Meet Your Father - Revelation 4:1-5

          What a wonderful Sabbath it was!  Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath Day, had come to meet with His faithful, aged apostle.  He came to show him "things that must shortly come to pass".  He came to give John, and all Christ's followers who come after, the assurance that all that happens is what "must" happen in order for the end of sin to be assured.  John has been given some messages to pass on to the church, not just those in the locations given in chapters 2 & 3, but also as it goes through different experiences through the ages till Jesus returns.

            Now the scene changes.  John again hears the voice of Jesus, and is invited into heaven, and through an "open door", where he finds himself in the throne room of the universe!  It is hard for earthly words to describe the scene!  But it is as if Jesus takes John and says:  "look, meet our Father"! 

            After His resurrection Jesus had told His disciples: "I ascend to my Father and your Father; to My God and your God".  (John 20:17) On His way to the garden of Gethsemane, He had told them:   "I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loves you."  (John 16:26-27)  All through His ministry on earth Jesus had pointed His listeners to God the Father by telling them that everything He did, every word He spoke, was from the Father.  He even told them: "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father".  (John 14:9) 

            John is shown as much as it is possible for fallen human nature to see.  He tries to describe it, and we should close our eyes and picture as best we can what he describes.  But be assured we cannot imagine how glorious it really is.  Jasper comes in all different colors.  It is always a mixture of various other materials, so the name "jasper" means "spotted stone".  It is as if the first impression God wants us to have of Himself is how closely united He is with humanity.  "God so loved the world that He gave...."  (John 3:16)  "God loves the followers of Christ as He loves His only begotten Son."  "Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love."  (DA 25)

            The "sardine stone" or "sardius stone" is a red stone, red to remind us of the blood sacrifice God gave because of His love.  But also the red of fire, because "our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)  While God has "mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin", we must also remember that He "will by no means clear the guilty". (Exodus 34:7)  The God Who is perfect in love is also perfect in justice.  We will talk about that next time.

APOCALYPSE - Revelation 1

           What picture is brought to your mind when you hear the word "apocalypse"?  Is it one of  "destruction or catastrophe of biblical proportions", which is one dictionary definition.  Or perhaps the  "final destruction of all things", which is another relatively  modern  definition.

            The Greek word "apocalypse" carries the meaning that something hidden from view is now made visible to all.  It is used to refer to a manifestation of truth, instruction in something not known before.  The last book in the Bible actually begins:  "The apocalypse of Jesus Christ...."  which in English is:  "The revelation of Jesus Christ...."  While it does deal with the final destruction of all sin, which should be a wonderful thought to all who love righteousness, there is a greater purpose to this book.

            In Acts 1:9 we are told that while Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives talking with His disciples for the last time:  "while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."  The "Promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4), the Holy Spirit, came 10 days later and empowered the followers of Jesus to do great things for Him and in His name.  Now the apostle John was the last of the original 12.  The church Jesus had established had been spreading all over the world.  But the question would be a normal one;  "what is Jesus doing now?"  He was taken "out of their sight", so it was time for another "revelation of Jesus Christ". 

            We can be sure Satan had been suggesting that Jesus had forgotten about them, that He no longer cared for what was happening on earth to His followers.  Satan is always around to try to bring despair and discouragement.

             But our Heavenly Father is always mindful of His children.  He who sent His Son to this earth "in the fullness of the time", (Galatians 4:4)  now reveals to us what is going on in heaven.  The book begins by telling us this revelation of Jesus is from God, for we read that it is what:  "God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass."  (Revelation 1:1)

            As we study this book we are going to find that all of heaven is involved in what is going on here on earth.  Not just interested, but involved.  In all the centuries that will pass (now have passed), we can see that God, Jesus, and all heaven are watching over His people.  Nothing takes God by surprise.  As we see this our faith will strengthen.  Our love for Jesus will grow.  "And so much the more as we see the day approaching". (Hebrews 10:25)  The day when Jesus will return and deliver all who love Him and look for His appearing.  (2Timothy 4:8)