Beholding Christ as He Is: Part 2 - Revelation 1: 12-18

1:09I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. Verse 11 saying, Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, and to Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Then I turned. So, verse 12, you see the turning. In verse 10, I heard. In verse 12, I turned. I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw. So get the movement. I heard. Verse 10, I turned. Verse 12. I saw verse 12. And then in verses 12 through 16, he describes what he saw. And then in verse 17, when I saw him, I fell. So that's the movement of John. I heard, I turned, I saw. And then in verse 17, I fell. What he saw in verses 12 through 16 brought him down before him as a dead man.

2:24So let me just read these verses, verses 12 through 16, this vision, this very first vision that is described in the book of Revelation. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 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 fire. 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. Well, last week we began working through the elements of this vision.

3:28We first noticed, hold on. Not getting a. There it goes. Got it? We started working through the elements of John's vision. We first noticed where Jesus was. He's in the lampstands. He saw these lampstands. We know from verse 20, these are the churches. Each lampstand is representing a church. He's among the lampstands. We also looked at to whom Jesus was equated. He's equated to the Son of Man, preeminent one. And then today we want to pick up where we left off and look at what Jesus was wearing, what Jesus was wearing. Where Jesus was describes the sphere of Jesus' promise. Emphasis, our primary interest. What is his primary interest? The churches. The churches, lampstands, places that are there so that the light can shine into a dark world.

4:48He was not on a beach somewhere soaking it in. He was not involved in other aspects. His interest is in the churches. We also looked at to whom he was equated. This speaks of his sovereignty, speaks of his exaltedness. And today we'll start looking at what he was wearing. And this describes his role. Where Jesus was describes his interest, who he's equated, his significance, and what he was wearing describes his role, his role in the earth, his role among the lampstands, his role. So that's what we want to begin to do today: is look at what he was wearing. And maybe we'll get a little further, but we'll just go as far as we can.

6:00But what he was wearing. Look back at verse 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. Now, what a person wears or is willing to wear says a lot about him or her. It also says a lot about those who clothe a person or what they allow perhaps their children to wear. It's a remember years ago, I took my family to Washington on the Brazos. Remember the place, not too far from here, it talks about those pioneer days of Texas history. Well, you know, what you do after you do the grand tour, you go into the gift shop and you buy some of the merchandise. You know, get a coonskin hat, and get the theme, right? Pioneer days, Texas days. And then they have these big, crazy bonnets. And a couple of my daughters were drawn to the bonnets. So they got the big bonnets and they put them on and they thought they were cool. I mean, we've been watching Little House on the Prairie, so they were in style. They were cool and they wore them. They loved to wear them.

7:30And I can remember it just like I didn't have the heart to tell them, you know, it's really aren't in style right now. They didn't know, they thought they were the greatest things. And that was a reflection to some degree of them, but it was also a reflection upon us. And I can remember feeling as I walked around into a store with them, people would look at the kids and then they'd look at me. Yes, we're homeschooled. Yes.

8:11And I remember later one of my daughters asking me, Why did you let us go out like that? Well, I didn't know that maybe bonnets are going to come back in style. And the way they come in style is for someone to get out there and just start wearing them. It wasn't until their college year at AM they realized they're not in style. No, they figured it out pretty quickly. But just as a side note, they will come back in style. If you look at Revelation 16, when that fourth angel drops, pours out his bowl upon the sun, and the sun starts scorching everybody. Bonnets are coming back in style, I can assure you. But what a person Wear says a lot about him or her. It also says a lot about the person who clothes the person. You remember going back to Jesus' birth and his humility? We're spending some time contrasting this glorious scene with Christ's humility, his first advent. You remember in Luke chapter 2, he was clothed by his earthly parents. Remember? But the angel said to them to the shepherds, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people. For today, in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

9:57From the very beginning of his earthly life to his clothes, to its close, Jesus was consistently clothed as a peasant from Galilee. That's what he looked like. Even at birth, King, creator, God, wrapped in the humble cloths of a baby born into a poor family. His parents dressed him. And even from those very early moments, Jesus knew what it was like to be loved, to be touched with loving hands, to be clothed with loving hands. And he knew who loved him.

10:49He also would go through life and experience those who didn't love him. Fast forward to his crucifixion. You remember, he was stripped and he was clothed by his enemies. Not only did he allow himself to be clothed by his friends, but he allowed himself to be clothed by his enemies. In Mark chapter 15, 17, they dressed him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And in verse 20, and after they had mocked him, they took the purple robe off and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him. In verse 24 of Mark 15, and they crucified him and divided up his garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take.

