Truth for today part one

Truth for Today Part One: A Revelation of God. Revelation 1.1-8.

Introduction The word revelation means “an unveiling or revealing”, and so here we have a book which makes clear the truth about God and his purposes for man. God has entrusted the outworking of these purposes into the hands of Christ, who by a series of visions makes them known to his servant John that he might record them for our benefit. Our study of this truth this morning carries with it a threefold blessing.. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

If the time was near for the things written in the Book of Revelation to be fulfilled 2000 years ago when the book was first written, how much nearer is it today? Since the fulfilment of all that is written in the book of Revelation is almost upon us, which is why we are right to title our series “Truth for Today”.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ not only reveals the truth about God’s plans for the future; it is full of clear doctrinal statements about God Himself. Let us study these this morning.

The Reality of God The Bible says “he who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb 11.6) The Book of Revelation affirms the reality of the existence of God. If we would know the truth about God, then it is clear that we must start with a description of who God is.

Revelation describes him as: the Everlasting God Him who is and who was and who is to come Children sometimes ask the question, “where did God come from and who made him?”

The answer is, of course, that no one ever made God. He was there in the beginning before anything was made. Gen 1.1 He will be there forever, for He is unmade. God is the only self-existent reality in the universe.

When heaven and earth pass away only God and those things that are in God and of God will remain, for: He is, He was and He is to come.

Not only does God reveal Himself as the everlasting God, but also as a trinity. When we say that God is a trinity we mean he is 3 persons but one God. This is made clear in the verse before us Him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne and from Jesus Christ God is the Father, but here are mentioned, in an equality with him, the sevenfold Spirit - a reference to the Holy Spirit, (“sevenfold” being a description of His absolute perfection) - and Jesus Christ.

It has been said that there are five main attributes of God, so that if anyone has these attributes, then he is God. These are ETERNITY, CREATION, OMNIPRESENCE, OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE. ETERNITY God is eternal:

Ps 90.2 Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

But so is the Son of God:

Heb 1.8 To the Son He says: "your throne, o god, is forever and ever.

And the Holy Spirit.

Heb 9.14 The Eternal Spirit.

CREATION God is the Creator of all things: Gen 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

But so is the Son:

John 1.3 All things were made by Him.

And the Holy Spirit:

Job 33.4 The Spirit of God has made me.

OMNIPRESENCE God is everywhere at once:

Jer 23.24 "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord.

So is the Son:

Eph 4:10 (Christ) ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things.

And the Holy Spirit:

Ps 139.7 Where can I go from Your Spirit or flee from Your presence?

OMNISCIENCE God knows all things:

1 John 3:20 God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

So does the Son:

John 21.17 Peter said to Him "Lord, You know all things;”

And the Holy Spirit:

1 Cor 2.10–11 the Spirit searches all things, the deep things of God. For … no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

OMNIPOTENCE God has all power:

Rev 19.6 "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

So does the Son:

Mat 28.18 "All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

And the Holy Spirit:

when the angel announced the Spirit would produce Christ in Mary: Luke 1.37 “With God all things are possible”

Thus the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and eternal in their attributes, three persons yet one God. In fact, since John in this first chapter of Revelation conveys the greeting of grace from God the Father, the Spirit and The Son, equally, how can they not be equal?

The Revelation of God God is Spirit, and as such he is invisible. No man has seen God at any time. But God has given a revelation to mankind of who He is and what he is like, for he was revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. The writer to the Hebrews describes Christ as “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Heb 1:3 That is why his human name is used here: “Jesus Christ”. Pre his incarnation he is called “the Word”, but after the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he was given the name “Jesus”.

Jesus Christ is described in Revelation one as “The Faithful Witness”. His nature reveals the nature of God. He who has seen Me has seen the Father John 14:9 By his life, works and words He reveals the Father. In fact John writes in his first epistle That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, seen with our eyes, looked upon, and our hands have handled - the Word of life - for the life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness, declaring to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us 1John 1:1-2 This is not just a fact of history, for today Jesus Christ continues to be the one through whom God reveals himself to man. Saul of Tarsus was a very religious man, who when he persecuted Christians thought that he was serving God and doing his will. But when he met Christ on the Damascus road he came face to face with the truth and later wrote God who commanded light to shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor 4:6.

Saul came to understand that only as we know Christ can we know God in a personal way, for Jesus Christ is the substance of the revelation which God has given to us of Himself.

The Reign of God It is very appropriate that a book which reveals God should begin with a hymn of praise. In fact the whole book is interspersed with praises to God and equally to the Lord Jesus Christ. E.g. The hymn of praise in the first chapter extols the praise of him who loved us and washed us from sin by his death on the cross, and who rose again to live forevermore—firstborn from the dead— and who now reigns over the kingdoms of men. In this verse we see the whole sweep of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

John sees Jesus Christ exalted to the highest place in the universe. He sits on God’s throne as “ruler of the kings of the earth”, a title reminiscent of Daniel 4.17 “The Most High rules in the kingdoms of men”. This is because “God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth” Phi 2:9-10 We see in Christ’s reign: The Reign of God’s Love The death of Christ reveals to us that God is love. It was because so loved the world that he gave his only son. It is because Christ loved us that he washed us from sin in his own blood. He is, to use Paul’s words “the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The Reign of God’s Life The fact that Jesus has been raised form the dead never more to die means that his victory over death is complete. This is a victory he wills to share with each one of us that believe. We will share in the eternal life that is his as in eternal realms throughout eternal ages he will reign as Lord, for his dominion endures forever and ever.

The Reign of God’s Power After his resurrection Christ declared to his apostles that “All power/authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Though Christ is exalted to the highest place in the universe and given the name above every name, we do not yet see him fully exercising his right to rule upon the earth. That is because in these days of grace he is giving every man the chance to repent of their sin and receive him as Saviour. Peter warns those who ask “Where is the promise of his coming?” by reminding us that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2Pe 3:9) For when that time of forbearance is over, He will come again in the clouds of heaven in power and great glory to judge all the peoples of the earth.

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

There will be no escape at that time. The whole of creation, heaven, earth and hell will be laid bare before him at his coming. Even those who pierced him - who are already in hell - will be eye witnesses of his return. This solemn note is struck right at the beginning of the book of Revelation and is taken up again and expanded later in the book - it will be a time of woe and judgment for all the unbelieving, who mourn at the sight of their impending doom.

Yet there is also a message of hope in the book, that ultimately good will triumph and those who have loved and believed in the Saviour shall reign with him upon the earth, initially, and then in a new heaven and new earth reign with him throughout countless ages; for he has made us kings and priests to His God and Father

Conclusion The Book of Revelation gives us a clear view of who God is and what are His purposes for men. Since we cannot change the purposes of God, let us merely align ourselves with them. As John closes this first stanza with the

words “Even so, Amen.” may we be ready to humbly learn of God’s purposes and prepare ourselves for their fulfilment, by saying to all that God reveals to us “Even so, Amen.”