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[0:00] Your Bibles, please, to the book of the Revelation, chapter 1. Just a few short weeks ago, we began our exposition of this last book in the Bible, which we believe is yet future.

[0:18] It contains elements that are yet to be fulfilled, and many are persuaded that the things that are taking place in our culture and word today would indicate that these events certainly, probably, not very far away.

[0:35] And we have already delved into some introductory material in the first seven verses of Revelation, and we want to assure you that it is not a book that is unintelligible, as many claim it to be.

[0:52] In fact, it is the only book in all of the Bible that promises a blessing for those who read it. And we have come to the conclusion that reading it and simply reading the words is not sufficient for obtaining the blessing.

[1:11] You have to be able to read with understanding. That means that the book is intelligible. That means that God provided this book, Revelation, as he has the other 65 books, with the full intent that they be understood, that they be written, understood, and complied with.

[1:33] You cannot comply with what you cannot understand. And I would be the first to admit that there are a lot of people who are convinced that the Revelation is just like a closed book.

[1:45] It is so full of symbols and imagery that no one can possibly figure out what these things mean. We strongly disagree with that. God has not given us this book to confound us, to confuse us, to perplex us.

[2:00] He has given it for the same reason he has given every other book in the Bible, and that is for our enlightenment. That you may be enlightened only by what you can comprehend and understand.

[2:13] And it is true, there are a great many symbols that are found in the book, and yet I am confident that we will be able to adequately understand the meaning of those symbols, since it is the Bible itself that will identify those symbols and tell us what they mean.

[2:33] So, it will not be the scramble that many perceive it to be, but I think it will be a consistent, intelligible understanding as we move through this verse by verse by verse.

[2:46] It is one of the most thrilling things that is in the Bible, and that which makes it perhaps most thrilling of all, is the description of the glorified Lord that John gives us in chapter 1, and then the description that John will give us of the coming Christ in his second return to earth in chapter 19.

[3:10] Both of these are very clearly described by the Apostle John, who, as far as we can determine, was the junior of all of the twelve apostles that our Lord chose.

[3:24] And, he is also, seemingly, the last surviving Apostle of the original twelve. John was in all likelihood, in his late 80s or 90s, when he penned what is described as the book of the Revelation.

[3:46] And, of course, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He was already a victim of persecution under Emperor Nero, or Diocletian, depending on how you date the book.

[3:58] But, in either case, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, located just a number of miles off the coast of Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey.

[4:09] And, while he was there, the glorified Lord appeared to him in these visions, and instructed him to write down, record, describe everything that he had seen.

[4:22] And, that is what John dutifully does. The contents that John saw and wrote about are what we are going to be undertaking for the next, probably, several months.

[4:34] So, having already considered the first seven verses, I would like you to begin reading with me, if you would, please. Verse 8 of Revelation chapter 1.

[4:45] I'm reading from the New American Standard, and here is how the text unfolds. Christ is speaking. He says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

[5:02] I, John, your brother, and fellow partaker in the tribulation, and kingdom, and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

[5:19] I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

[5:47] And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe, reaching to the feet, and girded across his breasts, with a golden girdle, and his head, and his hair, were white like white wool, like snow, and his eyes, were like a flame of fire, and his feet, were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and his voice, was like the sound of many waters, and in his right hand, he held seven stars, and out of his mouth, came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face, was like the sun, shining in its strength, and when I saw him,

[6:55] I fell at his feet, as a dead man, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Do not be afraid, I am the first, and the last, and the living one, and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death, and of Hades, write therefore, the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place, after these things, as for 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, are the seven churches, we have just begun, to see the beginning, of that number seven, it is going to be repeated, numerous times, throughout this book, of the revelation, we've already pointed out to you, that seven, is indisputably, the number of God, it is the number of completeness, it is the divine number,

[8:06] John, is gaining, a vision, a picture, of this, glorified, risen Christ, likes of which, he had never seen him before, now keep in mind, this, Christ, this, Jesus, whom, John, is viewing, and describing, is the very same person, with whom he spent, three and one half years, walking, and talking with, seeing, hearing, miracles, teachings, in the company, of eleven other apostles, John, as we mentioned, was the junior, of the group, he was also, one, of the, three, innermost, parties, to our Lord's ministry, as you go through the gospels, you read about the twelve apostles, but in particular, you will also read about,

