Revelation 1:4–18

Second Sunday in Easter

⁴John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits {4 Or the sevenfold Spirit} before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father— to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. ⁷Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. ⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." ⁹I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." ¹²I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," {13 Daniel 7:13} dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Theme: the presence of the risen Christ with his church calms our fears.

Goal: that hearers will have their doubts overcome about the resurrection of Jesus, his victory over death for us and his ongoing presence with his church.

Thoughts:

John is here relaying the letters from Jesus Christ to his church. This is a message from God the Father, the Sevenfold Spirit, and from Christ to the church via St. John.

John’s salutation: John

John’s addressees: the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Blessing of John: Grace and peace to you from:

Each person of the trinity has a description:

From him who is, who was and who is to come – Father

From the seven spirits – the sevenfold Spirit of God

From the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of kings – Jesus Christ.

Then there is a doxology: to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. This doxology contains one of the clearest statements of Atonement in the Scripture.

Then we see the second coming of Christ. “he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.”

Then begins with a first person statement from the Father: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” This is the first word spoken by God.

Here we have vv 9-11. this is the central point of the text and the reason this text is used in the Easter lectionary. It is the vision of the risen Christ. John, our companion in suffering, on the Island of Patmos, on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, was in the spirit (worshiping) when he heard the Lord’s voice like a loud trumpet.

God told him to write on a scroll and send it to the seven churches. John was to relay the message of God to the church.

John turned around to see the voice that was speaking to him.

What he saw was the seven lampstands which represented the seven churches. The number seven represents the totality, perfection, completion, thus the seven churches represented by the seven lampstands are the entire church.

Among (en meso: in the middle of) the seven lampstands was someone who looked like a “son of man” (Daniel 713). This was the Christ.

This Christ was in the middle of, among, in the midst of his suffering church on earth, not distant and detached. This is pure gospel: Christ is truly present with his suffering Church on earth.

Note Matthew 28:20 I will be with you always unto the end of the age.

John uses the language of Daniel to describe the pre-incarnate Christ. The “Son of Man” identifies him as the YHWH,. The long, flowing robe reminds us of Isaiah’s call vision where YHWH’s train fills the temple. The golden sash reminds us of the glorious, heavenly being in Daniel 10:5

Christ’s eyes and feet identifies him with the glorious heavenly being of Daniel 10:6: eyes ike flaming torches, legs like burnished bronze. This man in Daniel 10 is identified with the “one like a son of man” in Daniel 7 and understood as the preincarnate Son.

His head is noteworthy: his hari were white as wool, white as snow. calls to mind Daniel 7:9 (his clothing was as white as snow, his hear was white like wool.) and identifies the risen Christ as eternal and one with the Ancient of days who has hair like white wool.

It also brings to mind what God said in Isaiah 1:18 though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, red as crimson, they shall be like wool..

We also remember Christ at his transfiguration: his clothes became as white as the light and his face shone like the sun

His voice was like the sound of rushing waters: identifies him with the glory of YHWH in Ezekiel 1:24, 43:2 “the voice of the almighty (Shaddai) was like the roar of rushing waters” “His voice was like the roar of rushing waters”

in his right hand (grace, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, protection, salvation) he held the seven stars: gospel – the seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches. The seven angels are the pastors/prophets verse 20 (the seven stars are the angels or messengers of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.). II Chronicles 36:15-16 the messengers are prophets. Daniel 12:3 those who impart wisdom will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever.

the sharp two edged sword was coming out of his mouth calls to mind the Servant of YHWH in the OT Isaiah 49:2 my outh like a sharpened sword; and Isaiah 11:4 the messianic Branch will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth.

The description of his face: like Moses’ face it shone; Exodus 34:29-30 and Jesus face on the transfiguration Matthew 17:2.

John fully identified the risen Christ with the YHWH who manifested himself to the OT prophets.

