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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(5) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation1:13-20 |
Date |
2006-11-10 |
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Revelation 1:13-20
[13] and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
[14] His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
[15] His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
[16] In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
[17] When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
[18] and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
[19] "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
[20] "As for the mystery of the seven stars which 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.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
There are some people who insist that they met the Lord with their spiritual eyes opened either in their dreams or in visions.
And most of them have something in common; they say the Lord looks overflowingly full of love and affection.
Well, there are no words in our vocabulary that can easily describe the Lord's appearance.
Even though, what the most of the people see from the Lord is a look of His human nature, rather than a look of His splendid glory in heaven.
However, rather than the glory and splendor of His spiritual form now in heaven, the form of the Lord's appearance that most the people see is His human form and countenance,.
When the Lord shows His divine nature, His authority and dignity are beyond description.
If a person were unsanctified, he would not even dare to look at His face.
If the Lord shows His current appearance in His splendid glory as it is, people would not be able to look at Him face to face because of the intensely bright light.
Therefore, what most of the people saw in their dreams or in their vision was the look of His human appearance which was possible for them to see because the Lord reduced the brightness of His light.
Also in tonight's scripture is the description of the Lord's appearance that Apostle John saw in his vision.
From the verse 13 to 16, he says, "and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength."
Apostle John wasn't seeing the Lord with his physical eyes. What he was seeing is the Lord in a vision with his spiritual eyes opened.
It's not like that we will see the Lord face to face in heaven.
Since he himself didn't see the Lord's actual being with his bare eyes, he didn't describe the Lord as 'a son of man,' but as 'like a son of man.'
Now, John is seeing one who was like a son of man, the Lord, in the middle of the lampstands.
As I explained in the last lecture, a lampstand refers to a church.
And, just as Colossians 1:18 says, "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything," the bible says the Lord is head of the church.
Therefore, 'one like a son of man in the middle of the lampstands' means that the Lord is the head of the church and He moves amongst the churches as though closely watching over them.
And He gives intercessory prayers so that all the churches may be guided in the will of Father God.
But in these days, there are more and more churches where the Lord no longer moves about; in other words the Lord is no longer with them.
The church that has put out the fire of prayers, the church that has been divided into many factions that are in conflict, the church that goes against the will of God as if a blind man led another blind man, and the church where the works of the Holy Spirit have become extinct; in these churches the Lord is not able to be with them any longer.
In the upcoming Revelation lectures about the seven churches, I will give you a detailed explanation about what churches fall into each of the seven church types.
Now, John saw the Lord "clothed in a robe reaching to the feet."
When we go to heaven, we all put on a linen robe.
However, the color and the shape of the robe for each person is different according to how much they cultivated their heart into spirit and the measure of their reward.
In case of ladies, the length of their hair is also different.
By the way, John saw His robe was 'reaching to the feet' which means 'to be full of grace.'
The Lord always pours His grace onto us so that we can win the victory.
John said the Lord 'girded across His chest with a golden sash.' It means His faith is like gold so that there is no change, and the heart is steadfast and perfect.
The Lord was obedient to Father God with all His mind, heart, will, and life to the point of death.
That's why Father God put on the Lord with an unchanging golden sash across His chest which symbolizes His heart.
John also said, "His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow." To describe the color of the Lord's hair, he compared the color with white wool and snow which were the whitest things of his day.
It was the color of pure white.
The white color means to be pure and clean without blemish; in other words, the perfect sanctification and goodness.
Therefore comparing the Lord's color with white wool and snow symbolizes that the Lord is so perfect that He has no trace of evil, and that He stands in the perfect goodness.
Next, John said that His eyes were like a flame of fire.
But don't take it wrong; you should not think the Lord's eyes are scary only because His eyes are like a flame of fire.
The reason that Apostle John said the Lord's eyes are like a flame of fire is that His eyes shine brilliantly and makes things feel warm.
But at the same time, His eyes are like a flame of fire that scorches all sin and evil.
They also precisely discern the truth from the untruth.
There is no deception or lie that is able to pass (unnoticed) before the eyes of the Lord.
No one can escape from the eyes of the Lord. Everything is clearly revealed before His eyes.
Actually, sinners fear the Lord.
They cannot meet with the Lord. They cannot even stand before the Lord face to face.
Only those who are qualified as a bride, who can meet with the Lord, can be put into the arms of the Lord, and only those can look into the warm eyes of the Lord.
Now in the beginning of the verse 15, John said, "His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace."
Dear brothers and sisters.
One of the dirtiest parts of a human's body is the foot.
There is a scene in Genesis 3:5, "Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.""
