all the tribes of the land shall wail because of Him.
Yes, Amen. Just go back to Zechariah for a moment and follow on. Let's follow on for just a moment with what dawn has brought before us. So in the 12Th chapter we have they shall look on whom him whom they pierced, and they're held very responsible because they were in the land and it was their leaders that cried away with him, crucify him. But the language is a little bit different in the next chapter, in the 13th chapter.
In verse six. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, Now notice this.
Those with which I was wounded in the House of my friends. A little different, isn't it? They look on him. They don't know what these wounds are. The 10 tribes were not in the land when the Lord was there. They will. All the tribes of the land are gonna be brought back. They're gonna see him. They're gonna be blessed, and they're going to have to own their part as being part of the nation of Israel. But they're not held as responsible. And so he says.
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So what this this is what I received in the House of my friends, those that were in the land of Benjamin and Judah at the at the time when the Lord Jesus was here. So I think it's helpful to make that distinction. But as Dawn said in our verse, it's all-encompassing. It's those who pierced the Lord, those who were more responsible because they were in the land at the time. And then the other, all the tribes brought back. And they're all going to have to own their part in one way or another, and they're going to wail because of him.
But then there's going to be wonderful restoration for them as a result of their repentance.
Is that what you? Is that helpful?
How subtle it is that to whom much is committed, much is required. And that's just what we've been reading. So we need to each one of us, make this personal and ask ourselves how much has been committed to each one of us in this room.
To the children raised under the sound of these words.
Much is required.
But it's not a duty as much. Well, of course it's a duty, but it's a privilege.
The next verse, verse eight, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is and was and which is to come, the Almighty.
He is Jehovah.
But in this first chapter, it brings before, in the later in the chapter, the judicial character of His Majesty to judge and to bring about all that the revelation speaks of. But it just gives US1 short statement about him and his and his being as to who he is and who he is, gives him the right to do what he does. It's important he he's he gives these little introductory statements before he unveils the truth of the whole book.
And if we Passover them too quickly, we miss something really important in them. And in this first chapter, this is Mr. Darby's translation is just one little paragraph of one sentence long of its own to tell us the greatness of this person in his character. Get over to the testimony of the church in chapters 2 and three. It fails and it's put aside because it did was not faithful to its.
Testimony. But when you get to chapter 4, when the church has to be put aside, then the question is, well, who can take it up? Who can give glory to God on the earth? Who can be a proper testimony for God's rights and interest in the world?
The one in chapter one that we just read about here, the Almighty and that character, he has the right to it. He is over it all. But in chapter 4.
He specifically brought before us as creator. Does not the creator have the right to the earth? Of course he does and so he's going to take the earth as and his rights as creator in chapter five he has an additional claim to the earth and to set it right because.
Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. What does that give it to him?
As we have in the Gospels, He has the right to the earth as the Redeemer, and so Creator, Redeemer, the Almighty, all these attributes and actions of His, of His person, give Him the right and the glory to do what He does. And so He goes on to fulfill it and to carry it out on the earth.
Not only does he have the right, but he has the ability, doesn't he? And so he is the Almighty. And I've enjoyed it in connection with the Lamb and the Lion. You know, it's interesting that in Revelation you only have the Lion once. The Lamb is, I believe, 28 times because the Lamb shows his worthiness on the ground of the sacrificial work of Christ and the blood that he shed.
But the lion, he's able, you know, someone might be worthy to do something or take up a work. They might even by birth have the right entitled to something, but they may for some reason or other not be able. You know, there have been many born into this world, the sons of kings and great leaders. And they had the right entitled by birth, but for some reason, maybe something physical, something mental.
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Or some other external reason beyond their control. They weren't able to carry on the line of power in that country or whatever it was. They had the authority, but they weren't able. But there's one who not only has the authority, but he's able and he is going to carry it out. Great men rise and fall today. You know, there are many who the world would say today have the right and title as leaders to carry out certain things.
But things are so out of control in this world that even men in high places who feel they have the right entitle, they're realizing they're dealing with an A, a interplay of economic and political and social forces that are far beyond their control. But the elastic is being stretched further and further and that it's gonna snap and they can't stop it. They may, they may have the they may have the right, but they don't have the ability. But brethren, there's one who's coming. It says not who's right. It is.
