Congregation, again, I encourage you to turn with me in God's Word to Revelation chapter one. Revelation chapter one. When we think about Revelation, we tend to think that it's very focused on the future. And certainly there's aspects in the book of Revelation that are very future-focused. Even as we'll see that later on, it shows us things that are to come. It's parts that focus especially on the second coming of Jesus Christ. But there's many other parts of this book that all Christians would agree and recognize that they deal with the present. It's also true of the text that we're looking at this morning. It's not so much a future focus, though the descriptions that we see in there certainly also apply to the future. But that passage I want to focus on this morning from verses 9 through 20, it's really this revelation of this vision that John receives of the Son of Man. And he shows John present realities, things that are true of God, of Jesus, also 2,000 years ago and still true today. As we go through this First Division that we have here in this book, as we listen to the words of the Lord Jesus, as He also speaks to John and through John speaks to us, we need to ask ourselves, so what? What is the significance, what is the importance of this passage for me today? What difference should it make in my life that we have this vision of the Son of Man, of Jesus Christ? What difference should it make to me as perhaps as a husband and a father, as a wife and a mother, as a child or as a senior? What difference should these realities that we see here have for us as individuals? So I have that question in your mind as we go through here. Again, ask yourself, so what? What is the importance? What's the significance? What's the implication of these things that we see here also in this second half of Revelation chapter 1? Let's study this passage under the theme, A Vision of the Son of Man. We'll look at it in four sections as we go quite logically sequentially through the chapter, section by section. We begin by seeing the context of this vision. Secondly, we want to consider what do we see? Third, how should we respond? And fourth, what do we hear? So we have the context of the vision, verses 9 through 11. We have the question, what do we see? That's verses, especially 12 through 16. How should we respond? That's the first part of verse 17. And then what do we hear in the second half of verse 17 and through verse 18? I'll begin then with the context. In the last two weeks we looked at verses 1-3 which was the foundational introduction. We looked at verses 4-8 which is the greeting of God to the churches. And now, in verse 9, we're told, as this section begins, we're given more information, more context about the Apostle John, who he is, where he was, the context in which he wrote this chapter. As we begin, looking at verse 9, it's striking, the opening words there. It says, I, John, both your brother and companion. It doesn't say John the Apostle, or John the beloved disciple. but your brother and companion. And that's striking because the Apostle John, in many ways you could say he was special. He's one of the 12 disciples chosen by God. He has a special role in the writing down of Scripture and serving the church as one of the apostles. He has such a close relationship to Jesus. Yet he doesn't elevate himself. He doesn't put himself at a higher level and say, well, here I am, someone very special. I'm talking down to you, the churches. He says, here I am, your brother, your companion. You're someone who's a fellow believer. Someone who, by grace in Christ, can be our brother. Someone who goes through many of the same struggles and temptations that we go through. He goes on to say, a brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus. Tribulation simply means a trial or distress. In other words, it's the tribulation, the great conflict, the great suffering that the church goes through, already beginning in the days of John. The kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ. Look at that several times in past weeks. Look in for a moment at verse 6. We read, speaking there of Christ, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. So if we trust in Christ, if we are believers, then we are part of this kingdom, we are citizens in this kingdom, even kings in this kingdom. And the last description there, the patience, also can be translated as steadfastness or endurance. It seems like a strange combination, doesn't it? We have companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. When the pastor writes this about this, this verse here says this is the formula for kingship. Faithful endurance through tribulation is the means by which one reigns in the presence with Christ. I'll read that again. Faithful endurance through tribulation is the means by which one reigns in the presence with Christ. So to reign with Christ is not just something that's reserved in the future when we're in heaven, but already now. as believers re-reign. It doesn't mean having some great and glorious position, some special role in the church, but to reign with Christ is to be faithful, be faithful in difficulties, to be faithful, to seek, to take up your cross, to deny yourself, and to follow Christ. That's what reigning with Christ looks like. We're also told here in this opening verse that John is on Patmos. It's a small rocky island about 50 kilometers off the coast of Turkey. He's not there on vacation. He's not there to plan to church or to do mission work. Paul is there in exile. He's been banished from Turkey, from the churches in Asia, as we read in a few minutes. And the reason he is there is because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. There were testimonies often used in a legal sense. And it's very likely that before John was banished to Patmos, that there would have been some kind of trial. And they would have given him the opportunity. Just burn some incense to the emperor. Just say, Caesar is Lord. Just deny the Lord Jesus and He will leave you alone. You're an old man. We're not going to send you off to some rocky island. But John, if that was the case, he refused. He had the testimony of Jesus Christ. He refused to deny that Jesus was Lord. He refused to compromise. Verse 10 tells us what happens in that moment. