[0:00] To the book of Revelation, the first chapter, verses 17 and 18. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.
[0:13] And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead.
[0:26] And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And of the keys of hell and of death. Now I take leave to reword this passage for you.
[0:41] But I think it is not perfectly true to what John originally wrote. May I read it like this with you.
[0:53] And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not. I am the first and the last and he that liveth.
[1:05] And I became dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And of the keys of death and of the world beyond.
[1:16] Hell and Hades. Hades. Hades. Is a world that is beyond death.
[1:26] And death takes the first place in the verse. I have the keys of death and of the world beyond. Now of all the solemn experiences that John had in Patmos, this must have left the deepest mark upon him.
[1:50] The Lord from the eternal throne laid his right hand upon him. That surely was a non-forgettable experience.
[2:04] A touch from the throne. But especially unforgettable was the fact that it was accompanied by a revelation of his master.
[2:19] A revelation that exceeded anything he had ever had before. It is still true that when our living Lord touches us, it is accompanied by a self-disclosure that abides with us all the days.
[2:47] He quickens us to see him as we never saw him before. A fresh disclosure. A clear vision.
[3:04] A new revelation of him. And that by the grace of God, we hope to receive from him tonight.
[3:16] John was in the state of one as if dead. When the right hand of his Lord was laid upon him.
[3:28] He laid prostrate in the dust as one dead. His life as it were in suspended animation. Physical functions for the moment laid aside.
[3:44] And in this condition, He felt the pressure of this unseen hand laid upon his inner being.
[3:56] Dear friends, It may be so still often in life. And still more often in death. The physical superseded by the spiritual.
[4:12] And the spiritual released. So that even though it will be for a short moment. Released from the cramping.
[4:24] And be in numbing fetters. Of the body. Of the temporal. And the physical. In that condition. The spiritual life.
[4:36] And the spiritual life. Unthrammeled. And unfettered. Leaps. Into responsiveness. And recognition. To the one who has touched us.
[4:51] And what an unveiling of himself. The heavenly Lord gave to his servant. As he lay in the dust. A revelation.
[5:05] That in so short a compass. It is without equal. Anywhere else in the scriptures. When you consider.
[5:20] This self-disclosure of the Lord. You will see that it. Sweeps over. The whole. Of our saviour's existence.
[5:34] It sheds. Its light back. Into the. Impenetrable past. And there you see.
[5:45] His eternal. Self-existence. As a son of God. I am the first. And the last. And he that liveth.
[5:56] Then it unveils. Another chapter. In our saviour's life. His earthly existence. As a son of man.
[6:08] Our saviour. And I became dead. And then it throws forth. Its radiant light.
[6:19] Upon the eternity. That is to come. And it reveals. His resurrection. Existence. As a first begotten.
[6:31] From the dead. And. I am alive. Forevermore. And have the keys. Of death. And.
[6:43] Of the world. Beyond. That surely. Something. To stir our hearts. What a wonderful.
[6:53] Glimpse of him. Who is our saviour. Going back. Into. Eternity. That was. In which.
[7:04] He was. And is. The first. And the last. And the living one. Going forward. Into the eternity. That is to be.
[7:15] When he is the lord. Of the resurrection. Having at his girdle. The keys. Of the eternal world. And in between.
[7:28] These two. Another chapter. A precious chapter. To us. In the eternal. Biography. Of the son of God.
[7:39] He became. Dead. A chapter. Stained. With blood. With humiliation.
[7:51] And suffering. And death. That will never. Be obscured. And never. Forgotten. In earth. Or heaven. In time.
[8:02] Or eternity. Whose significance. Abides forever. And all this. Is given. With the tender words.
[8:14] Fear not. To calm his heart. To banish. His fears. To make him. Able to gaze.
[8:26] With a holy rapture. Upon the one. Who draws aside the veil. And gives him. A fresh vision. Of the glory.
[8:37] Of his lord. And master. First then. As briefly. As we can. He unveils. To John. His eternal.
[8:49] Existence. As a son of God. That is. His eternal state. The first. And the last.
[9:00] And the living one. One. Or put more simply. The eternally. Living one. He has a quality of life.
[9:10] That only God. Can possess. Living. An eternal. Life. And in that. Exalted state. He lays his.
[9:21] Right hand. Upon John. Prostrate. In the dust. The right hand. The hand of. Friendship.
[9:34] The hand of. Love. What must it have meant. To John. At that hour. Well.
