Grosey's Messages

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet11 saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Perhaps the oldest Christmas hymn still in popular usage is the hauntingly beautiful carol by Aurilius Clemens Prudentius, "Of the Father's Love Begotten." Prudentius was born in northern Spain in A.D. 348, not long after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire. He was a lawyer and provincial governor by profession, but in his mid-fifties he retired from government service and devoted himself to writing sacred poetry. He's been called "The Prince of Early Christian Poets," and his hymn about Jesus, begotten of the Father's love, is among the most beautiful ever written, especially when sung to the probing melody, "Divinum Mysterium," which was composed a thousand years ago. The carol was originally made up of nine verses that told the story of redemption and was translated into English in the 1850s by John M. Neale and Henry Baker.

The message of Jesus is this—"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). Jesus' message was God's love for the people of this world. And there is no better way to reflect the true Light of Christmas than by sharing the love of Christ who came into this world with a message: "God loves you."

Of the Father's love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He
Of the things that are, that have been,

And that future years shall see,

Evermore and evermore.

When Jesus Christ came the first time, His glory was veiled. When He comes again, His glory will be unveiled. And, I look forward to that time. We have a great Saviour, whose glory has been veiled. And, we would not know of this great glory were it not for the Book of the Revelation, where God has pulled back the veil. This is the apokalupsis, or the "unveiling" of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the apocalypse of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, His second coming, as it's shown in the Book of the Revelation, is going to be so far different from His first coming, when His glory was veiled there, in the Gospels. When Jesus came the first time, He came to a crucifixion; when He comes again, He's coming to a coronation. When He came the first time, He came to a tree; when He comes again, He's coming to a throne. When He came the first time, He stood before Pilate to be judged; when He comes again, Pilate's going to stand before Him to be judged. When He came the first time, He came for shame; when He comes again, He's coming in splendor. When He came the first time, He came to redeem. When He comes again, He's coming to reign. When He came the first time, He came as the Suffering Servant; as He comes again He's coming as the mighty Sovereign. And so, the Book of the Revelation, here, is to unveil the Lord Jesus Christ. And, if you don't see both parts of the Lord Jesus Christ, you're not going to know the whole Christ. You need to know Him not only as Savior, but you need to know Him as Sovereign. You need to see Jesus not only as Justifier; you need to see Jesus as Judge. You need to see Jesus not only as Redeemer; you need to see Jesus as Ruler.

And so, one of the purposes of this book is to reveal the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the central character of the book. Now, you know, one of the things that bothers me is people who love prophecy, but they don't love Jesus. And, they love to study prophecy, but they do it more like a hobby. And, they're more occupied with His coming than they are with the One who is coming.

It Will Unlock the Mystery of History

What's it all about? Now, in the eastern religions, history just goes in a cycle, round and round and round. That's why they believe in reincarnation: you just keep coming back, and coming back, and coming back, until you get it right. But, Bible history is not cyclical;; it is linear: we are moving toward a goal. And, "the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ" (Revelation 11:15). "And the seventh angel sounded;; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). That is the mystery of history. As I've told you, there's no devil in the first two chapters or the last two chapters of the Bible. You know why the world is in such a mess today? Things are out of place. Jesus is the King; the King belongs on His throne. The Church, the Bride, belongs with the Groom. And, the criminal, Satan, belongs in prison. One of these days, when the King is on the throne and the Bride is with her Groom and the criminal's in prison, then you'll understand the way things are meant to be. And friend, this book tells us how that's going to come to pass, so it unlocks the mystery of history.

It Will Bring Sense to Our Suffering

I'll tell you what else this book will do—why it's a blessing: it will bring sense to our suffering. You know Revelation 21: 4: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). 

It Will Give You Stability in Chaotic Times

I'll tell you what else it'll do: It'll give you stability in chaotic times. Have you been reading the newspapers lately? Have you been listening to the news? I mean, it is absolutely incredible these days in which we're living. Our Lord Jesus said, 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  (Revelation 1:8).  He is the Almighty.

