Chapter 66
The Revelation of Jesus
Christ
It has been my singular
object in these surveys of the Bible to show clearly that the singular subject,
theme, and message of the entire Book of God, the Old Testament and the New, is
the Person, work, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. As in creation,
providence, and redemption, so in the Holy Scriptures, it is the purpose of God
that in all things he might have the preeminence (Col. 1:18).
Him Book
The Book of God is a book
all about Christ (Luke 24:27, 44-48). The Bible is a Him Book. It is all about
Him. All the promises and blessings of God given to sinful men and women are in
Christ (Eph. 1:3). Apart from Christ, God promises nothing but wrath; and every
supposed blessing will prove to be a curse. All the love, mercy, and grace of
God is in Christ. All the revelation and knowledge of the triune God is in
Christ. Christ is not only the central message of Holy Scripture; he is the
message of Holy Scripture. To understand that is to have the key that opens the
Word of God and reveals its treasures.
That which is true of the whole Volume of Inspiration is
especially and gloriously true of the last, closing chapters of the Volume, the
Book of Revelation. This last book of the Bible is Christ's revelation of
himself to his servants. This Book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ
(1:1). It is not the revelation of St. John, but the Revelation of Jesus
Christ given to and recorded by John. It is not the book of revelations
(plural). It does not contain many revelations. It contains one revelation seen
in many things. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Two Points
In his book, More Than
Conquerors, William Hendriksen made two points that are crucial to a
proper understanding of the Book of Revelation. First, the theme of
this book is: the Victory of Christ and of his Church over the Dragon (Satan)
and his helpers. The Apocalypse intends to show you, dear believer, that things
are not what they seem! God's purpose is not in jeopardy. Christ, his church,
and his truth will be triumphant at last.
The second point Hendriksen made is about the visions John
describes. Each vision, or section of this book, must be interpreted as a
vision covering the entire gospel age. Each section, Hendriksen wrote, gives
us a description of the entire Gospel Age, from the first to the second coming
of Christ, and is rooted in Israel's history under the old dispensation to
which there are frequent references. Confusion comes when men try to mix the
visions together and make them form a prophetic history of world events. Each
vision is a picture of the Person and work of Christ in redemption, grace, and
judgment throughout the gospel age.
Follow that basic, simple guide and you will not greatly err in
interpreting the Book of Revelation, and your heart will be comforted and
thrilled in reading what God has determined to do for you and with you in
Christ. A general survey of these twenty-two chapters of Inspiration will give
the reader a clear understanding of the fact that the revelation given to John
and recorded in this Book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Faithful Witness
Christ is the faithful
witness (Rev. 1:5). This title refers to our
Savior's prophetic office. He is that Prophet of whom Moses spoke (Deut. 18:15;
John 6:14), both faithful and true. He is the faithful witness of God to his
people (John 1:14, 18), and our faithful witness before the holy Lord God, as
our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:12).
First Begotten
Our Savior is the first
begotten of the dead (Rev. 1:5). This refers to our
Redeemer's priestly office. If he is the first begotten of the dead,
then he must have once died. He died for the sins of his people and rose again
for their justification. When he arose as our Head and Representative, he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us
(Heb. 9:12). With his own precious blood, our great High Priest has opened for
us a way of free access to God (Heb. 10:19-22).
Prince of Kings
Our Redeemer is the
prince of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5). By virtue of his
finished work of redemption, the God-man, our Mediator, has been made the
sovereign Monarch of the universe (John 17:2; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:9-11). He is
Lord and King even over his enemies. The kings of the earth have their crowns
and kingdoms from him; they rule by his decree, doing his will (Prov. 21:1);
and one day soon they will all bow before his throne and glorify him as King.
Him that Loved Us
The Lord Jesus is him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings
and priests unto God (Rev.
1:5-6). He loved
us particularly and distinctively, with an everlasting, immutable love.
Because he loved us, he chose us in eternal election, became our Surety in the
covenant of grace, and with his Father, predestinated us unto heavenly glory.
