I’m hearing voices…
I heard a loud voice speaking to me like a trumpet… Revelation 1:10 [emphasis added]
The clamor of end-time voices
As I talk and dialogue with people about the end-times, this question comes up a lot: “Tom, I hear so many voices, who am I supposed to believe?” My answer is this: we are all hearing lots of voices, too many voices, on every single subject. We need to be able to separate the voice of man, his opinions, strong opinions, even dogmatic opinions, from God’s only word.
The thunder of His whisper
Furthermore, we need to shut off most of these voices to make room in our lives to hear what Jesus, ‘the Word of God’, ‘the voice like a trumpet’ has to say. I at the very most can only point you to the voice of Jesus Christ. Our risen Lamb. Our risen Lord.
The voice of Jesus
So Who was ‘the loud voice’ that John heard, and then saw? It was …someone like a son of man…Rev. 1:13
John goes on in the next several verses to describe the Man that he saw. WOW!
John has a spectacular vision of the glorified Christ. Jesus, John’s old friend, left John stunned, on the ground, like a dead man.
Jesus’ first words to John
While John is obliterated by this vision of Jesus, Jesus tells him,
Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore… Revelation 1:17b-19a
What Jesus says next
In the chapters that follow, Jesus dictates His message to His seven churches. Each church is promised a special reward if they overcome. The seventh church, the most backslidden church of all, is the church that Jesus calls, ‘wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked’. It’s the church that Jesus tells, ‘I am about to spit you out of My mouth’.
Friends, it doesn’t get any worse than this. But Jesus makes this incredible promise to them if they repent.
To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21
So to the most backslidden church of all, the church that many say most resembles the rich and powerful churches in the USA, Jesus gives the most incredible promise. Jesus will let them sit with Him on His throne!
The voice of invitation
Just two verses later John says, After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Revelation 4:1 [emphasis added]
John is about to be swept up to the glorious throne of God. WOW!
Hear this word
I could go in many directions. But the word that I believe we all need to hear is this:
Return to the voice. Come to the throne. There is one voice. There is one throne. And there is someone sitting on the throne. And the One on the throne has opinions, strong opinions, dogmatic opinions.
Jesus of the Bible is only voice that matters. He is speaking loudly, like a trumpet to those who have ears to hear. The trumpet voice of Jesus brings an alarm, and awakens a sleeping, apathetic Church. Jesus is gathering His Church for the battle at hand.
We need to hear His voice. We must fall before Jesus as dead, truly humble ourselves, and, as hard as it might seem, return to His word, in the Spirit of worship.
“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
