Revelation & The Sword

February 22, 2015
MF Blume

Exodus 3:1-5 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. (2) And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (3) And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. (4) And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (5) And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Several things are noted here.

HOLY GROUND meant the Lord’s presence was there.
Moses had to TURN AND SEE.
He saw God’s presence like fire in bush that was not consumed.
That TURNING POINT was significant.
Moses tried rescuing Israel in his own power, and failed only to flee for forty years – and entire generation.
And God corrected his thinking that day.

The bush burning showed the opposite of what Moses was.

He tried independently freeing Israel.
We are supposed to be branches in a tree with God as the vine.
We will not burn out if we rely on the vine like we are branches

John saw the same thing.

Revelation 1:10-13 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (11) 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 Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

John had to TURN AROUND to see as well!

And He saw JESUS IN A BURNING TREE-SHAPED set of candlesticks.
The branches stood for the churches that John was a part of.

John saw Jesus’ face shining like the sun, and a sword coming from his mouth.

Revelation 1:16-17 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (17) And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

He fell in fright.

Jesus had to correct his thinking and remove his fear.
John should not have feared.

It is important that the sword came from his mouth when John turned.

2 Corinthians 3:13-17 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: (14) But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. (15) But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. (16) Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. (17) Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The VEIL ON THE HEART IS TAKEN AWAY when the HEART TURNS TO JESUS.

John turned to see Jesus and A SWORD CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH.
John falls in fear and then Jesus SAYS (his word is the sword) FEAR NOT.
Jesus had to cut away the veil that included FEAR from John’s heart when John turned to Him.

Notice His face is like the SUN as well.

Matthew 17:2-7 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. (3) And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. (4) Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. (5) While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (6) And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. (7) And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

The same thing happened again!

His face is like the sun and John falls in fear, and Jesus tells Him to not fear.

Moses was there, and it’s interesting that Moses turned to see God in a burning bush like John turned and saw Jesus in the burning candlesticks.

And Moses had a veil put on his face later, in contrast to Jesus whose face was shining without a veil!

Exodus 34:30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

You do not read Moses say, “Fear not.”

It is a different covenant.
Paul called it ministration of death.

So, Paul said the veil is removed when we turn to Jesus, and Revelation showed Jesus telling John to not fear when a sword came from his mouth.

The sword removed the veil!
John feared when he should not have.
That’s why we read the blood made us kings and priests and washed our sins before John said all of this, because that truth removes fear of not being good enough to stand in His presence!

When we read of the Sword we’re told it’s the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

It’s important to see the helmet mentioned with the sword. (More later)

There are six pieces of armour.
1.   Helmet
2.   Sword
3.   Shield
4.   Breastplate
5.   Shoes
6.   Girdle/belt

Jesus was in candlesticks which speaks of the tabernacle that had 6 pieces of furniture.
1.   Ark
2.   Candlestick
3.   Table bread
4.   Altar incense
5.   Altar of brass
6.   Laver

When you look at the tabernacle you can see the cross over top of it.

Imagine Jesus on the cross like a man wearing his armour, and see how the pieces of armour correspond to the pieces of furniture.
Look where the sword is!

The sword is where the candlesticks are.

John turned to see Jesus and saw Him in candlesticks with a SWORD!
Just how the sword corresponds to the candlesticks in the diagram!
SEVEN candlesticks means PERFECT LIGHT.

And this is important because the sword was the truth that removed John’s fear, and was in the midst of candlesticks that represented branches that connect to Jesus the vine.

When Moses and John saw similar pictures of the burning bush and burning candlesticks, they saw lessons about how we attach to Jesus and will not burn out, like Moses did, because we will not do anything on our own!
We fear because we’re not good enough.
But that is not an issue because when we’re branches we have HIS GOODNESS.
If the root is holy so are the branches!
And all of this is corrected when we learn we are in need of Him and are nothing without Him, and can’t do anything without Him.
He’s the vine and source!

So, the truth that we are His branches and derived our holiness from Him and have his righteousness and are kings and priests, removes the veil.

AND THE BLOOD IS SAID TO HAVE MADE US THESE THINGS just before John wrote about the sword and his fear!

Revelation 1:5-6 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, (6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

This is KINGDOM FAITH!

SERMONS