Eight things are revealed about the Person of the Son as He is in glory. The sounds and appearances reveal Him as alive forevermore. He possesses the keys of authority and government over death and Hell. Revelation 1.

Speaker(s): Thomas Schaller
Sermon 13096
Date: 2026-3-22

Time: Sun. 11:00 am

P. Schaller –

Okay. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! You may be seated. God bless you. Praise the Lord. Wow. Great. We’re looking at the book of Revelation these weeks, so I was calculating that maybe it brings us through the summer. The book of Revelation. And today we are in chapter 1. So, I appreciate your own study on the book and digesting it and thinking about this very profound and very important book in our Bible. 

 

So, let’s start from verse 1. We will break it into pieces and probably finish chapter 1 today. The challenge for me is the pacing of the material. So, there are themes that run through the book of Revelation, and we want to find the deep and very fundamental theme in every part of the book. And in the beginning, we have Christ glorified in this chapter. 

 

Also, Christ is speaking to John, the Apostle whom he knew very well when he was on the earth. John knew Jesus was with him as a disciple at the Last Supper, leaning his head on his breast. John saw him resurrected. He saw him on the cross. He also saw him when he was transfigured on the mountain. So, John had seen different sides to Christ when he was here. 

 

Now in Chapter 1, he sees him glorified. We also see in the first chapter who it’s written to. It’s written to the seven churches and to us. We will talk about that later. The seven churches represent the seven different kinds of assemblies in history, and at the present time when this was written around 96 A.D. most people say. We have the principle is that the book is written for us so we are blessed when we read it in vs. 3. 

 

Vs. 3. Public reading. We have three parts. We have chapter 1 how Jesus appears to John. That’s to be written down. Then how he speaks to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. And then the things to come from chapter 4 to chapter 22. 

 

We are very blessed because in our faith we have answers to the fundamental questions in life, like where did we come from? We were created. Where are we going? We are going to go to heaven. We learn about them. Yes. Genesis 1,2, 3, Revelation 21, 22, 23. We are blessed because we know also in between the creation and the eternal age we have Christ as a compassionate God, a caring and tender God. Also, very truthful God. Faithful witness. 

 

If you look at verse 5 and from – let’s go to verses 4 and 5. Asia is not the Asia of today. It’s the ancient word for part of Turkey, a district in the Roman Empire called Asia which is in Turkey. 

 

Vs. 4. The note on that is – let’s write that down. Is, was, is to come. This is how he describes himself. The God that is, that was, and is to come. This is actually deep because he identifies himself as when he said, when Moses said, What is your name? He said, “I AM” in Exodus 3:14. I AM. That’s a great way to identify yourself. 

 

Usually in life, we talk about what we do, what we have or do not have, where we are going. These are the common verbs we use every day. Where are you going? What do you have? What are you trying to get? What are you doing? But the deeper word is, Who are you? Who are you? I am. Like, What have I done? No. What am I going to do? No. What do I have? No. What am I going to have? No. 

 

Those are verbs of function in time. But when you say who you are, it is the present. I am. Well, who are you? I am a child of God. Not what I have or do not have or what I am doing or will not do or where I’m going or not going but it is, Who are you? 

 

Listen to these verses: Galatians 2:20-21, I am a child of God. That’s how we should talk when we are in fellowship. 2 Corinthians 5:17, who are you? I’m a new creation. And as you say it, you start to believe it, for the Holy Spirit bears witness to you as to who you are. Who are you? You are a child of God. I am a forgiven person. I have my name. God knows my name. Who are you? In a way, I don’t even know who I am. In one way. God knows who you are.

 

It’s hard for us to define ourselves, because we define ourselves often by what we have or do not have. Did you graduate or not? Are you successful in your career or not? Do you have money or not? Do you have a family or not? Are you married or not? Those kind of things are defining life, but there’s something else and it’s how God talks about himself. I am he that is and I was and I will be. I am forever. I am the one that is alive and was dead but I’m alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hell. He says that later in the chapter. 