Therefore, he washed
us from our sins in his own blood. By the shedding of his blood, the Lord
Jesus Christ effectually washed away the sins of God's elect. He washed our
sins from the record of heaven, from the memory of God, and washed us from our
sins, making us holy and righteous in the sight of God! That is the work of
Christ in redemption.
All whom he loved,
he washed; and in the fulness of time, he makes them kings and priests unto
God. That speaks of regeneration and conversion. Christ, sending his
Spirit to redeem sinners, gives us a new, holy nature by which we are made to
reign over the lusts of our flesh, so that we are no longer under the dominion
of sin. And as priests, consecrated to God, we have direct access to God
through his blood.
Him that Liveth
The Son of God says, I
am he that liveth (Rev. 1:18). He lives forever because
he is Life! Apart from him there is no life. He lives forever because he is the
living God. But here he is talking about himself as the God-man, our Mediator,
who once was dead, having died as our Substitute for the satisfaction of divine
justice. He died! We thank God for that; but he is now alive for evermore. Christ
Jesus lives forever on behalf of his elect, those for whom he died. He lives to
make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). He lives to give eternal life to all his
redeemed ones (John 17:2). Because He lives, we live also. We live in him, by
the virtue of his death and by the power of his life.
Holds the Keys
Our all-glorious Lord
Jesus Christ holds the keys of hell and of death (Rev. 1:18). Hell in this place
simply refers to the grave. The Lord Jesus Christ, by the virtue of his
resurrection, has power, authority, and dominion over death and the grave (Ps.
68:18-20; 1 Cor. 15:51-58). He conquered death, hell, and the grave when he
died for us and rose again. Therefore, these great terrors have no power over
us to do us harm, and should cause us no fear (Heb. 2:14-15). Christ has
delivered us from spiritual death in regeneration, the first resurrection (John
5:25), and shall deliver us from death and the grave in the resurrection of our
bodies at the last day. It is written, Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power
(Rev. 20:6).
Holds the Stars
He who is the Head of the
church is he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in
the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (Rev. 2:1). These
seven golden candlesticks are the churches of Christ in this world. How blessed
are those people who are privileged to gather with God's saints in public
worship (Matt. 18:20). The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walks in the
midst of his churches!
The seven stars are
gospel preachers, God's appointed pastors, who are the angels, messengers of
God, to his churches. The Lord Jesus Christ holds them in his right hand, puts
them where he wants them, gives them the messages they are responsible to
deliver, uses them as he sees fit, and protects them as they go about his
business. Let every true gospel preacher be esteemed by God's saints as an
angel of God sent with a message from God for their souls (1 Thess. 5:12-13).
Lion of Judah
He who is our Savior is the
Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). Our Savior sprang from
the tribe of Judah and is comparable to a lion. Like a lion, he is strong and
courageous. Like a lion, he devours his enemies. Like a lion, he always
prevails. He prevailed over our enemies. He prevailed with God as our Surety
and Substitute. And he prevails over the hearts of chosen sinners in saving
grace.
Root of David
Our Savior is called the
Root of David (Rev. 5:5). Later, he is called the
Root and offspring of David (22:16). He is both the God from whom David
obtained his life and the Man who came from the root of David's house. As a
Man, our Savior arose as a root out of a dry ground (Isa. 53:2). Yet,
he is the Root from which all his people draw their life. The Root of our
family tree is Jesus Christ himself!
The Lamb on the Throne
In the midst of the
throne stood a Lamb (Rev. 5:6). That Lamb standing in
the midst of the throne of God is Christ our Savior, who was slain for us. He
is seen standing in the midst of the throne because he is the center of God's
decrees and works and the One who executes all God's purposes. He alone is
worthy and able to open the book of divine predestination and fulfil it. Christ
stands in the midst of the throne and of the twenty-four elders (the church of
God) and the four beasts (the preachers of the gospel) as the Savior of all his
people and the One of whom all his servants speak. The throne John saw
represents the glory of God as well as the dominion of God; and Christ, as the
Lamb of God, is the revelation and accomplishment of God's glory.
