THE EMBLEM OF JOY
REVELATION 22:1-5
Introduction:
A native in the Bible Lands will not sleep in a dark room. However poor he may be, he absolutely must have some light. To them it is the symbol of the supremacy of good over evil, the triumph of life over death.
Light, therefore, is the EMBLEM of JOY in the Eastern mind. It is where there is not the danger of evil and corruption. The Scripture says in John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
I. LIGHT IN SCRIPTURE IS THE EMBLEM OF JOY
A. The joy of the saints in heaven is comprised in this:
1. Jesus CHOSE us, John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
2. Jesus BOUGHT us, 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
3. Jesus WASHED us, Revelation 1:6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
4. Jesus ROBED us, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
5. Jesus KEPT us, John 17:12-13, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
6. Jesus will GLORIFY us, Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
B. We are here entirely through the Light of the Lord Jesus, John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
II. LIGHT IS THE EMBLEM OF THE JOY OF KNOWLEDGE
A. The Lord Jesus himself is the fountain knowledge, Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
1. Lack of knowledge of Jesus Christ destroys man, Hosea 4:6,“My people are destroyed (CUT OFF) for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
2. Knowing Jesus Christ as Savior is the beginning of knowledge, Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning (the principle part) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
B. All that puzzles us now will become plain to us in the light of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
1. Then we shall see God as our ALL IN ALL, 1 Corinthians 15:28, “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
2. We shall see Him as He is, 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
III. LIGHT IS THE JOY OF THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST
A. In this world it does not yet appear what we shall be, Psalm 31:19, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
B. We shall be changed into the image of his manifested glory, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
C. We were poor and wretched, but what a transformation it shall be, Philippians 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
1. We had the stain of death upon us, Job 3:5, “Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.”
2. But Jesus had the victory over death, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
CONCLUSION:
“Whatever there may be of effulgent splendor, Jesus shall be the center and soul of it all. Oh! To be present and to see him in his own light, the King of kings, and Lord of lords!” —Barne’s Notes