 

So, go back to chapter 1:5. We have in a way, you can count it this way. In verse 5, you see who Jesus is and then he goes to who we are. Who is he? Who is he? And he says, he describes it this way. Faithful witness. In other words, you see me. I will tell you the truth. If you see me, you will see the Father. I’ll bear witness to heaven. If you hear me, then I will be bearing witness to a reality that you do not know much about. 

 

I came into the world so that you would know that man is not an accident. I made you on purpose in the image of God. And you shall have, you have eternal life because of me. I am a faithful witness. And if it was not so, I would tell you. I’m not going to mislead you. I’m not going to mislead you. If you believe in me, you will not be ashamed. You know me. You will know that what I am saying is true. He said that in John 7. He that does my will, he will know that I bear witness not of myself, but my Father, and you will know the doctrine that it is true, vs. 17. Beautiful. 

 

Vs. 5. Other people have been raised from the dead but not like him. Like those people like Lazarus who was raised from the dead, he died later. But when Christ was raised from the dead, it’s over. There is no more death with him. He overcame death and never to die again. He did it. 

 

So, this person is describing himself and look up on our screen. Because of him, he now says things about us that we should take note of. Let’s read them, vs. 5b-6. That’s us. Kings and priests. We said earlier it’s kind of like the cross. The king is horizontal. The king is horizontal. Like my arms as a king are stretched out to include everyone, to care about everything. He’s the ultimate King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

 

And he’s the High Priest, too. This is the vertical line. He is a priest. That means he is connected with God as a priest. He is before God accepted as a priest. So, he has power with God. God, I am accepted by you, and now I am extending this ministry of priesthood to these people. To love them. To wash them with my blood. To take their sin away. To give them a ministry. 

 

Now, we in another way – it’s not the same – but we also have a ministry as kings and priests. A priest is more sympathetic, tender, kind, loving, reconciling function. The king is more severe and true. And when Christ returns as the King, he comes with a rod of iron, and he doesn’t compromise. 

 

Now, look at vs. 7. That’s coming from a verse in Zechariah 12:10, when the Jewish people realize that he is the Messiah. All right. So, the sketch is this one. Here’s a person coming to make a decision. A fork in the road. Who is Christ? They don’t believe in him. I don’t need him or I don’t believe in him or I don’t understand him. I don’t care about him, and I make that decision. It might be made over many years’ time, but eventually I’m not believing. So, it brings me to a lifestyle where I am here at this place. 

 

Another possibility is that I believe in him and it leads me to this place in my life. When he returns, if I am an unbelieving person like in that category, I realize how wrong I am. I realize I’m on the wrong side of things. He comes back, and those people that are alive on the earth realize that they’ve been wrong. That he really is the Messiah. He is the Savior of the world and that’s profoundly real and that hurts a lot. And there’s what’s the recourse. 

 

It looks like if I die and I’m in that state, when I die, I can’t change. It says that in Revelation 22. Let me read that for you. Revelation 22:11. Listen to this verse. It’s incredible. Vs. 11. What’s the meaning? Nothing changes. I cannot go from here to there. And I can’t go from there to here. I am righteous and it’s frozen there. I am righteous and then I am filthy, and I’m frozen there. 

 

When I realize he is the Christ, he is the truth, I’m in shock. I’m wailing. I’m tormented by it. I regret. I have the shame. I have the huge reality of my error. I have sinned. How can I get rid of my sin? How could I get rid of it? It’s like over. It’s over. It’s at the end of Revelation 6:15. Who are these people? They are the rich people. Powerful people. Successful people. What are they saying? Vs. 15-16. 

 

You know, it’s a bit of a paradox, “the wrath of the Lamb.” I mean, you could say wrath of the angry man or the wrath of a lion or a powerful, but this is the lamb. Like Jesus is meek and gentle in his nature, but the reality of my error is so great shaking me, that I am so afraid of the Lamb. I am afraid of reality. It’s kind of a like a banker with the numbers and he’s very meek and gentle but the numbers don’t lie. And it’s bad news for you. You’ve lost everything. I’m like horrified by my loss. 

