Chapter 1 Verse 9

• John says I am on Patmos for the word!  That means that because of his testimony he has been banished, exiled because it is contrary to the decrees of the emperors of Rome.  True, but here’s the point.  John says, I am on Patmos…for the word.  He says, “God has put me on this island, in this tough spot, in this difficulty…completely alone…in this place for the word.  Not just because I am a preacher but that I might receive MORE revelation from Him.”
• All alone, old, weak, exiled, hungry…but I’m here so that I may hear from God without distraction!  That’s why!  That’s the point!  Listen, as believer, as Christians, things do not happen to us they happen FOR us!  Whatever you are going through…whatever it might be…you are in that place, you are on that Patmos FOR the word of God.  God wants to give to you revelation!  John would have never received revelation if he wasn’t on that rocky forsaken island, forgotten seemingly, being cheated/punished unfairly, where things looked awful and bleak.  But he is and he is faithful as he states “I am here FOR the Word of God!”  And the revelation he received…GREAT!
• But since he is here and he is as we will read in a moment, “In the Spirit,” and not trivial, trite and shallow…not allowing himself and you not allowing your life to be light weight and frothy and silly and a waste…I want my life to have substance…I want people around me not to bow down and do what I want and to serve me and give to me but to be encouraged and uplifted!  I want my family, my children, my wife, my friends to see and have the truth and see the big picture and for them to walk with You Father!
• I need revelation so that I might lead them correctly.  God says “great…you got it…here you go!”  And man once someone grabs onto that simple truth then things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.  Romans 8:28.  That is truth.  And then no matter the place you find yourself, no matter your present situation…your heart will say, “praise Him…cause He is here for me and I am ready to receive revelation!” 
• 2 Cor Chapter 1 says that He comforts us in all our tribulation.  Small “t” tribulation.  Our tough times, our hard places…without them how do we know the comfort of God?  How do we see it?  We don’t!  Oh that is what I want, Matt…the comfort of God right now…ok, me too but look there is something to be learned here.  Turn over to 2 Cor Chapter 1.  Look at verses 1 through 7.
• Your suffering and subsequent consolation is for what?  That we may be able to comfort others.  If that is not your goal, go your way belly-aching.  Go your way suffering…because consolation cannot come to you until your heart is aligned with God’s will and commandments…to love others.  There’s a bigger picture.
• The tough time, you can go through shallow and hollow and the entire time will be great loss…or…you can say as John says here, “I am here, I am where I’m at for the word of God!”  And you will not only surge with hope and revelation now but you will emerge a weapon of freedom to those and for those wrapped in chains of blindness still! 
• And you will not only profess the will of God, profess fellowship with Jesus but you will perform the very will of God and practice powerful fellowship with His Son and Spirit!  And man that is why we are here, in this world, on this Patmos, to learn that and live that!  But it’s your choice, ultimately it’s you who lives…or lies.  I pray and Jesus prays and God the Father purposes and God the Spirit pleads that you might have life, and have it abundantly!!  That you may be a person of substance…

