{"id":30041,"date":"2024-02-20T22:00:18","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T05:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-1_1-8-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-02-05T22:14:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T05:14:27","slug":"revelation-1_1-8-copy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-1_1-8-copy\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus, Conqueror of Death and Your Ever-Present Help"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revelation 1:9-20 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 1:9-20.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a01<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>9<\/em><\/strong>-18 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n9<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0I, 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.\u00a0<\/em>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,\u00a0<\/em>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,\u00a0<\/em>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.\u00a0<\/em>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.\u00a0<\/em>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.\u00a0<\/em>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0In 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.\u00a0<\/em>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0When 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.\u00a0<\/em>
\n18\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0I 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a09-18:\u00a0 John is in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel (v9 \u2013 \u201cbecause of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus\u201d).\u00a0 On Sunday (\u201cthe Lord\u2019s Day\u201d) he is praying deeply and sensing the presence of God (\u201cin the Spirit\u201d \u2013 v10) when he hears from behind him a voice like a trumpet telling him to write down on a scroll what he sees.\u00a0 The voice behind John tells him to send what he writes down to the seven churches in the province of Asia (v11).\u00a0 When John turns around to see who is speaking to him, he sees someone that he can only describe\u00a0as \u201csomeone \u2018like a son of man\u2019\u201d (v13).\u00a0 One reason is because this person resembles a human being, yet his physical presence is unlike anything an ordinary human being has:\u00a0 fully white head and hair, eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze in a furnace, voice like rushing waters, his face like the sun in its brilliance.\u00a0 He is wearing a robe with a golden sash across his chest (v13) and he stands among seven golden lampstands (v12).\u00a0 The seven stars in His right hand represent the seven angels watching over the lampstands (v20).\u00a0 Out of his mouth comes a double-edged sword representing the Word of God.\u00a0 This \u201csomeone like a son of man\u201d is none other than the resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n

John falls at the feet of Jesus and Jesus tells him not to be afraid.\u00a0 He affirms Himself as the First and the Last (v17, similar to the Beginning and the End).\u00a0 He is the Living One who He has conquered death, holding the keys to death and hell (also known as Hades) and is alive forever (v18).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Here are a few lessons I learn from this passage:<\/p>\n

1. The double-edged sword coming out of Jesus\u2019 mouth represents the Word of God.\u00a0 In Hebrews 4 the Word of God is called sharper than a double-edged sword.\u00a0 In Ephesians 6 the Word of God is called the \u201csword of the Spirit\u201d.\u00a0The Word of God is your weapon against the enemy\u2019s attacks.\u00a0 Whenever the enemy tries to come at you with lies and accusations, fight back with the Word of God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. The lampstands (v12-13) represent seven churches (see verses 7 and 20).\u00a0 The fact that Jesus is standing among them suggests that Jesus loves to stay close to His church.\u00a0 Just as He is with the various churches in the province of Asia all at the same time,\u00a0Jesus is with every church today that worships Him, all at the same time.\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus is our ever-present help.<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Jesus shows His care for His church(es) not just by being near and present with them.\u00a0He also shows His care for His church(es) by sending a message to them (v11).\u00a0 Jesus cares for His church(es) both through His presence and His words.<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Notice that John heard from Jesus when he was \u201cin the Spirit\u201d (v10) \u2013 that is, he was praying deeply and sensing God\u2019s presence.\u00a0If you want to hear from Jesus, you need to place yourself in the right heart position to hear from Him.<\/strong>\u00a0 If we want to hear Jesus\u2019 message to the people, like John we need to be \u201cin the Spirit\u201d.<\/p>\n

5. In the Old Testament book of Daniel, Daniel sees a vision of one like \u201cthe Son of Man\u201d (a reference to the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for), whose hair is white as wool (Daniel 7:9-13).\u00a0\u00a0Revelation\u00a0continues this image and builds upon it, describing Jesus as “someone like a son of man” (v13) and showing us how awesome the glorified Jesus looks like in heaven.<\/p>\n

6. Jesus is the Living One, the One who has conquered death, who holds the keys to death and hell (also known as Hades) and who is alive forever (v18).<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a01<\/em><\/strong>:19 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 19:\u00a0 John is told to write down three things: (1) \u201cwhat he has seen\u201d, meaning the experience he just had of seeing Jesus and recorded in\u00a0Revelation\u00a01; (2) \u201cwhat is now\u201d (i.e. the present), referring to the messages Jesus has for the churches in Asia (as described in\u00a0Revelation\u00a02-3); and (3) \u201cwhat will take place later\u201d (i.e. the future).\u00a0 According to some scholars, these three components form a basic outline of the book of\u00a0Revelation.<\/p>\n

Revelation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a01<\/em><\/strong>:20 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 20:\u00a0 One of the helpful things about the book of\u00a0Revelation\u00a0is that after describing a vision that he has seen, John will then share the explanation for the vision that he received from the Lord.\u00a0 That way we are not always left guessing as to what different symbols and images mean.\u00a0 As the Bible Knowledge Commentary says, \u201c[t]he Book of Revelation, instead of being a hopeless jumble of symbolic vision, is a carefully written record of what John saw and heard, with frequent explanations of its theological and practical meanings.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Lord Jesus, You are awesome and glorified.\u00a0 You are the Living One and the One who has conquered death for us all.\u00a0 Thank You for loving Your church with Your presence and Your words.\u00a0 May we be in the right heart condition to hear what You are saying.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
1<\/sup>\u00a0Walvoord, J. F. (1985).\u00a0Revelation<\/a>. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.),\u00a0The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures<\/em>\u00a0(Vol. 2, p. 931). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 1:9-20.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a01:9-18 (NIV)\u00a0
\n9\u00a0\u00a0I, 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.\u00a0
\n10\u00a0\u00a0On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,\u00a0
\n11\u00a0\u00a0which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a09-18:\u00a0 John is in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel (v9 \u2013 \u201cbecause of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus\u201d).\u00a0 On Sunday (\u201cthe Lord\u2019s Day\u201d) he is praying deeply and sensing the presence of God (\u201cin the Spirit\u201d \u2013 v10) when he hears from behind him a voice like a trumpet telling him to write down on a scroll what he sees.\u00a0 The voice behind John tells him to send what he writes down to the seven churches in the province of Asia (v11).\u00a0 When John turns around to see who is speaking to him, he sees someone that he can only describe\u00a0as \u201csomeone \u2018like a son of man\u2019\u201d (v13).\u00a0 One reason is because this person resembles a human being, yet his physical presence is unlike anything an ordinary human being has:\u00a0 fully white head and hair, eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze in a furnace, voice like rushing waters, his face like the sun in its brilliance.\u00a0 He is wearing a robe with a golden sash across his chest (v13) and he stands among seven golden lampstands (v12).\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30041"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30043,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30041\/revisions\/30043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}