 

And that is why we as believers on the earth should be very thankful of the fact that we are on the right side of things. And yet realizing I can be wrong. I am wrong in many ways. I am blinded. I have blind spots in many ways. But when it comes to Christ, we got it right. When we are believing in him, we have him. And he is the way, the truth, and the life. 

 

And the more I can align myself with his heart and his mind and be filled with his spirit and understand what he is saying and embrace it, even though it might hurt me, I’d rather be corrected now in this lifetime than have to face it later in the next. Yeah. 

 

Okay. Go back to Revelation 1:8. So, Christ is talking to John and John turns to see the voice. He hears the voice behind him and he is in heaven. He is having this vision, and God is telling him to write it down so that we could read it. It takes some imagination, but enjoy it with your imagination, because it’s going to be real for us one day. Cuz we will be going there, and we will be seeing Jesus. It will be very good words. Maybe similar to these words. 

 

One of the things as simple as Alpha, the beginning of the Hebrew alphabet; and then we can do a circle like this. He is the Omega. And everything about him is embracing the reality of Creation, history, the good, the bad, the ugly. Everything that has happened. The work of Satan. Death itself. Sin. Alienation. 

 

Everything and every world war, every local war, every civil war. Everything that we call accidents or chance. This is not in the mind of God. There aren’t any accidents with God. He is in every nano-second. He’s in every millimeter. Every little bit of space. He’s everywhere present, and it’s all operated by his throne and his throne is a real throne of sovereign authority. He’s given all authority to his Son. 

 

So, there’s actually a governmental structure in the universe that we are a part of and we want to know about it cuz authority is a big part of the kingdom of God, and actually a big part of our everyday life. It’s the throne of God and Hebrews 1:2, Christ is the heir of all things. In John 5:20, let’s put that up. John 5:20, the first part of that is government. The Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself does. 

 

It’s simple. I’m the grand Puba in my house. I’m sitting in a big chair like on a throne. And I say to my wife, Transfer this money to this bank account. So, my wife does that. That’s like authority that passes to her and she obeys and it’s done. God likes this. 

 

Why does he like it? Cuz he likes to use agents. He uses angels. He uses people. His Son, the Son of God, who is God, has always been this way. The Father and the Son eternally interacting with each other, Proverbs 8:32-36, John 1:1-2. This is the nature of reality. It’s heaven. Father, Son, Holy Spirit in relationship, and in a little word picture that you and I can understand, I’m asking my wife to do something or my son or family member or a friend. Could you take the car from Pittsburgh and drive it to Baltimore, for example. 

 

When it’s not done, that’s disobedience. When there’s disobedience, the authority of the Puba here, my authority is limited, because the agent doesn’t do my will. So, the car never leaves Pittsburgh. The money is never transferred, so my authority on the throne is limited. But the Father said and the Son said, the Father said, I will tell him all things. And the Son said, I delight to do my Father’s will. I like it. 

 

First Adam, don’t eat of the tree. We know what happened. So, we came under death. Death became our enemy. Our sin produced death and we die. I don’t care who you are, you never get used to death. Death should not be happening. We should not be dying. We should not have a cemetery. We should not be burying our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts and friends. It should not be happening. It’s happening because this is the mind of God that if you sin, you die. 

 

So, Jesus came as the last Adam and he always did the Father’s will. Always. So, now he has inherited all things, and now you have the throne of the Father and at his right hand is the throne of the Son. In the Son’s right hand are seven messengers. And the Son is in the midst of the candlesticks, and the candlesticks are churches. Seven churches. So, you have the Father. You have the obedient Son. You have us who are born of God, and he’s in our midst. 

 

I actually believe that after the service today. What are we going to be doing in this room. The service is over. What are we going to be doing? Fellowshipping. Talking. Listening. Some caring. Merciful. Some energized. Some excited. Some loving, wanting to be around longer. Hanging out. 

