The One like the Son of Man (Rev 1:9–20)
1:9 I, St. John, both your brother and companion in the
tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is
called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John identified
himself humbly by saying he is the “companion in the tribulation” (Rev. 1:9).
Having been exiled with other criminals, he shared in the severe persecution
with the believers. He also identified himself as a partner in “the patience of
the Lord Jesus Christ” in the suffering and persecution for “the word of God
and the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9).
John “bore
witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
all things that he saw” (Rev. 1:2). He was a witness to the things that Jesus did,
and he wrote them down in his gospel, in his three Epistles, and the Book of
Revelation (John 21:24; Rev. 19:13).
The
Circumstances of the Vision
John was
in exile on “Patmos” when he received this vision (Rev. 1:9). He was in Patmos
for “the word of God” and “the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.” These two
phrases are synonymous in (Rev. 1:9). John suffered exile for his faithful,
uncompromising preaching of the gospel of Christ.
Patmos
“Patmos”
is a barren, volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, about ten miles long and five
to six miles wide. It is some forty miles offshore from Miletus (Acts
20:15–17). Exile to such islands was a common form of punishment in the first
century. John was sent to Patmos as a criminal because the Romans considered
him a member of an illegal religious sect, Christianity!
The
conditions under which John lived would have been harsh, especially considering
he was ninety years old when they sent him into exile. Indeed, he suffered
exhausting labor and a lack of food and clothing, plus he had to sleep on the
bare ground.
The Greek
name of the Island of “Πάτμῳ Patmos”
reflects the gloomy conditions of living there. Its name means “my killing” or “my
crushing,[1] “a
reminder of the place of Golgotha, where they crucified the Lord Jesus
Christ.
It was on
that gloomy, barren island, under those brutal conditions, that John received
the most extensive revelation ever given. The persecutors pressed hard on John
and his companions. These faithful people carried the dying of the Lord Jesus
in their bodies so that God might reveal the life of Jesus in their mortal
flesh (2 Cor. 4:8–12).
1:10 I was in the Spirit on theLord’s Day, and I heard behind
me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
In the Spirit
John
received the Revelation while being “in the Spirit” (Rev. 1:10). We can
translate the phrase “in the Spirit” as “I came to be in the Spirit” or “I
became in union with the Spirit.”
The
phrase “in the Spirit” means being under the control and the influence of the Holy
Spirit. God lifted St. John to a state of perception beyond that of the human
senses. In that state, God supernaturally revealed things to St. John. Many
prophets and apostles like Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14), Peter (Acts 10:9),
and Paul had similar experiences (Acts 22:17–21; 2 Cor. 12:1).
The Spirit
of God is “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Eph. 1:16). Therefore, it was
only “in the Spirit” that John could receive the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev.
1:1, 10).
Likewise,
God reveals His knowledge to us “in the Spirit.” The same Spirit that inspired
the Book of Revelation enlightens the eyes to understand God’s revelation.
On the Lord’s Day
John
received his vision on “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). Some understand “the Lord’s
Day” as a reference to Sunday, but others argue “the Lord’s Day” is the Day of
judgment at the Second Coming of Christ. We cannot limit the panorama of the
Book of Revelation to only the Second Coming of Christ.
The liturgical
service of the Eucharist depicts a vivid picture of the liturgy in heaven
recorded in Revelation. So, most probably, John received the messages and
visions of Revelation during the Sunday celebrations of the Eucharist.
The
Divine Liturgy is a vivid experience of Father’s work in Christ’s life, death, resurrection,
ascension, and His second coming. The text of St. Basil’s liturgy emphasizes
this truth. The celebrant priest prays:
“Therefore, as we also commemorate His holy Passion, His
Resurrection from the dead, His Ascension into the heavens, His sitting at Your
right hand, O Father, and His Second Coming from the heavens, awesome and full
of glory, we offer unto You Your gifts from what is Yours, for everything,
concerning everything, and in everything.” (The Coptic Liturgy of St Basil).
Voice of a Trumpet
John
heard behind him “a loud voice, as of a trumpet” (Rev. 1:10) in its piercing
and clarity. This loud voice was Christ’s voice among the lampstands (Rev.
