Revelation 1:9-20
The Picture of the victorious Christ & all three, combined as one! See also Daniel
7:9-14 especially verses 13&14. The all sufficiency of Christ, gained by His death,
Resurrection and ascension or His enthronement illustrated in Philippians 2:1-11. This
does not negate the mysterious working together with the Father & Spirit: Philippians
2:11, John 15:26-16:16, “... to the glory of God the Father”, “empowered by the Holy
Spirit. No other deities work together for our benefit, so much so that in the mystery of
the Trinity, they are three and one.
Therefore passages like Hebrews 4:14-16 depicts His throne as draped in grace
and mercy.
And unlike human royalty & pagan deities, our God doesn’t rule by or through
aloofness & regal intimidation but, rather as one who washed the disciples feet, John
13:7 as the servant King, administering His power through love. Even His correct
discipline is out of love (Hebrews 12:6) not the divine right of kings: for while we were
yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:6-11) and for God so loved the people in this
fallen world that He sent His son... (John 3:16) He & our Triune God is servant royalty.
This complex triune God through our risen victorious Christ is pictured in
Revelation 1:9-20: An amalgam of all three. He is an amalgam of the ancient of days
(God the Father); The Son of Man (His Son) and the fire & water of the Spirit
representing our God’s victory and our all sufficiency: (Colossians 1:13-20). This is the
central apocalyptic picture of Savior & Lord’s victory (1:13-18)
How does this picture and message speak to John & the church (His people)?
1) If we pay the price we will receive His ultimate Revelation, sustaining presence &
victory.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wants to follow me, he must deny
himself, take up His cross(implies not only difficulties but mission) & follow me,
not in a cookie cutter way but also in a personal way. “Renouncing all” of Luke
14:33 must be balanced with Matthew 6:32-33 and the fact that when we
dedicate ourselves to Him we will not lack any good thing, Psalms 34:10.
For John the prison of the island of Patmos; Revelation 1:6, as the result of his
faithfulness to the Gospel and Christ’s kingdom, was rewarded and privileged to be in
the Spirit and hear, see and experience the victorious Son of Man & His final revelation
in scripture.
2) Like everything God does this privilege & revelation was to bless John & others
1:11 & 19-20. “The 7 stars and the golden lampstands” (I take to mean the 7
churches that represent all Christ’s body in every age and their “angels” or
leaders, pastors etc.) The ultimate assurance of God’s victory through Christ both
for now and forever more (Again Colossians 1:13-20 is one passage that says it
all: for now and then, our future. Expect also to see victories in our lives today,
victories through our God permitted battles, like John on the island of Patmos.
3) The call for us to also hear & experience the victorious God, through Christ, on a
personal level.
a) Revelation 3:19-22. The context warns the prosperous church not to get
overly invested in this fallen world, save some of your treasure for
heaven’s bank. We will earn the right to share, sit on Christ’s throne, that
is, partake in His eternal victory: both now and more fully(Revelation 21 &
22)
Amen