A Vision of Jesus

As Pastor Hayden discussed last week, what Revelation is ultimately is a revelation of Jesus Christ, so it’s only fitting that the very first thing John sees is a vision of Christ in all His glory.

I. Where John Was (1:9-10)

--At this point, John is the last of the apostles still alive. Most Biblical scholars believe Revelation was written around A.D. 95 toward the end of the reign of Emperor Domitian, who intensely persecuted the church. According to church tradition, they attempted to boil John to death in oil, but he survived. Afterward, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, which is a rocky crag of an island in the Mediterranean Sea, about 10 miles long and 6 miles wide, where he received this vision from the Lord.

--John doesn’t call himself an apostle here. He calls himself “your brother, and companion in tribulation.” He said that he was on Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for “testimony” is where we get our English word “martyr.” It’s also translated as “witness” in the New Testament.

--“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” This is the first time that Sunday is referred to as “the Lord’s Day.” This is different from the Day of the Lord, which is what will be described throughout most of this book. The Lord’s Day is the day of worship for the church. In a sense, every day belongs to God, but this one is specially set aside for the church as the sabbath was for Israel.

--John is said to be “in the Spirit,” but it is a unique situation. This isn’t just “walking in the Spirit” as we are all commanded to do in Galatians 5. It was a special condition in which he was able to receive the revelations of this book.

II. What John Heard (1:10-11)

--“And heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” The sound wasn’t a trumpet, but it had the effect of one. The trumpet was used to get people’s attention. The phrase “great voice” in the Greek is where we get the English word “megaphone.” The point of a megaphone is to amplify your voice in order to expand the reach of your voice beyond its normal limits and to grab people’s attention.

--Jesus calls himself “the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.” Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last. Since Jesus is also called the Word many times by John, this is a fitting description of Himself. In English, I suppose we could also say “I am the A and the Z,” but it just doesn’t sound as cool as “Alpha and Omega.” God also calls Himself “the first and the last” in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12.

--John is commanded to write twelve different times in the book of Revelation. He was told to send what he wrote to these seven local churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). I won’t go into detail about each of these churches since I’m sure Pastor Hayden will cover that when he talks about them individually in chapters 2 and 3.

III. What John Saw (1:12-16)

--The number seven appears 31 times in Revelation. It is the number of completion or perfection. There are seven golden candlesticks (v. 12), seven stars (v. 16), seven angels (v. 20), seven churches (v.20). We also see seven Spirits back in v. 4.

--The Bible here says that John saw seven golden candlesticks, but they were more like lampstands. This wasn’t like a menorah, where you have one stand with seven candlesticks on it. They were individual, freestanding lampstands with lamps set on them. There is an interesting contrast here with the golden lampstand that was in the Tabernacle and the Temple. That was like a menorah, which symbolized that while there were many tribes, there was still only one Israel. In the New Testament, there is no “universal church” spoken of. We see individual, local churches, represented here by these separate lampstands.

--We need to remember that the light didn’t come from the lampstands themselves. The light comes from the lamp, but the stand exists to make the light more visible. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:15-16, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” That is our job as the church. We do not produce the light. We simply display it. Can others see the light of Christ in your life?

--This is the only physical description of Jesus we find in the Bible. We don’t know anything of what He looked like when He was on earth during His first coming. Any artist’s renditions you may see are just that. They aren’t based on any factual descriptions we have of Him because they don’t exist.

--John’s description of Jesus here mirrors Daniel’s description of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in Daniel 7:9-14. John even calls Him the Son of Man in verse 13.

--“Clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” The long clothing indicates a person of great dignity and authority. People who did not have to partake in manual labor wore long clothing. The golden girdle around the chest speaks of the fact that Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. The high priest in the Old Testament wore a girdle that had golden threads woven into it, but Christ’s is entirely made of gold. The eternal, heavenly priesthood we have in Jesus is far superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Jews.

--“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.” This does not speak of old age, but rather of Christ’s wisdom, purity, and timelessness. Jesus is not getting “older” or becoming “old.” While He may be the Ancient of Days, He hasn’t lost a step. His power and wisdom have not been diminished one iota.