Chapter 1 Verses 10-11

• John was in the Spirit and so he was worshipping, praying, communing with the Father through the Holy Spirit and he hears a loud voice…as a trumpet.
• Now the trumpet is an instrument that we see throughout the Bible beginning in Exodus 19 where we see God appear to all of the people, not just Moses, there on Mt. Sinai in a thick cloud with thunder and lightning and the sounding of the trumpet.  Very interesting however as you read there in Exodus 19, it’s not told to us who sounds the trumpet.  And even though it is not told, one thing we can conclude from the text…it’s not Moses…it’s not Aaron…in fact it’s none of the people of Israel…then who is it?
• John says here, “I heard behind me a loud voice…and man it sounded like a loud sounding of a trumpet…” and we’ll see that as he turns…he sees…Jesus! 
• Jesus, there with God the Father, with the heavy cloud of God’s presence and glory…signals the people on Mount Sinai…”come!  Come near to the Father!!!”  The people would be commanded to ever observe that day as the Feast of Trumpets…a prophetic feast that has not yet been fulfilled…a fall feast that many Bible scholars believe will be fulfilled in the rapture of the church. 
• Why?  Because as we continue to survey the use of the trumpet in the Old Testament…through Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua, 1 and 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and so on…what do we see?  The trumpet signaling the people of God to gather!  Gather and prepare for the presence of the Lord!  Come to the base of the mountain and behold His glory, hear Him and be with Him!
• And so 1 Thes 4:16 says that “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God and we who are alive shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Comfort one another with these words.”
• Just like John, the church will one day be in the Spirit, communing with the Father as the body of Christ, and we will hear the trumpet blow…the call of Jesus Himself, “Come up here!” just like we see in Revelation 4:1 and we will forever be gathered in the presence of the Father!
• But then notice, once the church is gone…once the people of God have been taken out of the way, the trumpet now is not a call of victory…a call of communion and gathering to the Father…but judgment.  After Revelation 4 we no longer are comforted by the trumpet because beginning in Revelation 8:1…there is silence in heaven for about half an hour and a group of seven angels were given what…seven trumpets…for what purpose…to strike the vegetation of the world, to strike the seas, to strike the waters, to strike the heavens, to summon the locusts, to summon the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates, and finally, to put an end to the kingdoms of the world. 
• And so the picture is clear.  The story is complete.  The trumpet appears first to convocate a holy covenant between God and man at the foot of Mt. Sinai…its then used throughout the history of the people of God to remind them of that covenant and communion they have with the Father.  Then ultimately it’s used to forever gather God’s children unto Himself…taking them out of the way and the chapter closes.  The new chapter opens with judgment, finality and justice.  The trumpet, such a fantastic and important instrument in scripture.
• And so John hears a loud voice, as of a trumpet saying “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.”  Interesting because earlier, in verse 8 it appears that God speaks also to John saying pretty much the same thing…only slightly different because there the Lord says, “I am the Beginning and the End.”  And we looked at last time…exactly who is this?  The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons would say…well simple, that’s God the Father, the Almighty…and I would agree.  
• But recall we turned together to Revelation 22:13 where we read the same words and then we jumped to verse 16 and what does it say there?  “I, Jesus…” and so yes I agree that Revelation 1:8 is speaking of God the Father, the Almighty however very interesting where we find ourselves tonight in Revelation 1:11 and there in Revelation 22 the Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last identifies Himself and it is indeed Jesus.  So if somehow God the Father and God the Son are not One then we have a problem.  We have two Almighties…we have two beginnings and two ends…two firsts and two lasts…but you and I know the truth that they are indeed One God in three Persons…the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• But real quick, John completes the picture here for us because he says that he heard the voice say not only that He is the Alpha and the Omega, not only that He is the Beginning and the End, but also that He is the First and the Last…he adds that here.  And look for just a moment with me at Chapter 2 verse 8.  It says there, “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, “These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.”  So absolutely no question, perfectly complete picture…yes indeed this is the Almighty and yes indeed this is Jesus and therefore the conclusion is sure…God the Father and God the Son are indeed One and He who now speaks to John is Jesus the Christ.

Chapter 1 Verse 12

• There is a pattern of events here that I just want to note for you.  First, John…notice he is about to receive great revelation, he is about to see the risen and glorified Jesus…and exactly how does the Bible describe him?  In the Spirit.  Why is that so significant?  Because he had choices!  He had options!  Here he is, exiled…alone…maybe > most likely hungry.  He could have been grumbling, he could have been fishing, he could have been building a boat…but how is it that we find him?  In the Spirit.  And man in our times of trial, in our days and minutes and moments we have a choice…walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh.
• Imagine, just imagine if John was not in the Spirit.  What revelation would have been missed.  What clear vision of Jesus that we’re about to see…missed!  And we do this to ourselves with our poor choices all too often!  Walk in the Spirit and prepare for GREAT revelation. 
• And also notice, John…in the Spirit, hears the voice of the Lord…what does He do…He turns to face Him…John says, “then I turned to see.”  I want you to know today, in order to see many times, most of the time…you have to turn.  God is speaking to you.  His word is providing clear and succinct instruction.  The Holy Spirit is testifying of the fact that man you need to turn…you’re brothers and sisters in the Lord maybe even have told you clearly that you’re headed in the wrong direction…and if you want to see the Lord clearly, if you want to receive revelation of the truth…then the choice is yours just like it is John’s here…turn and face the truth!
• Thank the Lord that John turns because what comes next is awesome. 

