John's First Vision
Notes
Transcript
9 I, 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.
“I, John,”
John wants those reading this letter to know exactly who wrote it. He has already made it very clear, that the letter is from Jesus, but the people scattered throughout the seven churches knew John intimately. They knew that John had a very intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. These people would have known that John was exiled to Patmos, condemned to die, and that this could very well be his last letter.
This is the third time that John has introduced himself to his readers here in the first chapter(Rev. 1:1, 1:4, 1:9, 21:2, 22:8). He will refer to himself two more times in this letter, but not until the last two chapters.
“both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,”
“brother and companion”
John calls his readers brothers. He is setting the connection between them and himself in terms of Christ. This is an important distinction, because this means that everything he writes for them is applicable to him as well.
It is as if John is saying, “God chose me to deliver this message to you, but remember that I had to receive it first. This message is for us all. We are in this together.”
“in the tribulation and kingdom”
This is tribulation with a little “t”. There will be much tribulation with a big “T” once we get to chapter 6 and beyond, but here, John speaks of the everyday tribulation they all face in terms of persecution.
No follower of Christ is immune to the world’s tribulation. We all will face it to some degree or another. John himself is writing this letter from a place of persecution to start with, which we will look at a little more in a moment.
The kingdom here speaks of the highs. John therefore is speaking of how each of them are fellow partakers in the highs and lows of being a child of God. Each will experience tribulation and each will experience the blessings of the kingdom.
“and patience of Jesus Christ,”
This word patience means to have a steadfast endurance. Some translations use the word perseverance. It means that regardless of what they face, whether good or bad, they must continue forward. They must never give in or give up. They must prevail for the sake of the kingdom and the glory of God. They are and will continue to persevere.
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
“was on the island that is called Patmos”
John had been condemned here by the Roman Emperor Domitian. It is believed by many that this island was a marble camp. In other words, those who were condemned here had to work long hours mining marble from the ground, so that it could be shipped by boat to major port cities. John would have had to accompany the other men in this effort.
Patmos was like the modern-day Alcatraz. It was an island in the middle of the ocean, and there was no way on or off the island except by boat. Those boats were monitored closely by the commanding officers on duty so that no one could escape.
It amazes me how much of the NT was accomplished from behind bars, so to speak. Paul wrote many letters while in chains, and John writes this letter while in chains. This is proof that the world can never take the spirit of a man. They chain your hands and feet, but they can never chain your heart. They cannot take one’s desire to live for God away from them, regardless of the environment they stick them in.
“for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
This is why John is here, because he was a faithful follower of Christ. John is mimicking what he said in vs. 2.
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
“I was in the Spirit”
When John says that he was in the spirit, this is more than just being in a good ole prayer session. This is more than just being filled with the Spirit. God had allowed John to transcend the normal spiritual connection that we all have so that he had what we would call today, “an out of body experience”.
God took him in the spirit into the spiritual realm. John was transported, in a sense, into the spiritual realm of heaven so that he could witness things outside of the physical realm. John is not the only person in Scripture that was privileged with being able to do this.
Ezekiel
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!”
13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.
14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.
Peter
9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
Paul
1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—
4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
“on the Lord’s Day,”
Some believe that this should be rendered as the Day of the Lord, which would be a reference to the Tribulation. This phrase “The Day of the Lord” is used 24 times in Scripture and is always a reference to the coming day of great judgment upon the earth.
11 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
I believe this is simply saying that this took place on Sunday, which was the day of worship for the church all throughout the NT. This phrase appears only once here in Rev 1:10, but it would seem most plausible that John is simply saying that he was praying on Sunday.
“and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”
John is caught up in the spirit and all of a sudden he hears behind him this big, big voice. John does not mean to convey that this voice literally sounded like a trumpet. The loudness of a trumpet is the best reference he could give to describe this big, commanding voice.