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Again, this can be interpreted in different ways. It could be that he was praying or meditating on God's Word, being led by the Spirit. Or perhaps even a more special experience, that he was taken into a vision or a trance through the power of the Spirit. We see that, for example, in chapter 4, verse 2. We read there, immediately, I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne sat in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he goes on to describe the vision he has. So whether it's praying or he was taken up in the power of the Spirit, we see that something is happening there to John. It was on the Lord's Day, not just any day of the week, but on the first day of the week, and the day in which Christ rose triumphantly from the grave, the day in which the early church began to meet for public worship. We see that John, even though he's off there in exile, on this day he is there worshipping God and seeking God. Then John hears a voice, a voice that sounds like a trumpet. The sound in the past weeks and months we've looked at the book of Exodus. The trumpets there are so often used to announce the presence of God. Remember the Israelites at Mount Sinai. They're gathered there. God's law is about to be announced, to be proclaimed to the people. What do they hear? They hear this long blast of a trumpet that's there to get their attention. It's there to show something of the greatness, the majesty of God, of Christ who is speaking. This is not a real trumpet blast, but it's the words of Christ, but it sounds like a trumpet. What does He say? We read there again, verse 11, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. We see the very similar language earlier in our chapter, and we see it again later in our chapter. The Alpha and Omega, that's the first and last letter of the alphabet. You could say Jesus is from A to Z, from the beginning to the end, and that includes everything in between. So again, as we have this, the beginning of this vision, as God is speaking to him, as God gets his attention, He begins by reminding him, this is who I am. I am God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And God there gives a command. John is to write and to send. So what John is about, what John is hearing, what John's about to see, it's not just for John's benefit. Not just a vision, a revelation that's given to John. It's also not just restricted to the seven churches. As I said in past weeks, these seven churches represents the universal church. But God is telling John, Write down the things that you're hearing. Write down the things that you see. This is for the church. And the churches, they don't just receive the individual letters that we have in chapters 2 and 3. They receive the whole book, the revelation of Jesus Christ. So think about the context, to summarize that for a moment. We have the Apostle John, our brother and companion. He's there, he's been exiled, he's been banished because of his testimony of Jesus Christ. He hears a great voice behind him and God, Jesus already shows him something of his identity and nature. And again, we have this command to write what he sees to the churches. What does John see? Let's go on and see that in our second thoughts. What John sees and really what do we see? Well, children, when you hear a loud voice behind you, especially when it sounds like a trumpet, what do you do? Well, likely you would have perhaps jumped at first out of maybe being startled. But then would you not turn around and look behind you to see who it is who is speaking? We know that John already knew who was speaking. Christ already identified Himself. But also, when you hear someone behind you, don't you want to look at them? and to look at the person who is speaking to you. That's what we see John doing, first part of verse 12, Then I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. And then we go, we have a whole bunch of details here, we'll go through them. And these details are important. But the point that we are to make here is not that we are to overanalyze each of these details and to lose sight of the bigger picture. Because the point here is not that we have a physical picture in our minds of Christ in heaven. Because even some of the details would be quite a bizarre picture, wouldn't it? Eyes like flames of fire, a sword coming out of his mouth, feet of iron. The point is not to have a physical picture of Jesus, but through these descriptions, through the symbolic language that is being used here. Do we understand something of who Jesus is and what Jesus is going to do? It's also important to remember the typical Reformed understanding, the second commandment, is that it's sinful to make images of God. That's also true of Jesus. We cannot separate the human nature and the divine nature of Christ, so we are to avoid making a picture of what Jesus looks like here. But to take these various parts and to learn, what is Jesus teaching us through these pictures? Well, as John turns around, he doesn't, first of all, see a person. First of all, he sees seven golden lampstands. And in verse 20, it tells us exactly what these lampstands refer to. They are the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. And the seven churches are those that were listed in verse 11. So John sees there these lampstands, these lights that were being used in a tabernacle in