But he is also able, and so he's going to take the reins of government. He's going to bring about blessing for his earthly people, Israel, yes, but for the whole world. And he is the Son of righteousness is going to rise with healing in his wings. The Prince of Peace is going to come back. The judge is going to come. And there will be no question not only as to his worthiness, but his ability. And that if we can grasp that in our souls now, it's going to give us the patience and the confidence to just leave it for now.
To not try as Christians to grab the reins of government and control now.
But to realize that there's one who's in control behind the scenes and one who's going to take full control outwardly and bring it about regarding his standard and what he sees is right and proper and equity and justice. Are you and I willing to and content to leave it? If we understand that he is the worthy one and the able one has the ability, I believe it will give us that confidence to do it.
Like to make a comment a little added on the Lambs I think is important too in the Revelation when we go back to the introduction of the lamb in Exodus.
God was going to bring his judgment upon Egypt.
And the question was preserving, were there any that could withstand the judgment? And he's the when I passed through the land, every single first born in the land was subject to it. Whether he was a Jew or whether he was an Egyptian, he was under the.
Eye of the Destroyer.
But provision was to be made that there would be preservation through the process of his judgment. And so every person was given the opportunity to provide a lamb that would preserve and shelter from the judgment, to make atonement the covering that would preserve. And so you go to your.
Field and you look at your sheep and you say I don't have one. And so you go to your that's perfect, that meets the criteria. You go to your neighbors.
He says. I've been looking and none of mine measure up either. And so you go on to the rest of the village because the provision was you could share.
And as you see in the picture in Exodus 12, it ultimately says the lamb.
There weren't 57,000 of them, but it was the Lamb because in type there was only to be one that could meet the criteria to preserve. And you see the lamb in Genesis 22 in the person of Isaac with his father. And when the question of the Lamb comes up, it is answered and the statement God shall provide for himself the Lamb.
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And who is it? John's Gospel presents the Lamb to us.
And as the Lamb, there is only one that can preserve from the judgment of God, and as a consequence, the Lamb does preserve. But in his introduction to us, he's presented to us as, behold, the Lamb of God, which beareth away the sin of the world. It goes to the extent of not simply the individual protection from God's judgment by atonement.
But also that the Lamb would be the one that would remove from the sight of God all sin and everything that was out of character and order, with God the same.
One given to record John's gospel is given the responsibility of recording the revelation to us because it's a continuation of the story and the sense of it is the Lamb is going on with that work of removing.
The sin of the world. It won't all happen until all of new creation and a new heaven and a new earth. But the process of ordering it for God, that and the removal of that which opposes.
God is taken care of, but This is why I was making all these remarks. It's beautiful in the Revelation to see where the Lamb's name is mentioned because sometimes it's connected with glory and honor and judgment, but equally sometimes it's connected with preservation. He preserves You go to the 7th chapter and the representatives of the 12 tribes of Israel are seen and.
His mark of the Lamb is placed upon them, and what does it do?
It preserves them through the process. Why do we get preserved?
From God's judgment on the same ground, there's only one.
The one Lamb, God's Lamb preserves us. Otherwise without the Lamb, the whole creation would be judged. Every single person in this room would die and suffer the eternal judgment of God and responsibility. But God preserves by the Lamb, he's preserved us and he will preserve many in the revelation. And, and so you see the the goodness of God even in the judgments of God.
In this way through the one the lamb.
Redemption means to buy back and set free. So when the original creation fell under the consequences of sin and was ruined, the Lord Jesus came and as the Lamb paid the price to buy it back. What we have in the Book of Revelation is when he comes to set it free. Gonna completely set free the whole creation is what's re mentioned in.
And Ephesians chapter one when it speaks about the redemption.
Of the purchased possession, purchased possession is the whole creation. He bought back the whole field, the whole field. Now the whole world is under the consequences of sin. Well, he's coming back to undo that. All the millennial day, the ******* of corruption is going to be lifted off of this present creation. What a wonderful work. So he has the rights as Creator, but as also as Redeemer.
To judge.
