A Vision of Jesus Christ
Revelation 1:9-20
August 6, 2006 

      "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" Jesus asked His disciples as they came into the district of Caesarea Philippi. They responded by repeating what they had heard from the multitudes. "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." In other words, they really did not understand who Jesus Christ was. They had hints in the right direction. All of these prophets spoke truth, lived holy lives, and called for repentance; so did Christ. Yet their vision fell far short of reality. For anyone else, we would consider it a compliment to be compared to the last of the great prophets, John the Baptist, or the miracle working prophet, Elijah, or the compassionate, teaching prophet Jeremiah (Matthew 16:13-16). But this was Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the Creator and Redeemer! No wonder then that the multitudes turned away from Him when the intensity of the gospel message became too much for them. While many professed belief in Him, their inaccurate view of Jesus Christ made their faith and perseverance deficient. One will not remain steadfast in living as a Christian without a right view of Christ. He can be religious, a nice person, accomplish notable things, but apart from a right understanding of the Christ he will fail at being Christian.

      People still have their opinions regarding Jesus Christ. Yet few even in the religious world have a clear view of Christ. How do we know this? Consider what you see in the New Testament. Zaccheus got a clear view of Jesus, and the hardened tax collector repented and began to display a generosity mirroring the grace that he knew. Saul of Tarsus was bent on destroying Christians. Then he got a clear view of Jesus Christ. All of his ambitions changed; so did his attitude toward Christians as he became the Apostle Paul. The woman at the well of Samaria waffled in her discussions with Jesus Christ until she perceived His identity. Her life dramatically changed, and so did her entire village as she testified of Christ. Everything changed with a right view of Christ.

      Why is there such dependence in churches upon new programs, technological productions, new levels of theatrics, and general pandering to the crowds? Do these things transform sinners into a holy people of God? We must learn the lesson of Revelation. John did not attempt to bring some new multi-pronged ideas into the churches of Asia Minor. He simply gave them a vivid look at Jesus Christ to affect their life and worship. A church's view of Jesus Christ shapes its life and worship. That was true in the first century, and it is true in our day. But how does that happen? 

I. Identification with the church

      John has already set forth his preface to this apocalyptic prophetic epistle. He calls himself a bond-servant who sought to testify to the gospel and all that he saw in his prophetic visions (1:1-2). He offers a blessing for the reader and the hearers of the prophecy as they heed its message (1:3). He addresses the seven churches, offering a Trinitarian doxology to frame the entire book. Now he must give them a few details. How did he come to write a rather lengthy letter of such an extraordinary nature to the churches of Asia Minor?

      To begin with, John identifies himself with the brethren in these churches. Some were already feeling the squeeze of Roman oppression; others knew the insidiousness of false teaching gaining a foothold in the church. John knew them well, having labored in Ephesus, and likely the surrounding cities for many years. They knew of his exile to Patmos. In his absence, some drifted in their obedience and faithfulness to Christ. Yet he doesn't come to them via letter with a club but as a brother in Christ. 

      1. Union with Jesus Christ

      The prepositional phrase, "in Jesus," identifies John and the brethren joined in union with Jesus Christ. That same kind of language is sprinkled throughout the New Testament epistles to remind us of the bounty that belongs to Christians because of relationship with Christ as well as the inseparable bonds of the body of Christ (cf. Eph. & Col.). We're taught that we have died with Christ, that we've been raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places, that our lives are hidden with Him in God (Col. 3:1-4; Eph. 2:5-6). Later in this same chapter, Christ speaks, declaring that He is the living One, and that He was dead and now is alive forevermore (1:17-18). It is in union with Him as He died in our stead at the cross and as He rose from the dead that we have life (Rom. 6:1-11).

      This union has another effect which we see in John's explanation. "I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the Island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." Though highly respected by all, the last living apostle, John calls himself a "brother and fellow partaker" with these Christians in Asia Minor. He knew nothing of an elitist band among Christians that looked down upon the rest of the believers. He was a brother united in the fellowship of the gospel and all that one experiences as a Christian. As a "fellow partaker," he implied that what they walked through he walked through as well. He did not say this morosely but with a note of joy and the certainty of rich fellowship together in Christ.