the temple. And remember that from the temple, what's the point of a lampstand? It was to give light to the priests so the priests could do their work. It's a very helpful application for that also for us today. The church is to be a light that shows the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 5 it says, So the church is to be a light, a light that is shining to the world around them. So you have these seven golden lampstands, and then we have one like the Son of Man who is in the midst of these lampstands. Why would it say that, like the Son of Man? Isn't Jesus the Son of Man? Doesn't He so often use that exact language, that description of Himself in the Gospels? Well, the reason I believe it uses like the Son of Man is that it's the exact same wording in Daniel chapter 7. And many of the descriptions that we have here, we can find them in Daniel and Ezekiel and other Old Testament passages. On Daniel 7 verse 14, we read this, to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nation, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed." There also in Daniel, in verse 13, he's described as one like the Son of Man. So we're using that exact same language as Daniel used. We see this John is making this connection and that Christ is making this connection. That He is the one who was seen in the Old Testament, the one who is King, the one who is going to reign forever, whose kingdom will be forever, whose kingdom can never be overthrown. So He's one like the Son of Man, pointing us to Christ and also showing us that He is King. But that He is the Son of Man who is among the candlesticks also shows us that He's a priest. One pastor wrote this, the image is of the priest in the temple tending the golden lampstands so that their light burns continually. Again, there's comfort in that reality. We know that Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus is not physically here with us on the earth. And yet He says, in His vision, He shows us, He is among His churches. He has not abandoned them. He is among His churches. He is providing, He is tending for His churches. He is caring for them. The next detail that we see here, He is clothed with a garment down to His feet, and He is girded about the chest with the golden bands. I think again, through the Old Testament, especially priests, In particular, the high priest would have that long linen garment reaching from his shoulders to his feet. And priests that had the golden ephod on his chest, this is a golden band, more like a belt. It's again something not worn by an ordinary person, something a king would wear, something that shows his power, his majesty, his greatness. Next you read that his head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. What's the picture that's teaching us? What's that showing us? Well, in the Bible, whiteness is a picture of purity and righteousness. Many of you know, well, Isaiah 1 verse 18. Where God is speaking, He says, So this white head and this white hair is a picture of righteousness, of purity, of cleanness. A white hair in the Bible also is a picture of wisdom, a picture of someone who is worthy of respect. And when you take all these things together, we start to get more and more of a picture of who Christ is. He is righteous. He is wise. He is to be respected, to be listened to. It's also noteworthy that in Daniel chapter 7 verse 9, You can read there of the Ancient of Days, this is referring to God. And the Ancient of Days is contrasted with the Son of Man. And it's the Ancient of Days, God Himself was described there as having hair that is white as wool. We can combine three other pictures in the next. So you keep going through them. We have His eyes that were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass. And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And all three of these, really, they are related, as we'll see in a moment. I just want to make a comment on his feet were like fine brass. John here seems to invent a word. It's only used twice in the book of Revelation. It's not used in everyday Greek language. And the picture though is something made out of iron. It's refined in a furnace. Something that is very lovely. It's attractive. It's beautiful and strong. So John is using these words here to describe the feet of Christ, his legs. So what do we see in these three things? Eyes like a flame of fire, feet like fine brass, mouth like a sharp sword. Think about the eyes. It's terrifying in a way, isn't it? Eyes that are like flaming fire, right? Fire consumes, fire burns, fire reveals things that maybe are hidden from the surface. Nothing can be hidden from Christ's sight. He sees everything. And that fire is also a picture of God's judgment against sin, often referred to as a consuming fire. And then that sword, a sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth. First thing I thought of and maybe the first thing you think of is how the Bible often describes God's Word as a sword. Think of the whole armor of God, that we are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and we're to use it against Satan. Or Hebrews 4 verse 12, for the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the hearts. And that might be part of the picture here. That God's Word is coming out of the mouth of Christ, and that Christ uses it to get to our hearts. To expose sin, to expose the wickedness, the rottenness of sin. But the main picture, even of this sword, is that of judgment. Revelation 2, verse 12. As we go through the letters, God willing, we'll see how almost every description that we have here in chapter 1 comes up again in chapter 2 and 3. Chapter 2, verse 12. We read, these things says, he who has the sharp two-edged sword. As you go on reading this letter, you see that this sword and this letter speaks of judgment. How in this church there are false