What are you Seeing, Hearing, Saying & Doing

The NET Bible (Second Edition) (Chapter 1)

10 I was in the Spirit [38] on the Lord’s Day [39] when40 I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, [41] Smyrna, [42] Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

12 I [43] turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, [44] and when I did so, [45] I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. [46] He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt [47] around his chest. 14 His [48] head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, [49] and his eyes were like a fiery [50] flame. 15 His feet were like polished bronze [51] refined [52] in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar [53] of many waters. 16 He held [54] seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His [55] face shone like the sun shining at full strength.

State of Being

This type of state moves far beyond our physical restraints, whereby we are released from the normality of our earthly existence.

[38] tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).

[39] tn Concerning the phrase κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ (kuriakē hēmera) BDAG 576 s.v. κυριακός states: “pert. to belonging to the Lord, the Lord’s … κ. ἡμέρᾳ the Lord’s day (Kephal. I 192, 1; 193, 31 …) i.e. certainly Sunday (so in Mod. Gk.…) Rv 1:10 (WStott, NTS 12, ’65, 70–75).”

Revelation, which means “unveiling,” translates the Greek word apokalypsis. Its use here indicates that the book of Revelation is apocalyptic literature, like Daniel in the OT. The revelation of Jesus Christ could mean the unveiling about Jesus, the unveiling by Him, or both. His slaves refers to all Christians.

Luter, Boyd. 2015. “Revelation.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, edited by E. Ray Clendenen and Jeremy Royal Howard, 1384. Broadman & Holman.

John on Patmos

Was it the Apostle John or Pseudepigrapha? Pseudepigrapha are works that are falsely attributed to an author, or where the real author attributes the work to someone else. The term comes from the Greek word pseudepigraphos, which means "falsely inscribed".

In The Spirit on the Lord’s Day

Dedicating your thoughts and heart to God.

Describing the Historical Jesus

He turned to see!

When we turn what do we see?

See verb

1 a: to perceive by the eye. b: to perceive or detect as if by sight

2 a: to be aware of : RECOGNIZE sees only our faults. b: to imagine as a possibility : SUPPOSE couldn't see him as a crook. c: to form a mental picture of : VISUALIZE can still see her as she was years ago. d: to perceive the meaning or importance of : UNDERSTAND

Vision

the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

"the organization had lost its vision and direction"

Revelation 1:14 The similes of the Son of Man’s head and hair being white like wool, depicting wisdom and purity, and His eyes being like a fiery flame, picturing piercing holiness, fuse the vision of the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9) and Jesus’ appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17:2).

Revelation 1:15 Unlike the feet of the statue in Dan 2:33–35, which crumbled, the description like fine bronze … fired in a furnace speaks of strength and stability. A voice like the sound of cascading waters would have riveted John’s attention as he was imprisoned on an island where powerful waves crashed ashore.

Luter, Boyd. 2015. “Revelation.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, edited by E. Ray Clendenen and Jeremy Royal Howard, 1385. Broadman & Holman.

How Does the Eye Work?

Approximately 80 percent of everything we learn comes through our eyes — the question is, how?

The eye contains over two million working parts and is considered the second most complex organ in the body— the most complex is the brain.

The inner structures of the eye all work together to produce an image that your brain can understand.

In order to produce a clear image, the eyes must complete a five step process:

Step 1: Light enters the eye through the cornea

When we look at an object, the light that is reflected off of the object enters the eye through the clear front layer of the eye, called the cornea. The cornea bends the light before it passes through a watery substance that fills the area behind the cornea, called the aqueous humor.

Step 2: The pupil adjusts in response to the light

The light continues to travel through the black opening in the center of the iris, called the pupil. The iris is the colorful part of your eye that gives it its blue, green, hazel, brown or dark appearance. The pupil then automatically gets bigger or smaller, depending on the intensity of the light. How does the pupil expand and contract? The iris is actually made up of muscles that expand and contract to control the pupil and adjust its size. So when you see your pupil getting bigger or smaller, it is really the iris that is controlling the pupil opening in response to the intensity of light entering the eye.

Step 3: The lens focuses the light onto the retina

The light passes through the pupil to the lens behind it. The lens adjusts its shape to bend and focus the light a second time, to ensure that you have a clear image of what you are looking at.

At this point, the light has been bent twice— as it moved from the cornea through the lens, and then from the lens to the retina. This “double bending” has actually flipped the image upside down.

Step 4: The light is focused onto the retina

The light then passes from the lens to the back of the eye which is filled with a clear, gelatinous substance called the vitreous until it reaches the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. The light is then focused throughout the retina which contains nerves called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors are made up of rods and cones, and are responsible for transforming the light rays into electrical impulses. While the light is focused throughout the retina, most of the light entering the eye is focused onto the focal point on the retina, known as the macula.

