Sermon Tone Analysis

*Behold He Cometh*

*Rev 1:4-8*

*Introduction:*  Keynote to the book of the Revelation is the phrase  in  Rev 1:7 “Behold, he cometh”  The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second coming of Jesus Christ is mentioned 1527 times in the OT and 319 times in the NT. 

·              There is no place in all of scripture where the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is more prominent.

·               The very first testimony given in this book is the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.

The very last testimony in this book Chapter 22:20 is a testimony to the coming again of our Lord Jesus.

·              From Chapter 1 through Chapter 22 and everything in between is anticipating the coming again of our Lord.

·              It is significant that the first mention of his return is found in the salutation of this book, and that is the area we will be studying today.

You will remember that in the first three verses from Chapter one verse one through verse three is the prologue.

In those verses we noticed a few things in our previous studies.

In today’s study we will be considering the salutation.

* *

*Rev 1:4-8** **- The Salutation*

*The Addressee* (4)  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace /be/ unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; (5)  And from Jesus Christ, /who is/ the faithful witness, /and/ the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him /be/ glory and dominion for ever and ever.

Amen.

*The Promise* (7)  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they /also/ which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.

Even so, Amen.

*The Declarations* (8)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

* *

#. *The Addressee (vs.

4-6)**   *Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace /be/ unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, /who is/ the faithful witness, /and/ the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him /be/ glory and dominion for ever and ever.

Amen.

#.

One long Sentence – Two Major Parts

                                                               i.

Identifies

                                                             ii.

The Invocation of Blessing

#.

Seven Churches Which are in Asia                                                                i.

A province in the Roman Empire

                                                             ii.

Not identified here, but clearly identified in verse 11.

                                                            iii.

John has not mentioned all the churches in Asia.

He does not mention Colossae, Miletus, Hierapolis, or Magnesia.

iv.

These churches form a hub around the city of Ephesus.

And that may be significant as a capital city in Asia.

v.

This is the first seven in the book of the Revelation.

There are many sevens.

64 sevens in the book.

1.       seven lamp stands

2.      seven stars

3.       seven spirits of God

4.      seven  seals

5.       seven angels

6.      seven trumpets

7.       seven  vials

8.      seven thunders

9.      seven thousand killed in earthquake

10.   seven heads on dragon

11.   seven crowns

12.   seven mountains

13.   beast with seven heads

14.   seven kings

15.

Seven is the most frequently used number in the book.

vi.

Seven in the Bible conveys completeness or perfection.

1.       Seven days in a week.

2.      The number seven was regarded by the Hebrews as a sacred number, and it is throughout Scripture the covenant number, the sign of God's covenant relation to mankind, and especially to the Church.

3.       The evidences of this are met in the hallowing of the seventh day; in the accomplishment of circumcision, which is the sign of a covenant, after seven days; in the part played by the number in marriage covenants and treaties of peace.

4.      It is the number of purification and consecration (Lev_4:6, Lev_4:17; Lev_8:11, Lev_8:33; Num_19:12).

“Seven is the number of every grace and benefit bestowed upon Israel; which is thus marked as flowing out of the covenant, and a consequence of it.

5.       The priests compass Jericho seven days, and on the seventh day seven times, that all Israel may know that the city is given into their hands by God, and that its conquest is a direct and immediate result of their covenant relation to Him.

6.      Naaman is to dip in Jordan seven times, that he may acknowledge the God of Israel as the author of his cure.

7.       It is the number of reward to those who are faithful in the covenant (Deu_28:7; 1Sa_2:5); of punishment to those who are froward in the covenant (Lev_26:21, Lev_26:24, Lev_26:28; Deu_28:25), or to those who injure the people in it (Gen_4:15, Gen_4:24; Exo_7:25; Psa_79:12).

8.      All the feasts are ordered by seven, or else by seven multiplied into seven, and thus made intenser still.

Thus it is with the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, of Tabernacles, the Sabbath-year, and the Jubilee.”

9.      Similarly the number appears in God's dealing with nations outside the covenant, showing that He is working for Israel's sake and with respect to His covenant.

10.

It is the number of the years of plenty and of famine, in sign that these are for Israel's sake rather than for Egypt's.

11.

Seven times pass over Nebuchadnezzar, that he may learn that the God of his Jewish captives is king over all the earth

12.   Seven also occurs as a sacred number in the New Testament.

a.

There are seven beatitudes,

b.      seven petitions in the Lord's Prayer;

c.       seven parables in Matthew 13;

d.      seven loaves, seven words from the cross,

e.       seven deacons, seven graces (Rom_12:6-8),

f.

Seven characteristics of wisdom (Jam_3:17).

g.

In Revelation the prominence of the number is marked.

To a remarkable extent the structure of that book is molded by the use of numbers, especially of the numbers seven, four, and three.

h.      *SEVEN *- There are seven spirits before the throne; seven churches; seven golden candlesticks; seven stars in the right hand of Him who is like unto a son of man; seven lamps of fire burning before the throne; seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb; seven seals of the book; and the thunders, the heads of the great dragon and of the beast from the sea, the angels with the trumpets, the plagues, and the mountains which are the seat of the mystic Babylon, - are all seven in number.

i.         *FOUR* - So there are /four/ living creatures round about the throne, four angels at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds; the New Jerusalem is foursquare.

Authority is given to Death to kill over the fourth part of the earth, and he employs four agents.

j.        *THREE* - Again the use of the number three is, as Professor Milligan remarks, “so remarkable and continuous that it would require an analysis of the whole book for its perfect illustration.”

There are three woes, three unclean spirits like frogs, three divisions of Babylon, and three gates on each side of the heavenly city.

The Trisagion, or “thrice holy,” is sung to God the Almighty, to whom are ascribed three attributes of glory.

vii.

Seven Churches – Two ideas communicated in this language.

1.       Seven Literal churches.

2.      Seven Representative Churches.

(Typical of churches in their behavior.)

These churches represent churches that exist today.

These representative churches help us see the completeness of the church age.

Every church fits into one of these types.

3.       The seven named are chosen to symbolize the whole Church.

Compare Rev_2:7.