      But notice what this brother partook of along with the Christians in the seven churches: "fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus." First, he speaks of something that is part and parcel with relationship to Christ. These things are in Jesus, that is, as you are in union with Him by faith you can be assured that these things unite you together in Christ. Second, one article "the," bring together the experience of suffering and glory. Believers are partakers together "in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance" found in union with Jesus Christ. The "tribulation" refers to the opposition, persecution, shunning, and loss experienced by Christians because they are Christians. In comes in different degrees and shades and intensities. The world maintains opposition to Christ and the gospel. The Thessalonian believers "received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thes. 1:6). Paul told them as well not to be alarmed by the "afflictions" (same Greek term) that he and the brethren had been destined for (1 Thes. 3:3). He even warned them that they would "suffer affliction" (3:4). "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," Paul told Timothy (2 Tim. 3:12). Tribulation literally means, "to be squeezed" or "to be in a tight place." John declares that in union with Jesus you will find yourself in some tight places! There will be plenty of times that you are "between a Rock and a hard place!" There's a constant tension that operates as long as we are in these bodies of clay and in a fallen world. Sometimes the tension grows hostile; other times it shows no fangs but you know it's there.

      Third, not only is there tribulation but John also explains that union with Jesus Christ relates to "the… kingdom." He reminds us that we belong to an eternal kingdom that stands in contrast with the temporal powers of this world. Christ's redemptive death has "made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father." In union with Christ, we need not be preoccupied with the world's opposition but with our occupation. We are a kingdom of priests, given the joyous task of worshiping our God, and bearing witness of the gospel to those not worshiping Him. And in this we are called to "perseverance," or endurance, bearing up in whatever situation because we are in union with Christ. All of the resources needed to persevere in the faith are found in Him. 

      2. Participants in the gospel

      John gave testimony to this three-fold certainty found in union with Christ. He "was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." Patmos, according to some scholars, served as a Roman penal colony. Others say there's no evidence that it was an island prison but it was indeed a place of exile for those that Roman governors deemed to be a threat. This small island, measuring only 10 miles by 4 miles, and about 40 miles from the coast, had multiple inlets with mountains and volcanic rock. It was a barren place, yet for John, it became a treasured place because of his union with Jesus Christ and the vision that came to him on the island. Why did he end up on Patmos? "Because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus," he told us. He opened the Scriptures to expound their greatest message, pointing to Jesus Christ. He continually bore witness to the gospel of Christ. He lived for the gospel and consequently, for the gospel's sake he met the world's opposition.

      But Christ made up for John's solitary banishment to Patmos! As the Scottish Covenanter James Durham quaintly put it, "Neither doth John lose anything by his banishment and confinement; for, he finds more intimate and sweet communion and fellowship with Christ, and gets more of His mind: nor doth the Church lose anything by it; for, she gets this Revelation of God's mind" [Commentary Upon the Book of the Revelation, 34]. He goes on to remind us that Christ has a way of making up for the world's opposition and persecution by the unusually special times of communion that often accompanies such settings. 

      3. Dependent on revelation

      John explained how the book of Revelation came about. Christ initiated it. He prepared the human instrument, John, by lifting his thoughts from the dreary surroundings into the breathtaking vistas of divine revelation. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet." By this time the church recognized Sunday as "the Lord's day," that weekly time of commemorating that Christ has triumphed over sin and death in His resurrection; that redemption has been accomplished. Though alone, John worshiped, and in the midst of that time, the Holy Spirit put his mind and lifted his spirit into another realm. "In the Spirit" is akin to the same experiences of the Old Testament prophets at times of revelation. It is John's way of letting us know that what he wrote did not come out of his imagination but by divine revelation. We are dependent upon the Holy Spirit as He has communicated the mind of God to us through human personalities, and preserved it for us in Holy Scripture, with the book of Revelation as one example.

      "Write in a book what you see," that is, John would have heavenly visions and must seek to communicate them in understandable language. Part of the reason for the imaginative apocalyptic language was that John sought to explain what human vocabulary falls short in communicating. So he resorted to the signs and symbols of apocalyptic words. At the command of Christ, he would "send to the seven churches." They would receive it as the Word of God. And so do we, along with the sixty-five other books of the Bible that have come to us as the Holy Spirit has communicated God's Word through human personalities. 

II. Description of the Voice

      The "loud voice like the sound of a trumpet" that John heard, obviously got his attention. John "turned to see the voice that was speaking with me." Is that not unusual language? Do you turn to see a voice or a person? The voice that spoke with the clarity, depth, and alarm of a trumpet, left John with a sense of awe. But that was only the beginning of a new level of reverence that he experienced. 

