Kingship of Christ in Revelation 1:9-20

The point: Do not casually say you were 'in the Spirit on the Lord's Day' in the technical sense John means — guard biblical language from charismatic misuse.

Pastor Martin imagines the Sunday-night fire whistle going off behind him as he preaches — a jarring sound that makes him jump. Even that has less piercing quality than the trumpet-voice John heard behind him on Patmos.

He hears, notice verse 10, I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying. There was a voice, the sound of which was as clear, as penetrating, as captivating as the blast of a trumpet. Now you know what it's like here, those of you who attend this place regularly. Six o'clock every Lord's Day night, we all kind of sit here on the edge of our seats waiting for that fire whistle to go off.

19:19 - 19:50 Read in full sermon

The seven lampstands were pedestal lamps shaped like a gravy boat — a trough at the end instead of a spout, with a wick emerging from oil. A familiar household item of that day that the children would picture immediately.

That is, these elevated pedestals on which there would be a lamp. Not like the lamp you buy at the Globe Electric Company, but probably the best equivalent would be you know what your gravy boat looks like? You kids know the thing Ma puts the gravy in it's that thing that has sort of a rounded spout so when you pour your gravy it doesn't splash over everything but you can aim it right down in the middle of that hole you've made in your mashed potatoes. Well these lamps were like a gravy boat and instead of having gravy in them they had oil in them and instead of gravy coming out that little sp...

22:22 - 22:57 Read in full sermon

The sword out of Christ's mouth is not the pirate's short knife in the teeth — it is the Goliath-sized broadsword of judgment, the Greek word being the very one used for Goliath's weapon.

It wasn't the picture. Sometimes you see a picture of a pirate holding a little short knife in his teeth. No, no. Proceeding right out of his mouth was this huge broadsword.

28:12 - 28:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Unconverted friend, be filled with the dread of a man going to the gallows — this vision is not consolation for you until you flee to the pierced hand.

The hand that dropped (or held) the seven stars and laid itself upon John was the pierced hand of the Redeemer — and that hand only brings 'fear not' to those in vital union with Him.

But you see, that's a consolation to those who are in vital union with the Redeemer. when the Lord Jesus apparently or this representation this was not the Lord himself but a representation of what he is in this strange vision when that personage stretches out its hand apparently whether he dropped the stars or just hung them I don't know it just says he held them in his right hand and then it says he laid his right hand upon me and said fear not that hand was the pierced hand of the Redeemer laid upon one who was in these vital bonds of faith and love to that Redeemer. My friend, the fear not...

48:42 - 49:30 Read in full sermon