REVELATION

THE NEW EARTH AND NEW HEAVEN

REVELATION 21:1-8

Key verse: v. 1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Introduction:

History as we know it will have come to an end and God prepares to purify everything that sin had contaminated. The Devil is in the Lake of Fire with all of his fallen angels as are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. All unbelievers have been judged and sent to their eternal abode in the Lake of Fire.

Now God opens a new chapter in the history of man – that of the eternal bliss in the presence of the God of heaven. Consider what He plans to do:

I. A NEW WORLD IS CREATED, v. 1.

A. The new heaven.

1. The Lord starts with heaven because it was contaminated by Satan rebellion.

2. This is the only reference to the new heaven in the Bible.

B. The new earth.

1. Satan has contaminated the earth with his presence.

2. Satan contaminated the earth as he tried to convince man to rebel against the God of heaven, Genesis 3:1-5

II. A NEW WORLD FOR A NEW MAN, vs.3-8.

A. The changes that God will make regarding the born-again man, vs. 3-7.

1. God will dwell with man, v. 3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

2. God will do away with some things that have plagued man, v. 4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

a. No more tears, Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

1) No more death, Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” 1 Corinthians 15:26, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”

2) No more sorrow, Isaiah 35:10, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

b. No more pain because there will be no sickness.

3. The beauties of Eden will be restored, Isaiah 55:13, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

B. The description of who will not qualify to live in God’s heaven, v. 8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

1. The fearful, those too timid to receive Christ as Savior for fear of man, Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

2. The unbelieving, John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 16:9, “Of sin, because they believe not on me;”

3. The abominable, the Greek word means, “to stink,” perhaps referring to those that pollute their own bodies, Romans 1:26-27.

a. Adoration of Images, Deuteronomy 27:15 “Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.”

b. Cheating the customer, Deuteronomy 25:13-16, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. 14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. 15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

c. Incest, Leviticus 18:18 ”Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.”

d. Sodomy, Leviticus 18:22-23, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.”

4. Murderers, and whoremongers, Revelation 22:13, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

5. Sorcerers, =Greek, “pharmakeus” those who use drugs, i.e. spell-giving potion. Deuteronomy 18:10-12, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.” [One who claims to know the future through communication with the dead].

6. Idolaters, Greek = a worshipper of false gods, used of anyone even Christian, participant in any way in the worship of the heathen, esp. one who attends their sacrificial feasts and eats of the remains of offered victims. Ephesians 5:5, “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

7. All liars, to deceive one by a untruth, John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

C. Nothing that corrupts will be there.

1. Nothing as it was in Noah’s day, Genesis 6:11-12, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

2. No sinners will be there, Psalms 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

3. Our uncorrupted treasures will be there, Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”

4. Corrupt communication will be no more, Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

CONCLUSION:

The new heaven and a new earth will be glorious. It will be like nothing we have ever experienced before. It will be heaven.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

REVELATION 1:5

 

Revelation 1:5, “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,”

Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Introduction:

Jesus gives a picture of Himself in this verse. Look at the Savior as the Spirit of God reveals Him in the Word of God.

I. THE FAITHFUL WITNESS

A. He is the Faithful Witness of His Father.

1. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)full of grace and truth.”

2. He has DECLARED the Father, John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

a. He has declared that He is the WAY to the Father, John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

b. He has declared how the Father is to be worshipped, John 4:23-24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

1) We worship Him in Spirit.

This is in opposition to all carnal conceptions of him, as if he was a corporeal being, or circumscribed in some certain place, dwelling in temples made with hands, or was to be worshipped with men’s hands; and in distinction from the carnal worship of the Jews, which lay greatly in the observation of carnal ordinances: and this shows they should NOT worship with their bodies only, for bodily exercise profiteth little; but with their souls or spirits, with their WHOLE hearts engaged therein. —John Gill’s Exposition.

2) We worship Him in Truth, Joshua 24:14, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.”

c. He has declared that He is ONE with the Father, John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”

d. He declared that He is EQUAL with the Father, John 5:18, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

B. He is the Faithful Witness of the Promises of the Word of God, Romans 15:8, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a MINISTER of the circumcision for the truth of God, to CONFIRM THE PROMISES made unto the fathers:”

1. To minister to man, Matthew 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

2. As Priest He is the MINISTER of the TRUE TABERNACLE, Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

II. THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD

A. The FIRSTBORN of the dead, at the head of those who rise from their graves, Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

B. He has risen to die NO MORE, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1. He is the HOPE of our great future, 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

2. God raised Jesus from the dead that we might HOPE IN GOD, 1 Peter 1:21, “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

III. THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH

1. Jesus by his resurrection won LORDSHIP over the kings of earth, Revelation 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

2. Satan had offered this if He would bow down to the Devil, Matthew 4:8-9, “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

3. Jesus is the RIGHTFUL OWNER of the title, Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

B. Jesus our Prince LOVES His people, John 13:1, “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

C. Jesus WASHED US in His own blood, Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

1. His blood has cleansed us from ALL SIN, 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

2. His blood has SAVED US FROM the WRATH to come, Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

3. Through His blood we have REDEMPTION and FORGIVENESS of sins, Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

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

SATAN AND THE BOOK

REVELATION 1:9; 2:7-11

Introduction:

The word Satan in the Hebrew, is simply an “ADVERSARY,” as in 1 Kings 5:4, “But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.” This original sense is still found in our Lord’s application of the name to the Apostle Peter in Matthew 16:23, “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

The Word of God, THE BOOK, or the BIBLE, is hated by Satan above every book in this world.