Want to get on in this chapter to the part that speaks about where the Lord Jesus is presented in such a tremendously wonderful part? It's the introduction to the judge in here in chapter one.
And we met, we talked about verse nine, I think in a previous in the previous reading.
But in verse 10 he says I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
It's what we call the first day of the week, the Lord's Day, and heard behind me a great voice.
As of a trumpet.
Saying I am alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last.
He's gonna, He began it all, He's going to see it through. For God's glory. What thou seest write in the book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.
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I would like to hear comments on why John heard the voice behind him.
Not sure that I've ever got that question satisfied. Perhaps someone has a thought on that.
Book of Revelation is a prophecy, isn't it?
What's ahead? And John's ministry is therefore a ministry of prophecy.
Not of the Church of Prophecy.
But the sound he hears comes from behind him, the direction that he's not looking in.
So he has to turn back and look at that which has to do with the church.
That begins at this point in the book.
So he has to turn back from prophecy to see that which has to do with the assembly.
Then in chapter four, he turns back around, you might say, and continues to look in the direction of prophecy. What is future?
Thank you, David. That's good.
When he does turn to look, the first thing he sees is not.
The one who had spoken but the seven golden candles? Interesting.
Verse 12 I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw 7 golden candles sticks.
The light bears.
The light of testimony through the present age is what is.
Uh, reflected on here and that's the first thing he sees and as he sees the seven then.
We have that expression in the mix. I think that's such a beautiful expression that goes all the way through Scripture in the midst.
Different than the Lord being with us, the Lord is with all his redeemed people. But here is the Lord in the midst.
Oh brethren, what a tremendous reality this is.
There he is in the midst. Are you looking at Him? Do you see Him?
How important it is for our whole hearts.
Could someone explain why there's a different word used for lamb in the Book of Revelation than?
When is used for redemption and now in Revelation, it's a different word.
Compared to the one used like in John chapter one, behold the Lamb of God, that's more a mature lamb. But here's in a diminutive it's used one more time in John 21.
Uh, the little lamb is uh.
It's it's, it's the idea of a little lamb.
And I I just offer this thought that.
Uh, there's no competition between him and the little horn. Can I put it that way?
The the Lord Jesus is one who is, He's the eternal one. But it makes a remark somewhere I was looking for earlier this morning.
Uh, referring to the beast, I think it is he was, but he is not.
I don't know if that's the, uh, the real meaning of it, but, uh.
There's the little lamb who humbled himself to the death of the cross, uh, is able to overcome all enemies.
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This is part of it too. That revelation really has to do with God's vindication of this one that suffered so cruelly at the hands of man. It doesn't bring so much before us the blessed result.
And you do have it there in the end of the chapter, the throne of God and the Lamb, the blessed blessing that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb through redemption. But primarily the Book of Revelation doesn't give us the fullness of blessing of the atoning work. It doesn't give us Christian position. It doesn't bring us into the knowledge of God as our Father.
And so it is a book of judgment and it's so beautiful to consider this side of it. As was touched on this morning, it's.
God's answer to him before the before this world, not again the great blessing that flows to us who is atoning sufferings. So both are included there. But I believe that's the emphasis there in the Book of Revelation. And so you see it there in the 6th chapter. They see the great the, the, the great day of his wrath has come, the wrath of the Lamb. Now they're wrong as to fact it's not the great day of his wrath yet, but it's the wrath of the Lamb that they fear the wrath of this one.
When they treat it so cruelly.
One in the midst is likened to the Son of Man. That's the title he takes.
In judgment.
Go to John chapter 5.
Says.
Verse.
26 As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.
Verse 27 is what I want to do is show and hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of man. That's the title he takes in connection with judgment. So we have the judge introduced.
Clothed with a garment down to the foot. Girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Gold is divine righteousness.
And that's what he is, a God of love. Perhaps speak of love, but.
It's girded because it's a question of judgment here.
On the one hand, it's very solemn to consider his character here and where he is actually walking. He's walking in the midst of his own because I think as you said earlier today, Bob, judgment must begin at the House of God and so be before he takes up the judgments of this world. The Lord Jesus is a judge is walking in the midst of his assembly. He's walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, His own.