He Is the Resurrected Christ with Undiminished Humanity

He Is the Reigning Christ with Unrivaled Majesty

He is called the Lord of glory. The Book of the Revelation is written, really, to give Him glory.  Now, I would have loved to have seen the Lord Jesus when He was here in the flesh. I would have loved to have seen the Lord Jesus healing the multitudes. I would love to have heard the Lord Jesus teaching. I would love to have seen the Lord feeding the five thousand. What a thrill it would've been to see the Lord Jesus walking on water! But, that's past. That's history. That is gone. But, I'll tell you something else: I had rather see Him when He comes again—and that, I will.

John the apostle says, " to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds (Shekinah glory cloud) , and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

I am Alpha and Omega—now, the alpha was the first letter in the Greek alphabet. This is written in Greek. The omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet 24 letters in the greek alphabet corresponding to our English alphabet mainly. There is nothing before the alpha; there is nothing after the omega. You see, the Greek alphabet is encased in those two bookends—the alpha and the omega. Now, if Jesus were speaking to a modern congregation of English people, He would say, "I am" what? "I am the A and the Z." Do you know all the books in my library are made up of only 26 letters? All of them between A and Z—everything in there. All of the knowledge, all of the wisdom, all of the history, all of the facts, all of it is comprised with just 26 letters. Now friend, Jesus—Jesus—is all of everything. He's just all of everything. He is the Alpha and the Omega, and He is every letter in between; and that's what He is.

John is on the Island of Patmos. It's a little rocky, craggy island in the Mediterranean. It's about ten-miles-long, and five-miles-wide. And, it was the Pinchgut, Fort Denison of that day. The Apostle John was put there for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation"—now, he's an old man now, about 90-years-of-age. He's been exiled to this terrible isolated island. Just trying to survive with other criminals who are there, working in the quarries, breaking rocks or whatever. And, he says  Revelation 1:9–11  9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet11 saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

. And, that's the Book of the Revelation that we have right today. This is when the Apostle John got his commission to write the book that we hold in our hands today.

Now, John hears this voice like a trumpet, and he turns around to see. Verse 12: 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man (Revelation 1:12–13). And then, John begins to describe the glorified Christ that he sees. There on Patmos, there on that rocky, barren island, Almighty God pulled back the veil and showed Jesus in His glory. Now, when Jesus came to this earth the first time, He came with His glory veiled. As a matter of fact, we sing it in the Christmas carols: "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see" (Charles Wesley). There was a veil over His glory. We could not have seen His glory and stood it, so He came with a veil over His glory—not a veil like a woman wears at a wedding, but His very humanity veiled that glory that was inherently His.

And, the Book of the Revelation is called the Apocalypse. That's the Greek name for it—the Apocalypse. It comes from a Greek word, apokalupsis, which simply means "an unveiling."

And, what the Apostle John is about to see is an unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is about to see what I want you to see today, as we get ready to give Him glory. He is about to see the Lord Jesus Christ—not as He was, walking in sandals by Galilee, but as He is, ruling and reigning. And, there are ten wonderful things about this Christ that I want you to see today— the Jesus that appeared to the aged Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, this Alpha and Omega. "In this world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). And friend, in tribulation, it's always good to get a glimpse of the glory.

I. He Is the Resurrected Christ with Undiminished Humanity

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man (Revelation 1:12–13)—not the Son of God, though He was the Son of God, but "one like unto the Son of man" (Revelation 1:13). Now, the Apostle John had not seen Him for some 60 to 65 years. And, when He appears to the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos after He'd already gone to Heaven and come back to appear to John in all of His glory, how does John see Him? John sees Him still as a man. Now, when Jesus Christ stepped out of Heaven and was born through the portals of a virgin's womb at Bethlehem, He took upon Himself humanity. And friend, He still has that humanity today.

Now, let me tell you something: when we get to Heaven, we're going to see in Heaven the man Christ Jesus. He is still a man. He did not take human form only to be here on earth and then lay it aside. There is a man in the Glory. And, when I get to Heaven, I will see the nail prints in His hand, and so will you. You think about that.

When the Lord Jesus Christ took our humanity, He took our humanity and He will forever be like us. And, when we see Him, we will forever be like Him. Now, that right there is a praise point. So, the very first thing he sees is the resurrected Christ with undiminished humanity.