[9:10] Peter, James, and John, for lack of a better term, call them, the big three, they were obviously, those, who were closest to Jesus, of the twelve, they witnessed, certain miracles, that the others, did not see, I think one of them, was the healing, of Jairus's daughter, Peter, James, and John, were the only ones there, and when our Lord, was transfigured, in this, incredible, array, of majesty, and glory, when he took them up, to the mount of transfiguration, and was transfigured, before them, and we don't understand, exactly what that means, but the revelation, is going to give us, a little idea of it, the writers tell us, Peter tells us, and John tells us, that they witnessed, the Christ, being transformed, before them, and in a dazzling, array, of brilliance, and light, the likes of which, they had never seen before, Christ's, personage, changed, right in their, very presence, and his face, and his garments, were white, shining like the brilliance, of the noonday sun, and it must have been, a dazzling thing, and we can, not escape the idea, this surely, was another manifestation, of what the Bible calls, the Shekinah, the Shekinah glory, glory, it is the glory, of God, that when Moses, dedicated,

[10:41] I'm sorry, when Solomon, dedicated the first temple, we are told, that the glory, of the Lord, filled that temple, and it was a light, it was an effusion, of brilliance, and light, the likes of which, we cannot imagine, and in keeping, with the characteristics, of God, in whom it is said, God is light, and in him, is no darkness, at all, it only seems logical, that his presence, would be manifested, by this kind, of light, and couple that, with the fact, that in the new Jerusalem, there will be, no sun, nor any need, for the sun, for the lamb, of God, will provide, the light thereof, that supernatural, radiance, that is the Shekinah glory, the very presence, of God will be there, and that is in part, what John, is exposed to here, yet, this is something, radically different, John, and Peter, both described, something, of what, the glorified Lord, looked like, in the transfiguration, account, that is given, in the gospels, but this is different, yes, it is the same Lord, but this is different, and as you read, the text, and as you, as I often do, attempt to read, between the lines, as to what else, might have been going on, because my reading, between the lines, is not inspired, of God, and it is not equal, to the word of God, of course, but you cannot help, but wonder, what was in John's mind, what was he thinking of, because remember, even though, it had been, how many, assuming, that Jesus, died, very close, to 30 AD, was alive, on the earth, after his resurrection, for a period, of 40 days, then ascended, in the presence, of these 12 apostles, in Acts chapter 1, that must have been, somewhere, in the area, of 30 to 32 AD, most scholars, put the writing, of the revelation, somewhere, around 90 AD, what John, is seeing here, is a vision, of Christ, approximately, 60 years, since he had, last seen him, on the earth, that's a rather, lengthy separation, but at the same time, you don't get, anything like this,

[13:28] John sees, this vision, described here, in this chapter, and Jesus, cries out to him, hey John, it's me, Jesus, you remember, you spent the three years, with me, yeah, here I am, no, no, no, none of that, that, bespeaks of, too much, familiarity, too much, commonality, too much, ho hum, this, is different, John, has never seen, this, this Jesus, before, well, no, it isn't a different, Jesus, but it is, an ascended, glorified, Jesus, who portrays, himself, in a manner, the likes of which, John, seems to be, at a loss, for words, to describe, and we'll see, how that develops, and I appreciate, very much, the description, that was given, by, a gentleman, in his commentary, on the revelation, and I want to share it with you, his name,