[9:46] I think. It brought. The life. Of eternity. Into his experience. As never before. It quickened him. With a.
[9:57] Eternal. Touch. And the powers. Of the world. To come. Rushed. Into his being. The channels. The channels.
[10:08] The channels. Of life. Everlasting. Were open. And that flowed. Into his soul. From the eternal. Fountain. In. The fullness.
[10:19] Of the divine. Life. Of him. Who was his lord. And saviour. A tide. As it were. From another world.
[10:30] Swept into his being. And put him. Into touch. With a life. Of eternity. Ah. That alone.
[10:42] Would put him. In sympathy. With all. That was to be. Given to him. Later. To pass on. To his church.
[10:52] In the world. Now. But it was also. The light of eternity. That shone. The radiance. In which he saw his master.
[11:03] Was not begotten. Of earth. It was the. Light. Of an eternal.
[11:18] Blessedness. That shone. The shadows. And. Half light of this world. Were to pass out. And the light of an eternal.
[11:29] Realm. Streamed into his soul. So that he could see. And read. And understand. The things. That God. In infinite kindness.
[11:40] And mercy. Was to unfold. To him. For us men. And for our wisdom. But there was the liberty. Of eternity. In it too.
[11:51] John was a prisoner. In Patmos. Suffering the thrall. And the duress. Of. Servitude and exile.
[12:05] But with that touch. All his bands were broken. His fetters fell off. And he could traverse. The mountains of light.
[12:16] With a new thread. A firm step. It was home country. To him now. His Lord. Was the light of it. Suffice it to say then.
[12:29] That these experiences. Need not be confined. To such an exalted disciple. As John.
[12:41] He is a forerunner. Of a great multitude. Which no man could number. Whose lives had been touched. By the right hand. Of an exalted savior.
[12:54] They felt. They saw. They were delivered. It's an experience. That is open. To you and to me. It belongs.
[13:04] To every man. Who has felt. In his prostate condition. The unseen hand.
[13:15] Of the living Lord. He draws us anew. In the gospel. Into a fresh experience.
[13:26] Of his glory. And grace. He touches us. In our weakness. With a word of comfort. And of revelation.
[13:39] Saying fear not. It's a touch of life. From above. It quickens us. With the life of God. And we become.
[13:50] Partakers. Of the divine nature. And the pulse of eternity. No beats within our breasts. Our citizenship is in heaven.
[14:03] And we are filled. With all. The fullness of God. And having been touched by him. Who is the eternal one.
[14:17] Who fills eternity. With the radiance of his glory and grace. We enter into the experience of another world than this.
[14:30] Our thoughts are now there. Our hopes are there. It's life. It's liberty. It's liberty. Now belong to us.
[14:40] Even though we are prostrate in the dust. Our lives are head with Christ in God. That was the first vision then.
[14:52] The great eternity in which Christ was first and last of the living one. And he touched me. He laid his right hand upon me.
[15:03] But let us go to the. His earthly existence. As a son of man. And our savior. And I.
[15:15] Became. Dead. This is a wonderful chapter. That entered into the experience of the son of God. When the eternal one came into time.
[15:29] And the son of God became the son of man. And the living one. Came to die. This is what he calls it himself.
[15:43] That chapter. I became dead. I put myself in a position. In which I could die. That is a sum and substance.
[15:57] Of that wondrous redeeming experience. He became dead for us men. And for our salvation. It were.
[16:09] Surprising. That he had left. No. Portraiture of himself. But one.
[16:21] He wants to be remembered. By broken bread. And poured out wine. These were the memorials of him.
[16:34] And they proclaimed to us. That he became dead. That he put himself in a position. In which he could taste death for us.
[16:47] And drain its cup dry. And then. What then. Can we say about that touch. From the one who proclaims.
[17:02] That he. Became dead. And that is eternally. His position. That is to say.
[17:13] The death he died. Remains. Visible. A revelation. Of the mind and heart of God.
[17:23] nowhere else to be found. Even. In heaven above. It was a truly human touch. He was a son of man.
[17:36] In his exalted glory. He took our nature. And became true man. Born of our bone. And flesh of our flesh. death. And from the throne.
[17:47] He still links himself. With time. With humanity. With death. John knew. That touch. During the years.
[18:00] He had so adjourned. With his master. In their comfort. In its comfort. And tenderness. And healing.