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.”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”
Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last letter in the Greek Alphabet. Both of these sayings are one in the same. It is simply two ways to say the same thing. This speaks to the eternal nature of Christ.
“What you see, write in a book”
This is the first time that John is told to write something down. Interestingly, John will be told 11 more times throughout the book to write something down. Seven of those times will come from each of the seven letters to the churches (Revelation 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:7, 3:14). The other four times are found in Revelation 1:19, 14:13, 19:9, 21:5. One time (Revelation 10:4), John is told not to write down what he has seen. In that one instance, God does not allow John to share with us what he has seen.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
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.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
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.
Seven Golden Lampstands (vs. 12, 20)
Seven
The number seven throughout the Bible represents completeness. Therefore, the fact there are seven churches means that these churches represent the fullness, or completeness of the church.
Though these seven churches John is writing to are actual churches, they represent all of the churches throughout church history. We will unpack this more as we get to the letters of the seven churches.
Golden
Gold was the most precious metal of their day. The church is God’s most prized possession. These lampstands are made of pure gold, which represents the purity of the church of God in Christ. The church is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46). The Church is so valuable that Jesus bought it with His own blood.
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Lampstands (Candelabra, Menurah)
In the OT Temple, there stood one lampstand in the inner sanctuary. It was the only source of light inside the entire temple.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
Here, we see seven lampstands. Vs. 20 tells us that these seven lampstands represent the seven churches that John is writing to. This speaks to how the church is to be the light of the world.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
From vs. 13 to vs. 16, John gives us several descriptions of Christ as he sees Him. In verses 17-18, Jesus gives us a description of Himself. Each of these descriptions tells us something about Him. This might very well be the most complete description of Jesus’s majesty in all of Scripture.
One like the Son of Man
This phrase is a Messianic title from the OT that speaks of Christ.
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
He is the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One.
In the midst of the seven lampstands
He is present within the churches. His presence is the source of their light. He is in the midst of the lampstands, the churches. Without His presence, the light would go out.
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band
Some have said that this rove represents royalty. There are several verses that speak of kings wearing robes, but those verses do not seem to give us any information about those robes.
5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
I did find some verses that spoke of the high priests wearing sash’s amongst their holy garments.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
4 He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.
It seems as if this saying that the One who is in the midst of the churches watches, listens, and serves as the high priest of those churches.
Hebrews says a ton about Jesus being the High Priest of the New Testament Church (Hebrews 2:17-18, 7:25, 9:11-12, 4:15).
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow
Once again, we get another reference from Daniel here.
9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;
This seems to be a reference to the purity of Christ. He is absolutely perfect and righteous. As such, this purity is passed on to the church as it is refined through His discipleship and discipline.
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters
This is yet again a reference to Daniel.
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
Two more times, this reference to having eyes like fire will be used.
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
All of these descriptions speak of His authority in heaven and earth.
Eyes of fire speak of judgment and authority.
Feet like brass speaks of authority. Kings always say on thrones that were exalted up on platforms. Those being tried by them were therefore beneath their feet, so the feet of the king came to be known as authority.
Seven times, the phrase, “Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” is used. This speaks of this same thing.
Voice booming means that it is heard above all others. His voice is the loudest, most prominent, etc.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
He had in His right hand seven stars,
Vs. 20 tells us that these seven stars represent the angels (messengers/pastors/leaders) of the seven churches.
Vs. 20 tells us that these seven stars represent the angels (messengers/pastors/leaders) of the seven churches.
Remember that seven represents completeness. So as the seven churches represent the fullness of the church, these seven stars represent Christ as the head of the Church. He is fully and unequivocally the head of the body.
This speaks of how each pastor of each church is merely an under shepherd to the Good Shepherd.
Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword
This speaks of how Christ will defend the Church.
15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
In both of these instances, Christ is striking the ungodly with the sword that precedes from His mouth.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
This speaks of the radiance of His glory shining forth from Him.
31 “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength.” So the land had rest for forty years.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Moses
35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