[14:54] I want to give credit, where credit is due, because it's quite a, quite an assessment, that he gives here, his name, his name is, Dr. W. Leon Tucker, and, in this description, that he sets forth, that, Paul Sadler, has excerpted, from, for his commentary, on the distinction, between, this Christ, that John is seeing, and the earthly Christ, that John knew, when he was with him, for three plus years, says he, in Christ's, humiliation, he was the lowly, savior, who was despised, and rejected, of men, but here, in the book of Revelation, he is the sovereign, judge of the universe, in the days, of his humiliation, he hung, on a cruel tree, amidst, two thieves, here, he is standing, in the midst, of seven golden, lampstands, in supreme glory, then, he was unclothed, and displayed, in nakedness, while the soldiers, parted his garments, among themselves, here, he is robed, in the garment, of a high priest, and judge, then, he girded himself, with a towel, to wash the disciples, feet, in all humility, here, he is girded about, with a golden girdle, which speaks, of deity, he is prepared, for battle, then, his head, was encircled, with a crown, of thorns, here, he is the ancient, of days, whose head, and hair, is white as snow, in Christ's humiliation, he wept, over Jerusalem, here, his eyes, are as a flame, of fire, exposing, the ways, of the evil one, in the days, of his humiliation, his feet, were pierced through, with a large spike, here, his feet, are as fine brass, burnished in a furnace, which speaks, of his enemies, who are about, to be judged, and crushed, under his feet, in the days, of his flesh, he offered up, prayers, and supplications, in meekness, but in John's vision, his voice, is like the sound, of a mighty waterfall, powerful, and full of majesty, then, they nailed, his right hand, to the cross, here, in his sovereign, good pleasure, he holds, the believer, in his right hand, then, out of his mouth, came the words, of life, here, a sword, to smite, the nations, and rule, with a rod, of iron, instead, of a visage, marred, more than any man, his countenance, in John's vision, is as the sun, shining, in his strength, and in the midst, of the seven candlesticks, one likened, to the son of man, clothed, with a garment, down to the foot, must have been, a sight, to behold, the likes, of which,

[18:10] I am confident, John, in his humanness, had difficulty, describing, and were it not, for the inspiration, of the spirit of God, he probably, could not have done, the adequate job, that he did, so, let us return, now, to verse nine, John, is giving us, his testimony, and he is telling us, how this all, came about, and we take, the position, which is, the futurist position, that all, of the events, that are described, in the revelation, are yet future, we do not, embrace, the historicist concept, or the preterist concept, which says, these events, have already transpired, and actually, they are history, for that, we would search, the revelation, far and wide, and we simply, cannot, equate the events, that are described, herein, with anything, that has ever happened, in history, and it requires, only the most, imaginative, imagination, to come up, with something, like that, these events, are yet future, they have not yet, transpired, on this earth, but they are coming, and of course, what it climaxes with, is the second coming, of Jesus Christ, and as we have said before, and I'm sure, we'll be saying, multiple times, before we conclude, this study, the greatest evidence, that we have, for accepting, believing, and embracing, the second coming, of Jesus Christ, just as is predicted, is simply, because he came, the first time, just as he, was predicted, and God, is on a roll, his word, will not be denied, so John, is telling us, how this came about, and in verse 10, or verse 9, he says, that he is, your brother, and fellow, fellow partaker, in the tribulation, and kingdom, the tribulation, was the squeezing, the pressure, the persecution, that they were living under, during this first century, and it concluded, only when,

[20:19] Constantine, the emperor, passed an edict, in 325, that said, it was no longer, illegal, to be a Christian, now, it will be, illegal, not, to be a Christian, how's that for, a switch, that's, the politics, of the day, and it was carried out, under Constantine, the emperor, who, according to some, came to faith, in Christ himself, but, the jury is still out on that, and we simply, do not know, however, for those 300 plus years, there was tremendous, persecution, that was wrought, on all, who named, the name of Christ, both whether, they were Jew, or Gentile, they were on the receiving end, of persecution, and, part and parcel, of that, has to do, with the satanic, involvement, that has been present, from the very beginning, and by the way, that is going, to be intensified, and return, and we will see, as we move through, the revelation, that there is a time, of unparalleled, persecution, that is yet, in store, for Christians, in this earth, time, time is coming, when believers, are going to be raptured, translated, removed from the earth, the moment, and the twinkling of an eye, when that trumpet sounds, but during the time, that follows, which will be, the time of Jacob's trouble, also referred to, as the tribulation period, or the 70th week, of Daniel, there is going to be, tremendous, persecution, this is when, the Antichrist, will be identified, and will be, actually calling the shots, around the globe, an open season, will be declared, on Jews everywhere, the 144,000, will be active, in their ministry, they will have been, converted to faith, in Jesus Christ, as Jews, they will evangelize, throughout the world, they will meet, with great success, people who receive, their message, will themselves then, many of them, be persecuted, and by the way, it seems that, the principal method, of execution, under persecution, in the book, of the revelation, which will surface, again and again, is death, by being beheaded, and you don't have, to look far, to wonder, if there is a connection, there, in this beheading motif, with some of the things, that are taking place, in the world today, it does give us pause, does it not?

