Revelation Today
Introduction
I am not a “seeing” prophet in the usual sense of having visions and dreams (Num 12:6; Deut 13:1ff; Jer 23:2), but the Lord at times marvellously enlivens my thinking through events from decades ago. These are so rea that they could have happened yesterday. Very early this morning, prior to 2am (see * below), the Spirit of Jesus brought to mind something a speech therapist said to me in 1984. The stressed woman said, “Why are you looking at me like that?” The truth is, I had little regard for her professional opinion at the time. It was as if I, in God’s eyes, despised her (Num 14:11; 1 Sam 2:30). Today, having grown a lot in Jesus, I now realise that I was cruelly looking down, not only on this poor soul, but ultimately on the original image of God, which is Christ (2 Cor 4:4; Col 1:15). This led to ongoing deep soul searching, confession, sharing and praying with Donna, and the teaching below.
Revelation of the Mystery
In a passage related to his apostolic credentials and stewarding “the mysteries of God” (cf. Rom 11:25; 16:25; Eph 3:3-9; 5:32; 6:14; Col 1:27; 2:2; 4:3; 1 Tim 3:16 ) Paul testifies, “I do not even judge myself” (1 Cor 4:1-5). This profound text is more than a casual throw-away line about apostolic psychology. Acknowledging he has been fully and finally judged in the cross (Rom 3:25), the holy apostle has a pure conscience which disallows all self-condemnation. For Paul, the notion of serious self-criticism, is disallowed for any child of God (Rom 8:14-16; Gal 4:6-7). As he boldy proclaims his (our) new identity, “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:19-20). To think about oneself in a negative way, to look down on someone that God has raised (Eph 2:6) is to nullify the all-sufficient grace of God (2 Cor 3:5-6).
Seeing Jesus
One of the problems with contemporary intellectual Western Christians is that they fail to live true to the measure of faith testified to so boldly in the New Testament, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom 11:36). Our call as a Church is to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18-20), not in a narrow Sunday/religious way, but in a total life way. The fulfillment of this panoramic vision depends upon a revelation of the so-called “cosmic Christ”. The ascended and glorified Jesus is no longer someone limited to the dimensions of first century Palestine, but is presently restoring and filling “all things” (Acts 3:21; Eph 4:10) through the Church as “his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:23). To understate the obvious, the Church is much bigger/wiser more powerful etc. than you could ever “ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). Why? Because her Jesus is the “measure and stature” (Eph 4:13) around which the new creation is currently being built. Going back to my (* note) above, in the very early morning of my praying, I glanced at the clock and saw it was 2:11 a.m. The Spirit of Jesus was pointing to the following text from the wedding at Cana. “This, the first of his signs (turning water into wine), Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11). I believe, that is trust, that the Spirit will soon pour out his power so we see/have a revelation of what has always been true of God in Christ. I believe this is close at hand, because the Lord has been witnessing to me about his unveiling on the road to Emmaus.
Sovereign Power in Jesus
God’s unlimited sovereign power (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 19:16) works through his total control over time. (Like my examples above.) When the Lord wills to reveal himself he will do this in circumstances which manifest his exclusive glory. (I do not enjoy being awake through the morning hours.) There is one particular post-resurrection appearance that testifies to sovereign grace emphatically, the manifestation of the victory of the Lord on the road to Emmaus. “While they (the downcast disciples) were talking and discussing together (about the trial and crucifixion), Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” Then, a little later, after Jesus blessed and broke the bread, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24:15-16, 31). The miracle is not contained in the breaking of the bread as such, but in the universal mystery of the death-and-resurrection of the Son of God for the world (John 1:29). As Jesus went into accursed darkness (Mark 15:34), on the way to taking our fallen humanity into “unapproachable light” (1Tim 6:16) he has supreme authority to conceal and reveal his glory as a reversal of the curse of the Fall; “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” (Gen 3:7). This power belongs to Christ as the secret of God’s kingdom. ““To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”” (Mark 4:11-12; cf. Isa 6:9-10) I believe this pattern is embedded in the testimony of Jesus as the Lamb “standing as slain” (Rev 5:6). The descending to the depths of hell and ascending to the heights of heaven (Mark 15:34; Acts 1:11; Phil 2:5-11), Jesus has appropriated to himself, that is, claimed as his own possession, sovereign rights over both darkness and light. Seen “in the Spirit” (Rev 1:10), this is an image of the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12; Rev 1:1) which is the essence of “revival/awakening”.
Conclusion
The Father, Son and Spirit jealously watch over the manifestation of their own honour, praise and glory as their unchallengeable right; “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use?” (Rom 9:21; Isa 64:8; Jer 18:6). Lacking a revelation of such great things, only a remnant in the Church in Perth join with the holy saints and angels surrounding the throne of the Most High (Rev 4-5) prostrating, praying and worshipping 24-7 for the growth of the kingdom of Christ across the whole world. Access to such a revelation is however open to us in Jesus.
Persecuted for preaching Jesus as Messiah, Peter boldly testifies, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:12). He proclaimed such an extraordinary truth because he had first received the “Holy Spirit sent from heaven” (1 Pet 1:12) and seen him poured out on “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Peter was now a member of the heavenly all-ruling council of God with the rest of the celestial armies (Jer 23:18, 22; James 5:4). There will soon be manifested, led by a cohort of “nameless and faceless” leaders, a witness that will make it clear that the whole Church, NOT celebrity apostles and prophets, are members of this council that will rule over the universe forever and ever (Dan 7:22; Eph 2:6; Rev 3:21; 20:4). The people of Good will soon be mightily emboldened for costly witness to the kingdom of Christ (Acts 1:8). “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Eph 3:20-21).