Revelation 1:7

Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him. They also, which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so. Amen. God blessed to us His sacred and holy word. heard this morning. Now, in our previous studies, we considered the contemporary nature of the book. It’s mentioned in the beginning of the book and at the end of the book, and we looked at things much shortly come to pass, time is in hand, and so forth. We looked also at the book itself, went through the book, and pulled out various incidents in the book, which indicates the contemporary nature of the book, like John being a companion in the Greek, as it says, the tribulation. or the churches like Philadelphia escaping this time of trial that’s going to come. We also looked at the fact that the temple was standing, that God was going to avenge the apostles and prophets, which is the foundational aspect of the church. We also mentioned the first fruits of the Jews. It was mentioned in chapter 7, in chapter 14, not the last fruits, but the first fruits, the early converts among them. is. And then we also notice the fifth king of the beast is currently on the throne, according to Revelation chapter 17. Then with our last study, we began looking at the theme of the book. The theme of the book here is found in verse 7 of chapter 1. There’s a diversity of opinion as to the meaning of this particular verse of scripture. But whatever it’s teaching, I hope that we’re, we will notice that it must fit in with that contemporary nature of the book that has been emphasized. We started out by speaking of the fact that it says Christ, He cometh. Christ is coming here. And we talked about the Bible does teach the second coming of Christ. We look at several passages like 2nd Peter chapter 3 and 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 and others that definitely teach the Bible. physical, visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we would say it would be heretical to deny such a return. But we also mentioned that the scriptures teach that Christ comes at times, and it’s not the second coming. And we looked at a couple of passages in Revelation itself, like in chapter 2 and verse 5, where Christ says to the church at Ephesus, if they don’t, don’t repent, he’s going to come and take away their candlestick. Or in chapter 2 verse 16, or chapter 3 verse 3 and 11 and 20, the coming each time is in reference to these particular churches. This is not a future situation. He’s saying, he’s warning them personally about this. In fact, that the church at Laida C, he tells us he’s at the door. We looked at Matthew, chapter 10 and verse 23, where Christ tells his disciples they won’t go through all the cities and towns of Israel or Judah until he comes again. So he’s going to come before they finish this work, which seems to be more contemporary within the lifetime of the disciples. We also mentioned that Christ said he’s going to come with reference to the giving of the Spirit. He won’t leave us comfortless, but he will come to us, and he promises to come in the sense of sending his spirit. So that leads us with the question, which coming are we talking about in this text of Scripture? Because there are obviously passages in chapter 2 and 3 that speak of Christ coming, but they’re not talking about the second coming in those passages. But let’s see, it tells us a little further here. He says, Christ is coming with the clouds. Behold, he cometh with clouds here. Now, in order to understand the language of this passage, we looked at Old Testament passages of Scripture, where there are times when God brings judgment and he said to ride on a cloud when he does it. For example, We looked at Psalm 18, verses 7 to 15. This is divine wrath against David’s enemies, which was really prophetic against Christ enemies. And so we saw God coming on a dark cloud and pouring out his wrath, as if a thunderstorm was coming, and his wrath was going to be poured out. We looked at Isaiah 19, verses 1 to 4, where the Egyptians fall to the Babylonians. God comes on the cloud. We looked at not. Mahom, chapter 1, verses 1 to 6, where Assyria falls to Babylon, or is spoken of in a prophetic sense falling to Babylon. And we saw that he’s coming on the cloud there. And there is, in that passage, in the warning that he gives to the Assyrians, he mentions, it seems to me, some judgment against his own nation, how he’s brought judgment in the past. So, in other words, this is to God, you better fear. Look what happened. When he comes, he brings, severe judgment. Now, obviously, God doesn’t literally, visibly come on a cloud on these occasions, but he wants us to know that his hand is in the judgment, that he is bringing this judgment to pass. He might be using the Babylonians to deal with Israel or the Assyrians, or David’s enemies, or in this case, the Assyrians and the Egyptians, and he rides against David’s enemies as well. it’s his direct hand and putting down kingdoms. And so we must recognize that when Christ comes on the cloud, he can