Revelation 1:9-20

Recap:

Structure: vision of the Song of Man, Seven Letters, Vision of Heaven, Judgement Cycles, Vision of Victory

Chapter 1 is important in understanding the rest of the text

The “Revelation of Jesus Christ” is all about Jesus

Imminent aspect with future allusions

Prophecy calls God’s people to obedience

Domitian Vs. Jesus as Lord

Subversive Rhetoric

Hermeneutical Key

Chapter one is key to the rest of the text.

The Jesus we see here is the Jesus we will see later

As an opening vision in Apocalyptic literature, the context, audience and plot are initiated or “inaugurated”

John’s Commissioning Rev. 1.9-11

Revelation 1:9–11 ESV

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Community Identification

John shares community with his audience

your brother and partner

shared community in the Kingdom, but what kind of Kingdom?

A Kingdom Involved with Persecution and Endurance

in tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance...

tribulation, Kingdom and Endurance share a common article in Greek.

ἐν τῇ θλίψει καὶ βασιλείᾳ καὶ ὑπομονῇ

They all share the Dative case.

this means that “all three together function as one composite reality” (Stevens, 260).

What does this mean about the Kingdom?

tribulation is not something in a distant future exclusively but a present and ongoing reality for the churches there and then as well as corporately

Acts 14.22

The churches may wonder, “Where is God’s Kingdom? Hasn’t it come in Christ?”

John reminds them of his partnership with them while also making it known that Jesus and Domitian’s Kingdoms are different.

Domitian sits atop a government forged by conquest under the guise of salvation.

The blood of many were spilled for the empire.

Jesus’s Kingdom comes by the spilling of his blood.

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/

Christological Paradigm

The Kingdom is “in Jesus.”

and so are the persecution and endurance

From the beginning, John is encouraging the Believers to hold their testimony in Christ.

As Jesus was a faithful witness (1.5), so can his church be in the face of tribulation

The pressure to recant was real.

Are you getting glimpses of Hope?

Patmos on the Lord’s Day

not the “Day of the Lord” of the OT.

Jesus rose on the first day of the week, Sunday.

So John was in the spirit on Sunday when he received the Revelation.

Judgement Context

I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet...

this imagery mirrors OT language about God

Ex 19.16 on the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast so that all the people in the camp trembled.

Jesus is about to commission John to write and with that the text resembles how God commissioned prophets in the past.

Isaiah 30:8–9 ESV

And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord;

Christ, being seen here as having the characteristics of God the Father will issue judgement

Judgement is the Big Picture of Revelation

judgement of the churches (Rev. 2-3)

judgement of the world (Rev. 6-20)

Jesus Commissions John to write too the 7 Churches of Asia Minor

As we have seen, the seven represent seven real recipient churches - remember its epistolary in genre too.

John may also have in mind, however the entirety of the churches of Asia Minor

7 is used many times symbolically as completeness

So the idea is that John is writing to the those 7 churches but also with concern for all churches.

Jesus’ Appearance Rev. 1.12-16

The text here describes four signs, which tell us something about Jesus in his appearance.

John signs to the audience: who Jesus is, where he is, how he is clothed and what he looks like.

Revelation 1:12–16 ESV

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 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. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 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.

Who He Is - Identity

One like a son of man

remember Jesus sees himself as the son of man in the NT

He calls himself this instead of messiah or christ

remember the Jewish expectation of a military messiah or son of man (Dan 7.13-14; 1 Enoch 46)

Jesus came as a suffering Son of Man (Mk 10.45; Matt 26.45)

if Jesus was a suffering messiah, then his followers are in store for the same.

Where He Is - Presence

Jesus is among the lampstands with 7 stars in his right hand

the imagery John is giving us at the beginning of the vision is that these lampstands and stars are the only source of light in the darkness.

lampstands give us an image of the presence of God while John also tells us what they are, the churches

To a dark world, Christ and his Bride are shining.

John 1.4-5

John 1:4–5 ESV

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

… who Jesus is determines where he is. the persecuted Son of Man sustains his persecuted churches by his presence among them.

Unlike the Jerusalem temple destroyed by the Romans and its menorah light extinguished and taken to Rome to be part of Titus’s triumph, the light of God’s presence in the church never will be overcome. (Stevens, 264)

How He Is Clothed - Function

clothed in a long robe and with a golden sash

priestly imagery - robe; context of the temple allusion in the lampstands, also freedom from sin and priest language (1.5,6)

Israel’s priestly function (Ex. 19-20) was fulfilled in Jesus.

