One Coming on the Clouds

Revelation 1:4-8

Immanuel – 11/7/21

Last week we began our great journey into the strange and mysterious pages of Revelation. If you were not here, I strongly encourage you to take a listen to that sermon because I defined a number of terms and categories that set the stage for how we will be exploring this book.

I also explained that I am teaching Revelation from the Postmillennial and Preterist perspectives.

Postmillennialism is the belief that we are living in the millennium (spoken of in Revelation 20) right now. The millennium is just symbolic for a long period of time. Therefore, I believe Scripture teaches that Jesus reigns as King right now and that His reign is spiritual. Throughout history the King’s kingdom is advancing through the work of the church and will continue to do so until the consummation – when Jesus returns bodily to the earth. Indeed, Jesus will return after the millennium. Postmillennialism reflects that belief, that Jesus returns after the millennium; or post the millennium.

Preterist comes from the Latin “praeteritus,” meaning “gone by'' or effectively “past.” To be a preterist, as am I and as are all Postmillennials, means that the End Times have already happened. From the perspective of the New Testament the great tribulation, the mark of the beast, Armageddon, and all other such end times events were in the future. From our perspective, some 2000 years later, all of those events have already happened.

They were the events and people that surrounded the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD by the Roman armies. This also means that Revelation was written prior to 70 AD; and I argued last week that John wrote Revelation during the reign of Nero. Again, if you want to hear my reasoning, then check out last week’s sermon.

Purpose

Set the stage for the rest of Revelation with some critical context.

What is the purpose of Revelation?

Read Revelation 1:1-8

Premillennialists and amillennialists will often say that the seven churches mentioned in verse 4 are symbolic; that they represent types of churches, or they are the different phases of the church throughout history. That is not the view I hold. I believe these seven churches really existed, that John was really writing to them, and that specific concerns within those churches are being addressed. I’ll get more into why I think this next week.

To the Jews

But there is one important factor that we need to consider today. Though gentiles were very likely a part of these churches, these seven churches were primarily comprised of Jews. How do I know this? First, because of who John was specifically ministering to.

When James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars [of the church in Jerusalem] perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. -Galatians 2:9

The focus of John’s apostolic ministry was to the Jewish people, though I am sure many gentiles came to faith because of his testimony. Further evidence that John’s ministry was to Jews, and that Revelation is a prophetic epistle primarily to Jews, are what he says to two of the seven churches.

Jesus speaks to the church of Smyrna:

“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

-Revelation 2:9

Jesus speaks to the church of Philadelphia:

“Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie – behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.” -Revelation 3:9

Many Jews believed the Apostle John’s testimony and received Jesus as their Messiah. This is what makes them true Jews. For true Jews, those that are in covenant with God, love God, because they have loved Jesus the Son of God. It is these that Jesus loves. And you will see as we go through Revelation, a true Jew is more than bloodlines.

Other Jews call themselves Jews but are not; meaning they have rejected their Messiah and they persecute the Jewish churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia – and others. We see these Jewish persecutions happening all over the New Testament. Jesus therefore calls these circumcised people who claim to be Jews, the synagogue of Satan – for they do not belong to the synagogue of Yahweh!

These words to the churches reveal the fact that the seven churches were primarily Jewish, because they make the most sense in a Jewish context. Additionally, John was an apostle to the Jews. This means that Revelation was written primarily to the Jews – the Jews that were living prior to the fall of the temple in 70 AD. Revelation was given to that generation of the Jewish church.

Of course, there are many blessings to gentiles within the pages of Revelation. We have seen some already, and we will see many more to come.

The primary audience of Revelation being Jewish also helps to explain why Revelation is absolutely jam packed with Old Testament references – references that would make little to no sense to gentiles. Already we see these Old Testament references right in the beginning of today's passage.

Read vs 4-5a

From the Trinity

Grace and peace to you is the standard greeting in an apostolic epistle. We saw Peter begin and end his first letter with grace and peace. But John does something different with his greeting. He is not the one offering grace and peace, as do the writers of other New Testament epistles. The one sending grace and peace is none other than the Triune God: Father, Spirit, Son.

First we see grace and peace flowing from the Father – from Him who is and who was and who is to come.

Do you remember when Moses saw a bush on fire but not burning up? He approached the burning bush and began to have this amazing conversation with God. Towards the end of the conversation Moses asks about the name of God.

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” -Exodus 3:14

This is the name of Yahweh, and it is a name in the present tense. “The one who is” is something like the Greek equivalent of “I am who I am.” To this name John adds who was and who is to come.

John is speaking of Yahweh – the one who is and the one who was. He is the same God that spoke with Moses, that made covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that spoke the world into existence. God is and He was.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. -Psalm 90:2

And He is to come. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for John to have said that God is the one to be: “the one who is and who was and who is to be?” Instead, John breaks his grammatical pattern and says who is to come.

John is not just making a statement about the eternality of God – though that is true; but that God is coming. It is language we see again down in verse 7. In light of the Old Testament, language of “God coming” means a fulfillment of promise for the faithful and judgment for the wicked. You’ll see what I mean shortly.