--“His eyes were as a flame of fire.” Fire in the Bible often speaks of judgment and refining. When Jesus looks at us, He penetrates straight to the truth. We cannot deceive Him or hide anything from Him.

--“And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.” Brass speaks of sacrifice because the altar of sacrifice in the Old Testament was made of brass. Brass was also one of the strongest known metals in the world at that time, so it speaks of stability and power, unlike the statue in Daniel’s vision in Daniel 2, whose feet were made of iron mixed with clay and were destroyed by the Rock made without hands. There are many parallels between Daniel and Revelation.

--“And his voice as the sound of many waters.” This means that when Jesus speaks, we have no choice but to listen. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a waterfall, but those things can get loud. You can’t shout down or overpower God’s Word.

--“Out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword.” This parallels Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” So we know that this is talking about the Word of God. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that a sword literally came out of Christ’s mouth, but rather that His Word has that kind of power. It has the power to cut down all who hear it, especially those who attempt to oppose it. The sword spoken of here is the large broadsword, which was heavy and impossible to stop once it started coming down at you.

--“And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” It’s like looking into the noonday sun on a perfectly clear day. This speaks of Christ’s unclouded glory. His glory was veiled by His flesh when He was on earth before, but now nothing is getting in its way.

IV. How John Reacted (1:17)

--“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” This is the apostle whom Jesus loved, the one who leaned on His breast at the Last Supper. Yet when he sees Christ in all His glory here, his reaction is to fall to the ground. John even saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, but even that was only a partial preview compared to this. This is a reminder to us that, even though God is love, He is also holy and righteous. In the purity of His presence, we can’t help but be aware of our own shortcomings and inadequacies. It should humble us. When we get a vision of Jesus as He truly is, we will put Him in His rightful place as the One who deserves the preeminence in all things.

V. What Jesus Said (1:17-20)

--And yet what Jesus does in response to John falling at His feet is beautiful. He laid His right hand on him and said, “Fear not.” Even as John was overwhelmed by what he saw, Jesus was there with a compassionate word and touch. Then Christ goes on to explain why we have no reason to fear: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen.” Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead on the third day. This is the heart of the Gospel. The reason we have eternal life is because He is alive forevermore. Because He lives, we will live also. We will live for as long as Christ lives.

--“And have the keys of hell and death.” Jesus Christ’s authority over the keys of hell and death was stated back in Matt. 16:18 when He declared that He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Sometimes, it may seem like the devil is in control and he’s winning, but Jesus holds the keys.

--Revelation is the only book of the Bible that provides its own outline. “The things which thou hast seen” refers to the contents of chapter 1. “The things which are” refers to chapters 2 and 3. “The things which shall be hereafter” refers to chapters 4 through 22.

--Jesus Himself explains some of the symbolism in the vision John saw earlier in the chapter. He explains that the seven stars represent the angels of the seven churches, and the seven golden candlesticks represent the seven churches. Now the Greek word “angel” simply means “messenger,” so it’s not necessarily talking about an actual heavenly angel. Many commentators believe the angels here are the pastors of these seven churches.

--It is important to note the location of these seven stars. They are being held in the hand of Jesus, even the star belonging to the Laodicean church. It is comforting to know that we are being held securely in the hand of Jesus. As John 10:28 says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

--It is also important to pay attention to where Jesus is. He is standing in the midst of the golden candlesticks, which represent the churches. He is always among His people. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” and we see that in action here. We need to remember that, while we may not be able to see Him physically, Jesus Christ is here tonight. He wants to help, encourage, and strengthen His church. He wants to be lifted up and glorified in His church.

--Who is Jesus to you? Is He your Savior? Do you know for sure that your sins are forgiven and you’re on your way to heaven? Is He your Lord? Are you striving to live for Him each day and to be holy because He is holy? Do you need a fresh vision of who Jesus Christ is today? When Jesus is in His rightful place, everything else will fall into its rightful place.