      1. In the midst of the churches

      The voice continued to speak (noted by the imperfect tense of "was speaking") as John turned. What he saw astonished him! "And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man." Later we find that Christ tells John that the lampstands are the seven churches that He was addressing in the letter. What a telling statement! Christ is in the middle of the churches! That's the picture that he wants us to see and grasp. Here were seven churches facing seven sets of issues, each with particular needs. Some faced persecution; others faced false teaching; still others faced their own preoccupation with lesser things that had tripped up their devotion to Christ. Jesus Christ was in their midst; He was with them through these trying times.

      John's unfolding description uses language out of Daniel's prophecy. "One like a son of man," directly quotes Daniel 7:13 where the prophet had a vision of four mighty kingdoms that ruled the world. The last kingdom, a prophetic look at the Roman Empire, ruled with arrogance and ruthlessness. The alarmed prophet kept looking until he saw a vision of "the Ancient of Days" upon His throne. Then, as the vision continued to unfold, Daniel said, "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:13-14).

      Now, in the midst of the churches, is this "one like a son of man." The One who has authority over the nations, to whom belong all glory and dominion forever, this One is present with His churches with all of His might, strength, and provisions, so that they might be faithful to Him. In a day when the church seems to be more dependent upon the approval of the world than the strength of Christ, we need to see again this vision. As we make our plans, as we carry out our work, do we do so with the view of Christ in our midst? So many professing Christians have little regard for the church. A number of recent studies show a decline in interest in the church. Many seek to come up with their own novel ideas of Christian fellowship apart from the church instituted by Christ. They focus on the ills and problems found in every congregation, and judge themselves and their ideas superior to the rest. Yet even with the problems found in five out of the seven churches, Christ was in their midst. Christ is building His church so that the gates of Hades will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). To have little regard for the church is to have little regard for the Christ in the midst of the churches. We do not see in the Scriptures the emphasis on individualism so present in our day; rather the Word focuses primary attention on the gathered people of God.  

      2. Majesty and glory

      John's vision of Christ is not meant to be taken literally. Albrecht Durer, the renowned Renaissance artist who painted "Praying Hands," sought to capture this vision on canvas. It is actually a shocking scene of one with a long robe, stars in his extended right hand, long white eyebrows and beard, rays penetrating from his head, and a sword coming out of his mouth. Looking at this painting is a good reminder that John did not intend this picture to be literal but figurative, so that we might grasp something of the majesty and glory of Jesus Christ.

      "And in the middle of the lampstands ["candlesticks" as the KJV is incorrect since candles were not invented until many centuries later] I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven starts, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength."

      The repeated use of "like" lets us know that John is using images common to his audience to help them grasp something of the wonder of Christ. The robe reaching to the feet is reminiscent of those worn by the high priest as he carried out his mediatorial work (Ex. 28:4; 29:9). John points to Christ as our Mediator: "the great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God" (Heb. 4:14). As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, we can have confidence to draw near to God due to the effectiveness of His priestly work on our behalf. The golden sash across His chest speaks of His royalty, as both priests and kings would have been clothed in this fashion (Isa. 22:21). The golden sash is a reminder of the one that had come from God's presence, perhaps Gabriel or the pre-incarnate Christ, to reveal the future to Daniel (Dan. 10:5).

      The description of His head and hair white like wool, and to clarify the whiteness, like snow, is similar to Daniel's description of the Ancient of Days. "And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like while snow and the hair of His head like pure wool" (Dan. 7:9). This focuses on the dignity and worthiness of the Lord. He is one of majestic honor before whom we humble ourselves in His presence. It may seem interesting that John borrows this same description of God for Christ, which is not surprising since we find that He uses the same titles that the Old Testament ascribes to God for Christ (e.g., "I am the first and the last," Isa. 44:6, "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me."). "The Son of Man is God, infinite in wisdom and holiness," as Dennis Johnson put it (Triumph of the Lamb, 59].

      "His eyes were like a flame of fire," points to the searching, omniscient gaze of Christ. Hebrews 4:13 explains this well. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." We cannot hide from Him or cover our tracks. Additionally, He sees our every need and knows our anxious thoughts. We find Him to be strong, steady, and faithful for every situation we face, which is pictured in the next image. "His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace."  "His voice was like the sound of many waters," was probably illustrated continually in John's ears on the rocky island in the Aegean Sea, as the waves pounded against the rocky walls. Here he speaks of Christ's authority as our Prophet. His authority is seen in that "in His right hand He held seven stars." John explains the stars later but the authority to protect and rule is emphasized. "Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword," reminds us of Christ conquering with the word of His mouth as he later speaks of in Rev. 19:15. John turns our attention to Christ as "warrior and judge" by this metaphor [Johnson 59]. "He shall speak and it shall be done" [G.E. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 33]. His majesty and glory is amplified by the description, "His face was like the sun shining in its strength." Such glory we cannot long gaze upon without it blinding us by its sheer holiness.