[22:49] So John is saying, that he, is a partaker, of this tribulation, the kingdom, and perseverance, which are in Jesus, and John is saying, I was on the island, called Patmos, and the reason, I was there, was because, of the word of God, and the testimony, of Jesus, we do not know, why John himself, was not simply, executed, by the Romans, as part of their, persecution, because they had, executed a lot, I suspect however, that the sovereignty, of God, had something, to do with that, so John, was simply exiled, or banished, from the mainland, tradition, tells us, that John, this beloved John, who by the way, was the brother, of James, they were both, sons of Zebedee, and Zebedee, was their father, who ran the fishing business, and they were fishermen, as you recall, that all of these, had already been martyred, and John was the only one, who remains, and he is there, because, of the word of God, because, when these apostles, had been entrusted, with the word of God, they could not help, but speak, the things, which they had heard, and seen, you'll recall, back in Acts chapter 4,

[24:09] I believe it was, when the apostles, were called on the carpet, by the chief priests, the religious establishment, of Israel, and charged, with spreading, the name of Jesus, throughout the whole area, and by what authority, have you done this, who gave you permission, to do this, and it was Peter, who spoke up, and said, we cannot help, but speak, the things, we have seen, and heard, we cannot, be silent, we know, too much, to dummy up, we cannot, hold our peace, and, they paid a price, for preaching, it has always, been this way, as you examine, the prophets, in the Old Testament, going back, as far as, Elijah, and Elisha, both of whom, had sterling ministries, for Israel, in the times, of the judges, and of the kings, both of them, were, examples, of fortitude, and fearlessness, and they preached, the word of God, because they could not, do otherwise, neither of these, were what you would call, writing prophets, we do not have, anything recorded, that Elijah, or Elisha, ever wrote, like we do, with Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the others, but they had, a powerful ministry, and, as was predictable, they paid, for delivering, their message, in the form, of persecution, they were, chastened, they were, mistreated, they were, sought for, they were, subjected, to every kind, of cruelty, that you could imagine, as were the prophets, minor, and major, because, error, has always, sought, to silence, the truth, always has, and, there is, a lot more, error, that is available, than what there is, truth, and when these, arrive on the scene, proclaiming the truth, and speaking truth, to power, whether it was, to kings, or priests, or to whomever, it was always, resented, and it was always, viewed, as a threat, and the object, the name of the game is, silence them, shut them up, and it was, an effort, to shut up John, because it was, for the word, of God, that he was, isolated, to this aisle, because of the word, of God, and the testimony, of Jesus Christ, all you have to do, as a Christian, if you don't want, to get into difficulty, in these days, of political correctness, and everybody, being offended, and everything, you can be sure, that you will not, come in for, any criticism, any rejection, anything, of a negative sort, just, keep, quiet, don't say anything, you will, of course, be, a miserable witness, you will be, selling out, you will be, not only, betraying the Lord, you will be, betraying people, who are, dependent, on the information, you have, but you refuse, to give them, and do you know, any time, and every time, that you can speak, a word for truth, a word for the gospel, a word for salvation, a word for forgiveness, each time you do, however small that is, gives the recipient, something they have, to process, something they have, to think about, even if they become, angry about it, and reject it, you have still, planted that thing, in their mind, and heart, and they have, to reflect on it, and do you realize, that all conversions, all testimonies,

[28:11] all witnesses, of people, who come to faith, in Christ, without exception, they all began, with a single thought, that they had, that somebody, implanted in them, and the thought, built, and it was added to, and it built, and it increased, and there was more information, and all the while, that is accumulating, in their mind, and heart, a case is being built, for the gospel, people, and finally, they come, to what we would call, the breaking point, and they see themselves, as God sees them, and they embrace, Jesus as their savior, but it all begins, with their having, been made, to think, to consider, I well remember, sharing that, famous question, that I call, the barn house question, with a number of people, over the years, and the question, goes like this, you've heard it before, you've heard it many times, you could all give it yourself, if something, were to happen, to you today, automobile accident, whatever, and you were taken, out of this world, quite unexpectedly, and we all know, none of us, is immune to that, and you were to stand, before your maker, the God of heaven, looked at you, and said, why should I, let you come, into my heaven, what would you tell him, you know the answer, that I have received, from more people, than any other answer, and the reason,