11:53You see, the clothes of his humility speak volumes about him, what he was willing to Wear speaks a whole lot about who Jesus was and is. Speaks a lot about his heavenly father as well. What his heavenly father allowed his son to go through. Yeah, what we wear, what we put on, says a whole lot about us, just as it says a whole lot about Christ and our heavenly Father. He became one of us so that we could know him.

12:40Listen, there's only one way we can really relate to him, and that's if he became human and walked among us. We couldn't know him. We couldn't relate to God unless God chose to relate to us and to relate to us in terms and in a manner which we could understand. And that is by taking up on our human flesh, going through life, and then we were able to see and behold and understand God as he goes through life and he's pressed up in the wine press of life and having to react to the issues of life.

13:20That's how we see him. There's only one real way to see an individual is watch how they live. Put them into the crucible of life. And observe. Observe what comes out. Well, that's how God revealed Himself. He is Creator, and He is judge. One who knows human life from the inside. He knows what a loving touch is. He knows what a loving look is, He knows what a scornful look is. He is able to distinguish between who loves Him and who does not.

14:18Do you love Him? He sees right through us. We can't bamboozle Him. We may bamboozle somebody around us, but my question to you today: do you really love Him? He knows. But those were the clothes of His humility. What we observe in our passage this morning is the clothes of His glory. And God has clothed Him in the most dignified manner. He is no longer dressed as a Peasant from Galilee, but he is dressed as the judge of all creation. That's who we meet in our text this morning. Look back. And in the middle of the lampstands, verse 13: I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet.

15:24Clothed in a robe reaching to the feet. The verb is not just having clothed himself, the verb speaks more of him having been clothed. God has clothed him. He is been clothed with a robe reaching to the feet. And having been girded. He is being clothed with a robe reaching to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash. The language in the Greek is a lot more explicit than that. He is girded with a golden girdle, what we might call a golden belt, a golden band.

16:30He is clothed around his breasts, would be the literal translation: pearl, plural around his pectoral muscles. That's what we'd probably say today, but just it's the word mastois, the word we get mastectomy from. He is girded around his breasts, chest, plural. And what this speaks about is not something that's just down around his way. It's very explicit. It's a high band girding around this robe that reaches the feet. And it's the same material as the lampstands, gold.

17:30It's not fabric. It's the same metal. It's the same material as the lampstands. God has permanently clothed him in glory. And the clothes say much about this person. Certainly, at a first glance, it's clear he's no longer dressed as a peasant. This is a man of great distinction. Distinction. And as you do a survey through the Old Testament, it's very clear that robes in the Old Testament were used to distinguish certain classes of people. The long robes distinguished kings.

18:25You remember in 1 Kings 22 and verse 10, there's the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. They were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes. They were listening to the prophets, arrayed in their robes, even as look at Isaiah 6. We just sung about. In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, and the train of his robe filling the temple. Yes, Jesus is king. And his role in Revelation, you see very much a kingly role in the book of Revelation. But he's a man of distinction. But long robes also distinguished high priests. In Exodus 28:2, God says, You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother.

19:30Glory and for beauty. So you're going to put some clothes together for Aaron, and they are for glory and for beauty, for the dignity and the beauty of the office of high priest. And he describes them in Exodus 28:4, these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, and a robe reaching the feet. Same word as used in Revelation. A robe reaching the feet, and a tunic, checkered work, and a turban, and a sash, and they shall make holy garments. In fact, in Leviticus 16, 4 again speaks about this linen robe and holy tunic and the sash that should gird him, a linen sash, a linen sash.

20:40Well, certainly, as you come to the New Testament, you realize, and as you're looking forward to the New Testament, you realize that God is going to send a high priest, one on the order of Melchizedek. And certainly you see Jesus arrayed as a High priest, and he certainly has a role as such, serving his churches, among his churches. There's more. Clothing also distinguish royal servants in the Old Testament. In Isaiah 22, there's a steward that's not governing the household very well. His name's Shebnah, who's in charge of the royal household. This is what God says to him: Send this message: I will depose you from your office, and I will pull you down from your station. Then it will come about in that day that I will summon my servant, Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your tunic, and tie your sash securely about him, and I will entrust him with your authority, and he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens, no one will shut. When he shuts, no one will open.