When God told Moses to remove his sandals from his feet, there was a spiritual meaning.
Removing sandals from feet which are the dirtiest is human's body means removing evil heart and deeds in order to come before God.
But the feet of the Lord are not dirty like the feet of normal people.
John said the Lord's feet were like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace. The burnished bronze means something that is so pure it is without any blemish or flaw.
Generally, when a metal is refined in a furnace, any impurities in the metal are burned, and the metal becomes purer and purer.
Likewise, human beings become clean and pure as much as they get rid of evil through refinement,
The Lord didn't have any sin originally. He came down to this earth in flesh and experienced joy and grief along with anger and pleasure. He Himself went under the process of human cultivation.
Therefore, that the Lord's feet were like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace means that the Lord was perfect not leaving room for any accusation. When He underwent human cultivation like a normal humans, He experienced everything that other humans do and won the perfect victory by faith.
I hope that you too have feet that are always clean and bright like the Lord's feet.
Do not put your feet into a place which is not proper; not only your feet, but also your eyes, ears, lips, mind, and heart should not be put into a place which is not clean.
In the latter part of the verse 15, John said, "His voice was like the sound of many waters."
I myself have heard God's voice many times. The voice is so clean, pure, and beautiful, yet it's resounding, and magnificent.
The voice of the Lord is similar, yet John is comparing His voice with the sound of many waters.
The reason he compared His voice with the sound of many waters is that the water is the word itself coming out from the Lord's lips.
Water cleanses things, and it is a necessity for almost every living thing.
Likewise, the evil in our hearts can be cleansed and made clean by the word of the Lord.
Just as 1 Peter 1:23 says, "For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God," we can reach the eternal life by being born again through the word of God.
Therefore, the word of God, or the word of the Lord is absolutely necessary to gain eternal life.
You must bear in mind that you cannot live without the word of God as long as you're a child of God just as fish cannot live without water.
And if you love and long for the word of God, you will feel cleansed and refreshed in your heart when you listen to the word of God just as thirsty man drinks cold water.
And you must have such lips; the lips that speak words that will refresh others, make others feel happy and comfortable, and become life to others. Your lips must speak these words.
Now, the verse 16 says, "In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength."
John said, "In His right hand He held seven stars." Generally people's right hand is stronger and more powerful than the left one.
Therefore 'the right hand' symbolizes 'might' and 'strength.'
Also, 'a star' refers to 'a man.'
In Genesis 15:5, it says, ""Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be.""
God compares Abraham's descendants to the number of stars.
Sometimes when a great man is born or dies, people say that a new star appears or disappears in the sky. They also use a star to symbolize a man.
Therefore, the seven stars, as mentioned in the verse 20, refer to the angels of the seven churches, in other words the shepherds of the seven churches.
And that the Lord held the seven stars means that God holds the churches and the servants that He Himself built and chose by His power.
He shows the proof that He guarantees them and is with them. And God Himself refines them.
Just as written in Matthew 16:18, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it," the enemy devil and Satan cannot overpower the church and the servant that He himself built and chose.
And the church and the servant that God holds will become a standard or basis for the Judgment.
Since it clearly shows what kind of church and servant God guarantees and stays with them, it becomes a criterion for clear and precise judgment.
Therefore, judging and condemning the church and the servant that the Lord holds in His right hand is no different from judging and condemning the Lord.
Now, John said, "out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword." It means the word coming out of His lips is like a sword.
Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
The word that comes out from the Lord's lips can pierce an evil that is hidden inside the deep heart.
The word of God pierces like a sword the heart of those who walk in evil.
Just as an affected part is cut out by a surgical operation, the sins of untruth are penetrated and cut off by the Word.
Once you find a form of evil in you, all you have to do is pierce it by the sword of the word and cut it out, but there are people who don't get rid of it but keep it.
They repeat the procedure of piercing many times which only makes their lives more painful and difficult.
Next, John said, "His face was like the sun shining in its strength."
The face of the Lord shines much brighter than the sun, but since John couldn't describe His face with anything else in the world, he said the Lord's face was like the sun shining in its strength,
But, just as normal people cannot stare at the sun for if they do it, their vision will become blurred, or they may lose their eye sight, a sinner cannot look into the face or eyes of the Lord
Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Likewise only those who are clean and sanctified in their hearts can be given the blessing to see God.
It will happen in heaven as well.
Hebrews 12:14 says, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."
Just as mentioned, not everybody will be able to see the Lord just because they go to heaven. Only those who pursue peace with all men, and achieve sanctification can be qualified to see the Lord.