[29:55] I know this, is because, I've just kind of, calculated these, in my mind, and I say to myself, when I hear it from them, there it is again, there it is again, there it is again, I've told this to people, over the years, and so many times, I find it being added to, and you know what it is, here's the answer, that is so often given, wow, boy, really, well that's, that's some question, all right, you know, you know, I've never, thought about that, before, that's the answer, that most people, that's the answer, most people will give you, try it, that is, some question, I've never, really thought, about that, before, well you have now, and you cannot, just dismiss it, you have forever, planted, something, of value, in the heart, and mind, of that person, and they, have to deal with it, yeah, they may poo poo it, they may dismiss it, they may say, oh this guy's a crackpot, or he doesn't know, what he's talking about, but, nonetheless, the seed, has been planted, and there is something, there to grow, that comes from, just giving out the word, and it's a very, very harmless thing to do, very unintimidating thing to do, just try it, pass it on, remarkable, that's why he's there,

[31:27] John says, he was in the spirit, on the Lord's day, now, I'm not real sure, scholars are divided, on how to translate this, but I frankly, don't think he's talking, about Sunday, sometimes you hear, Christians refer to Sunday, as the Lord's day, it may surprise you, to know, the Bible never calls Sunday, the Lord's day, never does, it always calls it, the same thing, calls it, the first day, of the week, never calls it, the Lord's day, but there is such a thing, as, the Lord's day, and it ought not, to surprise us, that the Lord's day, is identical to, the day, of the Lord, well now, that's not too hard, is it, the Lord's day, and the day of the Lord, is the same thing, and do you realize, that all throughout, the Old Testament, and in portions, of the New Testament, the day, of the Lord, is one of the, prominent themes, because, it is contrary, to the day, of man, the day, of the Lord, is when,

[32:39] God, almighty, is, calling, the shots, day, by day, and hour, by hour, that time, has never come, we've never entered, the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord, is a time, of judgment, judgment, it is a time, of, it is a time, of the wrath, of God, poured out, upon, an unbelieving earth, it is a time, of confusion, a time, of death, a time, of judgment, a time, of deprivation, a time, of persecution, it is horrendous, what is going, to be coming, and it is all, connected, with this thing, called, sin, human, behavior, this, is what is going, to transpire, on the earth, and we'll look, at that phrase, in subsequent studies, of the day, of the Lord, and make connections, with it, in the Old Testament, prophets, and see, that the connection, is absolutely, undeniable, it is a time, of judgment, and frankly,

[33:52] I prefer, to interpret this, as being, that day, that John, is speaking of, and the thing, that makes me, base it on that, is the fact, that that's what, this whole book, is about, we are going, to discover, that it has, to do, with the opening, of seven seals, and the seven seals, are going, to point, to seven trumpets, and the seven trumpets, are going, to point, to seven bowls, or vials, all, of these sevens, all of them, without exception, are filled, with wrath, and indignation, from the God of heaven, poured out, upon an unbelieving earth, the church, will not even, be here, we will have been, removed from the scene, prior to these events, happening, because God, has not appointed us, to wrath, but to obtain salvation, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, so, what I think, is taking place here, was when he said, he was in the spirit, on the Lord's day, he is talking about, God, so inspiring him, as to enable him, to see, into the future, with the panoramic vision, that God is going, to be providing him, and he is going, to be able, to describe the events, that are unfolding, just like you would, look at a panoramic, television screen, stretched clear, across the stage, from end to end, with the events, taking place, and you look at them, as they are happening, and you write down, what you see, that, is the day, of the Lord, that's what, this whole book, is about, that's what it is, describing, but it is not, a day, of 24 hours, it is, a period of time, duration, of seven years, the time, of Jacob's trouble, the time, of great tribulation, coming upon the earth, the time, when God, exacts his due, from an unbelieving earth, that, is the day, of the Lord, it is the day, of judgment, it is, what people, commonly refer to, as, the end of the world, but it isn't, and the Bible, never says, the world, is going to come, to an end, because it isn't, the world, is going to undergo, a time, of refurbishing, and remodeling, and restructuring, and cleansing, so that it will be, a new heaven, and a new earth, but it's going to be, the same orb, the same planet earth, and the reason, we know that, is because, it is for, this planet, and the people on it, for which Christ died, it is this earth, that is going to be, restored, and refurbished, and cleansed, that will be, a new heaven, and a new earth, this, is the Lord's day, that I believe, he is describing, he is, he is caught up, in seeing this preview, as it is acted out, before him, and he is commanded,

