You may say, Well, Lord, please return today. exercise that shortly on us right now. He says, I cannot. Because I'm long suffering. willing that none should perish.
There are still people to be saved. And if people who were saved 10 years before you who prayed to me to come back today, Had I answered those prayers, you would have been stuck.
So I am delaying. Yeah. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick with his continuing message called What John Saw in the book of Revelation, chapter 1. He never operated. He was never, never. a rogue operator.
And the apostles were very careful about that. They wanted no one to think he gets too big for his britches, and he starts doing things apart from the Godhead. Jesus' position is one of co-action with the Father. Not. independence, never.
And Jesus was quick to point that out when he walked the earth. The unity was They were unseparable. And so the New Testament writers wanted no doubts about the origin of his unity between the Father. and Himself the Incarnate Son, Glorifying him. That is the sun.
As they moved along in their experiences, Christ would let them see things that no one else would see. For example, there was the transfiguration. Of course, the resurrection. And the ascension. Never usurping his father, but wholly or entirely.
in fellowship with the Godhead. Making it clear that we don't worship three gods, but one God. one God coexisting in three distinct persons. That's one of the main reasons why the language is a little toned down from time to time, because they did not want people to think we have three gods. You know, God is not one of them, and then we have the Holy Spirit, He's one of the other gods.
One God. Three persons in that God. In the early church, really had to fight to protect that doctrine. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten, said Athanasius. The Son is of the Father alone, not made.
nor created. But begotten. John 17:3, Jesus saying to the Father, Return me to the glory I had before. Foundations of the world. The Holy Spirit is of the Father.
And of the sun. Neither made nor created nor begotten. But proceeding, they're all self-existent. They're all together. but manifested to us.
on our behalf. For us. And so God gave him. This comes through Jesus Christ. This comes through the one that died on the cross.
That's where this revelation is coming from, and that's what John is saying. John's Gospel, he wrote this. Christ speaking. I have many things to say to you and j to judge concerning you. That singles that individual out, whoever listening to this, But he who sent me is true, and I speak to the world.
Those things which I heard from him. Is there the commitment to the unity, the co-action? Never rogue. John 16, 12, I still have many things to say to you. But you cannot bear them now.
And then he looked at John and whispered, I'll tell you later. No, he didn't. He didn't, but that's what happened, right? Jesus is the mediator between God and man, and that's what we see in action right here. That's the doctrine, 1 Timothy 2.
Verse 5: For there is one God, not three of them. and one mediator between God and men. The man Jesus Christ. According to his humanity they knew him According to his humanity, we know him no more. It it's It's gone higher.
We still know because we study and we have the information. But we have a fuller picture. Than when he showed up at the wedding at Cana.
So here is his mediation. And we can't deny his deity, as do the cult. Never does the Bible. Give the impression. that the Messiah The Jewish Messiah.
the world's Christ. They never gives the impression of operating We're starting a separate religion or operating alone. Never a hint, Not even a possibility. of his action outside of what we call the Trinity. what the Bible also says as the Godhead.
Instead, we find as that creation. that rhythm Pure allegiance, thus Christ is presented. as the submitted servant. And that's what we see him doing. I'm the servant.
On your behalf, to the point of death and resurrection. Just as the Old Testament prophets said. Isaiah chapter 42, verse 1. Behold, My servant. whom I uphold My elect one in whom my soul delights, I have put my spirit in him.
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
Well, he's speaking about Christ. fulfilled in Christ. All of that is on the superlative level. None of that can be reduced and applied to one of his prophets or his angels or any created being. Only the self-existent Son who comes from the father.
is worthy of such words. And so, even though he is God the Son, he is a servant. We're very familiar with that. To show his servants, it says here in verse one.
Well, he's shown to show. This is the only place in all of Scripture where the actual process of revelation. is Explained. It is a four-stage movement and it's right here. The father to the sun The Son to the angels.
to mediate it. To John. Who wrote it down? for the churches. And for all Christianity.
all who would avail themselves of it. We saints Are slaves of Christ. It is a special New Testament term. for Christians. as special property of God.
Now we're not enslaved. But we are slaves. The difference, that's why that's why when you come to that Greek word dolos, slave, the translators usually say bond slave because they're adding that Old Testament touch to it. It says we're willing to do this. We want to be servants of the Christ.
He doesn't force us to be. We are willful. Galatians chapter 4. Therefore, you also no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, than an heir of God through Christ. Not a contradiction.
We're more than servants. In this life, we are. We're total bondservants. But we're family. And there's an inheritance for us.
And that is, of course, the heaven and the glory and the Lamb's table and all the things that await us. Many servants have gone to their graves without this fuller revelation in total loyalty to the king. We should remember. We are a special generation in that sense. Paul and Peter did not have the revelation of Jesus Christ as we have in front of us.
We got it. What are we gonna do with it?