Grace and peace comes also from the Holy Spirit; or as John writes, from the seven spirit who are before His throne. Did you know that the golden lampstand in Israel’s temple, with its seven flames, represents the Holy Spirit? And John is harkening back to a vision that the prophet Zechariah beheld of a golden lampstand. The lampstand was unusual because its seven flames were self-sustaining – fires unsustained by the powers of men.

Zechariah asks the angel showing him these visions,

“What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” -Zechariah 4:4-6

The seven spirits in Revelation 1 is a symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. The Holy Spirit is the One who completes the work of the Father; just as the Spirit is completing the work of God in us as He sanctifies us.

And in verse 5 we see that grace and peace is coming also from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When John calls Jesus the Faithful Witness, he is pulling directly from Psalm 89.

“Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” -Psalm 89:35-37

If you were at the Bible study on Wednesday then you remember that the Bible often uses the sun, moon, and stars to represent rulers and authorities. See it here in this verse?

Jesus is the prophesied faithful witness, spoken of by the writer of Psalm 89. He has witnessed the glory and majesty of the Father. He has witnessed the darkness of humanity. He has witnessed suffering and death. He has witnessed resurrection and life abundant. He is the faithful witness to the Father’s unfolding plan.

This is the first of three titles that John gives to Jesus; each one of them a fulfillment of prophecy; each one of them a promise made to Israel. Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy and promise.

Indeed, Jesus is the firstborn Son of God, the fulfillment of Psalm 2:7. The only begotten of God was killed, yet behold, He lives forevermore. He is the first born, meaning there will be others born after Him. Every one of the elect, every faithful follower of Christ, will likewise die and be raised to life forevermore. For Jews and Gentiles, Christ’s life is our life.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

-John 11:25

And not only was Christ raised to life everlasting, He was raised to the highest seat in all Heaven where He reigns as the ruler of the kings of the earth! Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 89:27 – He is the highest of the kings of the earth.

Notice how Revelation 1:5 is in the present tense. We are not waiting for Jesus to become the King. He is – presently – the King of kings! And His kingdom is not for some future millennium. It is now!

And this great King of kings, the firstborn from the dead, the only perfect faithful witness; He loves us.

Read 5b

The Loved

With what great love has Jesus loved us, that He would spill His own precious blood to free us from our sins! When we were dead in our transgressions, Jesus loved us and died for us.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

-John 15:9

If we live in the love of Christ, or abide in His love, He will never let anything separate us from that love – not even death. To abide in Christ’s love is to be free from sin and to live forevermore; just as John writes in Revelation 1:5. And not only are we free from sin, but we are also given a purpose.

Read vs 6a

Can’t you hear the words of 1 Peter in this verse?

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. -1 Peter 2:5,9

We are the kingdom of Christ; a kingdom of royal priests. Unlike all the kingdoms of earth, we are ruled in righteousness, peace, and joy – and the gates of Hell will not prevail against our advances. Who can tell the great King of kings to stop His advance? None! And all are silenced before Him! Christ, and His advancing kingdom of righteousness, will fill the whole earth.

As Paul writes, [The Father] put all things under [Christ’s] feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. -Ephesians 1:22-23

We, the church, are the advancing Kingdom of God. Together, with our Lord, we are the fullness of the God that fills all in all.

It is not wonder that John erupts in worship.

Read vs 6b

John worships Christ according to His glory and His reign – or dominion. Twice, in our study of 1 Peter, we saw Peter worship in this same way (1 Peter 4:11, 5:11). How marvelous that the ruler of the kings on earth, our great liberator from sin, this very one, He loves us! His reign is our salvation!

John finishes verse 6 with an amen. So should our hearts be filled with a resounding amen. Amen means “so be it,” or “let it be forevermore.” Yes, may Christ receive all the glory and all the dominion from now until forever. Amen!

Coming on Clouds

But, behold, though the King loves His chosen people, He is filled with wrath for those who have despised Him.

Read vs 7

These words are a direct parallel to Jesus’ own words.

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” -Matthew 24:30

Here is our first real example of apocalyptic language. Everywhere you look in the Bible, God coming on the clouds means judgment. It has nothing to with God appearing in some visible and physical way. It is wrath being poured out for wickedness. It is judgment.

“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.” -Ezekiel 30:2-3

Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

-Isaiah 19:1

“Now it is I who speak in judgment upon [Judah].” Behold, He comes up like clouds; His chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles – woe to us, for we are ruined!” -Jeremiah 4:12-13

Jesus coming on the clouds is not about His return. It is about Christ the King coming in judgment, which is why people are wailing.

And do you see who Jesus is coming in judgment upon? Look at verse 7 again, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth.

First we need to discuss the Greek word “ge.” “Ge” can be translated three different ways: earth, land, or territory. It is a word that is used 86 times in the book of Revelation; 1/3 of all usages in the New Testament. I agree with a number of highly trained scholars that nearly every modern translation of the Bible translates “ge” incorrectly in Revelation; presumably because these translators are working with a certain premillennial or amillennial bias.

I am convinced that the majority of uses in Revelation, “ge” should be translated as land, and verse 7 should read: all the tribes of the land will wail on account of Him.

