Sermon Tone Analysis

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[[@page.3.1.7]][[@bible.87.1.7]]!!!! 3.1.7

- Revelation  [[1:7|bible.87.1.7]]

He is coming \\ The OT Scriptures predicted a "coming one" (Deu.

[[18:15-18|bible.5.18.15-5.18.18]];

Ps. [[2|bible.19.2.1]]; [[22|bible.19.22.1]];

[[118:26|bible.19.118.26]];

Isa.

[[9:6|bible.23.9.6]]; [[48:16|bible.23.48.16]]; [[53|bible.23.53.1]]; [[61:1|bible.23.61.1]];

Jer.

[[23:5-8|bible.24.23.5-24.23.8]];

Dan.

[[9:25|bible.27.9.25]]; Mic.

[[5:2|bible.33.5.2]];

Zec.

[[2:8-11|bible.38.2.8-38.2.11]]; [[6:12-15|bible.38.6.12-38.6.15]];

etc.).

This was the expectation of those among whom Jesus ministered (John [[1:21|bible.64.1.21]];

[[1:45|bible.64.1.45]];

[[6:14|bible.64.6.14]];

[[7:40|bible.64.7.40]]).

John the Baptist knew of these predictions and sent his disciples to Jesus inquiring, "'Are You the *Coming One* (ἐρχόμενος [erchomenos] ), or do we look for another?'" [emphasis added] (Mtt.

[[11:3|bible.61.11.3]];

Luke [[7:19|bible.63.7.19]]).

Peter and Stephen explained it was Jesus who fulfilled these predictions (Acts [[3:22|bible.65.3.22]];

[[7:37|bible.65.7.37]]).Yet this Coming One represented a Scriptural enigma.

At times, He was said to be victorious king who would reign forever (Num.

[[24:17|bible.4.24.17]];

Isa.

[[9:6-7|bible.23.9.6-23.9.7]]).

But He was also forsaken, despised, rejected, and crushed (Ps.

[[22|bible.19.22.1]];

Isa.

[[53|bible.23.53.1]]).

How could these seeming contradictions be reconciled?

Some chose to apply these passages to two different individuals, a "suffering Messiah" (Messiah ben-Joseph) and a "victorious Messiah" (Messiah ben-David).1 Others held that the fulfillments were mutually exclusive and which would eventuate depended upon the obedience of Israel.2

The key which unlocks this mystery is the resurrection of Messiah (Ps.

[[16:10|bible.19.16.10]];

Isa.

[[53:10|bible.23.53.10]]).

He would come once, die for the sins of the world, be resurrected back to life, and come a second time in judgment.

His First Coming, death, and resurrection are now past.

All that remains is His reappearance as described to John here and elsewhere in the NT.

"It has been estimated that one out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament refers to the Second Coming."3

Jesus came the first time in humiliation; He will return in exaltation.

He came the first time to be killed; He will return to kill His enemies.

He came the first time to serve; He will return to be served.

He came the first time as the suffering servant; He will return as the conquering king.

The challenge the book of Revelation makes to every person is to be ready for His return.4

He /is coming/ (present tense) and every eye /will see/ Him (future tense).

The grammar places the event on the edge between the present and the future--the /futuristic present/.

It is 'about to occur.'

It is /imminent/:The verb form ἔρχεται [erchetai] is an example of the futuristic use of the present tense, the future connotation being provided by the word's meaning.

The idea is that Christ is already on His way, i.e., He is in the process of coming and hence /will/ arrive.

This use of the present tense enhances emphasis on the imminence of that coming (cf.

ἔρχομαι [erchomai] , John [[14:3|bible.64.14.3]]).5

This same verb is used directly or indirectly eleven more times in this book in reference to the return of Christ (cf.

Rev. [[1|bible.87.1.1]]+;[[4,8|bible.87.4.8]]+; [[2:5|bible.87.2.5]]+, [[16|bible.87.2.16]]+; [[3:11|bible.87.3.11]]+;

[[4:8|bible.87.4.8]]+; [[16:15|bible.87.16.15]]+; [[22:7|bible.87.22.7]]+,

[[12|bible.87.22.12]]+,

[[20|bible.87.22.20]]+

[twice]), seven coming from the lips of Christ Himself (Rev.

[[2:5|bible.87.2.5]]+, [[16|bible.87.2.16]]+; [[3:11|bible.87.3.11]]+;

[[16:15|bible.87.16.15]]+; [[22:7|bible.87.22.7]]+,

[[12|bible.87.22.12]]+,

[[20|bible.87.22.20]]+).

The current verse obviously is the theme verse for the whole book.6

See /Imminency/.with

clouds \\ Clouds are often associated with the glory of the Lord.

Clouds were often one aspect of the visible manifestation of the Lord's presence (Ex.

[[16:10|bible.2.16.10]]; [[19:9|bible.2.19.9]], [[16|bible.2.19.16]]; [[24:15-16|bible.2.24.15-2.24.16]]; [[34:5|bible.2.34.5]]; [[40:34|bible.2.40.34]];

Deu.

[[5:22|bible.5.5.22]]).

Clouds indicated His presence over the mercy seat where He dwelt between the cherubim (Lev.

[[16:2|bible.3.16.2]]).

During Solomon's prayer dedicating the Temple, he recognized God's habitation as the dark cloud (2Chr.

[[6:1|bible.14.6.1]]).

In response, the glory of the Lord filled the Temple (2Chr.

[[7:1|bible.14.7.1]]), no doubt including a manifestation of clouds.

The psalmist understood dark clouds to be God's canopy (Ps.

[[18:11|bible.19.18.11]];

Ps. [[97:2|bible.19.97.2]]).

The manifestation of God by clouds indicates His localized presence on the earth, among men:the Shechinah Glory is the visible manifestation of the presence of God.

It is the majestic presence or manifestation of God in which He descends to dwell among men.

Whenever the invisible God becomes visible, and whenever the omnipresence of God is localized, this is the Shechinah Glory.

The usual title found in Scriptures for the Shechinah Glory is the glory of Jehovah, or the glory of the Lord.

The Hebrew form is Kvod Adonai, which means "the glory of Jehovah" and describes what the Shechinah Glory is.

The Greek title, Doxa Kurion, is translated as "the glory of the Lord."

Doxa means "brightness," "brilliance," or "splendor," and it depicts how the Shechinah Glory appears.

Other titles give it the sense of "dwelling," which portrays what the Shechinah Glory does.

The Hebrew word Shechinah, from the root shachan, means "to dwell."

The Greek word skeinei, which is similar in sound as the Hebrew Shechinah (Greek has no "sh" sound), means "to tabernacle" . . .

In the Old Testament, most of these visible manifestations took the form of light, fire, or cloud, or a combination of these.

A new form appears in the New Testament: the Incarnate Word.7

The visible manifestation of God indicating the place where he /dwelt/ has been called the "Shekinah" glory from the Hebrew verb שָׁכַן [shākan] meaning "dwell, live among, inhabit, abide, stay, remain, camp, i.e., to live or reside in a place, usually for a relatively long amount of time (Gen.

[[9:27|bible.1.9.27]])."8

See /The Abiding Presence of God/.The cloud is probably not to be interpreted as a vapor cloud or as a storm cloud, but as a cloud of glory betokening the presence of God. . . .

The "cloud," then, may be the cloud of the Shekinah, which led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert, and which overshadowed the Tabernacle and the Temple (Ex.

[[13:21-22|bible.2.13.21-2.13.22]]; [[40:34|bible.2.40.34]];

Num.