The Voice That Spake With Me

Temple Baptist Church - 10-6-2019

Revelation 1:9-10

Introduction:

A.  As the Book of Revelation begins its “unveiling” of Jesus Christ, it uses a phrase that is familiar to the student of the Bible.  “A Great Voice!”  The Voice of Jesus Christ!

1.  The phrase “the voice of the LORD” is found 49x in 47 verses in the Bible.  48x it is found in the Old Testament and once, Acts 7:31 in reference to the voice that spoke to Moses, in the New Testament.

2.  The phrase “the Word of God” is also found 49x in the Bible with 4 instances in the Old Testament and 45 in the New Testament.

3.  The phrase “the word of the Lord” is found 258x in 255 verses in the Bible.  245x in the Old Testament and 13x in the New Testament.

4.  From the beginning, God has chosen three methods of Divine Revelation:

a)  The Spoken Word.  God speaking to man by The Voice.

John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

b)  The Creation.  God speaking to man by what man sees and comprehends.

Psalms 19:1-3 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  (2)  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Romans 1:19-20  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  (20)  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

c)  The Written Word.  Inspiration and preservation of God’s Spoken Word in written form.

2 Timothy 3:15-17  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  (16)  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Peter 1:18-21  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount (The Oral Law Given).  (19)  We have also a more sure word of prophecy (The Oral Law Written); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:  (20)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  (21)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

B.  Now, for the importance of John hearing “A Great Voice,” which was behind him in verse 10.

1.  The Voice was unseen by John until the “unveiling.”

2.  The Voice was a “great voice” as it was the Voice of the Lord.

3.  The Voice was “as a trumpet.”  The “trumpet” is used twice to show the Rapture of the Church.

1 Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Revelation 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

C.  In His First Advent, the Word was made flesh and the people saw a great Light.

Isaiah 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Matthew 4:16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

D.  For 33 ½ years, the world “beheld His glory.” 

1.  Christ Jesus was then sacrificed: death, burial, and resurrection.  He ascended back to heaven and we do not see Him today. 

2.  WE HEAR HIS VOICE through the Written Word of God.

E.  Four things can be your authority with three of them being erroneous.

1.  The Church can be your authority.  Catholicism.

2.  Human Experience can be your authority.  Pentecostalism.

3.  Human Reason can be your authority.  Intellectualism.

4.  The Bible can be your authority.  Fundamentalism.

F.  When the Lord appears in His glory, the world will again see Him as He is.

G.  Now, the importance of the wording “and heard behind me a great voice.” 

1.  The Seven Churches of Asia needed to understand that, though they do not now see Christ, they can hear and understand His Voice.  And His Voice is enough!

2.  John, exiled on Patmos for the Word of the Lord and the testimony of Jesus Christ, needed to know—as he worshipped in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day—that the Voice that He had walked with for many years was ENOUGH!  Though he saw Christ no more after the ascension, Christ Jesus was always near him.

3.  We, who live in the Church Age and just before the impending Rapture of the Church, need to know that the Voice that we walk with is ENOUGH!  We have the Word of God in our King James Bible and it is all that we need.

H.  In chapter 4, we see the “trumpet” calling us home and then we shall see Christ as His is.

I.  Genesis 3:  “The Voice of the LORD God walking in the garden.”  Adam and Eve, like John, the Seven Churches in Asia, and the believer today, did not see Jehovah God or Jesus Christ.  They and we only hear His Voice.

1.  The First Mention of “the voice of the LORD God” is found in Genesis 3:8, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”  In the New Testament, the believer hears His Voice. 

2.  The Voice of the Lord was a Distinctive Voice.  “the Voice”  John 10:3 says, “the sheep hear his voice” 

a)  A Voice that is distinct from all others.  When God speaks, it is a one of a kind Voice. 

b)  The Word of God that we hold in our hand is one of a kind!  Distinct from all others in its beauty and perfection.  Its distinction separates it from all other so-called bibles.  Its distinction separates it from the voices of this world in their confusion those voices cause. 

c)  There was never confusion about the Word of God until the introduction of the Wescott-Hort text.  That alone should tell you all that you need to know about the manuscript controversy!

3.  The Voice of the Lord was a Knowable Voice.  “the Voice of the LORD God”  John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” 

a)  The Voice of the Lord is one that can be known and is known by God’s children. 

b)  The Bible is the most rejected and maligned “Voice” in the world?  It is the best-selling book of all ages and the least read by the owners.

c)  People believe that owning a Bible makes them spiritual though they neither read nor understand it.

4.  The Voice of the Lord was a Personal Voice.  “Adam, where art thou”  John 10:3 says, “he calleth his own sheep by name” 

a)  The Voice of the Lord is for each of God’s children individually. 

b)  God speaks to us through His Word and His love, sacrifice, longsuffering, mercy, and grace are distinctly personal to each individual.