[36:54] John, write down, everything you see, and he's going to have, a really difficult time, describing this, as we will see, when we move through it, I heard behind me, a loud voice, like the sound, of a trumpet, this trumpet, would be, would be a ram's horn, when we see trumpet, we tend to think of, what Louis Armstrong, played for so many years, you know, it's called the trumpet, but, this biblical trumpet, is a ram's horn, and it was, a literal animal horn, that was curbed, and hollowed out, and you would blow on that, and it would make, a considerable noise, the priests did it, throughout the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, as well, there was the ram's horn, and it is frequently, translated trumpet, but in fact, it was a ram's horn, and this voice, was saying, write in a book, this is actually, a scroll, we will show you, a type of a scroll, later, so that you can get, a mental picture, of what this was like, it is a seven sealed scroll, the scroll, the scroll, was all rolled up, just, you know, you, well, think in terms of, a roll of roll, of wallpaper, if you will, only this roll, of wallpaper, is written on, it's written on, both sides, and then, you roll up, a little bit of it, and then, you insert a seal, on the edge, that kind of serves, as a clamp, and it holds the place there, and then you roll it, a little bit more, and then you insert, another seal, and then you roll it, a little bit more, and you insert another seal, so that when each seal, is broken, and the roll, is unrolled, for just a little bit, you get another revelation, of what is coming, so there is, a seven sealed scroll, that is going to, kick this whole thing off, and Jesus Christ himself, will be the one, who breaks the second, the seven seals, we'll see that, in the chapter upcoming, write in a book, what you see, send it to the seven churches, and here they are,

[39:06] Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, these are all, located, in Asia Minor, and that is, present day, Turkey, and I don't know, if you are aware of it, or not, you probably are, because you cannot, escape it, but Turkey, is one of the major players, in the mid east, and they figure in, very handsomely, into the end time, events, so, what is taking place, in Turkey, and it's, and it's neighbor Syria, all of these things, are coming into play, and it is, in my estimation, it is not coincidental, to the end times, that of all people, who is it, that has, a great, and, unplanned, presence, in, Syria, today, Russia, now, you, keep that in mind, because, that is not, coincidental, it may very well, be part and parcel, of the invasion, that is going to take place, in Ezekiel 38, 37, 38, and 39, and I would not, be a bit surprised, if it came, within a short period, of time from now,

[40:28] I'm not saying it will, I'm not a prophet, but I'm saying, if it happens, between now, and this time, next year, it would not, surprise me, one bit, there is going to be, a massive invasion, of Russia, and of Syria, and probably Egypt, as well, into, the promised land, of Israel, and we're studying that, in our monthly, get togethers, in Ezekiel 38, but, that's unrelated, to the tribulation period, John continues, and says, to these seven churches, and I turned, to see the voice, that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw, seven, golden, lamp stands, some translations, render this, seven golden candlesticks, but it's completely erroneous, they were not candlesticks, at all, they did not use candlesticks, they used small lamps, and each lamp, was a vessel, and it held, a certain amount of oil, and they would hang, a wick, out of the spout, and light the wick, and then the wick, would draw, on the supply of oil, that was in the lamp, so they are called, lamp stands, candlesticks, is an erroneous idea, because we tend to think, of the kind of candlesticks, that we have today, but they were nothing like that, these were lamp stands, and they were fastened, to a lamp, that would, that was vertical, and that would give it, some elevation, and in the middle, in the middle, of the lamp stands, one, like a son of man, clothed in a robe, reaching to the feet, and girded across his breast, with a golden girdle, the term, son of man, is the, official term, that Jesus Christ, used, in reference to himself, more than any other term, in all of the four gospels, constantly, he referred to himself, as the son of man, saying, the son of man, is come to seek, and to save, that which was lost, and of course, when he uses that term, the son of man, he's always speaking, in the third person, singular, he's actually, talking about himself, when he says, the son of man, has come to seek, and to save, that which was lost, he could have easily said,