[18:14] And he feels it anew. From the throne. And he laid his right hand. Upon me. A hand of kinship. Of friendship.
[18:24] Of brotherhood. The hand that bridged. The gulf. Between God and man. Between the divine. And the human. And when he touches us.
[18:37] In the gospel. He does not crush. Or overwhelm. Or frail nature. He was. And is. Whatever more. Touched.
[18:48] With the feeling. Of our infirmities. And from the throne. He calls us. His brethren. It was also.
[18:59] The touch of. Reconciliation. He became dead. He reached the place of death. His journey. His mission. Took him right there.
[19:11] And why should he be so. Because he was to make. Reconciliation. Between rebels. And their maker. Between outcasts.
[19:23] And their God. And so he reached the altar. Of sacrifice. The place of peace. Offering. And he laid his sinless manhood.
[19:34] And the altar. The last priest. At the last altar. To give the last sacrifice.
[19:47] And so he offered himself. Without spot. To God. That he might make. Reconciliation. For the sins of his people.
[19:57] And to effect this. To exhaust. The wrath. And the curse. He became dead. There was death in his cup.
[20:09] Death intensified. Ten thousand fold. And when he drained the final graft. He died death outright.
[20:21] And now. When he lays his right hand. Upon us from the throne. A hand. That bears the. Imprint. Of his sacrifice.
[20:34] He. The resident living Lord. Can still show us. His hands on his feet. He bears the scars. Of his sacrifice.
[20:45] And they are to us. Windows. Through which we can gaze. Upon the love of God. Upon the inexhaustible. Mercy of the eternal.
[20:56] That reached us. When we are dead. In trespasses and sins. It is the touch of the mediator. There on the throne.
[21:08] Where John beheld him. He is still the way to the father. Through his broken manhood. We have access. And through his living intercession.
[21:21] We are presented. We are presented. To his father. In peace. He is therefore not only. The ground. Of our acceptance.
[21:32] He is the one that makes us nigh. By his blood. And in that relationship. He stands to us. Evermore.
[21:45] He comes between us and God. God. Not to conceal. But to reveal. To show the glory of God. In the face of Jesus Christ.
[21:58] Now that is. An eternal chapter. In the biography of the son of God. He became dead.
[22:10] He became dead. And he bears the tokens of that death with him. And so introduces us to his father in peace.
[22:22] And last of all. He introduces John. To his resurrection life. As the first begotten of the dead.
[22:37] He said. I am alive. And to the ages of the ages. And of the keys of death. And of the eternal world. The first begotten from the dead.
[22:52] He emerged from death. On the far side. The only one to emerge alive. On the other side of death.
[23:02] To die no more. And so he became. The first begotten. From the dead. He has emerged with a new form of life.
[23:14] The life of the resurrection. The life that has gone through death. The life that has been raised.
[23:26] From the tomb. And so he is to remain for us. The risen one. The Lord of the resurrection. For the ages.
[23:38] Still to be. And as he touches John. With his right hand. John recognizes.
[23:50] That he has at his girdle. The keys. The keys of death. And of the world belong. And the world beyond.
[24:03] And the keys stand. Surely for ownership. For authority. For administration.
[24:14] And so. That touched John. With hope. Prosted in the dust. As one dead. And he who has the keys.
[24:26] Of death. And of the world beyond. With his right hand. What a blessed hope. Awakened in his heart. He rejoices.
[24:38] In one who is beyond death. And who sees. And who sees. That the regions. There beyond. Belong to his Lord.
[24:49] And his. Master. He has the keys of it all. All the vast territory. Beyond death.
[25:01] Is his territory. It is all. Emmanuel's land. To us. It is unexplored territory.
[25:13] A domain. With which we are not. Well. Familiar. Though we sometimes feel. That the roots. Of our spiritual life.
[25:24] Are there. But it is. His realm. His country. He is the owner. And proprietor. Of the vast realms.
[25:34] Beyond death. And the grave. And what a heavenly hope. It awakens. In the breast. Of those. Who feel. As John did.
[25:45] Let one. Dead. But keys. Mean authority. To. And in the frailest.
[25:57] Of men. This inspires. Complete confidence. The one. Who redeemed us.
[26:08] By his blood. Is in soul. Control. On the other side. You remember. What happened. In the case.
[26:20] Of the thief. On the cross. Who prayed. That wonderful prayer. From his soul.
[26:31] Mothed. In grief. And penitence. Lord. Remember me. When thou comest. In thy kingdom. And the Lord. Answered.
