The Glorious Christ: Revelation 1

John HEARS and SEES this one. Let’s hear and see Him, as well.

In the last book in our Bibles, the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ prepares His church for what is ahead of them as they live for Him in this world. He prepares them for suffering and persecution and for the end of time when He will return. HOW DOES HE PRIMARILY DO THIS? By showing the church Himself. By showing how great and glorious He is and how He is all the church will ever need, regardless of what they are called to go through.

If we belong to Christ, He has assured us that there will be trials and suffering for His sake. But He has also assured us that HE is in control of all things, even the most difficult. What we need for facing all that life is bringing or will bring is TO KNOW WHO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS. And Revelation prepares us for the present and the future by showing us HIM.

Revelation shows us Jesus many times, but perhaps the greatest picture of Him is in:

Revelation 1:12-18

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

HERE IS JOHN’S VISION OF JESUS...

John sees one like a son of man in the midst of 7 golden lampstands 12-13a. HE IS IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH...as great as Jesus is, that is where we find Him...true churches can be messy, but Jesus is right in the middle of them anyway...and He works to transform them constantly.

If you want to know and find Jesus, you will find Him first of all in the CHURCH, in the church, a church, where His Word is taught and where He is worshiped and loved.

John also sees Jesus is: Like a son of man...that is: a human, yet too glorious to be merely human; He is the One who is God and Man, which Daniel saw in Daniel 7:13-14

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

THIS CAN ONLY DESCRIBE THE UNIQUE ONE WHO IS BOTH GOD AND MAN! Only this One is worthy to receive an everlasting kingdom where He reigns forever as King and served by people all over the world...

So the One who is in the midst of the churches is LIKE THEM, human, but NOT LIKE THEM, GOD, KING, WORLDWIDE SOVEREIGN...

THEN JOHN SEES THAT THIS CHRIST...

i. Is Clothed with a LONG ROBE & GOLDEN SASH around his chest 13b

This LONG ROBE was the robe of prophets (Zec. 3:4), of priests (Ex. 28:4; 39:29; Le. 16:4), and of kings (1 S. 24:5, 12). The robe symbolizes the prophetic, priestly, and kingly ministry of Christ.

➢ As PROPHET, Jesus Christ proclaims the Word of God to us. The Word of Salvation, the Gospel, the Scriptures...in fact, He is called “The Word of God” in John 1 and here in Revelation..

➢ As PRIEST, Jesus Christ gives us access into the presence of God and makes us acceptable to God. He is our constant intercessor. REMEMBER: He freed us from our sins by His blood...

➢ As KING, Jesus Christ rules and reigns over all the affairs of the universe, and He protects and provides and works all things out for good to those who love and follow Him. HE IS RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH...

THEREFORE, CHRIST IS ONE WHO IS ALL HIS PEOPLE NEED as they live life and even as they face death...I need to hear from God...Christ speaks in the Scriptures as God’s GREAT PROPHET...I need to be right with God and draw near to God...Christ has made the way for me as our GREAT HIGH PRIEST...I need protection, provision, direction: KING JESUS provides them all...HE IS ALL WE NEED, CHURCH!

NEXT HE SEES THAT THE...

ii. HAIRS OF HIS HEAD WERE WHITE, LIKE WOOL, LIKE SNOW14

-See Daniel 7:9 ...the Eternal God is seen...and this one is Jesus Christ!

PURE WHITE HAIR = great age, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, and therefore, what comes with that eternal life: infinite wisdom and the infinite dignity of age...

HE DOES NOT HAVE THE LIMITATIONS OF TIME, LIKE WE DO...HE IS BEFORE and AFTER ALL THINGS...HE SURROUNDS TIME, HISTORY...HE KNOWS IT BECAUSE HE IS BEFORE IT AND CONTROLS IT...and in His infinite wisdom can tell us what is to come and how to prepare for it and live through it and what will come afterwards (just what Revelation does)...

WHERE WE ARE GOING AS A CHURCH...HE KNOWS AND HE WILL GUIDE US...AND MAKE THE WAY STRAIGHT FOR US...but we need, as He says to us so many times in Revelation: EARS TO HEAR...willing, listening, obedient ears...

