Corona Chronicles - Crown of Gold

Well, welcome to day 4 of Corona Chronicles. A look at the of Revelation and I don't know about you, but I'm loving this and seeing more in the Book of Revelation. And how utterly relevant this is to this this disaster or whatever we're calling it, it is that we're going through. Really exciting. We're on verse 12 of chapter 1 haven't got too far but there's so much in this book.

So I'm gonna just read some of these verses. I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw 7 golden lamp statins. And among the golden lamp stands where someone like the son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest, His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice was like the sound of rushing water.

In his right hand, He held 7 stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the living 1.

I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever and I hold the keys of death and hades. That's enough to blow your mind. Yeah. Great. I mean, it's an incredible vision of the Lord Jesus, isn't it?

And you've got John here in verse 12. He's turning around and seeing the voice that speaking to him. And he sees 1 that is like a son of man, you know. And so there's a whole load we could say about that particular title, but Here is 1 he's seeing who is both like him and yet very different from him. Mhmm.

You know, you've got this glorious, powerful terrifying image in many ways of a of a glorious savior standing before him. Mhmm. And his word is powerful. He's pure. He sees everything.

It's incredible, isn't it? Mhmm. I like the the head and the hair are white like wool as white as snow. Yeah. What's that then?

Well, I think anyone that has, you know, white hair -- Yeah. -- that is wisdom. Oh, right. Right. Right.

Yeah. Yeah. And ancient of days -- Yes. -- and they know what they're talking about. You know, mate?

Yeah. Doesn't the beast say those kind of blasphemy, slater or in the book? What? But again, that goes back to what we were saying on day 1, where that why pick this book you know, if if we wanna comfort people in this very uncertain and scary time, revelation might seem to be the worst book to go to. But actually, it you know, this is the kind of image we need to we need to have because there's 1 who is greater and more powerful than any virus that can, you know, threaten us.

Yeah. Yeah. You know, if we know that 1, then there's nothing to fear. Mhmm. And and, you know, we we 1 thing when you just said, we we he turned around and saw This this this 1 like the son of man, he's he's walking among the lap stands and we go on to see in a minute that those lap stands are the churches.

Yeah. And and so this going back to what we said yesterday. It's perfect. Our king is work is walking amongst us. He he knows us intimately.

Yeah. And that's so fantastic. And he's not a wet little king. No. And I don't want a wet king over a corona -- Yeah.

-- virus. I mean, you know, we don't want someone who's just sort of manby pamby and can't really do anything and is wondering what to do and is confused. Yeah. We need someone who knows the span of history. Yeah.

Yeah. He's before time existed and he's after time will end. Yeah. We want someone who actually is robed like a king. And and all of the imagery that you find in the old testament, it is going to stamp his glorious bronze glowing, you know, feet on the furnace.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, He's he's strong and mighty. Yeah.

Yeah. And that's yeah. Go on. Go on. Yeah.

Well, now I think 1 of the things that we've noticed in previous readings as well, is this this sense in which that Jesus, you know, has conquered the greatest enemy of all, which is death and sin. And so John is just so overwhelmed by this vision that he falls as though he were dead at the feet of Jesus, but Jesus reminds him. That death is conquered, sin is conquered and he lives forever. And I think 1 of the things about this virus is that it's it's began to show us that the the kind of walls which we thought were protecting us, you know, like money and science and technology aren't quite as strong as we thought they were. And they're beginning to crumble and it shows us that we're not actually invincible.

And that even if this doesn't get us, 1 day something is gonna get us, And therefore, we're praying aren't we? The people would be awakened to that reality. Yeah. And would, in somehow, somewhere be drawn to the only 1 who is actually big death forever. Yeah.

They can beat it for them. Yeah. And let and let's pray as a church, cornerstone people, you know, we might not be able to meet together, but we need to be praying together. Mhmm. And let's be praying that the Lord will, you know, show himself in this in this very problematic time that Jesus King people would turn to other things and not just to grabbing more, you know, toilet rolls or something.

Yeah. Yeah. We we we had a little club here last week And I've got the kids. We sang a song about praying to God. You know, he's he's he's the king of heaven, and he's greater than them all.

And and, you know, we got we we prayed. And it was it was lovely to to hear the kids praying. 1 1 young lad. He was praying about the coronavirus as well, and I thought that's fantastic. Now here's a kid he he could he he probably is probably scared about it, but here he is, talking to his father in heaven about it.

And I think that's a great idea to, you know, even if you can't keep up with the big chunks that we're doing, take a little verse every day, you know? Yeah. And and read it with your your your kids and and turn it into prayer. And it shows them that our greatest need in this time is see Jesus, isn't it? Yeah.

And I think we should try and do that. For every 1 look, we take it corona. Yeah. Let's take 10 looks at Jesus. Yeah.

Yeah. Because he's the sovereigns. And although, I mean, to children, you could read that out and it might sound scary. And it is meant to be scary. But scary in the sense that he is an authority, yeah, isn't it?

Yeah. It's a good authority. So in a sense a a father, a good father. Yeah. Yeah.

It's that figure. Mhmm. You know, the father isn't just a matey chum, is he? He's the father and dad says things sometimes. Yeah.

And he has authority over the over the child. But there's security in that, isn't it? Yeah. In the end, that's really good security. Yeah.

If done lovingly. Yeah. Yeah. But I I think this isn't it? Because we we sometimes have a very weak Jesus.

Mhmm. And there's anything but weak. Yeah. And even the Apostle John, remember the Apostle John is writing this, walked with Jesus for 3 years, he was a disciple. And so now he sees this glorified Jesus.

And what does he do in verse 17. Mhmm. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Mhmm. And so there is this awe of Jesus.

He's you don't mess with him. Yeah. You know, if if you're scared of the coronavirus, be more scared of Jesus -- Mhmm. -- because he is the real crowned king. But then there's that, isn't it?

Then he placed his right hand on me. I mean, how scary is that? You fallen as though dead, you've seen this magnificent king of the universe with all those descriptions, and then the hand is on your shoulder, you know, But then the words come. Go ahead. What are they?

Well, do not be afraid. Yeah. It's fantastic. And it's funny isn't it? These these words are the words that that in in the last last verse of the double edged sword that comes out of his mouth.

Yeah. Yeah. This is this is as the song says, this is the sword that makes the wounded whole. Yeah. It's it's it's wonderful.

Yeah. Yeah. You know, this is what we need at this time. This is the only, you know, like, you know, we're we're we're praying for those who are sick and, you know, we want we want those who are in hospital to get, you know, to get well, get through this. But, you know, all of us you know, there there there's some of us that might be carrying it, and we don't know.

You know? And I think that that's the thing with when it comes to our sin, we all need to know that we carry it and it's gonna We need someone to do it. We need someone to deal with it and I mean, let's just end with these words because this is amazing. I mean, this should be alive for coronavirus. Yeah.

Shouldn't it? I am the living 1. I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever and I hold the keys of death and maids. Yeah. He's the 1 who holds the keys of death and hate this.

You know? It's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. So -- Brilliant.

-- see you tomorrow.