"Fear Not; I am the First & the Last" (Rev 1:14-20), Part 2/2

A Jesus who merely “tries” to save is not the Jesus Revelation shows us. We read John’s vision and let the details land: hair white like wool, eyes like a flame of fire, feet like burning brass, and a presence that sits in the midst of his people. That picture is not random symbolism. It is meant to stabilize Christians when external pressure rises, when trials and tribulation feel personal, and when the church needs more than slogans.

From there, we wrestle with a question many believers carry quietly: can salvation be lost? We connect Revelation’s imagery to the promise of John 10:28–29 that no one can snatch Christ’s sheep from his hand, and to Romans 11:29 on God’s irrevocable gifts and calling. If Jesus is the all-wise, all-powerful Lord who bought his people “in full with his blood,” what does it even mean to say we can slip out of his grasp? The conversation gets direct, because the comfort of Revelation depends on the strength of the One being revealed.

We also take on modern Christian catchphrases, especially “give your heart to Jesus,” and measure them against the Bible’s language of regeneration and the gift of a new heart. That naturally brings up monergism, free will, and why lowering God’s majesty shrinks the gospel. We close by returning to Revelation 1:16 and the seven stars, starting to unpack why Scripture calls Christ’s messengers “stars” and what it says about light, guidance, and authority in the church.

If this strengthened you or challenged you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations. What’s the strongest argument you’ve heard for or against eternal security?

Transcript

Wisdom And Christ’s Righteousness

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And it says, the gray head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness. And so, you know, I think it's another way just to speak of his wisdom. I know that it talks about wisdom or white hair being equated to that as well. And so I think it's beautiful because we know that he walked in all righteousness.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

And so, you know, it it uh it's fitting for him to have such it is, and and that and that is what wisdom is. Wisdom is the fruit of age, and and he and he is the eternal son of God. So he's eternal, he's all-wise, he's all powerful, he's all seeing, and judgment is in his

Protected From The Inside Out

SPEAKER_01 0:50

hands. And so we have a God who wants us to understand that we are invincible, untouchable, because he sits in the midst of us. And it's interesting when you think about how things are usually protected. You know, things are usually protected by putting by putting the security aspect on the outside of things. Like we don't have cameras and whatever, but he sits in the midst of us. He's he's right here with us. He's inside the house, you know, protecting and guarding us. And so, and and there's so many, so many different allusions we can make to this because there's no way, there's no way that we can diminish from his glory when we talk about his protection and his watch and his keeping over his people.

Why Revelation Gives Comfort

SPEAKER_01 1:37

And it's so important to remember, and that's what, again, I'm gonna keep saying this throughout this book. That's this is the purpose of revelation. And these this language would mean no, would make no sense, would make no sense if you think we're supposed to be gone before the need to rely on this imagery becomes so important to us. It's because we're going to go through it. It's because we're going to go through tribulations, because we're going to go through trials, which is the reason why we need this comfort, this language. And so many people have mistaken that, made whole doctrines, saying, no, no, no, this book, this has nothing to do with the with the church. Well, then who is Christ providing this comfort, this language, this this language of comfort to and for what? So we need to understand that he is showing us that we are secure in him at all times, no matter how severe external circumstances may come and attempt to overtake us. We have to remain faithful, and he's giving us the words that make us understand that we are good with him.

Seeing God’s Glory And Fire

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Sister Vanessa. Good evening.

SPEAKER_03 2:56

Good evening. Not the best tonight, so anyway. I you know the glorious picture of God is so amazing to me. And when it talks about his eyes, it just seems like you know, the the flames are just his powerful view of everything, you know, that he is so strong and immutable that there's nothing we can compare to it. So he gives us, with John, he gives us a picture that maybe we can look at and see a partially of what he is. But, you know, he's so glorious.

unknown 3:45

Right.

SPEAKER_03 3:45

And I agree with everybody else. It's just, you know, God, there isn't nothing much that you can say except He is glorious.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Yep. We we see His Majesty here, and that's what we're you know, that's what we're expected to see. And we and those who have the Spirit of God living in them, they they know. We know. We know what that we know what that what that does and how it stirs our soul when we read this language. Miss White, your thoughts, sister, and good evening.

SPEAKER_04 4:17

Good evening. Happy Father's Day.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Thank you. Thank you, sister.