22:21Well, certainly, Jesus is the servant, is God's servant, God's one, God's royal. Loyal servant in whom God has entrusted keys and all authority. But long robes also distinguished judges. They also distinguished judges. In fact, one of the most distinguished individuals in the book of Ezekiel is a man with a writing case in chapter 9. In fact, I would like for you to turn there, spend a little time in Ezekiel 9. Ezekiel 9. What's happening in the context of Ezekiel?

23:15The temple has been profaned. There's all kinds of abominations in chapter 8 going on in the temple. And this is setting the stage for the Babylonians to come in and to destroy. God is going to bring a destroying army against Jerusalem. And he goes through chapter 8 and he is saying, Look, let me show you. Let me show you the evils that are going on in the hearts of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And he starts and he goes through. He said in verse 6 of chapter 8, and he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? The great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from my sanctuary. Ezekiel's about the departing glory of the Lord from his temple. The glory getting up and leaving. But then it also sees a day when the glory will return.

24:24And chapter eight prepares us for the reasons why God is going to bring all this judgment upon Jerusalem. And then we come to chapter nine. Just pick it up and read there. Then he cried out in my hearing with a loud voice, Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand. Draw near. So here is God, in light of all that's been going on and the abomination says, Draw near, executioners. Come near to the city.

25:08Now's the time. And they each have this destroying weapon of some sort in their hand. And then in verse 2, behold, six men, six, came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand. And among them, among these six, was a certain man clothed in linen, linen to the feet, clothed, robe to the feet, same word used to describe in Revelation 1. A certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. So he has a writing case, something that, just a little pouch with chalk or pencils, something you'd write with, something you'd mark with, crayons, whatever it was.

26:13But he had a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the Lord, the glory of the God of Israel, went up from the cherub on which it had been to the threshold of the temple. And he called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was a writing case. So he says, Come here. And then in verse 4, the Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over the abominations which are being committed in its midst.

27:01So here's the command. There's all these abominations that are going on in the city. And he calls this man who is dressed in this fine robe reaching to the feet. And he says, I want you to go through. There's another kind of people here. And they groan and they sigh over the abominations. They are pained because of the evil that is in the land. I want you to go through and I want you to mark each one on their foreheads.

27:35So this man obviously could make a distinction. This was a judge. This was somebody who could go through and distinguish who groans and sighs over the abominations and who's wholeheartedly involved. And he's able to make a distinction between those who groan and sigh over the evil that's being committed in the land. And he goes through and he marks them. But to the others, verse 5, he said in my hearing, go through the city after him and strike. So you let this guy with the writing case go through the city and you let him mark the foreheads of those who groan over the evil that's being done in their society. You mark them. Well, and then the others, you go behind him and you strike. You strike. You take that shattering weapon and you strike. And he says, This, do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark.

28:57And you shall start at my sanctuary. That's one of the most distinguished individuals when you come to the book of Ezekiel. A man who could judge, a man who could make a distinction between good and evil, and those who support the good and those who support the evil. And this man's clothing, go back to Revelation 1, is exactly the same, is described by the same term that Christ is in Revelation 1.13. Jesus is judged. In fact, that is going to be the prominent, the prominent role that Jesus plays.

30:01In the book of Revelation, he is king. Yes, he is king, he is priest, he is God's servant, and he is eternal judge. And of these two, his roles as king and judge are very prominent in the book of Revelation. And of these two, king and judge, the most prominent is his judging capacity. He is the one who distinguishes. He is the one who will judge the living and the dead. He is clothed in glory. And this would be very encouraging, right, to those churches.

30:49Yes, he's high priest, very encouraging. He's among the lampstands. He is also king. And he is also going to judge the Roman Empire and everyone else. Now, that's comforting. He's not just a well-meaning high priest. He is king of kings. He is Lord of Lords. And he is eternal God. And he is the eternal judge. Another interesting thing, very significant thing about this clothing. Turn to Revelation 15. There's another caste of individuals that are dressed just like this.

31:41Revelation chapter 15. God is about to pour out his final wrath. Look back 15, verse 1. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. You remember the whole mid-section, the majority of the book of Revelation, is you've got seven seals, which then turn into seven trumpets. Trumpets are blown, and then seven bowls, seven, seven, seven, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls. And we come to the seven bowls, which is the final aspect of God's wrath. And when the seventh bowl is poured out, the wrath is complete. It's over.