Step 5: The optic nerve transmits visual information to the brain

The nerves of the retina collect all of the electrical impulses, which then travel through the optic nerve at the very back of the eye up to the occipital lobe in the back of the brain.

At this point, The light then passes from the lens to the back of the eye which is filled with a clear, gelatinous substance called the vitreous until it reaches the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye.

The eye-brain connection

Vision is dependent on the connections between the eyes and the brain.

The light that enters the eye is required to go through a specific process in order to focus properly on the retina. If the connections between the eye and brain are not well developed, the visual information that is sent to the brain will not be interpreted properly, and the image will be difficult to see.

The eye in its perfection

The process of seeing is dependent on the perfection of the eye and all of its components, including:

Eyeball shape

Corneal shape and integrity

Lens clarity and curvature

Retinal health

If any of these components do not function properly, or are irregularly shaped, vision problems can occur— most commonly, blurry vision will develop.

Allow our sight to lineup with my godly vision

1:13–18 John had seen Jesus Christ in a similar glorified state on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17:2). He had also seen His resurrection body after He was raised (Jn 20; Ac 1:2–11). John was also acquainted with the rich OT images of the glorified Son of Man (see Dan 7:13) that this vision on Patmos recalled.

1:14 The similes of the Son of Man’s head and hair being white like wool, depicting wisdom and purity, and His eyes being like a fiery flame, picturing piercing holiness, fuse the vision of the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9) and Jesus’ appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17:2).

Joel 2:28 After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions.

A second look

Rather than being a Bible head was John experiencing the Holy Spirit move

1:15 Unlike the feet of the statue in Dan 2:33–35, which crumbled, the description like fine bronze … fired in a furnace speaks of strength and stability. A voice like the sound of cascading waters would have riveted John’s attention as he was imprisoned on an island where powerful waves crashed ashore.

Luter, Boyd. 2015. “Revelation.” In Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary, edited by E. Ray Clendenen and Jeremy Royal Howard, 1385. Broadman & Holman.

According to most experts, sight (vision)

is generally considered the most important of the five senses, as humans rely heavily on visual information to navigate and interact with their environment; a large portion of our brain is dedicated to processing visual data. Explanation: Dominant sense: Most people perceive the world primarily through sight, making it the dominant sense for most activities. Brain processing: A significant portion of the brain is devoted to interpreting visual information compared to other senses. Safety and navigation: Vision plays a crucial role in avoiding dangers and navigating surroundings.

A Theology of Twisting

Sight from the perspective of Seeing Clearly

Luke 6:42. How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t seethe beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Biblical Studies Press. 2019. The NET Bible. Second Edition. Denmark: Thomas Nelson.

Sight from the perspective of Revelation

John 1:14-16. Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ ” For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.

Biblical Studies Press. 2019. The NET Bible. Second Edition. Denmark: Thomas Nelson.

Sight from the perspective of Compassion

Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”

Biblical Studies Press. 2019. The NET Bible. Second Edition. Denmark: Thomas Nelson.

Seeing and Hearing have alternate Meanings

The NET Bible Version Matthew Chapter 13

13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully [19] yet will never understand, you will look closely [20] yet will never comprehend. 13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ [21]

[19]

tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168–69).

[20]

tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.

[21]

sn A quotation from Isa 6:9–10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

13:16 “But your eyes are blessed [22] because they see, and your ears because they hear. 13:17 For I tell you the truth,[23] many prophets and righteous people longed to see [24] what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

13:18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 13:19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one [25] comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; [26] this is the seed sown along the path. 13:20 The [27] seed sown on rocky ground [28] is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 13:21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; [29] when [30] trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 13:22 The [31] seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth [32] choke the word, [33] so it produces nothing. 13:23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” [34]

[22]

sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.

sn Study Note—includes comments about historical or cultural background, explanation of obscure phrases or brief discussions of context, discussions of the theological point made by the biblical author, cross references and references to Old Testament quotations or allusions in the New Testament, or other miscellaneous information helpful to the modern reader.

[23]

tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amēn) I say to you.”

[24]

sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10–12 or Heb 1:1–2.

[25]

sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Mark 4:15 has “Satan,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.

[26]

sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.

[27]

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

tn Translator’s Note—explains the rationale for the translation and gives alternative translations, interpretive options, and other technical information.

[28]

tn Grk “The one sown on rocky ground, this is the one.” The next two statements like this one have this same syntactical structure.

[29]

tn Grk “is temporary.”

[30]

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[31]

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[32]

tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”

tn Translator’s Note—explains the rationale for the translation and gives alternative translations, interpretive options, and other technical information.

BDAG A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3d e.d.

s.v. under the word (from Latin sub verbo or sub voce)

[33]

sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[34]

tn The Greek is difficult to translate because it switches from a generic “he” to three people within this generic class (thus, something like: “Who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one instance a hundred times, in another, sixty times, in another, thirty times”).