 

I believe that Christ and the Holy Spirit in us fellowshipping in the church, and Jesus is walking in the midst of the church, that he’s actually moving in the church. He’s actually here in the church. Comes from the throne. The Son has inherited this authority. He put the Holy Spirit in us, and he is in our presence and giving us messages. The messages resonate in us. They are from the Word of God. The messages help us. They build us up. They tell us who we are. They identify us. And then we have this love amongst us. 

 

A good church that is a loving church, tender, kind, listening, caring, counseling, teaching is a great blessing for us. When we have it, it’s awesome. I always say it’s like a good marriage. When you have a good marriage, it’s awesome. When you have a bad one, it is terrible. Have you ever had a bad marriage? I haven’t but I know enough a about it. It’s not good. It’s painful. It’s hard. 

 

And church life is like that. If a church life is good, it’s awesome. If it’s not good, I don’t think I’ll go to it. I don’t want to go where people are fighting and hating each other, gossiping, attacking, accusing. But when Jesus is and we’ll read that in chapters 2 and 3 about the seven churches, and he doesn’t give up on any of them. They are in his right hand. I’m sorry. The messengers are in his right hand. It’s great. 

 

Okay. Let’s go to the text here. Vs. 9. That’s an island off the coast of Turkey. It was a penal colony by the Roman government, and they put there criminals and also mentally insane people. John was the pastor in Ephesus. He was very effective. He lived a long time. He was put there, and it was there where God gave him this revelation. 

 

Vs. 10-11. These are the cities. Vs. 12-15. Now, in the description here, and there are eight points about his body. There are eight things they are saying about but everyone of them is like shockingly shiny, luminated, powerful. The voice is like the voice of many waters. You think of Niagara Falls just pouring down. Like a voice like a trumpet. And I love trumpets. I think you do, too. Huge. 

 

I love the whole idea in heaven of sound and appearance and the brightness of it is shocking to John, cuz he’s seeing Christ in a glorified form. He sees his hair white like wool. Then we see his eyes are like burning fire. His feet are shiny brass. His chest is gold. His face is like the sun shining. Like woe! So, he fell down as a dead man. 

 

He is the one that knew Christ in so many different ways before this, but now he sees him in this glorified form. And I do think it’s more than we could handle. We could fall down like a dead man even though we could know him very well. But this is overwhelming to John. 

 

So, this is a couple things here. Out of his mouth is a sharp two-edged sword. And of course, if you think of it metaphorically that this Word that he has, has a cutting edge and it does today. That’s why we come to church to hear not what I want to hear, but I want to hear what God has to say to me. Amen. From the Bible. I like to go to church and have it cut me and affect me and put a conviction in me and persuade me. That’s how my life changes. 

 

You might say, I don’t want my life to change. Well, like if you want to walk with God, you actually want your life to – you don’t have to say the word “change.” I always had a little problem with that. It’s that God affects you. That he gathers you up in his arms. He has an influence on you. That’s the kind of change. The way your mother may have loved you and cared for you. Or our father instructed us or cared for us. Or a teacher at school had an influence on you. 

 

I want God Almighty to have an influence on me, on us, because this is his reality that he’s guiding us in, that we will see it more profoundly some day in the future. So, why not line up with him as the God of all grace and walk with him in faith? 

 

Go now to vs. 15-17. Fear not. Well, I am afraid, but he said fear not. So, he put his hand on John and this is what he said to him. Vs. 18. Was dead. I am he that lives and was dead but I’m not dead anymore. I was dead. I overcame death, and in my world, there is no more death. I overcame death. I mean in this life, there is. 

 

And you think of all the millions of bodies buried in the earth and have gone back into the biosphere by the deterioration of our flesh and bones. And it’s all gone. All the millions and billions of people who have died and there’s been no change. No resurrection. No pulling out of the ground the bodies that are gone. 

 

Are the bodies of any value? Many religions say the bodies are over and gone and they have no value. But we are Christians. We say the body has value. God made the body. Our body will be glorified. Our body will be resurrected. He has the keys to make it happen. Let’s read it. 