In the character of judge, and we see that from the robes and the hair and so on, and the eyes is a flame of fire. It's the character of judge. It's very solemn, brethren, to consider this aspect of things. We don't often or always think of it in connection with the assembly and being gathered to the Lord's name, but let's remember that the government of God with His people is a very real thing.
Yes, as we've had, He does love us.
But you know, he loves us too much to let us go our own way. He loves us too much to just let things slide amongst his people. And sometimes we think that things are just going to get swept under the carpet. Sometimes we think, well, if we just ignore it, time will heal it, it'll go away. But there are things that need to be dealt with collectively amongst the Lord's people for his glory. He his glory must be owned and, and, and authority must be owned and maintained.
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We profess to be gathered to the Lord's name. Are we giving him that place not a place of authority? Do we realize that He's walking, discerning those things that we think we have hidden? You know, I think of when I was a young person, you know, sometimes there were things I allowed and did in my life. And I thought, well, my parents are never going to find out about that. My brethren are never gonna find out about that.
You know, we learn, perhaps in a little way as we get older. We hide nothing.
From the Lord we might hide things, and we might hide things for a long time.
We might cover up things for a long time, but he has eyes as a flame of fire. He has those judicial robes in that right to judge, and will never be judged for our sins as far as a lost eternity.
But I say again, and you see it with the children of Israel illustrated over and over again, the governmental ways of God with us individually as families and collectively as gathered to the Lord's name are very, very real. The other thing, though, not to discourage us in this regard, is that we can take comfort from this as well. Maybe there's someone here and you say, well, you know, I've seen some things that are covered up and even when they're brought out, just doesn't seem like they're dealt with properly and so on.
Remember, there's one who'll deal with it. If we don't deal with it, there's one who will deal with it. And I've often said to, especially to younger brothers who perhaps raised concerns about things that they felt weren't dealt with properly in the assembly amongst the people of God. I've often said if you've delivered your soul on the matter, just leave it. He's walking, he's discerning, he's the judge, he does right.
The little different aspect, but there are two other aspects of the Lord Jesus in this regard.
That have brought me great comfort in difficulties and problems amongst the Lord's people.
One is he's head over the body. He is the head of the body.
He he's in, he's in charge. And the other one is in Hebrews. I think it's the third chapter. It says his son over his own house.
You know, we need to be faithful, but I've had to realize sometimes, brethren, He doesn't need me to clean house. It's His house. Now, if we don't take care of it for His glory, the house cleaning may be a little bit rough. He may have to, instead of taking the broom, he may have to take the scrub brush. I'm speaking very plainly, but His Son over his own house. And so it helps us on. On the one hand, it is to solemnize us.
That nothing escapes him. The government of God is real. On the other hand, there's someone here and you're a little discouraged with things you see going on even amongst the people of God.
Just leave it with him. He is in full control of every situation, nothing is hidden from him.
I've often found Jim, in my own experience, if things don't come out right away, it's because there's something deeper that he sees and is dealing with, and I wanna address that thing that seems to be rather superficial.
And it doesn't get to the bottom of it. So we need to walk in fear before him, brethren. And, uh, but in confidence, as you say that there is one who is faithful. But brother, and I just feel that we need to be exercised and view the fact that we're getting down to the end. The Lord is speaking to us. Lord is touching us. I'm not speaking about anybody else but myself. I see his hand in my life in a way that is.
Extremely difficult at times. What can I say? Am I going to escape it? His hand can't escape it. He has those eyes like you say is a flame of fire. They're extremely penetrating. You think you're going to get away from his eye? You can get away from your brother's eye, get away from your parents eyes, but not his eye.
Is the faithful witness.
I'd like to add a little bit on the Son of Man in connection with.
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His place here in Revelation 1 go back to Psalm 8.
Familiar verses to us, but in verse three when I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars.
Which thou hast ordained, What is man?
Thou art mindful of Him and the Son of Man that thou visitest Him, for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet. Verse nine. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name and all the earth.
God placed man on the earth.
In his image and likeness to the head over it for him and man failed God.
And brought dishonor upon his glory. And the question for God is, do I destroy it all we learn in Genesis 6. It depends. Repented God that he had made man, and God could look upon it.
