His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Today on His Perfect Love, the Apostle John sees Jesus in all his glory.

Matt VanderVen: Jesus is unveiling, he's showing John, and I believe he wants you and I to know who he is. To some extent, when John saw him, there was a humility that came upon John. As we're going to read and we had read earlier, he said he fell almost in a prostrate way before Jesus with a fear. This is a man that knew Jesus intimately. Why would he fear him? He knew him.

To see Jesus in all his glory does something to a man or to a woman. It brings us to that place where we begin to understand who we are and who he is. All things become very clear.

Guest (Male): Just imagine what it would be like to see Jesus in all of his glory. The Apostle John got a glimpse of Jesus and thankfully he wrote it all down for us. Today on His Perfect Love, we'll read this incredible description of Jesus. The Lord wanted John to know who he is and he wants us to know as well.

Turn with us to Revelation chapter one for this eye-opening message on the conquering, glorified king. Here is Pastor Matt VanderVen with his message first delivered at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Matt VanderVen: We've made it as far as the Lord has brought us, really as far as verse 12. We covered some of this. I'm going to go back and look at some of this with you this morning again, but just for our reading time together, just to keep us all in that same unity of spirit as we're reading together, I'm just going to start in verse 12 and read the rest of chapter one. Then we'll go as far as the Lord will allow us within our time.

"Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters."

"He had in his right hand seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him, that being John, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am he who lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen, so be it, that's the truth. And I have the keys of Hades and of death. Write these things,' verse 19, giving us one of the only outlines we get in all 66 books of Scripture."

Jesus included an outline within his Book of Revelation. "Write these things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."

John, again in verse 12, says, "Then I turned to see a voice that spoke with me, and having turned, I saw the seven golden lampstands." We talked about that last week. We know that's pointing to the seven churches. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, Jesus describing to you and I that he is in the midst of his church. He is here right now. His word is being taught. He is in the midst of his churches.

What John sees is, he says, one like the Son of Man. This isn't a simile. Sometimes when we use "like" or "as," we understand that's a simile. But in the original Greek, this isn't a simile. What John is doing and describing here is what he understood. This is a man that leaned literally into the bosom of Jesus Christ. He knew him intimately. He was with him for three to three and a half years. He certainly would recognize him.

He was there when his death, he was certainly there at his resurrection, and he was there at his ascension. However, there's something different that when John sees Jesus in all of his glory, he looks at him and he says, one like the Son of Man. He doesn't necessarily see the suffering servant. He understands that, he knows that's who Jesus is. But what he sees now in the description that we just read is he sees a conquering and glorified king.

That's on purpose. Jesus didn't withhold that. Jesus is unveiling, he's showing John, and I believe he wants you and I to know who he is. To some extent, when John saw him, there was a humility that came upon John. As we read earlier, he said he fell almost in a prostrate way before Jesus with a fear. This is a man that knew Jesus intimately. Why would he fear him? He knew him.

To see Jesus in all his glory does something to a man or to a woman. It brings us to that place where we begin to understand who we are and who he is. All things become very clear. And it says that he was clothed with a white garment down to his feet. That's an important point. The first thing I mentioned last week for those that were with us is that we're going to be wearing clothing.

Have you ever wondered about that? If we get to heaven, I'm not going to see you in your birthday suit. You're not going to see me in my birthday suit. This isn't like the garden where we came in originally and we weren't clothed. No, Jesus is going to give us white robes. This is important. Look in Revelation chapter three, verse four. If you turn just a chapter over, Revelation 3:4.

"You have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." Look at 3:5. "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." Listen friends, to blot out your name means your name has to be in the book to get your name blotted out of the book.

Very interesting. We'll talk more about that as we get to that chapter. Look at chapter four, verse four, please, this morning. He says again, "speaking to this meta touto or after these things." So Jesus directing from the church age that we're in now, when we get to chapter four, the throne room of God. In chapter four, verse four, he says, "Around the throne were 24 thrones and on the thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white robes."

Look at chapter six, verse 11, please. "Then a white robe was given to each of them and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer until both the number and the fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed as they were was completed," speaking of the martyred saints at the time that will live in the great tribulation, not the born-again bride of Christ that will have been harpazoed out.

You can look at chapter 19, verse 14, for time's sake here this morning. This is speaking to you and I. When we're in heaven during the seven years of that great tribulation, when we're with Jesus Christ at the wedding feast of the Lamb, this is so beautiful. He says, "And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses."