Why do I think this? Because of the context. Because John was an apostle to the Jews, and Revelation was written to the Jews, and Revelation is largely about the coming judgements upon the Jews.

In the covenant that God made with Israel, what is the single most obvious sign of God’s blessing or God’s anger? The condition of the land.

Blessing meant abundance: milk and honey, rains and harvest. Anger meant drought and famine and locust and invasion. In Deuteronomy 28 there are 68 verses filled with blessings and curses for covenant faithfulness (or unfaithfulness). These blessings and curses all revolve around the land.

If God’s wrath is coming upon the Jews, then it manifests in the land. And Revelation is proclaiming that God was going to bring the Promised Land to ruin. Therefore, all the tribes of the land will wail on account of the King coming in judgment.

And Israel was historically made up of 12 tribes. Tribes in this verse is shorthand for Israel. Therefore, Jesus coming on the clouds will cause the Jews to wail because their land is being brought to utter destruction.

Again, we know that these judgements are coming upon the Jews because John writes in verse 7, even those who pierced Him. He is, of course, talking about those that had Jesus crucified.

When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”…And having scourged Jesus, [he] delivered Him to be crucified.”

-Matthew 27:24-26

The Jews were claiming responsibility for the death of their Messiah. In other words, they were so convinced that Jesus needed to die that they were ready to be held accountable by God. Of course, if they repented, then Jesus’ blood would come upon them in another way. But for the wickedness of the murder of the Son of God, they would indeed be held accountable. As Jesus had earlier said,

“I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah…truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” -Matthew 23:34-36

Jesus said that the generation of Jews he was speaking to would experience judgment for every drop of righteous blood spilled. And this, especially, meant His own; for when Jesus was put on trial, this happened:

Again the high priest asked Him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” -Mark 14:61-62

With those words Jesus told the religious leaders that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, will reign in Heaven, and He will come in judgment upon them; for He said “you will see” these things. Again, I say, that generation of Jews would experience judgement for every drop of righteous blood spilled – especially for murdering their Messiah.

It was happening. Jesus was coming in judgment upon those who pierced Him. That very generation would have the wrath of God poured out upon them; and as John records in Revelation 1:3, the time is near.

If you still remain unconvinced that all this about Jesus “coming on clouds” applies to a judgment coming upon the Jews and their land, then you need to know that John is telling the Jews that the prophecies of Zechariah are about to be fulfilled.

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him…as one weeps over a firstborn…The land shall mourn, each family by itself.” -Zechariah 12:10-12

Indeed, graces came upon the Jews during Pentecost, when the Spirit of Grace fell upon the disciples and 3000 came to faith. But that Spirit of Grace was not long after followed by pleas for mercy – people begging God for mercy. For the same generation that received the Holy Spirit also received the consuming fires of judgment. In 70 AD, and the years immediately prior, Jesus came on the clouds of judgment when the Roman armies destroyed the land, Jerusalem, and the temple.

Every eye saw it, meaning every single living Jew saw the calamities falling upon their land of promise, and if they knew their Scriptures then they knew God was judging them. They saw, meaning they understood that the Romans were just a tool being wielded by the Almighty. And they wept and wailed. Indeed, one of the last remnants of Jerusalem from this era is today called The Wailing Wall.

Verse 7 is the purpose statement of Revelation. The whole book is about Christ coming in judgment upon that generation of Jews – just as He prophesied He would. Only at the time of Revelation, the time is near.

Purpose of Revelation

Just as God is a trinity, just as Jesus is given a threefold name, Revelation has three purposes.

To urgently warn and call to repentance unfaithful Jews: for the old kingdom and covenant was forever passing away.

To urgently encourage faithful Jews: for the covenant of Christ – and His kingdom – are ever rising.

To confirm that God’s eternal purposes will be accomplished.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is therefore not a confusing compilation of fragmented timelines and impossible to understand symbolism. It is a divinely inspired, genius work, given by Jesus to urgently warn, encourage, and confirm – for the time was very near.

Of course, we gentiles, living two millennia later, can glean many blessings for our time and our calling. But these three purposes are the intention of Revelation; and when we understand a book’s purpose we are able to rightly interpret it.

I said one of the three purposes was to confirm that God’s purposes will be accomplished. That is essentially what verse 8 is saying.

Read vs 7-8

God is the one who is – sovereign over Israel, as He is over all nations. He is the One who was – who made Israel out of a single family, as He made all the families of the earth. He is the One who comes – He will accomplish all His purposes and He will make good on His every word.

He proclaimed curses upon Israel for covenant disobedience, and when they killed His Son and the disciples of His Son, Israel’s disobedience was complete. He would indeed bring upon them every single curse of covenant disobedience.

For to the Jews it was written:

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. -Hebrews 10:29-31

But, for those that trust in the Son of God, to them God graciously gives every single blessing of covenant faithfulness.

For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus Christ].

-2 Corinthians 1:20

God is the Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come. He will do it. He will accomplish all that He has spoken! Bind your life to His eternal promises! He is the Almighty One!

And to His Son be glory and dominion forever. Amen!