SPEAKER_04 4:21

You know, I just love when people bring out his sovereignty and his power. Like, I don't know. It just puts something in me. You know what I mean? It's just, it just gives it exhilarating. And I was listening to you, and it's just so beautiful and so powerful. And the only verse that kept popping into my head was Hebrews 13. No, Hebrews 12, 28. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. That's all I can think of was consuming fire.

unknown 5:08

Right.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

It's it's it's a it's a it's a beautiful picture and it's a terrible picture. And I mean that in a good way. I mean in a good way. It is just it it strikes awe in the soul. You know, even you know, even though we get these descriptors that we get here from from from from the Apostle John, but it has a way of rattling and shaking the soul, arousing you to a reverence, yeah, desired holiness to see him this way. You know, and so we we take glory in this because we're like somebody said earlier, I can't remember, I think it was Terry that said something about like, you know, like when you when you have Christ and you're in him, and you realize that being in him, this is what you have access

Can Salvation Be Lost?

SPEAKER_01 6:00

to, this is what keeps you, this is what grounds you. How do you read these passages? And one of the things, one of the things that I keep bringing up over and over again, and throughout this book and in Revelation, that we're going through both of these, I'm afraid I'm gonna warn you in advance that you're gonna hear me over and over again talking about how it is that you can read things like this and believe that somebody can lose their salvation. The description of our Lord alone in these verses, who can take us away from him? Who can what can rob us of of of the joy that we have if this is our Lord? And is he and he's our Lord, we're his possession. We we are his possession. You know, and so the idea that somebody or something up to and including ourselves can be unraveled from between his fingers is an absurd notion.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

Ripped out of his arms.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

That's right. And you get these people that are going like, well, but you can jump out if you want to. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What are we talking about? Riding in the back of a pickup truck? Going over a dune? I mean, this is just silly. Who are we talking about here? What are we talking about? And what's the purpose of having all this language? If ultimately everything depends on what we do or not do.

SPEAKER_04 7:42

You know, the question is, Jonathan, who are they talking about? Because it's not our Lord.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Not mine, sister. Not mine, because a Lord like that would not be worth worshiping.

SPEAKER_05 7:52

He paid for us in full with his blood.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. Sister Meg, you have something you wanted to add.

SPEAKER_06 8:01

Well, you stole my thunder, but I because you were saying exactly what I was gonna say, but you know, when we read John chapter 29, I mean, I mean John chapter 10, 28 and 29, when Jesus says that I give eternal life and nobody will snatch them out of my hand, it's the same imagery as we're seeing here, right? It's the same anthropomorphic language, right? But to think that it would be so easy, and this is how people relay it. They just go over the verses as if it's nothing. To see that to think for one moment that you can fall or walk out the hand of God, God Almighty, the creator of all things, our Lord, you think it's gonna be that easy? He has a kingdom, he has to return to the Father. You think he's gonna let that happen? Then when we go into Romans 11:29, the gifts and the callings of God are irrevocable and without repentance.

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Right.

SPEAKER_06 9:02

I mean, what are we thinking here?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, I don't I don't know how any person who professes to be a Christian walks away with those types of conclusions. I don't I don't understand it. I don't. Not as a Christian. If you're not a Christian, I can understand if you're reading this and you don't understand it. But a Christian, a believer who says they've been born again, reads this and then still thinks that salvation is your responsibility, something that you can do. All we do to our salvation is aggravate whatever it is God is doing to preserve us, if that were possible. We'd get in the way. Brother Jeff.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Well, yeah, Meg's already acknowledged what I said, but I mean, you know what I'm gonna say. I mean, the thing is, it's it's it's the same old thing, itself. We we their believers still believe they have free will. That they chose. I mean, I heard some guy on TikTok

Monergism And The New Heart

SPEAKER_02 10:05

today saying, give your heart to Jesus. Oh, yeah, I remember I followed him, and I looked at his live and I didn't join it, but I was like, he was talking about give your heart to Jesus. What do you mean, give your heart to Jesus? What are you talking about? Right. You know, it's it's a bunch of nonsense. I mean, the thing is, God does all the work. I mean, you know, somebody asked me about it, you know, uh when I think about it, I think think look up monergism. Right. Okay. Look that up, think about it, and then come back and talk to me. I mean, I mean, you I mean, you know, I mean, God, people tend to, you know, it's it's lowering God, it's let's say majeste. You know, in other words, we have an all-powerful God that determines everything before the foundation of the world, and nobody can change anything. So not a thing. He chose us before the beginning of the world. Hey, I'm sorry that there are people that are there people that are elect, and there are people that are reprobate, but it wasn't my choice. And I don't know who they are, so I'm gonna tell you about Jesus, but I can tell you the ones that are reprobate are not gonna believe it.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