Like the prophets of Old, Exodus 33:20 no one shall see my face and live; John drops to the ground in fear for his life. Instead of death for seeing god he hears Gospel words of life: “fear not, for I am the first and the last. The living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hades. VV17b-18.

With these keys he has released us from death and hell.

Jesus’ title, first and last, identifies him with the Father who is also know by a similar title “alpha and omega”.

Jesus does not ignore his death at Calvary, but proclaims it proudly: I died. Because it is the basis for his resurrection victory. I am alive forevermore. Which he offers to all. I have the keys of death and hades. He controls death and he is in charge of who goes to hell and who lives. No one, be he Satan or the Roman emperor can hold death over the heads of those who belong to Christ, the living one and source of life. this truly gives John and each of us a legitimate reason to stop fearing.

Law:

we are sinners and deserve death and punishment of hell.

we may doubt that Jesus is indeed the only true God.

we fear of physical death and judgment. We share the fear of John about the presence of God.

we have doubts about the reality of the resurrection and the ongoing presence of God. we sometimes doubt his love, his care, his protection.

Gospel:

1. Christ hold the keys to death and hell. He contols them and is in charge of who goes to hell and who lives. Not satan, the emperor or kings or rulers can hold anything over our heads, for those who are in Christ he is the living one and source of life. this gives us a reason to stop fearing.

2. Jesus is seen as the YHWH of the OT. He is alive and ruling.

3. We need not fear death or physical punishment: Jesus holds the keys. He also holds us in his right hand.

4. Jesus resurrection is real and he is still present with us; in us; among us. We live in his presence in Word and Sacrament. He hold us in his right hand of grace and mercy, and he cares for, protects, and defends his church.

5. Christ’s atonement for our sin: vv5-6 Christ is the faithful witness; the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of earth; He loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. He atoned for our sins and made us a holy priesthood to worship the Father.

6. That Christ who atoned for our sins with his blood, stands among the churches and holds their stars in his “right” hand. His presence in and with the church, just as his body and blood are in and with and under the bread and wine, and he hold the church in his right hand, his mighty arm of love, mercy, goodness, protection and salvation.

Commentary:

The one who is and was and is to come (will be?) is God the Father.

This is the only book that has the express “imprimatur” of the Father placed on a human writing, and as this is the final book of the Scripture, by implication it refers to the entire OT and NT Scripture. It is also thus a conclusion and indicates that there will not be an additional revelation from God. This is his final word to man until he returns.

Ideas:

there are two distinct sections to this text: the prologue to the book and then the description by John of what he saw.

In the prologue

John’s greeting and blessing

Recipients were the 7 churches (the entire, complete church of Christ)

From:

Father: God who is, was and will be

Spirit: the sevenfold Spirit

Son: the witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler of kings.

Doxology: (specifically to the Son) to him who loves us and has freed us from our sin by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. The Son has made us to worship God. We worship God through the Son. It is the Son who has brought us to the worship of God by freeing us from our sin and making us priests to worship his God and Father.

The Son is coming in the clouds just as he left and all will see him come. His manifest enemies, those who pierced him will see him; and those who mourn from every nation are the church.

The God the Father speaks directly and places his imprimatur on the book: I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, was and will be. That title is only used for the Father in this book. The Father and the Son share the title Alpha and Omega, but “is and was and will be” refers only to the Father.

then the second part come in which John speaks to us about what he saw and heard.

John is our companion in suffering and endurance that are our in Jesus. The kingdom of God on earth suffers and must patiently endure hardship and suffering for a time while on this earth.

John was exiled on Patmos, persecuted for preaching the Gospel of Christ

John was worshipping God on a Sunday and heard a voice. He turned to see what it was and it was Christ standing amont the lampstands. He was like a Son of Man, he had a robe and a golden sash. His head and hair were white like wool (like washed sins) and as snow and his eyes were blazing fire and his feet glowing bronze in a furnace and his voice like rushing waters. In his hands were seven stars and a two edged sword came from his mouth and his face shone like the sun.