Well, I hope to make more comments on that as we move forward. 1 Thessalonians again, chapter 5. But you brethren are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. Do something with the revelations you've been getting. And Paul is saying at that time, I've told you enough about how this is all going to wrap up.
And John comes along and tells even more. 1 Thessalonians again 5, verse 9: For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. You would think, anyone who would say, well, the church is going to go through the great tribulation period, you would think. that they would remember that verse. The Great Tribulation period, all of it is a time of wrath, some more intense, some sections more intense than others.
But it is a time of wrath. And the scripture tells us God did not appoint us to that. We're not scheduled for that. We are scheduled to dodge that. That wrath of the Lamb.
That is coming on all the earth. Such as has not been seen, nor will ever be again. I think those who have that doctrine carry guilt. They think the church should somehow be punished. The church is pretty clumsy overall.
But hell still fears it. Because of its link to the sun. And you and I are part of that. Things which must shortly take place. See, we've got another problem here.
Questus shortly. Lord, how does 2,000 years become shortly?
Well You can say, well, John was wrong, if you want to be wrong with him. W according to your thoughts. You can say, well, a year with the Lord is like a thousand years. I think, you know, that's not the answer. I think the answer is going to be in the Greek, because shortly here And there's a little contrast between shortly here in verse 1 and the time is near in verse 3.
But here's one of those sections in the New Testament where the original Greek language is going to really help us out. It does this a few places, but not every place. This word shortly is takos, not tacos. But where we get our English word, tachometer. Webster says a tachometer is a device for indicating speed rotation.
And a gauge we seldom look at. No, it doesn't say that part. I never look at my tachometer unless it's trouble. but a device for indicating speed rotation. How do we measure speed of travel?
Well, miles per hour.
So there's a distinction here. The point is. When The tribulation period starts, everything's going to be rapid. Their rapture is going to be like that. And this is what he is talking about.
Then the events within a seven-year period are going to move very quickly globally. First Corinthians chapter fifteen, just to give attention to. This tachometer. In a moment, speaking of the rapture, in the twinkling of an eye, At the last trumpet For the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. How fast?
Are we going to evolve? No, it's a revolution. It's a rapid change. It's a tachometer in action kind of a thing And so the things which must rapidly take place is, I think, a more accurate Translation, you say, Well, why didn't the translators listen to you? That's what I've been saying.
No, I'm not the only one. All the commentators are saying it, but except they're not saying it like I'm saying it. What I'm saying, well, the translators should have used rapid instead of shortly. But they weren't as close as we are. And the closer we get, To these events The better the church will understand it.
We read that in the introduction from Jeremiah: that you know, you're going to know what this means when those days come.
So, this is important because if my Bible says shortly and it means at any minute now, and that's the end of the story, then I will be perplexed. But if, on the other hand, John is choosing the word rapidly, then I'm relieved. We have another instance of a rapid event, and that is the rapture, the Greek word hapazo. from the Latin rapture.
So when the Jehovah's Witnesses say, well, rapture's not in the Bible, they're wrong. The Latin word for herpazzo, for the rapture. Is Raptus. And of course, it's become ours now. But anyway, I did not want to go down that rabbit trail except to point out that.
There is a rapid Event. that is coming to The true church. of Jesus Christ. The church age ends. instantly.
It doesn't fade out. It is a radical event, a snatching away. That's what that Greek word means. Just snatch away. And then Revelation 6 through 19 will occur in those rapid successions, especially after that three and a half year delay.
Then it centers on Israel. But before that, other things are going to be happening. The flood of Noah. when it started raining. It was a pretty rapid end to humanity when you think about it.
It could have been faster. God could have just. wiped them out. without The water, but that's not the method he chose. Matthew's Gospel chapter 24.
For as lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will. The coming of the Son of Man be. See that rapid nature to things that is going to surround the end times. And so the language is not misleading. The language is there.
But there are other parts of the puzzle that are very helpful in getting closer to its true meaning. We came across this incidentally back in Romans 16. And the God of peace will crush Satan. Under your feet. Shortly.
Well, there's that same Tacos word used, and it does not mean that when you get this letter and you read it two days from now, he's going to crush Satan. That's never what he intended to mean. But he does mean when it does happen, It will be over. Do you know? Satan cannot touch you.
Once you die, Neither can temptation. The flesh, the world. None of those things. will be able to get to you. Satan will be crushed ultimately in that sense and in the most literal sense.
And so you may say, Well, Lord, please return today. Exercise that shortly on us right now. And he says. I cannot. Because I'm long suffering.
Willing that none should perish. There are still people to be saved. And if people who were saved 10 years before you who prayed to me to come back today, Had I answered those prayers, You would have been stuck.
So I am delaying. And I need you to be inspired nonetheless. I need you to be moved by spiritual things. I need to use you to move others to be. Moved by spiritual things.
So don't go getting kooky and crazy and passing snakes around and other things in your congregation. Anybody here want to vote on doing that? Actually, there might be some, but not for Religious reasons. I just like snakes.