32:45And then, look at verse 5 of chapter 15. These angels. After these things, I looked and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. In heaven was opened. So the tabernacle, the testimony, temple in heaven opened, and the seven angels who had seven plagues came out of the temple clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then, one of the exact same description as Christ, and there's not anyone else that is dressed like this.

33:31Very reminiscent of what is happening, what happened in even Ezekiel 9. Very reminiscent, except the judgment isn't upon Jerusalem, it's on the whole world, the whole worldly system. Verse 7 of 15, then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever. And the temple was filled with the smoke from the glory of God and from his power. And no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. So, in other words, once this starts, there is no backing up, there is no intercession. The bowls will be poured out.

34:22And so, the angels, going back to chapter 1, just pointing out these details: the angels are dressed. In the very same manner that Christ is seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls. One of the distinguishing features of the book of Revelation is about a distinguishing mark, isn't it? Those who take the mark of the beast. That mark distinguishes two categories of people. And in context of Revelation, it's clear that there is a category who repents, there is a category who does not repent.

35:12There are those who go along with the worldly system, who are marked by that worldly system, and are judged along with that worldly system. Yeah, one of the distinguishing marks of the book of Revelation is this distinguishing mark. And the one who distinguishes between these two categories of people: Christ Himself, the judge of judges. He is king, he is priest, he is servant, he is eternal judge. But as you begin to see Revelation unfold, what our eyes are Become focusing in on is the eternal judge.

36:10Jesus is no longer clothed in humility, but in glory. And his clothing says a lot about him. Both the clothing of his first advent says a lot about him, and the clothing of his present glory says a lot about him. In fact, his present glory is nothing more than his previous glory. In fact, you remember in John 17:5, as Jesus is praying in the garden before the crucifixion, now, Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was.

37:00In John 17, 24, you remember Jesus' prayer? Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. We're seeing a picture of the glorified Christ, but he has always had this kind of glory. Only during that first Advent did he lay down that glory and come and walk among us so that we might know him.

37:43You know, a few of the disciples got to see his glory. Only in a prefigured way in Mark chapter 9, Peter, James, and John brought up to a high mountain by themselves, and Jesus was transfigured before them, and his garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. The disciples got a preview of his glory, and so do we. So does everyone who has read these books, who has read the words of this book, we get a preview of his glory.

38:37Let me skip a few pages. Quite a few. Well, Jesus is among his churches. Jesus is the highest one. He is judge of all humanity. No one can hide from his judgment. Let me read to you as we conclude some of these thoughts. Let me take your mind to Luke chapter 2, a very popular portion of Scripture that we read during this time of year. You remember Simeon? As Jesus is brought into the temple as a little boy, as a baby, he's brought into the temple. And Simeon, a man in Jerusalem, I'll just pick it up and read. And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for him the custom of the law, then he took him into his arms and blessed God and said, Now, Lord, you're releasing your bondservant to depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel. And his father and mother were amazed. At the things which were being said about him.

40:34Now, dial into what Simeon says. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and a sign to be opposed. This child is appointed to be a sign that is to be opposed. And then he says to Mary, and a sword will pierce even your own soul to the end, so that the pain that you're going to feel, what's going to come upon your child, so that, to the end, that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

41:20Jesus is destined, was destined, to be a sign. And the way one relates to Jesus is going to indicate what's in their hearts. And Jesus knows what it's like to be loved. He knows what it's like to be hated. He can look across the room. He can tell it in the glance. He can see it in the eyes. But he has eyes that go far deeper than that. Nothing is hidden from his sight. How do you relate to Jesus?

42:02How do we really see a person? We get to know him or her through life by watching them in the face of the issues of life. We came to know God that way. We saw how he related. Now, how does God see us by how we relate to Jesus? Has God walked among us or not? What say you? Who do you say he is? Your soul is destined to be judged by the way you judge Jesus.

42:42Don't mess around with this individual. Bow before him. Let's pray. Indeed, Heavenly Father, we come before you, recognizing that the child we sing about is the judge of the living and the dead, and to whom we will owe allegiance, before whom we will stand, and he knows, he knows how we really. Feel about him. He knows us through and through. Father, may we bow before him in every manner. Please bring us to this point and do whatever it takes in us as individuals and us as a church to truly bow before this exalted one whom you gave us. In Jesus' name, amen.