1:12–13,17–18).
Trumpets
are the most significant musical instruments in Scripture. The Israelites used
them to summon the congregation to different events (Num. 10:2). The sound of the
trumpets acted as the alarm in times of war (Num. 10:9; 2 Chron. 13:12; Ezek.
33:3). People gather to the religious worship and feast upon the trumpets’
calls.[2] Announcing
news and acclaiming kings are associated with the trumpets’ sound (1 Sam. 13:3; 1
Kings 1:34,39). Zephaniah associates trumpets with the Day of the Lord (Zeph.
1:14–16). The New Testament teaches that a trumpet will announce the
Second Coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thess. 4:16).
In
Revelation, the loud voice or sound indicates the solemnity of what is about to
be revealed (Rev. 5:2,12; 21:3). The scene is reminiscent of what happened when
the Lord God, Yahweh, gave the Law to Moses: “On the morning of the
third day, there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the
mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled” (Ex.
19:16, NIV).
On Sinai,
God gave His words, the Law, to Moses. On Patmos, God revealed the “the Son of
Man,” Jesus in His glory (Rev. 1:13). Christ is “the word of God” (Rev. 19:13), and He “has been counted
worthy of more glory than Moses” (Heb. 3:3).
1:11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the
Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches
which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis,
to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea”
Commissioning John to
Write
The loud
voice commanded St. John to write what he saw in a book (or scroll). Christ
commanded John to write what he saw twelve times in Revelation. He said to St.
John, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which
are in Asia” (Rev. 1:11). John was divinely forbidden to write only on one
occasion (Rev. 10:4).
By this
time in history, there were probably hundreds of churches in the world. Out of
all those churches, Christ chose only seven. He even identified them in a
precise order: “the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum
and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea” (Rev. 1:11).
The Seven
Golden Lampstands
1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And
having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
Upon
hearing the “loud voice, as of a trumpet” (Rev. 1:10), John turned around to
see who the speaker was. The first thing he saw was “seven golden lampstands” (Rev.
1:12). These lampstands were like the portable oil lamps used to light rooms at
night. Verse 20 identifies these lampstands as “the seven churches.”
“Gold”
was the most precious metal. It is
mentioned over 500 times in the Bible and associated with worship in the
tabernacle and the temple. The Israelites made many religious objects of gold,
including the golden lampstand and the high priest’s vest (Ex. 25:31, 28:5).
All the Churches
“Seven”
is the number of completeness (Ex. 25:31–40; Zech. 4:2). Thus, the seven
churches, which were actual churches in real places, symbolize the church in
general, in its totality, throughout history.
Seeing
each church as a golden lampstand expresses how beautiful and valuable the church
is to God, in Christ. It is so precious to the extent that Christ loved the
church and died to purchase her with His blood (Acts 20:28).
Though
each of the seven churches had its shortcomings and limitations, all of them
had the glory of God shining over them because Christ appeared in their midst (Isa.
60:1; Rev. 1:13). As a result, the church has become the light of the world (Phil.
2:15).
One Like the
Son of Man
1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the
Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest
with a golden band.
John
turned to see the voice source, and he saw “One like the Son of Man” was
standing in the middle of the seven lampstands. He was wearing a long robe that
went down to his feet, with a golden sash around his chest.
The
phrase “the Son Man” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel called him “the
Son of Man” (Dan. 7:13). The Lord Jesus Christ called Himself “the Son of Man”
many times while on earth. Quoting from the same vision, Christ identified
Himself as “the Son of God,” who sent a message to the church’s angel in
Thyatira (Rev. 2:18). He also presented Himself in the same vision as the one
who lives, was dead, and alive forever (Rev. 1:18).
Identifying
the “One like the Son of Man” is more challenging than it might appear. A
careful look at the text makes us think deeper. John saw “One like the Son of
Man,” not “the Son of Man.” In other translations, it says, “someone like a son of man, NIV;” and “one like unto the Son of man, KJV.”