come many times in history and bring judgment upon nations or people. He meets out judgment. In fact, we said that Revelation portrays Jesus Christ as sitting on a throne, ruling the nations with a rod of iron. And Revelation 1915. Now, at this point, the question is, and I think this is the key question, how else does Revelation portray to us Christ’s coming on a cloud? In other words, if we’re not sure what the meaning is in a particular verse of Scripture, let’s see how else it’s used in the book. and maybe John will give us more indication here of what he means. It always helps to compare Scripture with Scripture. And so in this case, I’m going to direct your attention now to Revelation chapter 10. This is where we were going to look at this last time we had a study, but we ran out of time. I want to look at the first seven verses here of this chapter. And I saw another mighty angel. come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head. And his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open. And he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot. and his left foot on the earth. And he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth, and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not. In the angel which I was uttered, I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, and swear by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that therein, that there should be time no longer, or literally delay no longer. but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. Now, as we look at this particular scripture, and I wish in some ways this would have, it might have been helpful if we had taken the passages consecutively and looked at chapter one fully, before we got to this, but we’ll try to connect it up. Jesus Christ appears to be this mighty angel that is spoken of in this passage because of the description that we have here. This would be like the angel of the Lord spoken of in the Old Testament. Literally the messenger of Jehovah, if you would. That was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ in the Old Testament. Notice here that a rainbow was upon his head. Now, if you look at chapter four in verses two and three, you’ll notice that this rainbow is connected with the throne of God. John writes here, and immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne, and he that sat was to look upon like a jasmine. and a sardine stone, and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald. So the rainbow is associated with God himself. There is some divine aspect with regard to this angel that we should note here. Now the rainbow, you recall, is indicative of God’s mercy. in the midst of judgment. When God dealt with Noah and the flood, he put the rainbow in the sky as a sign of mercy to his people while he was judgment. When he ever he brings judgment, he also shows mercy to his people. I mention that because judgment is going to be meted out, as we’ll look at this passage of scripture, but it shows us that this mighty angel, which I believe we’ll see as indeed Christ, has mercy for his people. There’s mercy for his people in the midst of this judgment that he’s going to bring on the wicked. That’s the no-a-covenant aspect of all this. Now, with that in mind, you’ll notice here that his face as it were the sun. Now, that should ring a bell if you’re familiar with the book of Revelation. If you look at chapter 1 and verses 12 to 18, and this is the passage that should be compared to this passage in chapter 7. John is going to build on what he’s already told us here in chapter 1 and verses 12 to 18. And I turned to see the voice that spake under me, and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like under the seven golden candlesticks, one like under the seven. son of man. Indeed, as he goes on in chapter two and three, it describes himself. He is indeed Jesus Christ. Clothed with a garment down to the foot, gird about the path with a golden girdle, and his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like undefined brass as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of the furnace, and his voice as the sound of the fire. many waters and he had in his right hand seven stars out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword and his countenance was as the sun shining in his strength and I saw and when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead and he had he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore. Amen. Have the keys of hell and death. Now, as the book reveals to us, this is Jesus Christ that’s being mentioned here. He is the one that has the churches, the seven churches, which are the candlesticks in his hand. He is the one who is in the midst of them and provides for them and so forth. There’s no question that this is the son of man and as I mentioned in chapters two and three, when he uses a description of himself, he’ll mention various things that he mentions here in chapter one. It says, I am this person. So Jesus Christ is the one whose face shines as the sun. We