      Think upon the attributes of Jesus Christ. That's the purpose in the images rather than giving us a literal description of Christ. John's portrait bears striking resemblance to that of Daniel 7, 10, and Ezekiel 1. He intends for us to see that our Redeemer is the Almighty God! 

III. Reaction to revelation

      What happens when God reveals Himself to you? There's no, "Hey, Dude!" happening. Nor do we find trite sayings or man-centered entertainment. If we fail to see that Revelation is preeminently a book of worship, then we have missed the main point. Those who do not know the Lamb of God recoil with dread at the revelation of Christ in this book. But those who know Him through trust in Him as their substitute before the wrath of God always worship when He is revealed.  

      1. Worship as response to revelation

      We learn an important truth in the book of Revelation concerning the nature of biblical revelation. When God reveals Himself, He reveals something of His character or His attributes or His actions or His promises or His warnings. The natural response to such revelation is worship. As a matter of fact, apart from revelation (not the book) we really cannot worship. That's why the attention given in our day to manufacturing a worship experience through technology or particular musical chords or some type of emotional experience really only stirs the emotions, falling short of worship. I propose to you that John worshiped when he saw this vision of Christ! But it's not like the average worship that we're accustomed to. So intense was this revelation of Christ, that "when I saw Him," John said, "I fell at His feet like a dead man." Such awe and reverence for Christ overwhelmed him so that John collapsed as though dead. He wasn't dead; he fell silent and numbed by the wonder of gazing upon this revelation of the attributes of Jesus Christ.

      That's why we insist that the worship service includes and even focuses upon the exposition of God's Word. As God reveals Himself to us through His Word, then we worship. That's why our focus is upon reading Scripture and singing hymns and songs that bear accurate reflection of Scripture. Unless God reveals Himself, we will not worship. He is pleased to reveal His mighty name through His Word which He has exalted above His own name. So let us learn from John's worship encounter with Christ! 

      2. Transformation through worship

      Several things happened as John worshiped the majestic Christ. First, he found a new confidence and trust in the Lord, as Christ placed His right hand on John and said, "Do not be afraid." When Christ commands us not to fear we have reason to be confident. Second, he gained a new understanding of Jesus Christ. "I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Christ's sovereignty, "the first and the last," is made clearer. His triumph over sin, death, and the powers of darkness through His atoning death and victorious resurrection became more real to John when he heard the divine confession, "I am… the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore." The gospel grows sweeter to our taste and more powerful in our thoughts as we worship. Death is no longer something to fear because Christ holds the keys!

      Third, in worship we have a new impetus for obedience. Christ commanded John to write what he had seen and what he would see. He wrote of realities past, present, and future, so that God's people might persevere. Consider the weight of responsibility upon him. He gave counsel to maybe hundreds of believers, and through the centuries, millions. What a heavy weight to bear! Yet if one has met Christ in worship, then whatever the calling to obey might entail, he has confidence and desire to do it.

      Finally, in worship we begin to understand more of Christ's possessiveness and care for His church. That's the implication in verse 20. "As for 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 are the seven churches." While scholars debate whether the seven stars represent literal angels, or whether they represent the "messenger" or pastor in each church, or whether the angel speaks of the heavenly reality of the church viewed from Christ's perspective [Johnson 63], two certainties ring loud and clear. "The lampstands highlight his presence and the stars emphasize his protective possessiveness" of His churches [Johnson 63]. That's what these churches needed to know as Christ called for them to endure; and so do we along with our brethren across the world. 
 

Conclusion

      How we view Jesus Christ does shape the way we live as God's people and how we worship Him. If we have a low view of Christ then we will be easily swayed by the world, and rarely, if ever truly worship. But if our thoughts of Christ are shaped by the revelation of God's Word, then everything about us is affected. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear Jesus Christ!

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by South Woods Baptist Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy:

Copyright South Woods Baptist Church. Website: www.southwoodsbc.org. Used by permission as granted on web site. Questions, comments, and suggestions about our site can be sent here.