In Daniel’s
vision, the hair of the head of the one who appeared was like “pure wool;”
white, and he called him “the Ancient of
Days” (Dan. 7:9). In
Revelation, the one who appeared to John also had the head and hair “white like wool, as white as snow” (Rev. 1:14).
So, Christ is the Son of Man, who has the Father in Him.
In (Rev.
1:9-20), we do see not just Christ in His humanity, but we see Him in His glory,
having the Father in Him. The distinction between Father and the Son does not
mean they are apart from each other. The Father is in the Son, and the Son is
in the Father. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the Father is in Me, and
I in Him” (John 10:38; 14:10; 17:21). He also prayed to His Father, “You, Father, are in Me,
and I in You “(John
17:21). In Christ, “dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).
The Lord
Jesus Christ entered heaven itself to appear for us in the Father’s presence (Heb.
9:24). After His ascension, He received the glory prepared for Him before the
foundation of the world (John 17:5).
Before Christ’s
ascension, John saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh in “the form of a
bondservant” (Philippians 2:7), while He is “the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
On the cross,
John and others saw the Lord Jesus Christ having “no beauty or majesty to
attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isa.
53:2, NIV). Finally, after the Father ended the time of Christ’s humiliation in
the likeness of men, John saw the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory, in “the form
of God” (Phil. 2:5-7).
Three disciples
of the Lord Jesus saw a glimpse of Christ’s glory on the mountain of
transfiguration. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as
the light (Matt. 17:1–4). So likewise, Peter witnessed the honor and glory of
the Lord Jesus Christ received from the Father (2 Pet. 1:16–18).
After His
ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saul (Acts 9) and John in
Revelation. These two visions have a substantial impact on the life and
theology of the church until He comes back “in the glory of His Father with His
angels” (Matt. 16:27).
One Day,
we will be glorified with the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given us the glory the
Father has given Him (John 17:22). We shall “live with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11), “reign
with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12), and in Him, we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2
Pet. 1:4). Christ has “made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Rev.
1:6).
The Lord Jesus
Christ, in His glory, continues His presence in the church. John saw “the One
like the Son of Man” is amid the seven lampstands, the churches. Christ said, “For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of
them” (Matt. 18:20). He also said, “I am with you always, even to the end of
the age” (Matt. 28:20). Christ’s presence in the churches also means His
presence in the glory of his Father.
Christ,
the Son of Man, reveals the Father because the Son is the perfect revelation of
God. Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), and He is “the
brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3). In
Christ, we can see and hear God’s voice. He who has seen the Lord Jesus Christ
has seen the Father (John 14:9).
The Garments
St. John
saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father “clothed with a garment
down to the feet” (Rev. 1:13). Isaiah also saw the Lord God “sitting on a
throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” (Isa.
6:1, NASB).
The word Greek
word “ποδήρη podere,” translated “garment” in
the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, describes the robe worn by the
high priest. The Father glorified His Son, in the flesh, and called Him to be “High
Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:4–6,10; 7:17–27), a role
often mentioned in (Heb. 7–9). Here, the Lord Jesus Christ is pictured with His
robe on in His role as the Great High Priest of His people (Lev. 8:7–9),
signifying that He is also the High Priest in heaven.
The Golden Band
The
statement “girded about the chest with a golden band” (Rev. 1:13) depicts the
majestic and powerful reign of the Father through Christ. The Lord God girded
Himself with majesty and strength (Ps.
93:1). He also arms His Children with strength (Ps. 18:32)
and strengthens them with might through His Spirit in the inner man (Eph.
3:16).
Other
words for “band” used in other translations are “sash,” “girdle,” or “belt.” It was of leather, cloth, or cord
worn around the waist, much like belts are worn today. The Bible mentions belts
worn by Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4). The rich man’s
leather belt held his sword, dagger, knife, or an inkhorn for writing in
biblical times. The scribe also carried their reed or pen in their belt (Ezek.
9:2,11).
Daniel
saw “a certain man clothed in linen” (Dan. 10:5), which expresses righteousness.
So, likewise, Christ, in His flesh, was the righteous servant of God (Isa.
53:11).