teachers, and these false teachers need to be cut off, need to be dealt with and judged. We see this picture of judgment even more clearly later on in Revelation chapter 19. I want to read several verses there. Revelation 19 verses 11 through 16. And all three of these, the sword, the eyes, and the feet, are used in this chapter, in this passage. So Revelation 19 verses 11 through 16. We read there, Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. And he himself treads," picture of their feet being used, "'treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.' And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." We see all three of these pictures that we see in chapter 1 coming back again in chapter 19. They're in the context of judgment, the context of the enemies of God being cut off and being consumed by fire and being crushed under the feet of the Lord Jesus. The next description we have, next detail, is the voice. That's the sound of many waters. At first it was the voice of a great trumpet, now the voice of many waters. And again, maybe you've been to a waterfall before. Or you sat on the edge of the ocean when the waves are crashing in. And that sound can be great and overwhelming of powerful sounds. Again, this points us to the greatness, the power, the immensity of Christ, that when Christ is speaking, not just the voice of an ordinary man. For myself, if I didn't have a microphone that you could hear me, you could hardly hear me even in this room, but Christ's voice is so different, like a great trumpet, like the sound of many waters. Again, we see this same description used in the Old Testament. Ezekiel chapter 1, the voice of many waters, it's like the voice of the Almighty. Ezekiel 43, there we see the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East and His voice like the sound of many waters and the earth shone with His glory. We'll come back to the significance of that in a moment. Next detail, seven stars in His right hand. Again, verse 20 tells us what these stars are. These seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And angels can also be translated as messengers. Those who have been sent from God, by God, with a message for the people. It's true that God sometimes uses angels for that, but God especially uses people for that, those who've been called to teach, to preach, to bring the Word of God. What an encouraging picture this is, that God does not abandon His messengers. God, as it were, is holding them in His right hand. That doesn't just apply, though, to pastors in a church. Look, for example, to the Gospel of John 10, verse 28. You read there, "...and I give them," this is the sheep, God's people, "...eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hands." So while here this is particularly emphasized that Christ is holding the messengers in His hands, that's true of all God's people. You're held in the hand of God. Satan and whatever evil forces there are in this world, they do not have the power to come to Christ and to take His children from Him, to snatch them away. He has such rich comfort in that, that if you are a believer, that if your hope is in Christ, He is holding you even now in His hands. The last detail is His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. This is again why when you put all these pictures together, it stops working at a certain point. How can you see a person standing there with eyes of fire and a sword when you're looking at the sun? Look at the sun shining in the brightness, the strength of the sun. You see nothing. You see a bright, overwhelming light. Again, we see how this picture is being used now of Christ. Sometimes he calls himself the light of the world. And here we have this description that his countenance, his appearance, it's an overwhelming brightness. It's a bright, shining light. We cannot even really look at without, we have to turn our eyes away from that. On summary, as we take this picture, We could say that as a whole, all these descriptions, all these details are symbolic of Christ. He is the Holy One. He is coming to purge His church, to take away those that, as you see in chapters to come, those who are false teachers, those who seek to tempt and to destroy the church. Also, He's coming to punish those who are pursuing His people, those who want to destroy His people. Let's say in summary here that this chapter again and again points us to the deity of Christ. Jesus is not just a man. He's not the greatest angel ever created as some cults teach. Jesus is God. There is one God in three persons. The Athanasian Creed puts it this way. As we confess there, but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one. The glory is equal, the majesty co-eternal. So again and again, this chapter, as you connect it back to the Old Testament, we see descriptions that are applied to God, to the Father, to the Almighty, to the God of Israel, are being used now for Jesus. Or how should we respond to this description? Yes, John saw this behind him. But as we read this, as we hear this, we too, as we look by faith, ought to see something of this. So how should we respond? What can we learn from how John responds? Let's see that in our third thoughts. How should we respond? First part of verse 17, we see how John responds. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead." John is absolutely overwhelmed. He's overcome by the glory, by the greatness of God. As he sees this, he falls down before Him. John doesn't stand there and say, this is amazing. John doesn't stand there and say, this is quite an interesting picture. John sees it and he hits the ground as he's overwhelmed by who God is, by who Christ is. John had seen Jesus many times on this earth. He had seen Jesus as the resurrected Jesus. But now John sees in his symbolic vision, he sees so much more of the majesty of God, the power of God, the holiness, the justice, the wrath of God. And John hits the ground. The second part of verse 17 tells us that John is terrified. John is afraid of what he sees, even though he knows this is Jesus. And yet, John, he's afraid. As you look at the Old Testament, we recognize this is, you say, the normal response when people see the greatness of God. When God showed Himself to Moses, in Exodus 34, we read that Moses made haste. He bowed his head toward the earth and he worshipped. When God appeared to Daniel, we read that when he saw this great vision, no strength remained in him. He was in a deep sleep with his face to the ground. And Ezekiel, when Ezekiel sees this appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, He falls on His face. What about us? Again, we might say, I know, Pastor, but I don't see this. I'm not the one looking at this. I don't hear this sound behind me and turn and have this vision like John did. That's true. But as you read these things, you're reading what John saw. And in a sense, you can say you're seeing. As you read this description, you're seeing what John sees. I'm afraid we have to confess that so often we read these things and it doesn't bring us to our knees. So often we have these wonderful descriptions of the greatness, the glory, the power of God. We stand unmoved. We sit unmoved. We are not humbled like these men were. As we think about who God is, who Christ is, I think about the Bible, His Word that He has given to us. Seeing the greatness of God, the majesty of God, that ought to make us to go to the Bible with humility, with reverence, with awe, to say, Lord, here is your Word, here you are speaking to me. When we go to God in prayer, Do we recognize that while we may call God our Father, as Jesus teaches us to pray, that He is our Father who is in heaven, that He is our Father that has the same glory and majesty and power and honor that Christ has. As we go to Him, we're not just speaking to another person, we're not speaking to a friend, to a buddy, we're speaking to God. We are, as it were, in prayer, coming into His presence, having fellowship and communion with Him. We think of the Lord Jesus when it comes to our minds, one who is gentle and lowly, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, the Savior of sinners. All those things are true. They're still true. There's more to Christ. His eyes are like a consuming fire. There's a sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth. His countenance like the brightness of the sun shining in its strength, feet of iron to crush His enemies. That's the other side of Christ we need to remember, to reckon with. Also in this passage, we think about how we should respond, isn't it? A sobering warning. This is the one before whom we stand on judgment day. Again, when Jesus comes back on the clouds of heaven, the graves are opened. Every single one of us will stand before Jesus. We'll have to give an account of every word, every thought, every action. Again, Jesus is not just there as a lowly man. Jesus will be there as a judge, as the one who will punish sin, as the one who will crush those who rise up against Him in rebellion and in unbelief. Judgment awaits us if we don't repent and believe. Judgment awaits us if we don't turn away from our sins and flee to Christ. The apostle, or not the apostle, John the Baptist in Luke chapter 3, there's a multitude who are coming to him to be baptized. What does he say to them? You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Think that might be a little harsh, doesn't it? Call them vipers, flee from the wrath to come in. John is accurate there. There is a wrath that is coming, and this wrath is coming through Jesus Christ as judge. If we don't repent now, if we don't bow before Him now, if we don't trust in Him now, we will experience His wrath. But isn't it also in this description encouragement, perhaps in a more indirect way, We can see the greatness of God's love, of Christ's love to us in the description that we have here. In order for Jesus to be the savior of sinners, Jesus had to humble himself. Read that described in Philippians 2, verses 6 and 8. Read there, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, of a slave, and coming in the likeness of man. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And we don't like humbling ourselves. We don't like doing the dirty work that we think maybe the new employee should do or something that we can pass off to someone else. We don't like to suffer. And we think about Christ. He had this glory, this greatness, this majesty in heaven. Then he comes to this earth. He comes as, first of all, a little helpless baby. And he goes through this life. In this human nature, he experienced fatigue. He was hungry. He experienced the weakness that we as people experience. He was tempted by Satan. And every temptation that we were tempted with, he was tempted with. Ultimately, Jesus, this majestic God, He was falsely accused, wrongly condemned, horribly mistreated, nailed to the cross, laughed at, mocked at. He experienced the wrath of God. He experienced hell and the place of His people. This Jesus who suffered, He left such glory and went to such depths. Why did He do that? Revelation 1 verse 5, this praise that we have here, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. That's why He did it. The love of God, the love of Christ that compelled Him to go to such depths, to go through such agony. It was because it was the blood of Christ alone that could cleanse us. It's the blood of Christ alone through which we can be washed, through which we can be made white and pure and righteous before God. This great Savior, He has done absolutely everything necessary so that we can be saved. He didn't cover 95 or 99% of sins on the cross. He paid for every sin on the cross. And in His life, in