The Mighty Angel
In
chapter 10 we see our Lord Jesus Christ as the the mighty Angel come down
from heaven (10:1-3). Our blessed Savior is the Angel of the Covenant
(Mal. 3:1), the Angel of the Lords Presence (Isa. 63:9), the Archangel (Jude
9), and the mighty Angel of the Lord who rules the universe, fulfilling the
book of Gods decrees. To the wicked and
unbelieving, he is the Angel of Judgment. But on behalf of his covenant people,
he is seen as the Angel of Providence. He is the Messenger sent by God to
reveal his will, accomplish his purpose, and redeem his people.
In the 20th chapter we see our Savior as the mighty Angel again, binding Satan and casting him into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3; John 12:31). This great and mighty Angel is God our Savior (18:1). He alone has the keys of death and hell (1:18). No creature could ever bind the devil, or even hinder his influence. He was the greatest, most powerful creature of the Almighty. None but Christ, the Creator, could bind him. In order to accomplish our salvation Satan had to be bound. And here we see Christ coming with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He came to shackle a treasonous rebel and lock him away. The Scriptures plainly tell us that one purpose of our Lords incarnation and birth was to make war with, conquer, and bind the prince of darkness (Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8; Rev. 12:5-11). And he has won the war!
The Lamb Slain
The Lamb we saw standing
in the midst of the throne (5:6) is the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world (Rev. 13:8). In the purpose and
decree of God, in anticipation of the fall, for the fulfilling of God's
covenant, Christ was looked upon by God the Father as our all-sufficient,
sin-atoning sacrifice before ever the world was made. God's elect were looked
upon in him as being saved from eternity (Rom. 8:28-31; Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim.
1:9). All that we experience in time of God's redeeming grace was done for us
in eternity in God's decrees. Before the world was made, in the mind and
purpose of almighty God, Christ was the Lamb slain. That means that in the mind
of God, from all eternity, the covenant of grace was fulfilled, the ransom
price was paid, the Surety was exalted, and God's elect were saved.
Faithful and True
The Lord Jesus Christ is
called Faithful and True (Rev.
19:11). What a name for the Son
of God! He well deserves it, for he is faithful and true in all things. He is
Faithful to his people, to his covenant, to his promises, and to himself. He is
True. He is both the Truth and the True One. Jesus Christ is a true Friend and
Brother (Prov. 17:17), a true Savior (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2), and a true Husband
(Song. 5:1-9). So true is this Husband to his bride that he will never leave
her and will never let her leave him.
The Word of God
He is The Word of God
(Rev. 19:13). In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
Christ is the Word, by which God reveals himself and through which the triune
God performs all his works. He is the eternal, creating Word, by whom all
things were made (John 1:3; Heb. 11:2). He is the incarnate, revealing Word, by
whom God is revealed to man (John 1:14, 18). And he is the almighty, saving
Word (Heb. 4:12-13), by whom God calls out and saves his people in regenerating
grace.
King of Kings
Our Savior is the King
of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). As we saw in chapter 1,
verse 5, the Lord Jesus Christ is the absolute, singular, rightful, sovereign
Monarch of heaven and earth (Acts 2:32-36).
Makes All Things New
The Lord Jesus Christ is
that one who declares, behold, I make all things new (Rev. 21:5-6). In grace he makes all
things new. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17).
In heavenly glory he makes all things new, granting to his people a new name
and a new life, without the possibility of sin, sorrow, or death. And in the
last days he will create a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness (2 Pet. 3:13).
Alpha and Omega
So great and glorious, so
full and perfect is our Lord Jesus that he is declared to be the Alpha and
Omega (Rev. 22:13). He is the a and the
z, the first and the last, the beginning and the end of all things. The
covenant of grace begins and ends with Christ. The whole of creation has its
origin in Christ and shall find its consummation in Christ. Every event of
providence comes from Christ and shall glorify Christ. The entire Volume of
Holy Scripture, from beginning to end, speaks of Christ. And in the salvation
of God's elect Jesus Christ is the beginning, the end, and everything between
(1 Cor. 1:30-31).
