Join Bible teacher David Hawking in a theological journey through Revelation’s first chapter, exploring the roles and recognition that Jesus Christ holds in the heavenly and earthly realms. This episode thoughtfully brings to life the scriptural declarations of Jesus’s reliability, resurrection, reign, and rewarding redemption. It culminates in the call for personal reflection on His act of washing away sin through His blood and marking believers as kings and priests.
00:25:44 The Message to the Seven Churches Continues
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John just keeps laying on us about Jesus Christ and his glory. He looked at his reliability, calling him the faithful witness, his resurrection. He’s the first begotten of the dead. He is higher than all the kings of the earth, the firstborn among many brethren. All the angels are to worship him. Number three, look at his reign. Our God reigns. It says also that he is the prince, Archon, no one else higher. Amen. He’s the ruler of the kings of the earth. Wow.
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Wow.
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This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author, David Hawking. And today on the program, we continue our look at Revelation chapter 1, verses 4 through 6. These verses, they’re not just a formal greeting. What they are is a theological thunderclap. Seven churches are addressed, the stakes are established, and Jesus Christ is revealed in undeniable power. And He’s not just introduced, He is proclaimed. Faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler of kings. Well, open your Bible. This is a passage that refuses to be ignored, and it’s just getting started. First, if you’ve ever questioned God’s love for you, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most asked questions in the world. And the enemy, the enemy of our soul, loves to keep it unanswered. The fact of the matter is, though, in His Word, God has already spoken, and this free download that we have for you walks you through what God actually says. clearly, biblically, and in a way that hits home. He loves you. And the downloadable booklet is called Does God Truly Love Me? We have this available right now at our homepage at davidhawking.org, and we have it in multiple languages as well. Does God Truly Love Me? is absolutely free. We don’t ask for anything to get this. And after you download it, share it with as many people as you like. Well, as promised, here’s David to take us into the Word.
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Chapter 1, verse 4, here’s what it says. John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto 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 and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also who pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. There’s a lot of people who are head of their governments and nations who you think were more important than Jesus. Daniel chapter 2, verse 47. He’s over all the kings of the earth. Daniel chapter 2, verse 47. The king answered unto Daniel and said, Of a truth it is that your God is the God of gods and the Lord of what? Kings. And a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6 in the New Testament. 1 Timothy 6, verse 15. At the end of verse 14, it mentions our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 15, which in his times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And all God’s people said, that’s where it’s at. He is the ruler. He is the prince. He is over all the kings of the earth. Back to Revelation 1. So when John is telling us where this revelation comes from, he said it’s from Jesus and mentioned his reliability, his resurrection, his reign, and number four, his redemption. Verse 5, unto him that loved us. Some of you have present tense, loveth or loves. It’s a manuscript problem. And I think the King James is correct. It’s past tense. unto him that loved us and washed us, which is past tense, it only makes sense both verbs would be, washed us from our sins in his own blood. And there’s also a manuscript problem in the word washed. And New American Standard translates released us. New International says freed us. Now, this manuscript problem is very subtle, and I don’t like to bring out these details when they’re not important, but this one is. The difference between to loose or release and to wash is rather significant. And the Greek words, there’s only one letter difference. And if you’re not careful, even when you’re reading your Greek New Testament, you can actually think you see one and not the other. One is la-oo-oh, another one is loo-oh. They almost sound the same, and they certainly, when you’re reading, can look the same. So you have to be careful. There’s only one letter that distinguishes those two. So you can see why it would be an easy manuscript problem. First of all, has the Lord loosed us and released us from the bondage of sin? Absolutely. It’s a wonderful thought. But it is not the same as saying he has washed us. First of all, there are different Greek words for wash. And the one that is used here refers to taking a bath. The Lord just didn’t wash your elbow and arm in salvation. He gave you a whole bath. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. That’s what the Bible says. He buried your sins in the deepest sea. He cleansed you in his precious blood. You are washed. You have had a bath. And I lean to the King James absolutely on this text. When it says he loved us, I ask you, does God continue to love us? Of course. Is it not a wonderful thought to say God loves us? Of course. And God does love us. But we want to be strict with what the Bible says. And the text uses past tense. He loved us. Why is that important? Because every time it’s used in the New Testament, it’s referring to the cross. There’s a moment in history when God showed you and me that he loved us more than any other moment in time. And that’s when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. John 3.16 says, God so loved, past tense, the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Wonderful message. He loved us. Turn to Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25. We have the same idea in this wonderful passage that deals with marriage. And in chapter 5, verse 25, a favored verse of all wives. It is put up on the refrigerator and in the bathroom. Husbands, love your wives. Amen, women? That’s what it says. But the next one makes every man a little shaky. It says, even as Christ… Also, not continues to love, not as Christ loves the church. It says, loved, past tense, the church, and gave himself for it. We’re talking about the ultimate demonstration of love, self-sacrifice. He gave himself for it. When the Bible is telling you about the glory of Jesus Christ in Revelation, it says, unto him who loved us, we’re talking the cross. Turn to 1 John chapter 4 just to seal it in our minds and our hearts. 