THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST - From Commencement to Completion (video series)- Chapter 6, Revealing the Annointed King Part 2
by Brett Jacobsen
The focus of this teaching is to promote the biblical truth that Christ’s Kingdom is active and increasing right now on this earth, in this age. Erroneous eschatology has detracted from this truth in many circles of the Christian faith.
All of the major eschatological (study of how things end) passages are covered but the end of the world is not the important issue and true eschatology is merely a means to an end- Christ Himself as King of kings. Though we will look at the glorious end of earthly history from time to time, we will more so continually use the scriptures to interpret the scriptures and arrive at the present victorious Kingdom of Christ.
For most Christians this teaching will challenge you deeply in your understanding of the New Covenant and Christ’s Kingdom as well as liberate you greatly in the truth of His Word.
Revelation chapter 1 (second half)
Below are the scriptures from this teaching so you can read along:
Chapter 1:7
7 Behold, he comes with clouds [1]; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him [2]: and all kindreds [phule- tribes, races] of the earth [ge] [3] shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
[2] “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (Amp) – Those Jews who cried out “crucify Him”, as well as those Romans who hammered the nails and plunged the spear into Him.
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)
[3] “all kindreds [phule- tribes] of the earth [ge- land] shall wail because of him”. As we will se throughout Revelation, the word ge would often be better translated as land (meaning the land of Israel) than earth. It will become apparent that one of the primary characters in the book is Babylon/the land of Israel/Jerusalem.
Strongs - ge- soil; by extens. a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe, country, earth, ground, land, world.
Chapter 1:8
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Christ is displayed as equal to, and one with, God almighty as He is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” the one who “is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”. The “Ancient of days” (Dan 7:13).
Chapter 1:9
9 I John,a who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation [1], and in the kingdom [basileia – royalty, reigning] [2] and patience [hupomone – hopeful endurance] of Jesus Christ [3], was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
[1] John shows himself to be a “companion in tribulation” with the saints of Asia, in that he was exiled to “the isle that is called Patmos” because of “the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ”.
[2] He contrasts this “tribulation” with “the kingdom [royal reign]” “of Jesus Christ”. He is saying ‘although you guys are receiving ‘tribulation’ because of Christ, you also are ‘royally reigning’ with Him.
[3] This kingdom royalty will manifest in due season after they stand in “patience [hopeful endurance]”.
Chapter 1:10-11
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, [1]
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first [protos] and the last [eschatos – final, farthest, uttermost ] [2]: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia [3]; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
[1] verse10 is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vision:
Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. (Ezek 3:12-13)
* “the Lord’s day” – “The term “Lord’s Day” is used one time in Scripture. Never in the Bible is the Sabbath ever called the Lord’s Day. The Church fathers in the first centuries called Sunday, “the Lord’s Day” because Christ rose from the grave on Sunday. They choose this day as a celebration for their deliverance from sin and salvation by Christ. Thus, they called Sunday the first day of the week, the LORD’S DAY. This did not make Sunday a holy day or a Sunday Sabbath.” I prefer to look at it like this: AD – ‘Anno Domini’ means the year of the Lord. Every year and day is now ‘the year/day of the Lord’.
* The trumpet:
…God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing you praises with understanding. God reigns over the heathen: God sits upon the throne of his holiness… (Ps 47:1-9/5-8)
[2] I am the protos and the eschatos. The next verses show this to be Jesus.
[3] “What you see … send it to the seven churches…” Again, this letter is for the first century Asian church audience, we can learn from it by extension.
Chapter 1:12-16
12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks [1];
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like to the Son of man [2], clothed with a garment down to the foot, and wrapped about the chest with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters [3].
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars [4]: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
[1] As we will see in verse 20, “the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches”. These candlesticks represent the actual seven churches in Asia. However, the fact that it’s seven churches can, by extension, relate this further to the whole church in a prophetic symbolic sense. 7 = completeness.
[2] He’s in the midst of the church/candlesticks but also – He is “the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne” (Rev 7:17).
* “the voice that spoke” was “one like to the son of man” who was “in the midst of the seven candlesticks” – Christ is the centre, the hub, of His church.
[3] The description of Christ derives from several passages of OT scripture:
Dan 7:9-10; Dan 7:13-14; Dan 10:5-11.
The “garment down to the foot” and the “golden girdle” “wrapped about the chest” are reminiscent of the high priestly garments: Ex 28:4, 29:5, 39:27-29, Lev 16:4.
[4] “in his right hand seven stars” – The seven stars are also identified in verse 20, they are “the angels [aggelos – messenger] of the seven churches”. I don’t agree with Chilton’s Senior Pastor explanation; it’s probably an apostolic worker or a contact person from amongst the elders.
- “Unto the angel [aggelos] of the church of Ephesus write;” (2:1)
John the Baptist- “my messenger [aggelos]” (Matt 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27)
Paul’s thorn- “the messenger [aggelos] of Satan” (2 Cor 12:7)
Epaphroditus- “your messenger [apostolos]” (Phil 2:25)
* The seven stars being “in his right hand” speaks of Christ’s authority over His church. Even the heavenly messengers to the church are “in His right hand” of authority.
Chapter 1:17-20
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me [1], saying to me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore [ho-aion – this age/ages] [2], Amen; and have the keys of hell [haides] and of death [3].
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter [meta - follow] [4];
20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels [aggelos] of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.
* John’s reaction was the only appropriate one “I fell at his feet as dead”.
[1] Again, “his right hand” denotes authority. Like the seven stars, John is being commissioned to bring the message to the Asian churches.
[2] Jesus is “alive ho-aion [in this age]”. Jesus was declaring that He was alive and ruling in that season of history. This was an important statement to a church who had many reasons to think that Jesus wasn’t ruling (at least they had temporal reasons).
[3] Having “the keys of hell [haides] and death” illustrates that Jesus not only rules the righteous, but He also rules over the wicked; Satan doesn’t (see Heb 2:8-9a).
* Also, Jesus can and will unlock the place of haides and death and resurrect people for judgment.
[4] “things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” – Contemporary events, and those events which were imminent: “shortly come to pass”.
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Thank you.