And he had been shamed in man and in man's behavior. He had created man in a way that could represent him and bear his place.
On the earth and in certain ways like him. But what did man do? He shamed God. He rebelled against him.
And now the question comes, is God what is man? Is God to be honored in man or not? Or is man simply going to have to be removed from God by destruction?
The Lord Jesus came.
And vindicated God in manhood.
The Lord Jesus came and upheld the honor of God in manhood.
And it is the specific title that he personally used in his life.
But in connection with the revelation, and just notice here it says Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and made us him to have dominion. Just keep in mind hast made him to have dominion.
Now turn over to Matthew 16.
Here we have the wonderful revelation that's given to Simon Peter and verse 16, the hour to Christ, the Son of the living God. And the Lord honors that statement about himself, and on that statement, the church, the foundation of the person, and this testimony, the church is to be built.
But immediately after that Peter misses the mark and the Lord Jesus says to him.
Umm, we'll skip that part of it for shortness of time, but it says, uh, the Lord says to him, verse 23 He turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offense unto me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. Well, why?
Peter objected to what he said in verse 21. From that time forth Jesus began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day. And then he says later to him in verse 27 for the Son of Man.
Is come, for the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. And so the Lord Jesus as Son of Man glorified God on the earth and gave to God that glory in man that God was worthy of and do from man's standpoint. He crucifies him and says we won't have him, and he returns to the glory.
But when he comes back, God is going to continue.
To show that he is not frustrated in man.
But this man, the Son of Man, has so honored him in his first coming that when God says the time is now, he then sends him back.
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To give the established on the earth the order and honor that belongs to God and man. And he says you're worthy, that I put under you everything.
And I want you to, if I can speak in the vernacular of the day, I want you to clean up the mess and establish it all to my honor, to my glory. And the the one point I want to emphasize, though in it, brethren, is as Son of Man, He never steps out of his place of man. It's beautiful.
He is the Almighty, but as Son of Man. He never steps out of His place as man. And so he waits the Father's time. He acts according to the Father's will. He does what the Father asks him to do when he is finished with the full results of this work that the Father gives him to do this in his second coming. He presents it all to God in First Corinthians 15, and that God may be All in all.
That is, maintaining his place as man and God being. Ultimately all glory belongs to God in that way.
And so he does it, and here he is in that character, and yet he is in a majesty.
That as it says of him as Son of man here in the John falls at his feet is dead, and it says the sun shineth in its strength. What is it? It's it's it's the Son of man is so great in his glory that it's like the sun shining in its strength. Is God dishonored in man? In that No.
No, he shows the full character of his own glory in a man and.
Vindicates himself in all that he created and has done, and we shall say Amen and worship.
Verse 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.
Beautiful to go back to Daniel Chapter 7 to see the Ancient of Days there and it's mentioned twice.
Second time it is the Lord Jesus, quite clearly, but.
Here's the one that relates to the Ancient of Days.
Judgment is given unto him.
And his eyes were as the flame of fire. We had already spoken about that. His feet like undefined brass. Gold is divine righteousness.
But brass is divine righteousness and judgment. The brazen altar was made of brass.
His feet are his ways, and all His ways with his people, brethren.
As if they burned in his fir in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters.
He had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword. His word.
And then this part that Don has mentioned, his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Supreme power and authority, the sun is to rule the day.
So the Lord Jesus is going to rise as the Son of righteousness with healing in His wings. Think of looking into the face of this glorious person, Brethren, this is the one that is right now walking in the midst of the assembly. Do we see Him? Do we discern His presence in the midst?
How solemn it is. How? What a wonderful privilege.
But what a tremendous responsibility. At the same time, we're living in a world where sin is made light of increasingly, it's made entertainment.
And the current is so strong that sometimes we get swept along with it.
Brethren, sin is serious with God, serious business. God just does not take it lightly. And if we get into that frame of thinking, the Lord is going to touch us, brethren, He's going to speak to us. He's faithful and He has the last word. He is the alpha and the Omega. He's began this whole creation. He's the one that's going to see it through to the end.
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The Lord help us to.
Walk before him.
The proper attitude these last days.
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