1 John chapter 4. We’ll start at verse 9, but we’ll focus on verse 10. 1 John 4, 9 and 10. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved, past tense, loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation, the mercy seat for our sins. Every time God tells you he loved you, past tense, he’s talking about that wonderful moment over 1,900 years ago when his only son died on the cross for you and for me. Unto him that loved us be all praise and glory. And all of heaven, as we shall learn in chapter 5, will sing the praises of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father when we say worthy is the lamb that was what? Slain. We’re never going to forget it. unto him that loved us and washed us, he gave us a bath. Turn back to Ephesians 5 again and look at verse 26. After telling us that he loved the church and gave himself for it, it says that he might sanctify and cleanse it, wash it. It’s our word wash, take a bath in Revelation 1.5. He died for it. He gave himself that he might sanctify and cleanse and wash us with the washing of water by the word. Praise the Lord. In Titus 3.5 it says, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. When you come to Christ, he washes you white as snow. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. One of the passages I love is in 1 Corinthians. Will you turn there, please? Chapter 6. I think one of the greatest questions that any one of us, believer or non-believer, can ask is what do we do about sin? unto him that loved us and washed us in his own blood. That’s what we do about sin. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 11, after mentioning all these gross sinners of verse 9 and 10, of which we’re all subject, Verse 11 says, And such were some of you, but ye are what? Washed. It’s our same word. We got a bath. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Paul the apostle heard Ananias say to him, Arise, wash away your sins, be baptized, wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord. When you call upon the name of the Lord, you will be saved. Why? Because the Lord, when he died on the cross for you and for me, washed our sins away. You can’t solve your sin problem by performance. You can’t do it. I’ve tried, have you? You cannot do it. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. It’s the only way. It’s the only way any man can be saved. Go back to Revelation chapter 1. in telling us that it is from Jesus Christ that we have received this wonderful message that we’re to respond to. He mentioned his reliability, his resurrection, his reign, his redemption, and notice number five, his reward. I love this, verse six. He has made us kings and priests. Some of you have translations that say a kingdom of priests. Once again, there’s a manuscript difference in the word king or kingdom. It’s very slight. I like the King James. Kings and priests. I believe it’s better evidence, but there are those who disagree. I think it’s wonderful to say we’re a kingdom of priests. 1 Peter 2.9 says we are a royal nation, a holy priesthood. Praise the Lord. But friends, he’s also made us kings and priests. We are going to rule and reign with Jesus Christ. Amen? What a precious privilege that would take us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon a rock and one day give us the privilege of ruling and reigning with our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. He has made us kings and priests. What a reward. Praise the Lord. Look at Revelation 5. In Revelation 5, verse 10, you have the same thing again and again. The manuscript evidence, I believe, leans to the King James. It says, it has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests, in some translations, but kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Some of you have, they shall reign. And you’ll have to wait till we get to chapter 5. I’ll tell you why that’s so significant. That actually makes you either a pre-trib or a post-tribber. Did you know that? The sixth thing that we want you to see about our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the one from whom this wonderful revelation has come, is our response. After saying all these wonderful things about Jesus, he’s the faithful witness, the first begotten or firstborn of the dead, the prince or ruler of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and made us kings and priests unto God the Father. What else can you do but say, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. And there you’ve got to say it, even though the book’s not done yet. Amen. That’s what it’s all about. You were designed and I was designed to worship and to praise him forever and ever. Quickly reviewing, when John wrote the final message to the churches, all that we need to know and understand, he said this message comes from the eternal God who is, exists right now, was, existed in the past, and is to come. He’ll be in the future. He had no beginning. He has no end. He’s the eternal God. It also will be delivered from the seven spirits who are before the throne of God, who, by the way, are a wonderful example to us, as they do immediately the Lord’s bidding. They are ministering spirits sent forth by God, and they bring the wonderful message of revelation. Thank God for their example. We’ll learn much about the angels throughout the book. But primarily it comes from Jesus Christ. This is a revelation of Jesus Christ. And in this wonderful book, we’ve seen his reliability so far, his resurrection that makes him the preeminent one over everything, his reign. He’s the prince, the ruler of all the kings of the earth. He’s the one that’s in charge. His redemption, he loved us. He’s washed us from our sins in his own blood. His reward to those of us who do not deserve it. He’s made us kings and priests. We deserve hell, but he has given us life everlasting because of what Jesus did. And our response to him be glory. That’s why God made you and me. All things were made. to give him glory. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Father in heaven, I’m sure many other believers agree with me that we feel like maybe we should just fall on our faces right now. We thank you, Father, for the blessing of reading this book, of learning about our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing him in all of his glory. He is the preeminent one. He’s our coming king, the king of all kings and the Lord of all lords. One day he shall rule over all the earth. And to think that by his wonderful grace and mercy and love and forgiveness that we would someday rule and reign with him. It’s beyond our ability to comprehend. The gospel is indeed good news. Man’s religion is nothing but a heavy burden, telling us what we can do or not do, and telling us that our performance is a critical issue, and yet we come to the refreshing good news of the gospel, and you invite us to come like we are. For all we, like sheep, have gone astray, and we’ve turned everyone to his own way. But the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Lord, it still seems incredible to me that by simple faith, the faith of a little child, we could be washed from our sins. They’re all gone. You took it all away. We praise you. We love you. We worship you. And our hearts go out to our friends who have not made that personal commitment to Jesus. May they see now, if they’ve never seen it before, who he is. what he’s done. God, help them right now to just open their hearts to you, to simply say, Lord, I know that I’m a sinner and that I cannot save myself. And I understand the Bible says Jesus died on the cross for my sins and he rose again from the dead. He’s alive and he’s coming again. The best way I know how, I receive Jesus Christ. I ask him. I call upon him. I believe what the Bible says about him. I confess him as my Lord. I commit my life and my future to him. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ wonderful name we pray. Amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you want to know how to go to heaven, or be born again, or to really get saved, you need to go to the Bible. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Have you put your trust in the only one who can save you from sin, death, and hell? He’s the one. Not a church, not an organization, not a bunch of works that you might do to please God. No, it’s the work of God that we believe on His Son. He has paid for our sin with His own precious blood. That’s what the crucifixion was all about. Why not open your heart to Him right now? Just say, Lord, I confess my sin to You, and I believe that our Lord Yeshua, Jesus, He died for my sin and paid for it completely. I can’t pay for it. He can. And He will forgive me if I open my heart to Him. So I do that right now. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. God bless you.
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That’s Bible teacher David Hawking. And friend, if you prayed that prayer, that prayer of faith, and received Jesus Christ into your life, or maybe if you’d simply like to know more about what it means to be a Christian, to have that saving relationship with Jesus Christ, well, we’d love to send you two free gifts. The first is a booklet by David called What Is Christianity? And this is a simple, straightforward explanation of the gospel, what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. And the second resource is a Bible study by mail to help you grow in your new life with Jesus. To receive both, just call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And again, this is free if you don’t know Jesus or if you’re new to the Christian faith. Get in touch. And before David returns to close out our time in God’s Word today, Matt’s here, Matt Hawking, and together we’re going to tell you about our special Bible study resource for June.
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Matt? In our Revelation series, we will encounter Babylon and Babylonianism. What is Babylon and Babylonianism? Well, Babylon is mentioned 286 times in the Bible, including its origin and early beginnings.
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The first ruler of Babylon was Nimrod. You might recall that from your history. And according to a multitude of legends, Matt, the life story of his wife, Semiramis, gives remarkable insight into what idolatry, immorality, and paganism is all about.
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And from her day into our own, the religion of Babylonianism has penetrated all nations according to the Bible, seducing and deceiving as it goes.
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And it will play a prominent destructive role in the end time. And we’re going to see that unfold in this series. And the end goal is the diabolical seduction of the nations and the suppression of the heart and soul of Christian belief and practice.
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Well, this month, Jim, we’re featuring a special price on my dad’s book, Babylon, Its History and Prophecies. Normally $15.00. Just $10 this month.
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Babylon’s History and Prophecies is a study guide and a commentary on the scriptures addressing Babylonianism.
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Order at davidhawking.org or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE. In Canada, at 1-888-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the Numbers is 242-53.
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Well, before we wrap up, we want to let you know about something that’ll really help you get more out of our current Revelation radio series. This is David’s complete message outlines and sermon notes for the whole series. To order online and download, visit davidhonking.org or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., and 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And if while you’re in touch, you feel led to include a little extra as a gift, as a donation to the ministry, thank you. We could use the help right now. Your donation, your gift will help us bring God’s Word to people all over the world, clearly, boldly, and without compromise. To make a donation by mail or share a prayer request, maybe a testimony, write to us at Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. And thanks so much for getting in touch. Let’s get back to our study.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed our study of Revelation chapter 1 verse 4 to 6. One of the neat things about this is a statement in verse 6. That’s going to be repeated in chapter 5 when we look at heaven and our Lord being there. It says, He has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. And all God’s people said, Amen. Oh, I love the book of Revelation. And I pray that as we study verse by verse, your heart will be encouraged. and that you will trust the Lord, for the future is in His hands. The future of planet Earth is controlled by our blessed Lord, who’s King of kings and Lord of lords. Well, plan to be with us in our next broadcast together.
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And on our next broadcast, we continue our look at the message to the churches, the seven churches of Revelation chapter 1. And we’ll be moving to verses 7 through 11. In that section, everything shifts. The sky breaks open. Jesus returns in glory. And every eye, every single eye will see him, even those who pierced him. This isn’t theory. This is coming. And the one speaking, he’s not a prophet. It’s Jesus himself. Get ready for our passage. It shakes the earth and calls the church to attention. That’s next time on Hope for Today.