The High
Priest wore sash (Ex. 28:4, Lev. 16:4). Therefore, the imagery of Christ, “girded
about the chest with a golden band,” identifies Him as the great High Priest.
Moreover, wearing a belt around the waist is a symbol of the commitment to
righteousness. Isaiah prophesied the Lord Jesus Christ that “Righteousness
shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist” (Isa.
11:2–5). Thus, Christ had the perfect commitment to “fulfill all righteousness”
of God (Matt. 3:15).
The
Father credited His righteousness to us because of Christ’s fulness. In Christ,
we all have received “grace above grace,” for “grace and truth came through the
Lord Jesus Christ” (John 1:16–17). Peter urged the early Christians to “gird up
the loins of your mind” (1 Pet. 1:13) to be open and committed to the word of
God.
1:14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as
snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
The Head and Hair
The
statement “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow” (Rev.
1:13) has its roots in Daniel when he saw the
hair and the head of “the
Ancient of Days” was like pure wool (Dan. 7:9). In the vision of
Danel, the white color of the head and hair reveal God as the Eternal and the
Everlasting God. The psalmist said, “Before the mountains were born or you
brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are
God” (Ps. 90:2, NIV).
On the cross,
Christ’s hair was probably a mess because the crown of thorns forced on His
head most likely created blood clots in His hair. St. John also saw the head
and hair of Lord Jesus Christ “white like wool, as white as snow” (Rev. 1:14).
His head shines with the pure white brightness of heaven.
The
imagery of Christ having white hair reveals His person as the eternal Logos of God
(John 1:1). He is the great High Priest of God, whose days have no beginning,
no end (Heb. 7:3). Christ’s origins are “from
of old, from ancient times” (Mic. 5:2, NIV), and Isaiah called Him “Everlasting Father” (Isa.
9:6).
The white
head and hair also express the eternal life of the Father, which He has
manifested to us through Christ (1 John 1:2). The Father gave His Son “authority
over all flesh that He should give eternal life” (John 17:2). He gave us His
Son “to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). This gift of eternal life is for
those who hear the words of Christ and believe in God, who sent Him (John
5:24).
The Eyes
The eyes “like
a flame of fire” (Rev. 1:14; 2:18; 19:12) express their divine aspects,
revealing the zeal and the divine knowledge. The Lord is “consuming fire” (Deut.
4:24). His fiery eyes scan the whole earth and search
all around the world
(Zech. 4:10). Nothing escapes His penetrating glare. He sees all people’s ways
and gives everyone according to the fruit of his doings (Jer. 32:19).
Daniel
saw a man who was a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose eyes were “like
torches of fire” (Dan. 10:6; Rev. 2:18). God anointed the Christ with the fiery
Spirit of “wisdom and revelation” (Eph. 1:17, NIV). Christ said to
the angel of the church in Thyatira, “All the churches shall know that I am He
who searches the minds and hearts” (Rev. 2:23). The Father committed His Son all
judgment (John 5:22). Christ will judge
according to God’s righteousness (Isa. 11:3–4; Heb. 4:12; John 8:15–16).
1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
The Feet
St. John
saw the feet of Christ “like fine brass.” Daniel also saw the man had “His arms
and feet like burnished bronze in color” (Dan. 10:6).
Brass is
an alloy of Copper and Zinc. Other translations use the word “bronze” to mean “brass.”
Men did not know brass until the thirteenth century.[3]
What is designated by this word in Scripture is properly copper (Deut. 8:9).
Brass is
a symbol of strength. It depicts the power of God, who “has broken the gates of
bronze” (Ps. 107:16).
The Lord God
grants strength to His people. He would make the horn of Zion iron and her hooves bronze so
that she might have the power to beat her enemies in pieces (Michah 4:13). Daniel also saw the man had “His
arms and feet like burnished bronze in color” (Dan. 10:6).
In
addition, in biblical times, they used brass for pieces of armor. Goliath “had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a
coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders”
(1 Sam. 17:5-6).
Seeing
the imagery of “His feet were like fine brass” reveals Christ
as the victorious
worrier. David said to Goliath, “all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with
sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our
hands” (1 Sam. 17: 47).