NEXT, JOHN SEES THAT HIS...

iii. EYES WERE LIKE A FLAME OF FIRE 14b

-Rev 2:18; 19:12; [Dan. 10:6]

-Jesus’ sees all, He KNOWS all: His infinite wisdom penetrates our hearts and minds...as 

Hebrews 4:12-13 says:

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

He can say to each church (and each church member!), “I know,” infallible diagnosis of our hearts; perfect prescription for what they need (e.g., Rev. 2:18–19).

APPLIC: KNOWING this should encourage us to come to Him openly and pray honestly...because He is the one who knows us...and should encourage us to LISTEN carefully to what He says, because He knows us and tells us what we NEED to hear...

HE DIAGNOSIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE AND SURE AND HIS CURE MUST BE HEARD AND FOLLOWED...

THEN JOHN SEES HIS...

iv. FEET are LIKE BURNISHED BRONZE, REFINED IN A FURNACE15a

-see Daniel 10:6 again for a vision of this same one...

-STRENGTH, STABILITY, PERSEVERENCE...

HE IS THE UNDEFEATABLE ONE WHO WILL TRIUMPH OVER THE KINGS AND POWERS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM...

NEXT, JOHN HEARS A...

v. VOICE like the roar of many waters 15b, ie like God, deity...

Ezekiel 1:24

24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

A VOICE THAT WE DARE NOT IGNORE, FOR IT SPEAKS WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY...

When He speaks, we must listen...and He speaks here, in the Scriptures. In Revelation it is the very voice of Christ, who has all authority in heaven and earth, that will bring the final defeat of the armies of earth:

Revelation 19:12-16

12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

AND IN HIS...

vi. ...RIGHT HAND HE HELD 7 STARS 16a

In v20 we are told that these 7 stars are the 7 angels of the churches...

In Hebrews 1:14 we are taught that angels are:

14 all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Ie, they serve the church and the saints...

The point here seems to be that this CHRIST is not only sovereign over the earth and its kings, but He is sovereign over the spiritual realm, as well.

Angels are held in Christ’s right hand of sovereign power...all things are under His control and He controls all things for our good...nothing slips through His grip...complete control...

AND...

vii. FROM HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD 16b

-Rev 19:15; [Rev 2:12, 16; Isa. 49:2; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12

-His word of judgment on the rebellious of the earth and on sin within the church

HIS WILL BE THE FINAL WORD...MATTHEW 25

BUT HE SPEAKS NOW, DAILY, THROUGH HIS WORD

WHAT JOHN FURTHER SAW WAS HIS...

viii. FACE WAS LIKE THE SUN SHINING IN FULL STRENGTH 16c

This is the blinding light of Christ’s HOLINESS...He is GOD! There is no one like Him...

Listen:

Isaiah 60:19-20

19 The sun shall be no more

your light by day,

nor for brightness shall the moon

give you light;

but the Lord will be your everlasting light,

and your God will be your glory.

20 Your sun shall no more go down,

nor your moon withdraw itself;

for the Lord will be your everlasting light,

and your days of mourning shall be ended.

Matthew 17:2 on the Mount of Transfiguration: John was there!

2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Matthew 17:5

5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Revelation 21:22-24

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,

THIS IS THE ONE WHO WILL BE THE ETERNAL LIGHT OF HEAVEN...Rev 21:23...

HE IS GOD...GLORIOUS ABOVE ALL...

LOOK AT JOHN’S REACTION:

Revelation 1:17

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not...

How does this vision of Christ affect you? 

THIS IS the ONE who is in the midst of the churches...this is the ONE who OWNS the CHURCH...glorious enough to take our breath away, but like us enough and loving enough to lay His hand on us and say, “FEAR NOT.”

If He does not overwhelm us in some sense...we have not really seen Him. If His glorious, fearsome presence ONLY overwhelms us, we have not felt His hand of mercy and compassion and heard Him say, “Fear Not.” But make no mistake, THIS IS WHO HE IS.