[42:45] I, have come to seek, and to save, that which was lost, because the appellation, son of man, that he uses, is that which he, uses consistently, of himself, and John, knows who this is, but he is different, than any way, John has ever seen him, including, the transformation, or the transfiguration, he is clothed, in a robe, reaching to the feet, girded across his breast, with a golden girdle, and his head, and his hair, were white, like white wool, like snow, what are they symbolic of, what is white hair, symbolic of, ordinarily, we tend to think of it, as being a depository, of wisdom, of age, I think that's what the symbol, is portraying here, who is this one, he is the ancient of days, he is the one, who is the alpha, and the omega, the first, and the last letters, of the Greek alphabet, ours is A to Z, the Greek is alpha, and omega, and what Christ is saying is, he is the end, and he is the beginning, and he is everything, in between, he is everything, but who is he really, listen, this is, the eternal, son, of God, who, in eternity past, in a time, when there was, nothing material, or physical, that existed, when there was, no earth, no planets, no stars, no heavens, no materiality, nothing physical existed, there was, this being, called,

[44:41] God, and he, is a, spirit being, existing, subsisting, in three persons, father, son, and holy spirit, all of whom, are non-physical, Jesus Christ, as the eternal, son of God, had an existence, that predated, Bethlehem, but in that existence, it wasn't physical, at all, it was spiritual, what does that mean, we don't know, all we know is, it wasn't matter, that which is spiritual, you cannot see, you cannot measure, you cannot weigh, but it nonetheless, has reality, this is how, the father, the son, and the holy spirit, existed, this is what Jesus, meant when he said, God is spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him, in spirit, and in truth, the most magnanimous, incredible thing, about this spirit being, is that he chose, one day, to clothe himself, in human flesh, to come down to this world, this earth, and become, one of us, walking among us, he took unto himself, a physical countenance, that he didn't have, before, he became flesh, the word, became flesh, and dwelt among us,

[46:12] John tells us, this is incredible, so the hair, being white like wool, simply indicates, his eternality, this one, you cannot say, has been around, for a long time, because when you, use the word, time, you're thinking, of time, but he's been around, before time existed, because never lose sight, of the fact, eternity, does not mean, time, piled upon, top of time, eternity, means, time, less, there is no time, I can't conceive of that, because I'm a creature, that is locked in, to space and time, I've got to have both, for my existence, time is coming, when my spirit, is going to be freed, from this physical frame, and I will not be bound, by it, then I will enter, into, a non-physical existence, called spirit, that's when my spirit, leaves my body, and James says, this body without the spirit, is dead, that's going to be, the part and parcel, of all of us, because our spirit, is that which energizes, our body, and we are absent, from the body, present with the Lord, so here, this is bespeaking,

[47:31] I think, of our Lord's eternality, this white hair, white wool, how else would you, depict one, who is an ancient of days, what are you going to do, give him thick, curly black hair, that doesn't, very well speak of age, does it, timelessness, he is the one, who is before all things, and by him, all things, consist, this is an incredible being, this is the God, of the universe, his eyes, were like a flame, of fire, he doesn't say, his eyes, were a flame, of fire, but I don't know, what else to call them, so he says, they are like, a flame, that's what it reminds me of, when I look at his eyes, it looks like, the flame, of fire, and his feet, were like, burnished bronze, these, the same feet, that were, were pierced, with nails, when it has been, caused to glow, in a furnace, and his voice, was like, the sound, of many waters,

[48:39] I suspect, that many of you, have at one time, or another, been to Niagara Falls, you can hear, the sound, of the falls, from a distance, way, removed from it, and as you, grow near, I've often wondered, what the, what the first inhabitants, the American Indians, thought, when they, were coming upon, this mighty, waterfall, and hearing it, from a distance, and walking, and what is that, what is that, and they kept walking, in that direction, and when they got there, wow, there's this, mighty, torrent of water, the likes of which, you cannot begin, to describe, it's a roaring scene, that is deafening, and that's what, John is hearing, and in his right hand, he held seven stars, well, what are they, well, we are not left, to conjecture, he's going to tell us, what they are, let's read on, and out of his mouth, came a sharp, two-edged sword, this is a vision, that he's seeing, he's describing it, and his face, was like the sun, shining in its strength, and when I saw him,