Well, uh anyway, uh There's that about the delay, and he sent it and signified it.
Now, signified, the Greek word is. same meaning as ours to indicate something, to mark something. It shows up in the Old Testament. God speaking through Hosea the prophet, I have also spoken by the prophets and Have multiplied visions. I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.
And Hosea was writing to an apostate kingdom. and very few heeded his warnings. Behind all the Bible's metaphor, parables, illustrations, visions, and symbols. There is a greater reality. Just like when you drive to the airport and you see signs that say the airport, there's a greater reality.
The sign is not going to help you get to your next destination. Unless that is your destination. I just want to drive up to the sign that says Anyway, symbols. Why? Why the symbols?
Well, I covered that a little bit, but just to review it, symbols tend not to fade. as words do, or change in meaning as words do. Therefore, they are very useful to God. They are preserved. And vital to make his point, as we said, the nature of a lion is always viewed as one that is fierce.
The nature of a lamb is always one that is viewed as docile, as we see them metaphorically. Yeah. You know, a sheep. A male sheep. It could be pretty Pretty s serious.
trouble. They're not very docile. if uh they want to ram into you a ram. There you go. Anyway.
Therefore, moving forward at a glance of the cross as a symbol. Is that not often a deterrent to sin? Because it convicts you. For some It excites them to rage because they know what that speaks of. In fact, in the Vampire stories.
The vampires are afraid of what?
Well, the cross. And that's just making the point that symbols are effective. I'm not saying we should go out and watch those kind of movies. Anyway, I mean if a vampire is coming at you, isn't it wise to bust him in the mouth, he won't have the fangs anymore, and then you can just have your way with him. Anyway, you add context to the symbol.
and the literal merge to a powerful point. This is what Solomon was saying in Ecclesiastes at the end of it all: the words of the wise are like well-driven nails. Those are the points of Scripture. They are supposed to convict, to rebuke, to exhort. as the pastors are told to do to their congregations.
He says, by his angel.
Now, notice this is the angel that belongs to Christ. If you wanted to say my angels, well you could say that there have been angels. You know, the angels took Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham in that sense, but you don't own them. They're not yours. You didn't create them.
This is possession here. They belong to Christ. They are his angels. Matthew chapter 13, verse 41: the Son of Man will send out his angels. And they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend.
and those who practice lawlessness. I don't know how.
So many people know about this verse and just... dismiss it and want to hold on to the salvation part of the scripture, but have little interest in the performance. Of their duties as believers. You, younger Christians, I hope you're paying attention to that. As has been said before, the world is waiting for you.
It's licking its chops for you. It has brought down many a church going. young individual and is going to want to find out if you are any different. And you should prevail. This angel that will be guiding John shows up again in chapters 17, 19, and 22.
But there are appearances of others that are also going to be interacting with John, Jesus Himself, and then there are the elders in the church that will interact with him.
So it is this angel who will be guiding John through the revelation.
So to his servant John, it says.
Now, John. Did not write the revelation, he wrote it down. He's not authoring it, he's. copying down what he saw. The only living apostle At this point, more than likely, No need to introduce himself.
Hey, I'm John, the son of Zebedee. He doesn't have to do that. They knew who he was, they knew very well who he was. And he did not have to distinguish himself from anybody else named John. Like Big Bad.
Okay. Yeah. So from God to Jesus. From Jesus to the angel. From the angel to John?
And from John. to the servants of Jesus That's how this revelation is unfolding. All the writers of the New Testament As I Alluded to are likely gone at this point in time. From the body and present with the Lord. John still here, last man standing, at least the last man writing, that's for sure, of the original apostles.
Now we know Moses served the Lord. late in his life, very late. Caleb, of course, is another hero of the older saints as well as Daniel. Daniel was in his nineties maybe more as he served. And so here is John still hoisting the sails.
For the Lord. What an encouragement! for the saints that are getting older is that you can still serve. John, as He got to see things. many decades ago.
He asked to see them. And he got to because the Lord allowed him, and he really never did stop. And that story begins. for us in John's Gospel in chapter 1. And verse What do you 37.
Well, no, let's start at 35. Can I get 34? Anyone?
Well, 35 will work. Again, the next day, John, this is the Baptist, John the Baptist, stood with two of his disciples. and looking at Jesus, He walked and said, Behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him speak. And they follow Jesus.
So, John is talking about Jesus. He says, There's the Lamb of God, the two disciples. Go follow him. Then Jesus turned, seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? They said to him, Rabbi, which is to say when translated teacher.
Where are you staying? He said to them, Come and see. And they came and saw where he was staying and remained with him that day.
Now it was about the tenth hour. There's nothing in that 39th Verse. That is worth ignoring. All of it is worth paying attention to. Jesus said, Come and see.
And they saw. And John never stopped seeing. Mm-hmm. Uh This has been Cross-Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreferenceradio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah.