[26:42] I am in my kingdom. Now. Today. Thou shalt be with me. In paradise. So. Christ. Has the keys. Of undisputed authority.
[26:56] He opens. And no man's shutter. He shutteth. And no man openeth. He has the keys of death. The door of entrance. Every man.
[27:07] Passes through. What he's bidding. And death. Is his servant. In ways. We do not understand. Death.
[27:17] Is serving. His gracious. Purpose. For he brought. Death. Captive. He abolished death.
[27:30] And its tyranny. And oppression. And fear. And now. Death. It is at his command. It is one of his liveried servants.
[27:44] Sombra. Duh. Forbidding. But it is his swift messenger. Bidding us.
[27:57] Enter into. The immediate presence. And glory. Of our Lord. Keys. Mean. Administration. And so.
[28:09] They create. Warm. Expectancy. In our hearts. Christ. Administered. All those. Realms.
[28:20] In passion. For the lamb. That is in the midst. Of the throne. Shall shepherd them. And shall lead them. Into living.
[28:30] Fountains of water. What a holy. Expectancy. This brings to us. As we cry.
[28:41] As for me. I will behold. His face. In righteousness. And I will be satisfied. When I awake. With his likeness.
[28:52] And so it stands written. And his servants. Shall see his face. Were it not so. There will be.
[29:04] Unreality. In it all. Were we in a journey. Where we couldn't behold. His countenance. The journey. Weren't worthwhile. It was his face.
[29:16] That first brought us. On pilgrimage. It is this face. That often shed. Heaven's hope. And light. Upon the earthly path.
[29:30] It is a fresh pace. It is this face. That we often ask. To see. In our pleadings. With God. And it is this face.
[29:43] That we shall cross. The Jordan. To see. And they shall see. His face. So. As the keys of eternity.
[29:53] Are at his girdle. We rejoice. The region beyond. Is under his control. He is in possession. It is.
[30:05] Emmanuel's land for us. So dear friends. Let us rejoice tonight. However little we know.
[30:18] Of what is beyond the veil. We know that the lamb. Is the light of it. And we who trusted. Who sheltered. In his sacrifice.
[30:31] Shall see everything. In the same light. As we see it here and now. As the risen one. Who died.
[30:42] Touches us here below. With his right hand. He makes his love. And his light. And his sacrifice. All.
[30:53] We can hope. Within our souls. And in that light. We shall walk. Forever and ever. Friends then.
[31:06] This is a message. For you and for me. We are pilgrims. And sometimes. We are weary.
[31:18] Under the burden. Sometimes. We are footsore. On the road. But he can lay his right hand. Upon us. And tell us.
[31:30] That at the end. Of the road. We shall see him. Face to face. He has the keys. Of the realm. To which we go. They are his possessions. He owns that country.
[31:41] It is all. Emmanuel's land. Now one question. As I close. Will the lamb. Be the light. On the eternal.
[31:52] Show. When you arrive. The lamb. As it had been slain. Yes.
[32:03] If he is your light. No. If you see everything. That passes. Into your experience. In the light. Of what he did. For you.
[32:14] And you behold. With rapture. That he loved you. And gave himself. For you. You shall see. Everything in that light. When you pass the threshold.
[32:27] Into the other world. But. If the lamb slain. Is not your light. Now. Heaven will be out of darkness.
[32:41] Should you enter it. For it is the lamb slain. That provides a light there. Friend there. Come.
[32:52] Dark in mind. Faltering in step. Come. To the place of blessing. It is at. The altar of sacrifice.
[33:03] That he laid hold of you. And it is at the altar of sacrifice. That the hand of faith. Can take hold of him. And say. My Lord.
[33:16] And my God. May cause it to be so. For his name's sake. Amen. Let us pray. Our blessed Savior.
[33:28] We are so cold. So insensitive. And so unfeeling. But when thy right hand touches us. The life of eternity comes.
[33:41] And we are alive. With the life of God. Make it so. In the experience of many of us here tonight. We need it.
[33:54] Oh Lord. We are so ready to stumble. And to weary. But we thank thee. That we are journeying to his country.
[34:06] And that when we reach the door. He unlocks. To let us in. And welcomes us. Into his own land. Into his own presence.
[34:18] Into his own peace. Make this. The blessed hope. That quickens our step. And makes us long. To see the glory.
[34:30] That is on before. We ask it. For his name's sake. Amen.