Does anybody in here not know how to ride a horse? Anybody? Come on, raise your hand, don't be shy. Anybody here not know how to ride a horse? You're going to learn because you're going to be riding horses when we come back with Jesus. We get horses. I'm excited about that. You can turn back to chapter one. As I mentioned last week, I hope black or gray, while it may be slimming in color, is not your favorite color in regards to your wardrobe, because you will be getting a heaven-issued white linen robe.

I'm not certain, and I want to be clear. When I don't know something dogmatically, I always want to stand before you and say that. You be Bereans. But I think this detail, every detail I believe in Scripture is important. But when he says that there was a Son of Man, Jesus, one like him, clothed with a white garment, I think it speaks to some of the things that Jesus has already told us in other passages.

He's called us priests, has he not? He called us co-heirs in Scripture. Is Jesus not our high priest? Hebrews chapter 2, verse 17, when we looked through the Book of Hebrews together. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14, when we looked through the Book of Hebrews together. He is declared as our high priest. Now, the word "priest" carries a couple of primary meanings, if I can say it that way.

First, it means one who mediates a service. Simply, it also means one that is holy and set apart to perform that service or those services. This is why you and I are called priests, because we're ministers of God. Born-again believers are priests. We're a peculiar or precious people. Where is the first place that we saw this word "priest" used in the Hebrew? Going back in our Old Testament, it's Genesis chapter 14.

Where was it used? It was used by Abraham. Remember, he was a friend of God who entered into a battle to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been captured by the army of Elam. On his return, Abraham was met by Melchizedek. He was the King of Salem and a priest of the Most High God. And it's interesting, as we read Hebrews, we know it's an order of one.

It's not like the Levitical priesthood or the Aaronic priesthood or anything like that. It's a priesthood of one. It's a priesthood that never actually ends. When human priests died, that is the end to their priesthood. But not so with Jesus Christ, the resurrected high priest. This man Melchizedek, his name in the Hebrew means King of Righteousness. And he was blessed by Abraham, the Most High God who gave victory to Abraham.

In return for the blessing, do you remember? Abraham gave an offering to God through this high priest. It was a tithe of 10 percent, and he did it from the spoils that he had from the battle. By this act, we know in the Old Testament that clearly Abraham was recognizing and acknowledging Melchizedek's high position as a priest of God. Years later, Abraham had a great-grandson, Levi.

He was singled out by God to be the father of a priestly tribe. When the law was given on Mount Sinai, the Levites were identified as the servants of the Tabernacle, with the family of Aaron becoming the priests. The priests were responsible for making intercession to God for the people, offering the many sacrifices that the law required. And among the priests, one was selected to be the high priest.

He entered into the most holy place one time a year, actually twice on that day, once for himself and once for the people. He would take the blood and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, the seat of atonement in the Ark of the Covenant. We know that in Hebrews 9:7. We know that was a picture or an illustration pointing to Jesus, who's the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

By this daily sacrifice and really yearly sacrifice, the sins of the people were temporarily covered until Messiah would come and take away their sins. When Jesus is called a high priest, it's in reference to both of these priesthoods, and that's really important that we understand that from Hebrews. Hebrews 5:6, and again you can just turn there in your Bibles if you'd like to track with me. Like Melchizedek, he was ordained as a priest apart from the law.

That's very significant. He was ordained, Jesus, as a priest apart from the law given on Mount Sinai. You can read that in Hebrews chapter 5, verse 6. Like the Levitical priesthood, in Hebrews chapter 7, verses 26 and 27, Jesus offered a sacrifice to satisfy the law of God when he offered himself at Calvary. Unlike the Levitical priests who had continually needed to offer sacrifices, Jesus had to only offer himself once, gaining eternal redemption for all that would come to God through him.

We read that in Hebrews chapter 9, verse 12. This is significant, friends. This is everything. We have been given a better covenant. Our sins have been forgiven: past, present, and future. In Revelation chapter 2, verse 18, he describes himself as well. If you look here, he says one that has a flame of fire. If you look back, he was clothed with a garment down to his feet in chapter one, and girded about the chest with a golden band.

His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. I drew your attention to that particular passage that says the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like burnished bronze. These descriptions that we're reading about Jesus here this morning are not merely coincidental. They are given by God through this unveiling to help us properly identify this one that we know is the First and the Last.

This is not a new individual that we're being introduced to here in chapter one of Revelation, nor chapter two and three and four and really through the whole Book of Revelation. Rather, it's the eternal King. It's Jesus. And clearly this description that he gives us, his head and his hair were white like wool and snow, they were very bright and pure white. Out of the 404 passages that are in the Book of Revelation, some 278 of those refer directly to Old Testament Scriptures.