II. He Is the Reigning Christ with Unrivaled Majesty

Notice Revelation 1:13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

What is this? What is this sash that He wears around His chest? What is this robe that He wears? These are the robes of a king and a priest. And, that's what our Lord is. He is still the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He has this unrivaled majesty. You see, He is not now pictured as the Savior. He is now pictured as the Sovereign. He is now the reigning, ruling, regal Lord with the robes of regality round about Him. He is now our King-priest. It's very important that you understand this, because when He came to the earth the first time, He came to a tree. And, when He comes again, He's coming to a throne. When He came the first time, He came to redeem; but when He comes again, He will come to reign. When He came the first time, He came as a Savior; but when He comes again, He is coming as the Sovereign.

Occasionally I hear about people being treated unjustly, put out of their homes by wealthier people, or corrupt people. When will it ever end?

III. He Is the Righteous Christ with Undiminished Purity

Here's the third thing I want you to see about Him. Number one: He's the resurrected Christ with undiminished humanity. Number two: He is the reigning Christ with unrivaled majesty. He's wearing the robes of regality. And then, I want you to notice in verse 14 He is also the righteous Christ with undiminished purity: 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. Revelation 1:14. What does that talk about? It talks about exactly what we've been singing about: His holiness, His purity. He has this unblemished purity. The whiteness of the snow represents purity. Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." And, the purity of the Lord Jesus Christ is purer than the virgin snow that fell here on this city this week. And, if you think that He can accept you as you are without being born again, you're grossly ignorant of two things: you don't know how holy He is, and you don't know how sinful you are.

IV. He Is the Revealing Christ with Unhindered Scrutiny

Now, here's the fourth thing he saw about this Christ: He is the revealing Christ with unhindered scrutiny. Revelation 1:14 His eyes were like a flame of fire,    What does this mean? It means that His vision not only sees you—it sees through you. He has X-ray vision. The Bible tells us "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13). Did you know the Lord Jesus Christ right now sees your heart this moment? Did you know He knows what you're thinking this very second? His eyes—like a flame of fire. He cannot be deceived. He cannot be disputed. He cannot be discredited.

V. He Is the Relentless Christ with Untarnished Integrity

15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, (Revelation 1:15). Now, in the Bible, brass is an emblem of judgment. In the outer court, where the sacrifices were made in the tabernacle, those implements were made of brass. That brazen altar where the sacrifice was consumed was, indeed, brass. And, the fires of God's judgment burned themselves out upon that sacrifice. Now, what is this talking about—when the Bible says that His feet are like molten brass. Well, the feet speak of His progress—His going forth. And, He's going forth to judge. He is the relentless Christ—the relentless Christ—with untarnished integrity. Now, He came the first time to save; but when He comes again, He's coming with those feet of glowing bronze to trample out His enemies and to trample His foes. He is unstoppable. Symbolically, this speaks of judgment. When our Lord Jesus comes the second time, He's coming not to redeem; He's coming to judge. You might put Acts chapter 17, verses 30 and 31 down: the Bible says, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he"—that is, "God"—"hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:30–31). The Lord Jesus Christ is the judge as well as the Savior. He Himself said, "The Father judgeth no man…[He] hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22). So, He is the relentless Christ coming in judgment with untarnished integrity.

VI. He Is the Regal Christ with Unchallenged Authority

" and his voice was like the roar of many waters." (Revelation 1:15). Now, this speaks of the majesty and the power of our Lord:" Psalm 29: 3, 4 says, "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty" (Psalm 29:3–4). It's like one hundred times the noise and power of the biggest waterfall you can imagine. We came down the road from Armidale past Ebor falls when it was in full flood. It was amazing! Can you imagine standing at the foot of those falls and arguing with the water? This is what he's saying here: that His voice is like one hundred cascading waterfalls—the power of His voice, the unchallenged authority of this. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice" (John 5:28). There'll be no talking back. We'll stand before Him in silence.

VII. He Is the Regulating Christ with Unequaled Mastery

And he had in his right hand seven stars" (Revelation 1:16). He's holding seven stars in His right hand. What does that speak of? Well, seven is the number of perfection. And, the stars speak of several things. They speak of all creation that He has in His right hand, as He is the One who regulates and rules the universe.

