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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Jesus Christ, the Darling of Heaven

Revelation 1:2 "who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw."

Who is Jesus Christ in Revelation?
We began yesterday with an overview of the five major chapters in Revelation that describe Heaven. Today we begin by noting the Darling of Heaven, Jesus Christ.  In the Bible some 200 names are used to describe Jesus Christ.  Amazingly, 40 such names are found here in one chapter, Revelation 1!  As we consider the 40 titles used by John in Revelation 1, five major themes emerge to describe the Darling of Heaven.  The first two themes speak to the dual nature of Jesus Christ as God and man, and the final three themes speak to the main offices  He occupies as he reigns at the Right Hand of God the Father.  Today we will note the themes of Christ's humanity and Deity in Revelation 1, with a focus on His three main offices tomorrow.

1. Jesus Christ's humanity in Revelation 1
When we begin at verse one, we discover that first name, "Jesus".  Clearly we are dealing with a revelation of a man, for in Matthew 1:21 that was to be his name given at His birth.  As you go down the chapter, we discover in verse 5 that for all true believers, their sins are washed in His blood.  When Jesus returns in Revelation 1:7, those who look upon Him will notice His nail pierced hands and feet. 

Clearly through the rest of the chapter, Jesus is someone you can see (Revelation 1:11), He has a hand (1:16), He was once dead, but now is alive (1:18).  Undeniably this Jesus is fully man, occupying and residing in Heaven.  However.....

2. Jesus Christ's Undiminished Deity in Revelation 1
This same Jesus, who is so much man, is unquestionably fully and completely God.  He states for instance in Revelation 1:8 that He is "Alpha and Omega". He is the origin of all things (Alpha) and He is the end of all things (Omega).  He is the Creator and Completor.  In that same verse He is called "The Almighty", a title given exclusively to the Lord in the Old Testament. 

In the remainder of the chapter, Christ is described as the "Son of Man", a title of Deity that is connected to Daniel 7.  There we see "The Son of Man" equated with the "Ancient of Days", clearly a reference to the Deity and power of God. 

No doubt about it, this Jesus Christ is so much man as if he were not God, and yet He is so much God as if he were not man.  When I behold his nail prints and wounded side, I see a man, a perfect man, my repesentative, in a glorified, resurrected body.  When I look into His eyes, I see uncreated flame, unending depths.  I see His glory, the glory of which He has shared with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit from Eternity.  Indeed, He is the Darling of Heaven, Jesus Christ - God and man!

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