His obedience, it wasn't a partial obedience. It was a perfect obedience. When we believe in Jesus, all our sins are forgiven. And when we believe in Jesus, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. All that Christ has done in our place is applied to us, so that when God looks at us, He sees those who are pure and spotless. Many other applications to how we should respond, but one other brief one is obedience and confidence. Why wouldn't we obey God? Why wouldn't we obey Christ? Think of this description, this revelation He has given to us. How dare we resist? How dare we ignore to set aside the words of the Savior? And how we should respond then with not simply out of fear because of who He is, but of love. As Christians, we are to obey, to show our love, our thankfulness to God because of what Christ has done. He is among His people. He holds them in His hand. He purifies and protects the church. He perfectly sees and understands all things. Let's go on and more briefly look at our fourth point. What do we hear? We left our text, verse 17, when John saw Him, He fell at His feet as dead. What does Jesus do in response? Let's read the second half of verse 17. Isn't that a beautiful picture? John just sees this vision of Christ in such glory and majesty and honor. But the same Christ, He comes. He lays His hand on His dear disciple. He wants to reassure him. He wants to comfort him. He sees his fear and says, You don't need to be afraid, John. You don't need to be anxious. Why is that? Again, I am the first and the last. He will always be there. But Jesus goes on to say that in verse 18, I am he who lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. It's astounding that the God-man died, but he is alive and he is alive forevermore. Again, Jesus is saying to John, John, don't worry. There's never going to be a day when I won't be there. You're never going to have to worry, you know, is Jesus alive? Has He passed away? Is He unable to help me? No, He is the One who was, who died, who lives forevermore. He goes on to say that He has the keys of Hades and death. Again, what do we so often fear? We fear death. And if we're honest, we fear hell. Yet Jesus overcame both of these. He endured the agonies of hell on the cross. And He triumphantly rose from the grave. And He has the keys, and with these keys, He opens and closes. And that means also for us. That no child of God will by accident end up in hell is a mistake. Because Christ is holding the key. Christ makes sure that He knows that the right people go to the right place. It also means that if we don't believe, if we don't repent, we will not escape hell. Christ as the judge holds the key. And again, He will make sure that we will go where we're supposed to go. You see again this command for the second time in these verses. John is to write. There's three things he needs to write about. The things which you have seen. This is the vision that he just saw, that Jesus just gave him. Second thing is the things which are. Most likely this is referring to the seven letters which Jesus is addressing the seven churches and their current struggle and their current joys. And the third thing is to write about is the things which will take place after this. In Revelation 4 verse 1, we see there, after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. So I believe this, the things which must take place after this is referring to the other visions that are showing things that are happening, things that need to happen. Well, conclusion, congregation. In the introduction, I said we need to consider the so what of this passage. What difference does this make for me? What impact should this have for me? As we consider this chapter verses 9 through 12, as we see this self-revelation of Christ to John and through John to us, we should respond by saying, wow, our God and our Savior is a great God. Great is His faithfulness, great is His love and His tenderness to His people. but also great is His holiness, great is His wrath, great is His judgment against those who do not believe. And then to respond with humble worship, to remember who it is that we worship, and to let that impact the way that we read His word, the way that we pray, the way that we come to church to worship Him corporately as a group. to respond by believing, by submitting, by trusting, and to respond with loving service. Can you imagine a greater King, a more glorious King that we can serve than this King? May God help us to love Him, to trust Him, to bow before Him, and to live for Him. Amen. Let us pray. Our gracious God, our glorious God, Lord, we come before you again. Lord, we acknowledge that in and of ourselves we have no right to come into your presence. Lord, we acknowledge and confess that we are sinners, that we are sinners who have sinned against you even in this last hour. Lord, we confess that we deserve your judgment, we deserve your wrath. Lord, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you that he is a great and glorious Savior, so gentle, so tender, so loving, so kind. And also, as we saw this morning, so powerful, so holy, so just, so righteous. Lord, what a Savior he is. Lord, help all of us to trust. Help all of us to bow, to surrender, to submit to Jesus Christ. Help us, Lord. As we consider these things, you would give us ever more awe, ever more understanding and appreciation. Lord, help us to see the urgency. that those who live around us, those who live in ignorance of the wrath of God, but also salvation to be found in Christ, or help us to urgently reach out to them. We may warn them to flee from the wrath that is to come. We may point them to Christ as the great physician who can give a perfect, total healing and eternal life, or give us courage, give us boldness, give us love and zeal. And we ask all these things for Christ's sake alone. Amen.