Preparing Faithful Witnesses - Messengers of Glory
I. GOD’S END-TIME STRATEGY - RELEASING A FAITHFUL WITNESS
A. Jesus is returning to the planet to take over every kingdom and government on earth and rule the nations with a “rod
of iron” from His throne of glory in Jerusalem (Matt 25:31; Rev 19:15). However, before this eschatological revolution
takes place, there must be a faithful witness in every nation to prepare the people and give them time to respond correctly
to this invasion from Heaven (Matt 24:14; Mk 13:9).
Rev. 11:15 The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign
forever and ever!" (Psalm 110; Isaiah 63:1-6; Jeremiah 25:15-38; Rev. 19:11-20:4)
B. The unique dynamics of the End-Times, both great and terrible (Joel 2:11), will grow in intensity like birth pangs
ushering in the Great Tribulation. Four eschatological winds will come together in fullness creating the “perfect storm” to
bring in the Great Harvest, purify the Church and remove all that hinders love. The four-fold winds are creations groan
Rom 8:22), man’s sin (Dan 8:23), Satan’s rage (Rev 12:12) and God’s zeal in wrath (Rev 15:1) and glory (Hag 2:7). It will
be greatest time of pressure that the world has ever seen and will be the catalyst that transitions the earth to the next
age (Dan 7).
Matt 24:15 Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ …21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as
has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
C. The emerging faithful witnesses will be prophetic in nature (Mal. 4:5-6; Rev. 11:3-6) in that we will declare things to
come (Matt. 24:14) and we will demonstrate the power of the coming Kingdom (John 14:12), however far surpassing both in
greatness and glory, we will reveal the very character and nature of the living God as “messengers of glory”! We will
declare the message of God with power and reveal the God of the message in glory! (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 4:13; 5:27;
2 Thes. 1:10; 2 Cor. 4:7-11)
Colossians 1:27 …the riches of the glory of this mystery …Christ in you, the hope of glory.
II. JESUS - THE FATHER’S FAITHFUL WITNESS & MESSENGER OF HIS GLORY
A. Looking unto Jesus, the ultimate Faithful Witness of God (Rev. 1:5; 3:14), we see Him as the perfect embodiment
of the message of God in living breathing flesh. More than mere words alone, He perfectly revealed the Father’s thoughts
and feelings through His words, His actions and His life all of the time.
John 1.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth... 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of
the Father, He has declared Him. (Hebrews 1.1-3)
B. It pleased the Father to reveal the fullness of Himself within the human frame of His Son (2 Cor. 4:6).
John 14.7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen
Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you
so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show
us the Father’?
C. Jesus never held anything back. He wholeheartedly gave Himself unto the Father’s will and the Father fully gave of
Himself back to His Son. Similarly, Jesus fully gave of Himself to becoming a man for our sake. He stepped down from the
glory and privileges that He enjoyed as God and He embraced the shame of rejection to win our love and our affection.
Now He beckons us, as His Bride, to respond by forsaking all and loving Him in like manner by fully giving ourselves to
becoming like Him!
Philippians 2:6 …although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (held
onto and used for His own benefit), 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
III. BECOMING BY BEHOLDING OR TRANSFORMATION THROUGH FASCINATION
A. God is raising up messengers of glory who are being conformed to His image from glory to ever-increasing glory
(Rom 8:28-32; 2 Cor. 3:18). To the degree that we encounter Him in an experiential way, we are changed to be like
Him. So how do we encounter God and experience Him? It isn’t a magical formula. We can encounter God and be transformed
into His image by simply beholding the Person of God and having an active dialogue with Him through the Word (fasting helps!).
2 Corinthians 3.18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into
the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
B. We understand that everyone in heaven worships God because he’s worthy (Rev. 5), yes, but have we ever stopped
to consider that gazing upon the beauty of the Lord is actually the best thing for us? God created mankind with five
senses, as the best way to experience life. We were created with a nose as the best way to experience scent and with
ears as the best way to take in sound, but far surpassing them all, God created the “eyes of our heart” as the best way
to be transformed and changed into His image. As we behold His beauty, we are actually changed into the same image
from glory to glory!
1 John 3:2 …we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Psalm 17.15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
(Psalm 27:4; Eph. 1:17-19; Col. 3:4)
IV. THREE PRIMARY WAYS TO BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD
A. External - We behold the glory of God by gazing upon Him through creation. (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:20)
B. Eternal - We behold the glory of God by gazing upon Him in the eternal realm (Is 6; Ezek 1; Dan 7)
C. Internal - We behold the glory of God by gazing upon Him dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit is revealed as a “Seal of
Fire” (SS 8:6-7), “Rivers of Living Water” (Jn 7:38) and loves to glorify Jesus!