 

Vs. 18. The word “hell” is hades and it really means the unseen world. I like those verses in the book of Job. “Have you been to the place where death is?” I think it’s Job 38:17. Let’s put that up. Have you been to the place where there is death? Have you been there. Have the gates of death been revealed to you or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death he said to Job. No, I haven’t been to the door. I haven’t been, I haven’t seen what it is. I haven’t been there. And Jesus is saying I have the keys and another word for keys is government. 

 

Let’s write it. Let’s draw a key. I wonder if I can do that. This. This one. This one. I’m making it up here. What do you think? Not good. Not bad. You know what it means? Government. Because whoever has the key, has the power. 

 

Whoever has the key, they have the password to the computer. They can get into it. If you have the key to your car, you can start it up. If you have the key to death, you have authority over the death. I have been there. Christ could say, I have been. I was dead, but now I am alive, because when I overcame, I came alive never to die again. I overcame your enemy. And Satan had authority by the fact of death. 

 

It’s Hebrews 2:14 I believe. Put that up for me, please. Vs. 14. I didn’t know he had the power of death. In the government of God – I’m doing this as God is on the throne. He said the day you eat of that tree, you will die. And actually, you will come under a curse and Satan will have authority over you. I sent my Son to do war with this whole thing called death. And as a perfect man, obedient to me, entered into death. Overcame death. 

 

And now has authority over the devil. He has the keys of hell and he has the keys of death. He has overcome it. Halleluiah! Wow! Is that true or not? Did he overcome it? Then why are there millions of billions of bodies buried in the ground? Cuz it does not yet appear what we will be. 

 

Actually, I said that in the locker room at the Brick Bodies. I was getting dressed next to a guy and I said to him, I wonder what our bodies will look like in heaven. He looked at me a couple times! I wonder like these bodies aren’t looking so good right now. I wonder what they’ll look – and he gave me some comment. God bless him. It was precious. He was a sweet guy. We had a little talk. 

 

But you know what? It does not yet appear what we will be. It doesn’t yet see. But it will happen. Philippians 3:21, put that up on the screen for me. Philippians 3:21, you mean we may shine like the sun or out of our mouth is a two-edged sword? Or our eyes are shining? Our eyes are penetrating like fire? You mean our hair will be like white as wool? I’m not saying that. I don’t know but we will be like him it says, 1 John 3:1-2. 

 

He will change our vile body. The devil is saying, No, he won’t. He won’t change it. Those bodies are in the ground. You will never see them again. And Jesus is saying, No. They are disembodied spirits and soul in heaven waiting for the resurrection of their body from the grave. Vs. 21. This is good stuff. It is. It’s great. 

 

Let’s go back and finish up here. Revelation 1:19, that’s a brief outline of the whole book. What you have seen is chapter 1. Which are is Revelation 2 and 3, the churches. And what shall be after is chapter 4 – 22. Vs. 20. Here’s a very important key. Another word for angels is messengers. I prefer that word because the church has a messenger, the pastor. And these seven stars of these seven churches are in his right hand. Well, of course. There could be millions of stars in his right hand, because he has millions of pastors. And he’s with them to bring the Word of God to the congregation. And then he walks in the midst of the congregation in the candlesticks. Vs. 20b. 

 

Let me finish up. The Father on the throne. The Son interacting perfectly and this authority. John is included. The revelation goes to John. John is told that Jesus has in his hand, he has the messengers of the churches and he’s walking in the midst of the church. 

 

And as we dismiss today and carry on through the week, you can think about how we are interacting with each other and the question is: Is that Jesus interacting walking amongst us as we are talking to each other? Is that Jesus being compassionate and kind when we are kind and compassionate to each other? Is that Jesus when we are energized to love and to forgive and have joy and peace? Is that Jesus walking in the midst of the congregation?

 

My answer is, yeah. I tend to think like that. That I really believe he is in our midst and doing his work and preparing us for meeting him one day in the air. We are being comforted by the fact that these things are true. We did not write this. God wrote it. It’s the Word of God forever settled in heaven. Amen. Would you pray with me?

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