The feet
of fine brass also reveals Christ’s victory over His enemies. The Father has
put everything under the feet of Christ (1 Cor. 15:27). God’s kingdom “shall
break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Dan.
2:44).
Bronze
was essential in establishing the tabernacle, the place of meeting with God. He
commanded Moses to overlay the altar with bronze and make its pans, shovels,
basins, forks, firepans, and utensils of bronze (Ex. 27:1–4). Moses made
the twenty pillars of the tabernacle and their twenty sockets of bronze (Ex.
27:10).
The feet,
like fine brass, reveals Christ’s role in the atoning work as essential. He is “the
chief cornerstone” in our relationship with God (Eph. 2:19–22). Christ also
promised those who overcome to make them essential “pillars” in the temple of
His Father (Rev. 3:12).
“The
brass as if refined in a furnace” reveals the fiery nature of God. He is “is a consuming fire, a jealous God”
(Deut. 4:24). It also refers to Christ’s atoning sufferings and the pains of His
death that were like the furnace’s fire. Christ went through the suffering and the
pains of death to restore our relationship with God, “For through Him [Christ] we
both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18; See also Heb. 2:9,
10:19–20).
The Voice
In the
vision, St. John heard the voice of Christ as the sound of the rushing water (Rev.
1:15).
The sound
of the mighty rushing waters is a reminiscence of the voice of “the God of
Israel” (Ezek. 43:2) in its powerful and majestic work. Therefore, David said, “The
voice of the Lord [Yahweh] is upon the waters; The God of glory
thunders, The Lord [Yahweh] is over many waters. The voice of the Lord [Yahweh]
is powerful, The voice of the Lord [Yahweh] is majestic” (Ps. 29:3-4,
NASU).
God spoke
to us through His Son (Heb. 1:1–2). In the emptiness of Himself, Christ did not speak
on His authority, but God is the one who told the Son what He should say (John
12:42).
The voice
of Christ has the sovereign divine power, and His words are Spirit and life (John 6:63). Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he
who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and
shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
Therefore,
the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in
which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those
who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil
deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29, NASU).
The
Father also commanded us to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ: “This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5).
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in
its strength.
The Right Hand
In His
right hand, John saw “seven stars” (Rev. 2:1; 3:1), which are “the angels of the seven churches” (Rev.
1:20). These angels are the priests or
the elders of these churches, one from each of them.
The fact
that these angels are the right-hand means they are the precious possession of Christ.
The Spirit of God separates them for the work He calls them (Acts 13:2).
These
seven angels shine like “stars” in Christ’s right hand. The Spirit of God
appoints and places them where He wants them to send His light: “Those who are
wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to
righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3, NIV). They are
under God’s care and protection. Christ is the High Priest and the shepherd of
the churches for the glory of God.
Out of the Mouth
“Out of His
mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (Rev. 1:16). The Lord God himself is like a
glorious sword defending His people. In the blessing Moses pronounced on the
Israelites before his death, he said, “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like
you, a people saved by the Lord [Yahweh]? He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will
trample down their high places” (Deut. 33:29, NIV).
The sharp
two-edged sword is “the sword of the Spirit,” which is “the word of God” (Eph.
6:17), for the word of God is living, powerful, and “sharper than any two-edged
sword.” It is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb.
4:12).
The Lord
Jesus Christ deals with the church through the living word of God, which proceeds from His mouth. In Christ’s
message to the angel of the church in Pergamos, He introduced Himself as “He
who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Rev. 2:12). He told him He would come and
fight against the Nicolaitans, who hold the false doctrine of Balaam, with the
sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:14–16).
Christ
overcomes “the beast and the false prophet” with the sword that comes out of
His mouth. He will consume the lawless one with the breath of His mouth (2 Thess.
2:8).
Those who
are in Christ are warriors, and the word of God is in their hands, just like
Solomon’s valiant men who were experts in war (Song.3:7–8).
The Countenance
“His
countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev. 1:16). His face
was shining as bright as the sun at noon, at its brightest. This imagery is a reminiscence of
the radiance of God’s countenance. The Lord God is” a sun and shield” (Ps. 84:11, NIV), “the Father of Lights” (James
1:17), and dwells in “unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:16).