This is Christ: all these descriptions of him are from the OT, his voice, looking like a Son of Man, the robe, the sash, the white hair, the bronze feet the blazing eyes are all images of the Christ seen in the OT.

The sword is his word (law and gospel) coming out of his mouth.

The hair white as wool and as snow remind us of our sins that are as crimson shall be white like wool and as snow.

Then the Christ speaks: I am the living one who was dead and am now alive forever. I hold the keys of death and hades.

The seven stars and lampstands are explained: the stars are the angels (messengers; pastors) of the seven churches, and the lampstands are the seven churches (the whole church of God, the entirety of the elect).

With this vision of the resurrected and living Christ in heaven, king of kings, holding us in his right hand, present with us, and have atoned for us with his blood and made us priests to worship his Father, why are we sad, depressed, fearful and downtrodden? Why do we doubt and despair? Why are we pessimistic and weak in faith?

Goal: that the hearers’ faith would be strengthened to trust in the ever present, loving and all powerful Lord Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins through his death and who now lives and reigns in heaven forever and is with his church, present in his church and abides amongst his church and holds it in his hands of protection.

Malady: we doubt Christ’s presence, we fear death, we fear life in this world, we are unsure and insecure and wonder if Christ still is with us and knows our weaknesses and helps us in this life.

Means: the blood of Christ atones for our sins, even the sins of fear and insecurity and worry and weak faith. This living Christ is with his church and stands in the middle of it, he holds its stars in his right hand of mercy and protection and abides in, with and under his church through word and sacrament as his body and blood are in, with and under the bread and wine in the sacrament. He is king over the kings of the world; and he holds the keys of death and hell in his hand, thus releasing us from the prison of death and hell. He who loved us and died for us is the one who determines who will die and go to hell. He is the judge and he holds the power, not man or king, or ruler or even demon or Satan himself, but the Lord alone has the keys of life and death. He makes us priests so that we worship the Father.

Resolved (sermon): that we should trust the risen Lord who reigns in heaven and abides in and with his church. THE PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS CHURCH CALMS OUR DOUBTS AND FEARS.

Claim: we sinners are weak in faith and fear because of the sufferings of this world around us, we doubt God, we doubt his protection, the risen Lord seems distant and far from us and as if he does not hear our cries. Our sinful flesh is weak and does not fear and trust God.

Claim: the risen Lord is standing among us; the church. He holds us in his hands and protects us.

Clami: the risen Lord is ruler over even the kings of the earth. No king, president, ruler, or dictator has power over him. They are all subject to his power and authority and can do nothing to harm us or separate us from God. they cannot even injure of kill us without being allowed by God and then act only as God’s servants to accomplish his will.

Claim: the risen Lord holds the keys to the gates of hell and death. Not even death has power over us, nor Satan himself. All is in the hands of our risen savior who loved us and who atoned for our sins.

Claim: he atoned for our sins with his blood; he died and is now alive; and will live forever.

Claim: we have been given the victory in Christ and shall never perish because he holds us in his hand.

Part 1: we doubt and fear. Jesus ascended and left the disciples. We do not see him today. We suffer, are weak and persecuted, we are sick and live in problems and evil circumstances. We doubt, we fear, we faint from weakness; because we are sinful, we do not fear, love and trust God. We tremble from fear and doubt his love or presence.

Part 2: he is the one whose blood atoned for our sins. We see here Jesus, standing in heaven among his church. He is the one who was dead and now lives. He is the one whose blood washed us clear from sin. He atoned for our sin with his blood. He paid for our sin. Even the sin of fear, doubt, lack of faith and trust.

Part 3: he is standing in the midst of his church; his people, whom he has made a holy priesthood to worship his Father. He holds the stars of the church in his right hand. He is ruler of kings of the earth. He holds the keys of death and hell in his hand so that nothing can harm or hurt us.