[49:58] I fell at his feet, as a dead man, and my response, to that is, well, of course you did, what else, could you do, there is, no other, proper posture, before one, such as this, other than, on your face, before him, and John, readily recognized that, I fell at his feet, as a dead man, this must have been, an overwhelming division, John, is experiencing, an emotional, physical, meltdown, he is just, collapsing, he is just, lost it, he is, reduced, to, a, shriveled, pile, of humanity, on his face, before this, august present, and, he laid his right hand, upon me, saying, do not be afraid,

[51:03] I am the first, and the last, and the living one, and I was dead, here of course, he is referring to, his crucifixion, and behold, I am alive, forevermore, in reference, to his resurrection, and I have the keys, of death, and of Hades, the possession, of these keys, indicates authority, because one, who has the key, has the ability, to lock, or unlock, he is the only one, who does, have that ability, he alone, possesses these keys, that gives him, supreme authority, over, all of life, and all of death, and what else is there, that's the whole gamut, there is nothing besides, life, and death, right therefore, in other words, the therefore, means, because of everything,

[52:03] I have told you, John, write, the things, which you have seen, the things, which are, and the things, which shall take place, after these things, that covers, the waterfront, past, present, future, John's writing, is to be, exhaustive, to omit nothing, to include everything, that the risen Lord, instructs him to include, and as for the mystery, the secret, of the seven stars, which you saw, in my right hand, and the seven golden, lampstands, here they are, they are defined for us, the seven stars, are the angels, of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands, are, the seven churches, well, all the puzzle, is removed there, he tells us, exactly what they are, and for the sake, of future studies, I want to, brief you, just momentarily, and in closing, about the angels, because, these, are going to be, very, very, major players, in this 70th week, of Daniel, described, in the book, of the revelation, angelic involvement, is going to go, forward, full bore, like it has, never before, there is going to be, so much, angelic involvement, both, demonic, and, holy, they are, all going to have, their play, in this last, seven year period, and it is going, to be something, there is going, to be, an element, of the supernatural, that is going, to, to, to, be part, and parcel, of virtually, every 24 hour day, that develops, it's going to be, a lot of supernatural, in here, there's going to be, the surfacing, of all kinds, of creatures, the likes of which, we have never, confronted before, you'll never see, in a zoo, you'll never see, in a, encyclopedia, they are described, as living creatures, most places, the King James Version, describes them, as beasts, not a good translation, at all, because,

[54:23] I don't know about you, but when I hear, the word beast, I think of something, ugly, and distasteful, and, well, beastly, you know, but, these living creatures, are those, entities, that have been created, by this, imaginative God, to serve, certain purposes, that men, and ordinary angels, do not fulfill, they are going, to play, dramatically, in this time, we are going, to see, a revisiting, of things, that have not, been on the planet, since the book, of Genesis, and make no mistake, about it, Genesis, the first book, in the Bible, Revelation, the last book, are closely, and intimately, connected, you will see that, in an undeniable way, time and again, as we move, through the book, I would like, to open this, for Q&A, but unfortunately, I have taken, all of your time, once again, so we cannot do that, but I will, try to discipline, myself next week, and if you will, stand with me, for dismissal, we will, try to work, in a Q&A, next week, if you have questions, based on what, we have talked about, this morning, feel free, to either ask me, afterwards, or, jot them down, on a slip of paper, and put them, in the offering box, and I will be happy, to address them, at a later time, would you pray with me?

[55:48] Father, we recognize, that there is, so much here, that is beginning, to unfold, that it is, absolutely overwhelming, and we cannot imagine, what it must have felt like, to John, we can readily understand, his collapsing, before you, and your presence, based on what he has seen, what other response, could there be, and yet, you also, placed your hand, upon him, and told him, fear not, fear not, you, were dead, and are alive, forevermore, you have the keys, of death, and hell, you are the sovereign, Lord, and John, and John, has nothing, to fear from you, but to write your information, that you give him, and we are so grateful, that you've been pleased, to give it, we trust, that you will use, this time, this morning, to provide, a building block, for future information, that will be coming, enable us, to understand, the message, that is here, because it is pertinent, for us today, as well as for those, who will be living, in the future, most of all, we thank you, for the salvation, that we have, in Jesus Christ, and for that price, that he paid, when he, who knew no sin, was made, to be sin for us, that we might be made, the righteousness, of God in him, we bless you, and thank you, for all that you've, been pleased to reveal, and for that, which yet lies ahead, in Christ's wonderful name,

[57:23]  Amen.