ought to know that from what? The Mount of Transfiguration. When the disciples saw him on the Mount, what was his face? It became bright like the sun, shown brighter than the noonday. son to Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw Christ. And so we see in chapter 1, verse 16, his face did shine as the sun, and it’s the same phrase that’s used here in chapter 10. His feet as pillars of fire. Well, in chapter 1, verse 15, we read that his feet were like on the fine brass as if they burned in a furnace. Same kind of thought, concerning this person. The image here is of terrible purity. The consuming majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is a consuming fire who can oppose him. A loud voice, it tells us also in verse 3 of chapter 10, as when a lion roar. Now, how is Jesus described in chapter 5 of this book? Do you remember when when John is in heaven and he sees God upon his throne, God has this seven-sealed book, and nobody can open the book. Everybody’s weeping. But who prevails to open the book? The lion, yes. The lion of the tribe of Judah. Who is that? It’s Christ. Right? By the way, what does this figure in chapter 10 have in his hand? He has a little book. Is it closed? It’s open. What happened? He opened the seals. Well, we’ve already gone through that. When we get to this chapter 10, we were past the seal judgments, he’s already got to open them all. Okay? So these kinds of things identify this mighty angel as the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the line of. of the tribal of Judah. A roaring lion is one who is about to devire his foe. And so this idea of him roaring here, the idea of the great thunder that’s in Christ’s voice. What do we connect with thunderstorms? Lightning and, again, it has a picture of judgment, right, that’s associated with it. And so these are the things that come to mind. Now, notice chapter 1 of chapter 10, or verse 1 of chapter 10. Christ comes down from heaven, this mighty angel, now that we’ve identified him, and what is he clothed in? He’s coming with a cloud, isn’t he? As I’ve already seen, coming with clouds indicates divine judgment, you know, storm and rain and floods and floods of wrath. So Christ pronounces what are called the seven thunders. Fits right in with it, doesn’t it? Verse 4. The idea is it’s like an ominous storm coming. These seven thunders should be considered in the same category as the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the seven plagues that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. Now, John is forbidden to tell us what these are. He’s not to. He’s not to be. write these down. We don’t know why. Someone interesting said, well, no doubt they were too terrible to write. I don’t, and maybe our hearts and ears couldn’t handle. I don’t know. But for whatever reason, God did not want all this revealed at this point. So Christ comes down from heaven and he’s clothed with a cloud. So here’s Christ’s coming with a cloud. Now, the question is, is this the second coming of Christ? Well, if we look at the book of Revelation carefully, I’d have to say it can’t be the second coming of Christ. Because there are more judgments to come. Notice carefully here. The setting of this particular event. Christ holds in his hand an open book because he’s loose to seven seals. They’re the seven seal judgments. When the seventh seal is open, what does that, what emerges from the seventh seal? Does anybody know? What comes out of the seventh seal? The seven trumpets come out. Yes. In other words, in other words, it opens up a whole new series of judgments. So the last seal issues forth a new series of judgments, the seven trumpets. Notice chapter eight of the book of Revelation and verse seven. The first seal, or the, excuse me, the seventh seal is open. in chapter eight, verse one. You’ll notice. And then he says, in verse seven, we read here, the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood and so forth. The second seal is in chapter eight, verses eight and nine. The third seal is in chapter eight versus ten and eleven. The fourth seal is in chapter eight versus twelve and thirteen. The fifth seal is open in beginning of chapter nine and through verse 12. And then the sixth seal is mentioned here in verse 13. The sixth angel sounded. And that carries all the way through to chapter 11. Notice verse 14. The fifth seal is the first woe. The sixth seal is the second wall. So the second woe is passed. That’s the sixth seal. And behold, the third one, comeeth quickly and notice verse 15 of chapter 11 and the seventh angel sounds. That’s the seventh trumpet, right? So Christ here comes in this passage in the midst of the sixth trumpet. Correct? The seventh trumpet comes afterwards and then there’s seven plagues that will fall along later in the book for chapter 16. So this being the case, the mystery of God, which has been revealed, is only fulfilled in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, chapter 10, verse 7, right? Isn’t that what he tells us? That’s the seventh