Outline:

Introduction to entire sermon series: Jesus told his disciples, “I will be with you unto the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. During the next six weeks we celebrate the Easter season and contemplate the presence of the living Son of God with his church. We will be hearing in the Epistle lessons from the book of Revelation in which we see what is going on in heaven today; we see the risen Christ sitting on his throne, ruling over the kings of the earth and over his church which he holds in his right hand to protect and nourish.

But:

THE PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS CHURCH CALMS OUR DOUBTS AND FEARS.

But we see nothing, we don’t hear his words, we become afraid and our faith is weak. We suffer in this life; we are persecuted for preaching his gospel; we are opposed in our attempts to spread the word of God to other people. Satan keeps us his attacks on us in all his fury. We doubt and become weak in faith. we are intimidated by the enemy. We are sinful and weak in the flesh. We doubt that Jesus is alive or that he is with us or taking care of us. our faith is weak and waning. We worry and are accosted by the sufferings and sorrows of this world. We are persecuted.

The Christ whom John sees in heaven is very God of very God. All the images he sees are from the OT descriptions of Christ. Here is Jesus, that Christ, the true God in heaven standing in the middle of the lampstands; his church.

We like John fall to our face in fear before the living God because of our sin: but he tells us to not fear. For he is the one who died for us and atoned for our sin with his blood. He holds the keys of death and hell in his hands so we have nothing to fear. He has made us holy priests to worship his Father and God. He has cleansed us from our sin even the sin of doubt, fear, worry, uncertainty. His blood washes us from our sin.

He is with his church. He stands in the midst of his church. In the middle of us. he is present in and among us through his word and sacraments. He is in the midst of the lampstands. He holds the stars of the church in his right hand. He is present as he speaks through his Word. He is present as the shepherd of his church and feeds us with his very body and blood. Like a shepherd, he feeds us in green pastures and gives us drink from the cool, quiet waters. He leads us with his rod and with his staff he protects us from the wolf. We are his invited guests at his banquet where food abounds and never runs out and his pours the oil of gladness over our heads. The cup of blessing he serves us overflows and we will live in goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. All these are names for his Word; his gospel. Green pastures, still waters, paths of righteousness, his rod and staff, the banquet table, the oil of gladness, and the overflowing cup are all terms used for the Word and Sacrament; the Gospel of Christ. So as the resurrected and living Christ rules kings and holds the keys of death and hell, he is present among us; standing in our midst, in the lives of his church through Word and Sacrament. For this we should joyfully come to hear his word and receive the sacrament for where Christ is through his Word, there is nothing lacking (the Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing in body or soul), and we need not fear, doubt, or worry. This is the true worship of God; to receive with joy and gladness his word and sacrament and all the blessings he imparts through them. For where the word is proclaimed in all its truth and confessed in purity, even in the midst of afflictions and suffering he gives us patience and perseverance and good cheer. But where the Word and Sacrament is lacking, there is nothing but fear, uncertainty, doubt, terror, sorrow, anxiety and bitter death.

Additional thoughts to add to sermon:

Psalm 23 talks about the Word of God. The blessings we receive through the word.

The resurrected Christ in heaven is our Good Shepherd who feeds us green grass and gives us to drink cool waters. He guides us with his rod and protects us with his staff. He makes us his guests at his table which abounds with all sorts of nourishment and the cup he gives us to drink overflows with blessing and he pour out the oil of gladness on our heads.

This is the resurrected Christ whom John sees standing in the midst of his church on the throne of heaven.

Therefore, we should gladly hear his word and receive the sacrament, for it is through all these things that the Shepherd gives us what Psalm 23 says. When we enter church we should refer to this psalm and hear God’s Word with joy and gladness, for this is the true worship to which we as priests have been called. Nothing shall be lacking in body or soul through Word and Sacrament, and we need not fear, doubt, worry.

But where the word is not present, the blessed light does not shine, there is neither happiness nor salvation, neither strength nor comfort of body or soul, but only dissension, fear, terror, sorrow, anxiety, and bitter death, for God’s word alone teaches patience and good cheer in affliction.