Bright and Morning Star
Our Redeemer is The
Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). He is the Light that
shines in darkness, that shines in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God. He is the Day Star of grace, the Sun of
Righteousness, risen over this sin-cursed earth, with healing in his wings. And
he is the Star of that great eternal day yet to come.
Comes Quickly
Our dear Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, declares, Surely, I come quickly (Rev. 22:20). Soon he shall appear!
Suddenly, without warning, the King of glory shall come again to destroy his
enemies, save his people, restore his creation, and glorify his Father. Then
cometh the end, when the God-man Mediator will perform his last mediatoral
work. He shall deliver up the kingdom, all the hosts of his elect unto God the
Father, saying, Behold I and the children which God hath given me! And
God shall be all in all (Heb. 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:24-28).
No More Tears
Then, we shall see
his face, and
God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away (Re 21:4).
Impossible as it is for us to imagine, there is a time coming when we shall weep no more, when we shall have no cause to weep! Heaven is a place of sure, eternal, ever-increasing bliss; and the cause of that bliss is our God! Heaven is a place of joy without sorrow, laughter without weeping, pleasantness without pain! In heaven there are no regrets, no remorseful tears, no second thoughts, no lost causes, no sorrows of any kind!
If God did not wipe away all tears from our
eyes, there would be much weeping in heaven. We would surely weep much
over our past sins, unconverted loved ones forever lost in hell, wasted
opportunities while we were upon the earth, our many acts of unkindness toward
our brethren here, and the terrible price of our redemption! But God will wipe away all tears from our
eyes all of them! In heavens glory there will be no more death to part
loving hearts. There will be no more sorrow of any kind. There will be no more
crying for any reason. There will be no more pain of any sort. Why? How can
these things be? The former
things are passed away!
Our great God shall,
in heavens glory, remove us from all sin, remove all sin from us, and remove
us from all the evil consequences of sin. He will remove us from every cause of
grief. He will bring us at last into the perfection of complete salvation and
every desire of our hearts will be completely gratified. Then, we will be like
Christ. We will be with Christ. We will see Christ. We will love Christ
perfectly. We will serve Christ unceasingly. We will worship Christ without
sin. We will rest in Christ completely. We will enjoy Christ fully. We will have
Christ entirely. These things shall be our everlasting experience, without
interruption!
Face to Face
We are told in Revelation 22:4, And they shall see his face. What a blessed, glorious prospect this is! This is the great object of our hope, the great desire of our hearts, the great joy of heaven, and the great fulness of our heavenly reward. The very Christ who died in our place at Calvary, fully satisfying the wrath and justice of God for us, will be seen by us.
We shall literally see his face. It is delightfully
true that we shall see and enjoy many things in heaven. But that which is now
desired, and will then be enjoyed above all else is the sight of Christ
himself. It seems to me that our text also implies a spiritual sight of Christ,
which is far sweeter. In the next world we shall have a greater ability to see
Christ than we now possess. We shall see him perfectly and know him fully. And
our vision of him will be uninterrupted. The paradise of God is a heaven of
pure, intense, eternal, perfect, spiritual fellowship with Christ.
In that future estate of glory and bliss we shall
have a clear, undimmed vision of Christ, because everything that now hinders
our sight of him will be removed. Our many sins, our earthly cares, and our
sorrows in this world now prevent us from seeing our Lord as we desire. But
then there will be nothing between us and our Savior. In glory there will be
nothing in our hearts to rival Christ. We will love him as he ought to be
loved, perfectly. Christ will not only be supreme, he will be all.
Why do we consider this vision of Christ the
greatest bliss of heaven? Why do we place such importance upon this one aspect
of our heavenly inheritance? The reason is just this: When we see the Lords
face our salvation will be complete. Every evil thing will be completely
eradicated from us. When we see his face we shall be forever conscious of his
favor. And when these eyes see his face a complete transformation will take
place. We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We shall
see things as he sees them. We shall think as he thinks. Our will will be one
with his will. Our hearts will be one with his heart. Then, when we see his
face, we shall be perfectly satisfied.
How
sweet, then, is this promise of our Savior, Surely, I come quickly!
How earnestly our souls ought to pray, Even so, come, Lord Jesus.