Daniel also
described the man’s face he saw “like the appearance of lightning” as a symbol
of Christ (Dan. 10:6). Christ would be “the
Sun of righteousness” that would rise (Mal. 4:2). The radiant light reveals the
glory of Christ, who is “the brightness” of God’s glory and “the express image
of His person” (Heb. 1:3).
In
Revelation, John saw the Lord Jesus Christ’s appearance as entirely different
from His appearance in His suffering. On the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ was “so
disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isa.
52:14, NIV). “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his
appearance that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2, NIV). However, Christ’s
countenance, in His glory, was “like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev.
1:16).
God’s
glory also shines in our hearts through the knowledge of His glory in the face
of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Christ used the same analogy to
explain the glory of the righteous: “Then the righteous will shine forth as the
sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). Therefore, Isaiah calls on
the church to “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
rises upon you” (Isa. 60:1, NIV).
The Aftermath
of the Vision
1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He
laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and
the Last.
The Overwhelming Fear
John was
so overwhelmed at the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Glory. He “fell
at His feet as a dead man” (Rev. 1:17), although he was the one who laid on Christ’s
breast (John 13:23).
Such fear
has been a standard reaction for those who have heavenly visions. For example,
when Isaiah saw the glory of God in the temple, he was full of fear because he
saw the Lord God. Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isa. 6:5).
Ezekiel had a similar reaction when seeing the glory of God (Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 9:8;
43:3; 44:4). Also, when Daniel saw God’s glory in the angel who appeared to him,
he felt no strength in him. As soon as he heard the angel’s words, he fell into
a deep sleep with his face to the ground (Dan. 10:8–9; 8:17). Saul of Tarsus saw the
Lord Jesus Christ as a light from heaven, brighter than the sun. Upon seeing
it, Saul and his companions fell on their faces (Acts 26:13–14).
Every
detail of the Son of Man’s vision magnificently revealed the glory of God in
Christ. John was overtaken by what he heard and what he saw (Rev. 1:15).
The Touch of
Encouragement
The Lord
Jesus Christ did not leave John lying there, however. Instead, he comforted and
encouraged him by placing His right hand on him and saying, “Do not be afraid,
I am the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17). The same thing happened on the Mount
of Transfiguration. St. John, Peter, and James “fell on their faces and were
greatly afraid,” but the Lord Jesus Christ gave them the same touch of comfort
and reassurance and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they lifted their
eyes, they saw no one but the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:5–8).
The
Declarations
The First and the Last
The Lord God,
Yahweh, spoke the exact words in Isaiah. He said, “I am the First and
the Last” (Isa. 44:6; 48:12–13). He is “the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17), “for
whom are all things and by whom are all things” (Heb. 2:10), and “of Him and
through Him and to Him are all things” (Rom. 11:36).
In the
vision, the Lord Jesus Christ also said to St. John, “I am the First and the
Last” (Rev. 1:17). The fact that Christ said “I am the First and the Last”
three times in (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13) affirms His divinity, as He is the
eternal Word of God [Ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ], who was with God from the beginning
(John 1:1). In Revelation, Christ appeared “clothed with a robe dipped in
blood, and His name is called “The Word of God [Ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ]”
(Rev.19:13).
Christ, also, has the
fullness of the deity bodily in Him (John 10:30; Col. 2:9). These words helped
John understand the meaning of the vision.
1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and Death.
Who Lives and Was Dead
The Lord
Jesus Christ told John that He was dead but now lives and will live forever.
His body did not see decay (Acts 2:24, 13:37). The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I
live because of the Father” (John 6:57).
God delivered His Son from the agony of death and raised Him from the dead on
the third Day (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30; 13:33–34). Christ now
lives forever “according to the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrew 7:16). Christ will
never die again;
death could not master over Him (Rom. 6:9). As God raised Christ by the power
of His Holy Spirit, He will also raise us at His Second Coming (Rom. 8:11).