They're never gonna believe it.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

And nothing's gonna change their mind. You could beg them, plead, you tell them you go to hell, it won't matter. Because God has determined it. It's all his work. I mean, this just drives me nuts. No nothing, brother Jeff. Isn't that the truth? I mean, that's just it. I look at it as you're in a boat. Okay, you're in a boat. I mean, Jesus is in the boat. And everybody, everywhere on the water, these floating bodies, they're dead. They can't do anything, they can't swim, they can't move, they can't do a thing. Unless Jesus reaches out through the Holy Spirit and regenerates us, brings us back to life, we can't do a dog thing. Right. You know, it's like it's it's it's just so simple. And the thing is, you know, you want to say, yes, God is all powerful, well then let him be all-powerful. You know, that is the easiest thing. I mean, for me to know that the Holy Spirit changed my heart, enabled me to see what Jesus had done for me, and for me to repent and be saved, and the fact that I can never change that is just the most wonderful thing in the world.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

It is, it's beautiful. And that's the thing, and I like what you said about the because I like what you said about that give your heart to Jesus thing. Because I because I I have always hated that statement. I just can't stand it. Give your heart to Christ. It's like, why would why would you be giving something to Christ, giving your heart to God? What how would that make sense? And how does that line up and square up with the fact that you need to be given a new heart, like like Brother Nathan typed in Ezekiel? He doesn't want that heart, he wants to give you the new heart. Right. And so I don't understand that that whole thing. And see, sometimes you all you have to do is sit back and think a little bit. He's going to, he has to take out the old heart, and he has to do it. Because man doesn't want to give it up. What man wants to give, what man wants to give up his old self? No, but we love, men love their sin. Men love their sin.

SPEAKER_02 13:24

Yeah, and then talking about making a decision. What do you mean made a decision? God made a decision and you accept it. I mean, that's the way it works. I mean, when you're when you were two years old and your dad said you go out in that that street, I'm gonna whip your butt. You didn't decide for him not to do it. You got it. You you went out in the street and you got your butt whipped.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

And uh, you know, I mean, and that's just a small example.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Yeah. Yeah, it there's there's so many of them. But yeah, absolutely right. Absolutely right. Sister Terry, go ahead. You had something you wanted to add.

SPEAKER_05 14:01

When when you talk to people, they come from a particular perspective. Now, I never thought of this until tonight. But next time I hear milling mouth stuff about my Lord losing your salvation or whatever they want to whine or complain, I am gonna flip open the book of Revelation from now on. And I'm gonna read these verses describing so that a picture is worth a thousand words. That's what they say. And I'm gonna describe my Lord the way he describes himself, and see if that doesn't put a little thought into that or a little imagery into that mind and change their perspective to a more godly and God-fearing perspective.

SPEAKER_01 14:47

That's right. That's right.

Seven Stars And Their Meaning

SPEAKER_01 14:50

So in Revelation verse and 1, verse 16, we keep we continue. The vision John has, and it's speaking about Christ, whose eyes are a flame of fire and feet burning brass, hair and head white like wool. It says this in verse 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a two-edged sword. Remember the reference to Hebrews 4.12? Went out a two-edged sword. His countenance was as the sun, was as the sun shining in his strength. So he begins here in this verse, or he continues in this verse by saying, the seven stars are in his right hand, and that they represent the appointed messengers or the spiritual representatives of the churches. Notice, first off, there's seven stars. Sister Mariah, what do stars signify? Take a guess. What do stars signify in this passage? Let me see here. Anybody else want to take a guess? Anybody?

SPEAKER_04 16:15

Messengers.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

It is, but what do what what? Right, it is. That's exactly right. But what is the symbolism of the star, of them being called stars?

SPEAKER_05 16:26

The light, like like the angels, like messengers.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

No, I'm talking about the stars. Well, they are messengers, but let's let's get to the stars first. What are lights? What do the stars in in just just what you know about science? What are stars?

SPEAKER_05 16:40

They guide you.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Stars are light.