trumpet. So there’s more to come following chapter 10. He just says there’s no going to be any more delet. before it comes. Notice the destruction of the temple still must occur before the sixth trumpet is over in chapter 11, one to 14, which indicates that’s the 70 AD situation. Also, there is a time period of at least three and a half years in which the two witnesses are going to carry out some type of ministry. Then the seventh trumpet will sound. Chapter 11 verses 15 and 19. And the judgments associated with it are not clearly defined for us so that that’s sort of hidden from our eyes to some extent. Now, all this proves that when Christ comes with the cloud here, clothed with the cloud in chapter 10, it cannot be the second coming. Does that make sense to you? There has to there’s more to come. There’s still another trumpet to stop. The world doesn’t come to an end. The suffering continues. Outpouring a divine wrath continues. We don’t read of any resurrection. No general judgment. No new heaven and new earth immediately occur. Any questions about that? This passage. Let me stop and make. Because I covered a lot of ground quickly because I just wanted you to get the idea that what I’m trying to get across. Yes. Every eye shall see it. We haven’t got to that. Let me go one step at a time. Here, let me get the cloud part. I’ll build to that, and we’ll deal with that. And we’ll talk about that. If you’ll just wait on that, I appreciate that. Any other questions about this that we need to cover before I move on to the next point? How’s our time? Yes. I don’t know. I can’t. I couldn’t tell you that. What I want you to see, though, he’s coming with a cloud. That’s what I wanted to get across. Here’s an occasion where when we look at it carefully, it appears to be Christ, and he’s coming on a cloud. But it’s not the end of the world. It’s not the end of time, so to speak. That being the case, doesn’t that help us when we look at Chapter 1, verse 7 and saying, well, wait a minute, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the second coming of Christ there, because here’s an indication, right? Let me see if we have the time to jump into this next one here. Well, we can start, I guess. Let’s go to chapter 14. Let’s read verses 14 to 20. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all this, but what I’m trying to do is look at this carefully by pulling the whole book together as much as I can so that we can understand what the scripture’s teaching. Here’s another passage, verses 14 to 20. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud. And upon the cloud, one sat like, onto the son of man. Very similar phrase to chapter one, isn’t it? Having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle, and another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap. But the time has come for thee to reap. The harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Another angel came out of the temple, which was in heaven. He also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire. He cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth. For her grapes are fully right. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine of God. And the wine of the earth. Press was trodden without the city. And blood came out of the wine press, even under the horse’s bridles, by the space of 1,600 furlongs. Now, in this passage, there are two harvests that seem to be connected with Christ sitting here on a cloud, coming on a cloud. A grain harvest, verses 14 to 16, and a grape harvest. versus 17 through 20 or verses 18 through 20. Now you’ll notice it’s one like under the Son of Man. A phrase that we said was used in chapter one to refer to Christ. And also chapter 2 verse 18 proves that it is Christ. It is the glorified Christ. It is the God man who is seen here involved in these two harvest. You notice he has on his head a carlify Christ. crown that’s golden. He’s the king overall. He rules until all his enemies are brought into subjection to him. He comes out a cloud. He comes and there’s going to be a treading of the great wine press of God here. A clear indication of impending judgment. Now you’ll notice that in chapter 19 of the book of Revelation. We read that Christ treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Chapter 19, verse 15. It’s possible to view both of these harvest as relating to the judgment of God. If you’ll look with me in the book of Joel, chapter 3 verses 12 and 13. We see that this is the case. Joel chapter 3 versus 12 and 13. Let the heathen be wakened come up to the valley of Jehosephat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen roundabout. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. So it seems like a harvest of the field, and then the harvest also of the grapes that are mentioned in this passage, but they seem to be related to judgment. Sometimes God gives a double vision or double dream when he wants to emphasize something, We saw that in the book of Exodus with regard to the double dream to Pharaoh, with regard to the kind and the ears of corn. That he gets two visions, but really they relate to the same thing. The seven years of famine and the seven years of plenty. And it’s done for the certainty and the nearness. of the event. We could apply that to this particular case. Somehow, however, see the grain harvest is referring to the salvation of the elect in this passage of scripture, as though before there is the judgment of the wicked, God is going to gather out his elect first, and then it’s followed by the great harvest and the outpouring of God’s wrath on the wicked. What is important for this study is the limited nature of this cloud judgment. It’s not the second coming. You’ll notice this is specifically related to the earth. In verse 16 of this chapter, he talks about the earth here. He said, he that sat upon the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth or on the land. and then if you would you’ll notice also in verse 19 we have the idea of the harvest of the harvest with regard to the earth as well. The angel thrust in his sickle into the earth or into the land. Yes. Yes. Well, when Christ comes in… That’s possible. that it’s a point to consider in the interpretation of this passage. All I can say is that, you know, I’m not trying to be, you know, I don’t know that I don’t have the definitive interpretation here. I’m just trying to lay out for you what is possible and biblically, at least sound in its view. And you may be right. I mean, that’s something to consider. And as I said, that both of these could be viewed in a similar light either way. But what I’m going to do, regardless of how we interpret that aspect, the point I want to show you is the limitation here of the judgment. You’ll notice that it specifically relates to the land where the earth is distinct from the rest of the earth nations. So notice this in verse 6. Notice how carefully this is stated here. and I saw another angel fly in the midst of having the everlasting gospel to preach on them that dwell on the earth or on the land and to every nation, kindred, and tongue, and people. Now, I’m separating those two. As if he’s saying first to the Jew and then to the Gentile as the gospel goes forth in this everlasting gospel deals with those that dwell on the earth first, the land, and then goes to every nation and so forth. So we can make the distinction. Notice that we read about the vine of the earth in verses 18 and 19. This has direct reference to national Israel, does it not? Like Isaiah 5, 1 to 7, Psalm 80, verses 8 and 9, all referring to the nation of Israel as God’s vineyard, vine. The vine’s not used to refer to the other nations of the earth, but it is used in reference to the nation of Israel. Look at Isaiah 5-1 to 7 real quick with me so that we can confirm this thought. Our time has run out on us already. I’ll tell you what, why don’t we stop? I’ll just stop here with this thought. We’ll look at Isaiah here, and I’ll read it. read this. We’ll pick up from this point. I’ll try not to back up the truck too far next time we start. But there was, we lost a week and some of you were the week before, so I wanted to update us the last time we had a study. As we come into this one, it’s important to have that background. Now notice what he says here. Now will I sing to my well-beloved, a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in every fruitful hill. And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest vine and built a tower in the midst of it. Also made a wine press therein. And he looked that it should bring forth grapes. And it brought forth wild grapes. And now, o inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, I pray you, betwixt me, my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought it forth wild grapes. And now go to, I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay it waste, and it shall not be pruned, nor digged, but there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they reign no more upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Host is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, his pleasant plant. And he looked for judgment, but behold oppression, for righteousness, for righteousness, but behold a cry. So the vineyard of the Lord here is spoken of as the House of Israel, isn’t it? And as I said, the vine is not used for other nations, but it is used normally, it’s used for God’s people. And here we see that these people have become apostat. So I’ll stop at this point. And we’ll get to the wine press in a minute, and the next time we come we’ll pick up from there. Any questions? Chapter 5 versus one to seven. Yes. You’re asking me questions I cannot answer. I don’t know. As I told you, I don’t have all the answers, but I’m trying to do as look at the big picture, and some of these details, I can’t really explain that. But, you know, Psalm A.T. comes on a dark cloud. But he’s still bringing judgment, even though it says he’s on a white cloud. So what can I say? He’s on a cloud. I can tell you that much. And that fits in with what we want to look at. Okay.