Well, these stars have a deeper symbolic meaning.  "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches" (Revelation 1:20).

Every one of the seven churches in the Book of the Revelation had an angel, and the word angel is the word angelos, which means "messenger." And, the Bible teaches, I believe, this refers to the pastor. Did you know that your pastor is an angel? You didn't know that, did you? He's also a star. You didn't know that, did you? And, I'll tell you one thing you can rejoice in: he's in Jesus' hands. God keeps His men. He keeps His messengers—those who are God-called. And, it's just His way of saying, "Look, I've got this thing in My hand. Adrian, it's not your ministry. It's not your church. It's Mine. I hold you in My hand."  He's the One who holds everything in His right hand. He is the regulating Christ with unequaled mastery.

VIII. He Is the Revenging Christ with Unspoiled Victory

from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword,  (Revelation 1:16).

What is this sword? This sword speaks of His Word. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). And, when He comes again—the Lord Jesus that we read about there in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 3 (Revelation 1:3)—when He comes—and again in verse 7, "Behold, he comes with clouds" (Revelation 1:7)—He is coming to take vengeance.

2 Thessalonians1:7,8: and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed

He's coming again in vengeance. And, He has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).

Revelation 19:11-16. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

This speaks of the Lord Jesus, when He comes back to this earth to rule and reign with Heaven's armies, as He comes upon a white charger, the symbol of victory, and as He comes with the crowns upon His head, His eyes like a flame of fire. Out of His mouth is this sword that comes.

Remember, this sword is His Word, and this blessed blade cuts both ways. It is a saver of life unto life or death unto death. If it does not bless you and save you, it will cut you and judge you. Be careful how you handle that blade—that Word that goes out of His mouth. You see, He created everything with His words. In the Book of Genesis, He spoke, and worlds sprang into space; and darkness fled, and life appeared. Oh, the mighty power of that two-edged sword! In the Book of the Revelation, He will speak again. And, what this is talking about in Revelation chapter 19 (Revelation 19) is the Battle of Armageddon, when the beast, and the antichrist, and all the malevolent armies of Heaven are gathered around Jerusalem to make war against God's ancient people. When it looks like the end of things has come to a drastic end and it looks like there is no hope, then the heavens are opened and the Lord Jesus comes—this time not for His saints, but with His saints. And, the Bible says, "He will destroy them with the sword that goes out of His mouth" (Revelation 19:21).

Many people have wondered what the Battle of Armageddon is going to be like.

Here is the antichrist, and he's gathered against Jerusalem. They're bivouacked there in the valley, in the ghetto. I have been there, and watched, and seen that plane which Napoleon said was the world's greatest natural battlefield. And, all of the contingency of the UN is out there one more time to make war upon God's ancient people that Satan has hated so much. And, it looks like there is no hope whatsoever. And, I can imagine in my mind—I see the fighter planes, and the drones, and the laser weapons, and the bombs, and all the artillery that antichrist will have. But, our battle's going to be won with one weapon: a sword. Don't get the idea that all of us are going to come and do handto-hand combat. We will not, folks. We'll be with Him. We'll be behind Him. But, the battle will be won with the sword that's in His mouth. And, you know how the battle's going to be won? What's the Lord going to say? I mean, here's the battle raging. I think it'll be over in two words. He'll say, "Drop dead." That's it. I mean, the Lord Jesus, who spoke them into existence, will speak them into oblivion. He is the Christ that has this revenging Christ, who is coming in unspoiled victory.

IX. He Is the Resplendent Christ with Undimmed Glory

In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength" (Revelation 1:16). You know, the Apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus. He saw light above the noonday sun. It blinded him, until God miraculously healed him. This speaks of the glory—the radiance—of our Lord that will light all of Heaven for all eternity. It will be the light of the universes. Who can describe this glory? We who are saved—we have learned of this glory. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6). We have the light of the knowledge of God, but we have never yet seen that glory. The light of Heaven is the face of Jesus Christ, brighter than the noonday sun. He is the resplendent Christ with undimmed glory.

X. He Is the Reassuring Christ with Undeniable Deity

And then, tenthly, He is the reassuring Christ with undeniable deity. This is the One that we worship..