Col 1.13-14

Colossians 1:13–14 NASB95

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Heb 4.14

Hebrews 4:14 NASB95

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

kingly imagery - sash; Jesus is called “the ruler of kings on earth” (1.5); Jesus makes his followers a kingdom(1.6). (cf. Is 22.20-22)

Israel’s kings had continued to fail God.

Kings were to represent God to the people and the people to God. That didn’t happen well.

Jesus comes in the line of David to fulfill what Nathan had said.

2 Sam 7.16-17

When this was spoken by Nathan to David, God know of what failure was to come.

Therefore, Jesus would come as a perfect king.

the kingdom spoken of by Nathan was not established by David, rather Jesus.

1 Peter 1.20

What He Looks like - Jesus perfectly fulfills identity, presence, and functions

Head and hair

white (1.14), symbolic of heavenly origin, eternity, purity and allusive to Daniel’s Ancient of Days and judgement

Dan 7.9

Ancient of Days is a title for God (Dan 7.9, 13, 22)

This is High Christology

eyes

flame of fire (1.14), allusive of infallible insight, omniscient knowledge

fiery eyes was a frequent metaphor in Greek and Latin literature , especially in descriptions of the gods, among others (Stevens, 267)

The idea is that the Ancient of Days comes, sees all that is with in the heart and judges with out prejudice.

the Roman social system was quite the opposite

Patronage - In the 1st century much of Roman society operated under patron/client relationships. The client was usually inferior in social standing. In return for gifts of money and other support the client would then give his support where and when the patron required. (LCOG)

the elite could not escape judgement

Feet

Burnished bronze (1.15), allusive of strength and stability.

Jesus will not be removed from his place among the lampstands, the churches.

put a slide of victorious hadrian

Voice

Sound of many waters (1.15), allusive of majesty and absolute authority.

Think of the roaring waters crashing against the shores of Patmos during a storm. Loud right?

the voice of Jesus rings with authority

Luke 8.22-25 Jesus calms the storm

Subversive Rhetoric - What Jesus declares by his word are authoritative decrees that will never remanded.

Roman imperial propaganda sought to project the authority of Rome.

Right Hand

Seven stars (1.16), later known to be the seven angels of the churches (1.20).

Angels (angelos) in association to a particular church is unparalleled to in the NT.

Two options: 1) metaphorical of pastors 2) in reference to God’s divine beings who are sustaining the churches by their mediation.

If the latter, we must remember that Angels are created by God for his service and should not be worshipped.

the imagery of the right hand, however, gives the sense of strength, security and positions of honor.

The idea is that Jesus preserves his church. There is a continuity of the witness of Christ.

Mouth

sharp, two-edged sword (1.16), martial imagery allusive of war, but “out of the mouth” means not a normal war.

Its a war of witness, a war of words. (Cf. Is 11.4)

All Christians must answer what Jesus asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am?”

There is a conflict between Caesar as lord and Jesus as lord.

Face

sun in its strength (1.16); allusive of glorious power and deity.

imagery of Christ overcoming the darkness.

Sum: “…with white head and hair and eyes like a flame of fire, Jesus is Lord of Judgement. with fet of burnished bronze and a voice like many waters, Jesus is Lord of strength. With a hand holding seven stars and a mouth with a sword, jesus is Lord of witness. with a face shining like the sun, Jesus is Lord” (Stevens, 273-74).

Jesus’ Self Description Rev 1.17-18

Revelation 1:17–18 ESV

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, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

fell at his feet as though dead

this kind of imagery is common in Apocalyptic literature following a vision.

Jesus Reassures John

fear not, I am…

“I am” (ἐγώ εἰμι) statement is self designation with the attributes of God. cf 1.8

Exodus 3.14 ESV

I AM WHO I AM

Exodus 3.14 LXX

The Old Testament in Greek according to the Septuagint Chapter 3

Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν

First and last, the everlasting one - common Jewish descriptions of God.

Keys of Death and Hades

Hades is the Greek equivalent of Sheol in Hebrew. This is “a shadowy existence not well defined or elaborated in Jewish thought” (Stevens, 275).

Jesus, therefore rules over death. Persecution, then cannot take away the life that Christ gives.

John’s Commissioning Revelation 1.19-20

Revelation 1:19–20 ESV

Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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.

This forms what is called an Inclusio - this is a literary bookending of sorts.

v. 11 write what you see… and v. 19 write therefore the things that you have seen…

the inclusio here marks the vision of the son of man as a distinct literary unit.

things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this…

John has been commissioned like a prophet and will write similarly. cf Jer 30.2

Chapter One’s vision says a lot about Jesus, and how we see Jesus will affect our reading of the rest of the text.