John 14.17 …You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you… 26 He will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all things that I said to you. 15.26 …He will testify of Me. 16.13 …He will guide you into all truth; …He will tell
you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me…
V. THE NATURE OF THE ETERNAL GODHEAD
A. The Bible does not try to prove that God exists; it simply declares that He does (Gen 1:1). The Bible is God’s personal
revelation of Himself revealing four indivisible aspects of His eternal nature and being. When we speak of God’s “nature”,
we are speaking about those properties that are unchangeable, eternal and make up the being and person of the
uncreated Godhead distinguishing Him from all else.
B. God is Spirit - When we speak of God being Spirit, in His Personhood He is essentially a spirit being rather than a
physical being. He is eternal (no beginning or ending), self-existent (power source), immutable (unchanging), omnipotent
(all-power), omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipresent (everywhere). This is why He is spoken of as being “eternal,
immortal, invisible” (1 Tim 1:17)
John 4.24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
C. God is Light - When we speak of God being Light, He does not just dwell in approachable light (Ps 104:2), He is Light.
He is Holy (transcendent), pure, impossible to defile. He is Truth and Life.
1 John 1.5 This is the message …God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (James 1:17)
D. God is Love - When we speak of God being Love, He does not just have love, He is Love. Love refers to the very
heart of God’s nature in being gracious, merciful, compassionate, kind and good to all creation
1 John 4:16 …God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (Ex 34:6-7)
E. God is a Consuming Fire - When we speak of God being a Consuming Fire, it refers to His passion, His jealousy toward
the object of His affection, His zeal for righteousness and hatred against wickedness displayed in judgment against all that
hinders love. He is to be feared as Everlasting Burnings (Is 33:14).
Deuteronomy 4.24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Heb 12:29)
VI. JESUS - THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY
A. Beholding these four aspects of God’s eternal nature in Jesus, as the primary means of transformation into the same
image. All the glorious riches of the above knowledge of God can be found in Him.
2 Cor 4:6 …the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (Col 1:19)
B. Spirit - He willingly subjected Himself to being “led by the Spirit of God” in all things (wisdom, fruit, gifts). He was led
into the wilderness to be tempted (Lk 4:1) and led as a Lamb to the slaughter (Is 53.7).
John 5.19 …I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the
Son also does in like manner… 30 I can of Myself do nothing.
C. Light - He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. Those who sat in the shadow of death saw the Light of the world as He
came to bear witness of the truth. He gives life to men and Satan has nothing in Him.
Matthew 17.2 …He was transfigured …His face shone like the sun, and …as white as the light.
D. Love - He loved His Father (1st) and perfected obedience (Heb 5:8) by doing His will completely. He loved His neighbor
(2nd) by laying down His strength on behalf of another without the promise of return.
Romans 5:8 God demonstrates His own love …in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
E. Fire - He is overwhelmed with love for His bride (Song 6:5) yearning for us to be with Him (Jn 17:24). The “fire in His
eyes” will be displayed in judgment against all that hinders love (Ps 45:7; Rev 19:12).
John 2.17 …it was written, “Zeal for Your house burns in Me like a fire.”
VII. MESSENGERS OF GLORY - NOW AND IN THE AGE TO COME
A. We will reveal these four facets of God’s eternal nature now and in the age-to-come (Eph. 4:13; 5:27)
B. Spirit - Speaks of walking in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit (gifts, fruit, wisdom). John the Baptist said, “He must
increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The opposite is walking according to the desires and dictates of the flesh (Rom 8).
In the age-to-come, Paul said that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).
John 3.5 Jesus answered… 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes
from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
C. Light - Speaks of “inward light” or purity, righteousness and revelation. It also speaks of outer works of ministry that
bring forth truth to others and glorify God (Matt 5:14-16). John the Baptist was a “shining lamp” and many “rejoiced in his
light” (John 5:35). The opposite is to be defiled by the darkness, compromise and impurities of this age (Luke 11.34-36).
In the age-to-come, “those who are wise will turn many to righteousness and will shine like the stars forever” (Dan 12.3).
Matthew 5.14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden… 16 Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father...
D. Love - Speaks of the laying down of one’s strength on behalf of another without the promise of return. It is displayed in
the pursuit of 100-fold obedience (1st & 2nd) and death to self (Gal 2:20). John was the “burning and shining lamp”
(Jn 5:35) that was “great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15; Jn 11:11). The opposite is to live a life of selfishness and
compromise centered on temporal gain. In the age-to-come, we will have “treasure in Heaven” (Luke 18:22) and a “crown
of eternal life” (Rev 2:10).
John 15.12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
E. Fire - Speaks of passion for God, zeal for righteousness and against darkness. John the Baptist was a “spiritually
violent” man that “took the kingdom by force” (Matt 11.12). The opposite is a lukewarm, compromising and lethargic spirit
(Rev 3.14-22). In the age-to-come, our zeal will be displayed openly.
Philippians 3:8 …the excellence of the knowledge of Christ …for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, …that I may
gain Christ …11 attain to the resurrection from the dead. (1 Cor 15:35-58)