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades

Anybody who comes before God irreverently has never seen this Christ. You can be sure of this: when the Apostle John, who laid his head upon Jesus' bosom when He was here as the Redeemer, when the Apostle John saw this Christ in glory, he did not lay his head upon His chest; he fell at

His feet like a dead man. Now, what has happened is this: this is the One who has the keys of Death and Hell. Death, that monarch of terror, laid his bony hands on the Lord Jesus Christ and laughed with a hoarse laugh. Death, when Jesus was nailed up on that cross, thought he had conquered. Jesus was taken down from that cross a bloody corpse, and Death waved his black banner of triumph. And, when Jesus died and was nailed to that cross, sighs, and moans, and woans, and groans went through the sepulchers of the righteous dead.  And, Death lifted up his scepter like a king, but Death did not understand what was happening. Jesus Christ met Death in Death's own territory and permitted Himself to be taken captive by Death that He, Jesus, might lead Death captive. And, the pale monarch, Death, took Jesus into the silence of that tomb. But, there inside that tomb, the Lord Jesus undermined Death's strongholds, and the Lord Jesus kindled the star of resurrection in the murky vault of that tomb. And, there the Lord Jesus Christ became the death of Death, and put Death to death, and pulled the sting from Death, took the crown from Death, and broke that crown, and Jesus became the death of Death. And, when He comes again, the same Jesus that walked out of that grave is going to give a shout, and it will be, "Come forth"—the same words that He gave when He stood before the tomb of Lazarus. And, the voice of the Lord Jesus will roll through the length and breadth of Death's empire and bring it crashing down. And, at the command of the Lord Jesus, from the sea and from the land, the bodies of the saints will be raised. That's what He's saying here—listen to it:  (Revelation 1:17–18) 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

You're really not supposed to understand it all. It's symbolic. It's imagery. But, it is fact put in terms so as to impress our heart. John said, "When I saw him, I fell on my face like a dead man" (Revelation 1:17).  When you catch a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, when you truly see the Lord Jesus, when you truly worship Him as He is described here in the Book of the Revelation, I'll tell you several things it will do for you, my precious friend.

A. Seeing the Lord Will Bring Your Full Submission

Number one: it will bring your full submission. When the Apostle John fell before Him prostrate, it meant, indeed, that He is Lord, not man. Have you surrendered everything—all that you have?

B. Seeing the Lord Will Give You Incredible Reverence for Him

I'll tell you something else it will do for you, when you see the Lord Jesus: it will give you incredible reverence for Him.

C. Seeing the Lord Will Give You Great Assurance

I'll tell you something else it will do for you, when you learn how to worship the Lord Jesus Christ: not will it only bring your submission, not only will it cause your reverence, but friend, it will give to you a great, great assurance. Do you know what the Lord Jesus said to the Apostle John, when he was there on his face before Him? He said, "John, don't be afraid. Fear not."

The person who truly worships the Lord can't be afraid, really, of much else, because when you put your eyes on Him, when you see those feet, when you see those eyes of His, when you see that hair white like wool, when you see the regal robes that He wears, when you see His feet going forth to judge, you say, "Who can stand before Him? I'll stand with Him." And, it takes away that fear.

And then, the Lord Jesus gave the Apostle John a commission, told him what to do and how to write the Book of the Revelation and all the rest of it. It came after that time of worship. You know, we can do more than worship after we've worshiped, but we can really do no more than worship until we've worshipped. But, when we worship—when we worship—there comes that submission; there comes that reverence; there comes that assurance; there comes that commission from our Lord to serve Him.

Do you have that absolute assurance if you died right now you'd go to Heaven, or if Jesus were to come right now you'd be ready to meet Him, would you give me a testimony by just lifting your hand up? That's wonderful. Take it down. Now, if you could not lift your hand, I'm here to tell you that if you will receive Him by faith and trust Him as your Lord and Savior, He will save you today—I promise you on the authority of the Word of God. The Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). To be saved means that every sin now is forgiven, never to be held against you again. It means that Jesus Christ lives in you to give you peace, and power, and purpose—to help you day by day. And, it means that one day He'll take you home to Heaven to be with Him, and you can do that by trusting Him.