By the way, that "out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength" symbolizes the Lord's absolute authority that destroys the darkness; the darkness dares not stand against it.
Before the authority of the Lord, Christ Jesus, all the forces of the darkness have no choice but to obey and kneel down for the Judgment will be made precisely by the Word of the Lord.
Nothing can be left uncovered before Him, and in precise Justice, the judgment will be made without any error.
Therefore no one, not even the enemy devil and Satan can take any legal process or appeal against it
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Our bridegroom, the Lord is so pure and beautiful without any blemish or flaw.
In order to meet with the Lord as a bridegroom, the bride has to adorn herself properly.
And, the qualification to become a proper bride is quite simple.
It is to have the heart cleansed and sanctified, and to be faithful to given duties.
Only when you have this qualification can you see the Lord, have conversation with the Lord while gazing into the Lord's eyes, and be put in His arms.
Without these qualifications, you will not be able to see the beautiful Lord. How sorry will you be in heaven if so?
In the verse 17 of tonight's scripture, Apostle John said "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man."
As I mentioned in the beginning of tonight's lecture, when people say that they saw the Lord in their visions, it means the Lord shows them only the appearance of His human form, not the appearance of His being in the light of glory with the authority equals to that of God the Creator.
If the Lord shows His divine authority and dignity to people, people would not be able look directly into His face, and they tremble with fear before His authority and dignity.
At that time the Apostle John was seeing the Lord that he will see in heaven, in other words, he was seeing the Lord in His perfect glory. That's why even though he is appropriately qualified to receive revelation before the Lord he cannot but feel like a dead man.
Furthermore, the Spirit of the Lord Itself appears and speaks in front of John. Therefore John cannot but tremble with fear before the Lord.
Now the Lord places His right hand on John, and says, "Do not be afraid."
His right hand symbolizes the power of the Lord. By placing His right hand He is anointing John, the Lord gives him an extremely precious duty to write down the revelation to awaken the people in the last days.
The Lord says, "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."
By placing His hand on John and anointing him, the Lord also gives peace to John so that he can accomplish his duty with a peaceful heart.
And the Lord then says to John, "I am the first and the last."
Just as there was a spiritual meaning when He said that He is the alpha and the omega, there is also a spiritual meaning in His saying, "I am the first and the last."
After He says, "I am the first and the last," in the following verse 18, He says, "and the living One; and I was dead." He says that He was once dead but resurrected.
Therefore, 'the First' means that the Lord is the First fruit of resurrection.
After we unite with the Lord and become one, when we meet the Lord when he returns, we will also become the fruit of resurrection.
And that "I am the last" means the second advent of the Lord in the air. It is the time when the redemption of human beings comes to an end.
Of course there will be another chance for salvation through the 'gleaning', but the true human cultivation ends with the second advent of the Lord in the air.
It is 'the last.'
Therefore, that the Lord is the first and the last means that the Lord is the first fruit of resurrection, and at the same time, by the second advent of the Lord, the redemption of human beings finally comes to an end.
The Lord who is the first fruit of resurrection is living forevermore, and He has the keys of death and of Hades.
The Lord's possession of the keys of death and Hades means life and death is up to the Lord.
The Lord decides whether a soul can be saved or if it will fall into eternal death.
Those who accept the Lord as Savior are not bound to the authority of death any longer. They will be resurrected following the Lord who defeated the authority of death and resurrected.
Since it is made possible by the Lord for souls to be able to be set free from the eternal death, the Lord has the key of death.
Also, whether a soul goes to the upper grave which is for the saved, or to a lower grave which is for not-saved is decided by the Lord.
Therefore, the Lord also has the key of Hades.
Hades will be explained in the Sunday Morning Service through the lecture on Heaven.
By the way, the Lord doesn't have only the key of death and of Hades, but also the key of heaven.
Just as John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me," the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ, and only the Lord has the key of heaven.
Starting from the next lecture, I will explain about the seven churches.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
When we go to heaven, just the Lord is wearing a long white robe, we will wear fine white linen.
As Revelation 19:8 says, "It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."
Only through the righteous deeds from the clean heart,can we be qualified to put on the fine linen in heaven.
Then, how well are you preparing yourself as the one who's going to wear the fine linen?
Just as a bride in a pure white dress enters the wedding hall where her bridegroom is waiting for her, when the trumpet blows in the sky and our bridegroom, the Lord, comes to meet with His brides, don't you think you also have to stand before Him in pure white fine linen?
In hope for that day ,may you prepare the fine linen diligently through the holy and righteous deeds so that you won't be short of anything to become the Lord's bride, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
Amen |
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