Chapter 1 Verse 13 - 16

• John no doubt remembers Jesus beaten almost to death.  He was there the whole time.  John no doubt remembers Jesus nailed to the cross and hanging there for hours bleeding and gasping for each breath with the crown of thorns too small for His head pressed into Jesus’ flesh.  John was there…the only disciple at the cross!  He no doubt has burned into his mind the image of  Jesus’ destruction as He died there on the cross…but now he turns and what He sees is the Lord in all of His eternal magnificence!  Something like the Mount of Transfiguration but even more complete. 
• And He is there with the seven golden lampstands or candlesticks which we know from verse 20 in this chapter represents the seven churches and notice, Jesus is clothed with a garment down to the feet!! 
• He remembers Jesus laying his garment down to wash the feet of the disciples…he remembers his garments being divided among the Romans there at the cross…but now he sees something significant…the garment of the Lord will never again be laid down…the robe of the Lord will never again be divided…you see He reigns!  The work of salvation, the hope of mankind, complete!
• And robes down to the feet were only worn by two types of folks…kings and priests!  Jesus put aside His kingship to become man-kinds’ high priest and now here He is…forever both!  Our King and our High Priest! The head of the churches!  The priest or Way to God and the King the authority!  So cool!
• And He was girded about the chest with a golden band…gold always speaking of deity.
• His head and hair, gleaming and His eyes like a flame of fire!  Awesome!  This is the ONLY place in the Bible where you will find a detailed physical description of Jesus Christ!  So amazing!
• His feet like fine brass!  Brass is iron mixed with copper which produces strength that endures and what is Jesus?  He is our righteousness that forever endures.  Endured to the end and now endures forever proclaiming our righteousness to the Father through or faith and trust in Him!
• And His voice…like the sound of many waters!  Power and tranquility in perfect harmony!
• And in His right hand, seven stars which we know to be the seven angels of the seven churches or maybe better translated, the seven messengers or pastors if you will…why would I say that?  Because that word in the Greek for angels is a word that is derived from the root word aggello meaning “one who is sent.”
• And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…well what is that?  We know from Hebrews 4:12 that is the Word of God!  God’s word that pierces even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.  And notice, it comes right out of the mouth of the Lord…not man…and interestingly, consequently, we read in 2 Timothy 3:16 what?  All scripture is God breathed in the KJV so again, a clear testimony throughout scripture of the Oneness of God.
• And His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  You know what that word is for strength there?  Dynamis.  Just a cool data point there because that of course is the word we find in Acts chapter 1 when the Holy Spirit showed up.  When He fell upon the believers there and they received Dynamis!!  And John says here, it was like looking at the noon-day sun. 

Chapter 1 Verses 17 – 18

• Death could not hold Him.  He marched the captive souls out of Hades we read in Ephesians and Isaiah and Acts 2:22-27…and so He unlocked the door to destruction and released us…all of  mankind from the punishment that we deserve because of sin.  And now the divine outline.  Jesus is about to tell us exactly how the Book of Revelation is laid out.

Chapter 1 Verse 19

• Write the things which you have seen…Chapter 1, the risen and glorified Lord!  The things which presently are…Chapters 2 and 3…the seven churches or the church age.  And write the things which will take place after this or meta touta in the Greek.  Chapters 4 – 22 as chapter 4 opens up with “meta touta.”  The Great Tribulation period, the second coming of Jesus, the melineal reign, the final judgments and the finally the new heavens and the new earth. 
• You see the Book is not hard to understand.  It’s the only book that has its own divine outline there in verse 19.  The things that you see, the things that are and the things that must take place after this…

Chapter 1 Verse 20

• And so next week we’ll get into the letters to the churches.