I. SATAN IS GOD’S ADVERSARY

A. Satan’s character, John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

1. The Devil (Satan) is the father of those who know not God, 1 John 3:10, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

2. He who sins is of the devil, 1 John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

B. Satan is the enemy of righteousness, Acts 13:10, “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”

C. Satan is the deceiver of the whole world, Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

II. SATAN’S HATRED FOR THE BOOK

A. God’s Word is sent out to accomplish HIS PURPOSE, Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

1. The creation of the universe was by the power of His Word, 2 Peter 3:5, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”

2. The future of the world are reserved by the power of that same Word, 2 Peter 3:7, “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

B. Satan challenges the Word of God, Genesis 3:4-5, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

1. The father of lies is so saturated with lying that he even attempts to make God out to be a liar, John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

2. Satan challenges with “attractive suggestiveness”, “ye shall be as gods,” Genesis 3:5, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

C. Satan knows the power of the “Book”, Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

1. This is Living (quick) Word of God, John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

2. The Word is Jesus Christ in the Flesh, John 1:1, 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)full of grace and truth.”

3. The Word is skilled in judging (a discerner), as the surgeon has to be and able to decide on the instant what to do, Jeremiah 17:10, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

D. The Book of God is a formidable enemy of Satan, Malachi 1:14, “But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.”

E. He attempts to prevent the reading of the Book because…

1. It tells of Satan’s character: Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

2. It reveals the character of his works,

a. He is the instigator of all evil, 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

b. He is the corrupter of churches, 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

c. He is the persecutor of Christians, 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

CONCLUSION:

The Book or the Word of God is the most powerful force in this world. With it we can defend ourselves against our archenemy, the Devil. He hates “the Book” because it is beyond his power to resist, James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS

REVELATION 1:12-18

Introduction:

The “candlesticks” mentioned here refer to the lampstand of the Tabernacle. It was a stand of seven lamps fueled by olive oil and burned perpetually in “holy place” of the Tabernacle just outside of the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place.

It was NOT a candlestick OF CANDLES because candles were not invented until later by Scientist Michael Faraday, during his life in the nineteenth century.

In the “Holy of Holies” was the Ark of the Covenant where the High Priest made expiation or atonement once a year for the Hebrew congregation on the Day of Atonement.

I. SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS vv. 12-13

A. The Voice, Exodus 20:18, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.”

1. The AUTHORITY of the voice causes John to turn to see who spoke, Matthew 7:28-29, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

2. It was the LORD’S voice, Micah 6:9, “The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.”

B. The Golden Candlesticks, Zechariah 4:2, “And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:”

1. These REPRESENT the SEVEN CHURCHES of Asia, Revelation 1:20, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS which thou sawest ARE THE SEVEN CHURCHES.”

2. These churches are TO HOLD FORTH LIGHT, Matthew 5:15, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it GIVETH LIGHT unto all that are in the house.”

a. This LIGHT is the WORD OF GOD, Psalms 119:130, “The entrance of thy words GIVETH LIGHT; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

b. The WORD of God BRINGS BLESSING, Luke 11:28, “But he said, Yea rather, BLESSED are they that HEAR the word of God, and KEEP IT.”

3. God’s churches are “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,” Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

a. While the Lord was here HE was the LIGHT of the world, John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

b. Now His churches REFLECT THAT GREAT LIGHT in a DARK world, Matthew 4:16, “The people which sat in darkness SAW GREAT LIGHT; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

II. THE SON OF MAN IN THE MIDST OF THE CANDLESTICKS v. 13

A. John RECOGNIZED JESUS’ GLORIFIED FORM as MAN because HE SAW IT at the TRANSFIGURATION, Mark 9:2-3, “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was TRANSFIGURED before them. 3 And his raiment became shining, EXCEEDING WHITE as SNOW; so as NO fuller on earth can white them.”

1. John HAD SEEN the Lord ENDURING the AGONY of Gethsemane, and the SHAME and ANGUISH of Calvary, Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, DESPISING THE SHAME, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

2. Now he sees Jesus in His GLORY as THE SON OF MAN, Revelation 4:1-3, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”

B. The Lord Jesus’ CONTINUAL PRESENCE in the MIDST of His churches, Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

1. The Lord has NOT SENT His churches into the world ALONE, Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

2. The Lord has NOT LEFT US COMFORTLESS or WITHOUT GUIDANCE, John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

a. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, John 14:16, 26, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

b. The Comforter will GUIDE US into all truth, John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

3. He will NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE HIS OWN, Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE.”

CONCLUSION:

Jesus is in the midst of His churches. He is ever present in the person of the Holy Spirit guiding and counseling regarding the Lord’s work on this earth. He has not given us work that we cannot do, but rather, has supplied every need as individuals and as His Church to accomplish His will.