More than half of your Bible refers back to the Old Testament, and that is all on purpose that we would be able to search out the Old Testament Scriptures to understand who Jesus is and who he is claiming and declaring to be. I would just draw our attention to Daniel chapter 10, verse 5. If you wouldn't mind turning in your Old Testament Bible, Daniel chapter 10, verse 5, you can read it quietly there.

These descriptions and records are directly related to the accounts of prophecy in the Hebrew Scriptures. It's important because Daniel describes the one as a certain man dressed in linen with a gold belt. You can see that yourself. Don't trust me, don't trust any man just because he stands up on a platform. That means nothing. Trust the word of God. Be pointed to the word of God.

Daniel chapter 10, verse 5, you can see it yourself. It's dressed in linen, we just read about that in Revelation in four different passages, and one with a golden belt. We read a golden sash in our New King James translation. It's the same idea. It could be a breastplate, we're not exactly sure of the exact object. Nonetheless, it's describing the same person. Look at Daniel chapter 10, verse 6.

His face was bright like lightning. His eyes like a flaming torch. His arms and feet gleamed like polished bronze, and the sound of his words were like a roaring. The parallels between John's description of Jesus and Daniel's description of this certain man are virtually identical. There's not one of us here this morning that could deny that. This is Jesus and he's identifying himself to you and I very clearly.

He's identifying himself with the descriptions of the Prophet Daniel that would declare this, that those that were Hebrew or even Gentiles that got saved that would read the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures would be able to come back and go, "This is Jesus," and declare himself clearly as the glorified King. Because that's what Daniel is writing about. We call these parenthetical or parallel chapters. So he was the revealer in Daniel's day.

He was the unveiling or revealer in John's day. He's the same Jesus. He's God the Father as the Ancient of Days. Again, he's describing what he sees for reasons. Look what he says in Daniel 7:9: his hair being white like wool. It creates an interesting connection for us. We've looked at Daniel 7 already in earlier weeks, and it records this eschatological vision giving us details of a millennial kingdom, that's our passage in Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 6.

Daniel 7:9 records the one who will reign in this everlasting kingdom. Daniel sees the Ancient of Days, the covenant-keeping God of the Bible, Yahweh. In this description of God, Daniel describes his clothing as white as snow, his hair as white like wool. What is he talking about here, this whitening of clothing, this head and hair, wool and white? In both Daniel 7 and Revelation 1, I believe it may speak to the purity and holiness.

God is holy and complete, unstained by any sin. In the next verse in Daniel, he says one like the Son of Man, and you can look at Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. We see that identical language that John uses here, again later revealed as Jesus Christ. He approaches the Ancient of Days, we know that is the Father, the Godhead, and he receives from him a never-ending kingdom.

The description of Jesus' hair in Revelation 1:14 is the same that Daniel uses for God, showing that Jesus has a oneness and a shared identity with God himself because they are one God in three persons. It's likely that John's original recipient of his letter, Jewish believers and Gentile believers, would have quickly made this connection. Next, if you look in your chapter one at verse 14 back in Revelation, he said his head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire.

This is interesting here. I just want to draw your attention to this Greek word "flaming," the flaming fire. The Greek word we get here for Jesus' eyes is ophthalmos. Ophthalmos is the Greek word. It's plural. It obviously doesn't mean just one eye, it's two eyes. It's where the root word for our word ophthalmology in the English comes from this Greek word ophthalmos that we're reading about here.

It describes his eyes as a flaming fire. The Greek word for flame is phlox, and the Greek word for fire is pyr. Ophthalmos phlox pyr would be the flaming fire, or the fire of the eyes if I reverse that. You know in many other languages the words are sort of reversed in how we would say them in English. It may be here that Jesus is describing sort of these intense searching eyes which seemed as a flame of fire that captivated John's attention.

They singled out to the apostle the head of the church. He examined the seven churches in Asia. Remember, he's standing in the midst of these seven lampstands. He's holding them. They're in the midst of him. Jesus in the midst of these seven churches. These are the things that are standing out to John. The first thing he notices again was his head, the hair like wool, the whiteness of it, his beard probably when he talks about the hair white that way.

He's describing wisdom. The next thing that John immediately goes to outside of the robe being white and linen is he goes right to Jesus' eyes. There is something so captivating about Jesus' eyes that they appear to John like a flame of fire. He's sensing these eyes and he's looking at them and they're drawing John in in some way that he is literally fixed on this. He knows that he is the head. John's not questioning this at all, and he's getting ready to deliver a very significant message. It is for you and it is for I here this morning.