2. The Son of God. 1:11-20 V.11 c) Record in a book - I. All what he saw and heard was to be written down except the 7 thunders.10:1-5 II. 12 times John is told to write in Revelation. 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5 III. To be sent to 7 churches in Asia (Modern Turkey). V.12 d) Responding to the voice - I. The 3 levels of responding to God. Hearing - Turning - Seeing. II. Tabernacle or Temple reference: The golden lampstand. Ex.25:31-40; Zech.4:2 A. Lampstands are used to give light in a dark place. B. Churches and individuals are light in the world. Matt.5:14-16 III. "I saw" appears 44 times in Revelation (1:12; 4:1, 4; 5:1, 2, 6, 11; 6:1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12; 7:1, 2, 9; 8:2, 13; 9:1, 17; 10:1; 13:1, 3, 11; 14:1, 6, 14; 15:1, 2, 5; 16:13; 17:3; 18:1; 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 11, 12; 21:1, 2, 8 V.13 a) The High priest of the Church - I. Jesus is in the midst and the centre of the Church. Matt.18:20 He is the Lord, the High Priest, the Head of the Body, He is the One all things centres around. Col.1:15-18 II. That Jesus stands in the midst of the 7 churches could also be referring to it in a geographical way, the 7 churches is roughly placed in a circle. III. Revelation begins with Jesus as the centre of the Church and ends with Jesus as the centre of all things. 22:1-5 IV. Jesus is the Son of God in heaven but also the Son of man, He is the last Adam in heaven and has a human body which is glorified. 85 times “ Son of man” occurs in the Gospels, 83 times claimed by Christ. John 20:24-29; 2 John 7; 1.Cor.15:44-49; Dan.7:13-14 V. Tabernacle or Temple reference: The high priestly office. Ex. Ch.28-29 The white garment of the high priest. Ex.28:39-41 The priest stood in front of the golden lampstands in the temple of Solomon, they tended and refilled the lamps with oil, they made sure they continued to burn. Jesus also has this ministry of tending, cleaning and refilling the lampstands so that the churches will continue to burn VI. Around His chest is a golden band, could be referring to the purity of heart and His ministry as High Priest or Judge. VII. The High Priest’ s 3 primary ministries: 1. He Intervenes by offering sacrifices. 1:5 2. He Intercedes with prayers, he touches the deep needs of man. 1:17 3. He Inspects the lamps in the holy place. 1:13 V.14 b) The Ancient of days - I. His Head is white because of the strong light coming from Him, it also speaks of His purity as the Head of the Church. II. His hair is white could speak of His age, He has always existed, He is the First and the Alpha. Dan.7:9-14 III. His eyes like fire because He sees all things and His eyes penetrates all things, Heb.4:13; Deu. 4:24; Jer.17:10 but His love also steadily beholds His people and bride with a fierce and serious love. Songs 8:6 V.15 c) The Judge of all - I. His feet is like burning brass because of His position as the Judge (Brass speaks of judgment in Scripture. Deu.28:22-23), in the period of the Revelation He begins to judge the world. Ezek.1:27; 8:2 A. He judges the Church. Ch. 2-3 B. He judges the whole earth. Ch.4-16 C. He judges Babylonianism. Ch.17-18 D. He judges the world rulers at Armageddon.19:19-21 E. He judges Satan. 20:1-3, 10 F. He judges the earth during the Millennium. 20:4-6 G. He judges the rebellious at the end of the Millennium. 20:7-9 H. He judges all the unbelievers at the end. (From Adam to the end) 20:11-15 II. His voice is like many waters because of the loudness of His voice, the message is very important and demands great attention. Ezek.43:2 The many waters can also be a reference to speaking in many languages. V.16 d) The Lord of the Church - I. The 7 angels (stars) v.20 are in His right hand because the angels are working out His purposes in the churches. II. From His mouth goes a two-edged sword because of His judgments. Psalms 149:6; Isaiah 11:4; 49:2; Rev.19:15; 2.Thess.2:8; Heb.4:12 The two edges could be referring to: A. The commandments that condemns man and slays flesh - Its all by works B. The grace of the Gospel that slays the old man and condemns the flesh - Its all by grace. III. The glory coming from Him was hard to look at and speaks of his now glorified position. IV. The church has light as from lampstands, the angels as from stars but Christ as like the sun. V.17 a) First and the Last - I. John was slain and powerless, the present physical body cannot encounter such glory without being weakened. Acts 9:3-4; Dan.10:7-12 II. In seeing Jesus in all of His glory, strength, power, holiness, purity, righteousness and as the Judge of all, we need also to remember He is also the loving High Priest that takes man by the shoulders and raises them up. The same hand that held the 7 stars, that has a pierced hole in it now takes graciously hold on him. Heb.2:15-18; 4:14-16; 7:24-25; 10:19-23 III. John is experiencing His loving Saviour as He had done previously more than 60 years earlier, the One that reaches out and touches the needy one. Matt.8:14-15; 9:27-29; 17:7; Luke 5:12-13; 7:14; 22:51; John 9:6 V.18 b) Forever Liveth - I. I am the resurrected Christ. II. I have the keys of Hades and Death, I have conquered Hades and Death by a sinless life and everyone who dies in Me and resurrects in Me goes from death to life, from the kingdom of Hades to the kingdom of Heaven. Rom.5:14, 17, 21;6:1-11, 23; 7:5, 13; 8:2 Heb.2:14-15; Matt.16:18; John 5:28 III. There are 5 keys mentioned in Scripture: 1. The keys of the kingdom. Matt. 16:19 2. The key of knowledge. Luke 11:52 3. The key of Hades and Death. Rev.1:18 4. The key of the throne of David. Rev. 3:7 5. The key to the bottomless pit. Rev. 9:1; 20:1 III. Death and Hades have gates. Psalms 9:13; Matt.16:18 V.19 c) Fine Lay out - This verse is the Divine outline to the book. I The things which you have seen. (Past tense) Ch.1 II. The things which are. (Present tense) Ch.2-3 III. The things which will take place after this. (Future tense) Ch.4-22 V.20 d) Flaming Lampstand - I. The mystery of the 7 churches and stars explained. A. The 7 lampstands represents the 7 churches, the lampstands is a type of all His people in the church. B. The 7 stars represents the 7 angels, the stars are types of real angels that serves as His right hand in the churches. The Greek word “aggelos” meaning a messenger is used only for angels and never for man in the book of Revelation. II. The 7 lampstands (Gr. luchnia) are different from the 7 lamps (Gr. lampas) before the throne 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. A. The lampstands in Greek is a different word used than the lamps before the throne. B. The 7 lampstands are people (churches) and the lamps are called 7 Spirits. C. The lampstands are on earth and the lamps are in heaven. D. The lampstands are placed in cities and the lamps are sent into all the world. E. The 7 angels (stars) are not the 7 Spirits for they are distinguished in 3:1 III. The angels shine like stars which is a steady and certain light while the churches shines like lampstands which can be unstable and uncertain. Stars shine in the heaven while lampstands on earth.