The Keys of Hades and
Death
“Hades”
is the New Testament equivalent of “Sheol” in the Old Testament. The terms
Hades and Death are essentially synonymous, with “death” being the condition
and “Hades” the place the souls of the dead, before Christ. The psalmist said, “The
wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17, NIV).
God has
the power to “cast into hell” (Luke 12:5). He “did not spare angels when they
sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for
judgment” (2 Pet. 2:4, NIV). In the end, God will throw death and Hades into
the lake of fire” (Rev 20:14, NIV).
The word “keys”
denotes access and authority. The Father gave Christ all authority on heaven
and earth (Matt. 28:18). So, Christ has the authority to deliver His people
from “Hades and Death.” He gives His people eternal life (John 17:2).
God will
destroy the devil, and He delivers His people from the fear and the power of
death (Heb. 2:14–15). The believers in Christ had nothing to fear
since Christ has the authority to deliver them from death and Hades. Christ
declared, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live
even if he dies” and “because I live, you will live also” (John 11:25, 14:19).
Commissioning
St. John
1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things
which are, and the things which will take place after this.
What John
saw was not only meant for his knowledge. The Lord Jesus Christ wanted him to
write down the things he has seen for all of God’s people (Rev. 1:19), the
bondservants of God (Rev. 1:1). Like St. John, all Christians must pass on the
truth they learn from the word of God (2 Tim. 3:16–17).
Revelation
is the only Book in the Bible that contains an inspired outline of the contents:
1.
The expression “the things you have seen” in (Rev. 1)
refers to One like the Son of Man’s vision.
2.
The expression “the things which are” in (Rev. 2–3)
refers to the particular messages to the seven churches.
3.
The expression “the things which will take place
after this” (Rev. 4–22) refers to the visions of God’s glory and work in Christ
that John would see.
The Mystery
1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right
hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
A “mystery”
is a secret or something hidden that has nobody make them known before. Unless
someone reveals the mystery, it is meaningless to the ordinary reader. But, once
explained, it ceases to be a mystery and becomes a revelation.
The word “mystery”
occurs four times in (Rev. 1:20; 10:7; 17:5,7). The first two relate to the
church and God, while the last two pertain to Babylon’s great prostitute.
As we
study the Apocalypse, we look for hints about interpreting its symbols and
understanding its message. Helpful clues are scattered throughout the Book and
facilitate the interpretation.
The Lord
Jesus Christ elaborated on the symbols of the stars and the lampstands. He
declared that “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the
seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:20).
The Seven Stars
“The
angels” are the messengers. They can be heavenly spiritual beings and human
messengers (Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24, 9:52). Sometimes the word “angel” refers to
the Lord Jesus Christ as He is “the
Angel of the Covenant” or “the Messenger of the Covenant” (Mal.
3:1).
The word “angel”
is often repeated in the Apocalypse, occurring sixty-seven times. It is
impossible to maintain that a given term must have the same meaning throughout
unless the author indicates it does.
Here, “the
seven angels” (Rev. 1:20) are the churches’ priests or elders. The Lord Jesus
Christ instructed John to write letters to these seven individual angels of the
churches. In verse 16, he holds the seven stars (messengers) in his right hand
to send them forth with authority and protect them, for He cares about His
church leaders.
These
seven angels were held accountable to ensure Christ’s message was delivered and
correctly presented as relayed through St. John. The seven angels were also
responsible for the people’s sins in the seven churches and their members’
spiritual development and well-being.
The Seven Lampstands
The
lampstands have become a powerful metaphor for the churches. They burn,
bringing light and illumination to the city as a witness of the Father’s glory
(Matt. 5:14–16). In Christ, God presented these seven churches as “golden
lampstands,” Despite their weaknesses and shortcomings (Rev. 1:12).
They are the golden lampstands amid the darkness of the world in which God has placed them. Christ said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house (Matt. 5:14-15).
[1] The NAS New Testament Greek
Lexicon.
[2] 1 Chron. 16:6,42; 2 Chron.
5:12–13; Num. 10:10; Ps. 81:3
[3]
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/brass/
Excerpt from: Revealing the Father through the Book of Revelation, by Hegumen Abraam Sleman
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