Glory Beyond Life; Hope Beyond Death

We are continuing our new study of Revelation this morning in Chapter 1, beginning in verse 9. In this passage we find a truly amazing vision of the resurrected Christ in all of his glory and splendor; an image that can give us hope even in the midst of our sorrow and suffering. So let’s consider this text together. Please give this reading your careful attention as it is God’s Word.

Revelation 1:9–20 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.” 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. 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. 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.

As we consider Christ and his resurrection this morning, I’d like us to take a look at two big ideas from this text. First, that Christ’s resurrection points to a glory beyond life; and second, it gives us a hope beyond death.

Glory Beyond Life (9-16)

Verse 9 picks up after John’s introduction, which we studied last week. Here we learn the setting in which John received this Revelation and wrote it down for us. This is a spectacular vision of Christ in his glory; a glory beyond this life, that has broken into this life.

He begins by relating to us in his lowliness and suffering. John was not some high and mighty prophet; nor was he a philosopher of great renown with a great career of public speaking and writing. He was an elderly man who had been exiled for his faith and preaching to the island of Patmos off the coast of Asia minor. It is likely the case that his banishment to Patmos meant he was punished like a criminal to a hard life of labor in the quarries or mines.

John knew the weakness and frailty of old age; he also knew what it was like to suffer for his faith at the hands of the authorities. He knew first hand how hard it was to live with patient endurance, waiting for Jesus to come and fulfill all that he had done and said so many years earlier.

Notice that here, as well as on nearly every page of Scripture, that the Bible is not silent or naive to the real trials and suffering of life. There is this common idea that goes around which says that religious faith, specifically the ideas of resurrection and new life in Christianity, are a kind of pie-in-the-sky crutch to soothe us like a drug as we just passively wait for heaven. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible is painstakingly aware of the suffering and difficulty of life that we all face. And in the midst of these difficulties, it doesn’t coach us on how to ignore them and have wishful thinking for a better day tomorrow. It gives us the means to have real hope in real suffering; real faith in real trials; real endurance in real difficulty.

At the center of that real hope is the resurrected Christ; the one who died and rose again; the one who broke into this world bringing us new life, and who will come again to make everything right.

John received a vision from this Christ while he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” This likely means that he was in an almost trance-like state during a time of meditation and prayer, sensing a special closeness to God through His Spirit. The Lord’s Day is the earliest language we have for the day Christians began gathering for worship, which was Sunday, the day of the week that Christ was raised from the dead. And now here we are, some 19 and a half centuries later on the Lord’s Day, reading of this vision John received on a day that was not unlike today.

This voice from the Lord begins with a command to write down all that he sees and hears to send to the seven churches. We will study the letters to the churches more in depth in the coming weeks.

John did not know who this voice was at first, and so turning to see who was speaking to him, he sees an amazing vision of the resurrected Christ in all of his glory and splendor. We read in verse 12 that there were seven golden lampstands, which we read in verse 20 symbolize the seven churches. Then in verses 13 through 16 we get this spectacular description of the glory of Jesus.

Now, the book of Revelation, more so than any other New Testament book, draws on Old Testament imagery. John constantly uses and recycles images and prophecies from the Old Testament, especially books like Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel.

It is possible to understand some of the big ideas of Revelation without knowing the Old Testament context, but if you want to appreciate and see the finer points of this book, you really need to know the material John was working with. It’s a little bit like how you know today that there are many movies being made that are based on books: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, even the Marvel movies. You can appreciate the movies without seeing the books, but you often appreciate and see so much more behind the imagery if you know the material the movies are pulling on. Revelation is a lot like that.

So here in verses 13-16, John is pulling on several Old Testament passages - primarily Daniel 7 and 10, and Ezekiel 43. In fact, the description of Jesus here is nearly identical to the heavenly figure from Daniel 10. The “one like a son of man” in verse 13 reminds us of the divine Son of Man figure from Daniel 7. We find here an image of Christ in all of his glory, filled with tremendous power and strength. He has the power to hold the churches in his hand, as well as speak with stern words of judgement and exhortation like a sword coming from his mouth. His voice was like the roar of many waters, which is exactly the language of Ezekiel 43 used to describe the presence of God.

You see, John is unapologetically using words and concepts the Old Testament associated with God and applying them to Christ. There is no doubt that John sees Jesus as more than just a heavenly being; he knows Jesus is God himself.

The reason why Christians have been celebrating Christ’s resurrection for nearly two thousand years is because we believe that it changes every thing. His empty tomb, his resurrection, it changes everything. This Christ, who is beyond life, entered into this life to seek, save, and restore all that was lost and broken. So this picture of Christ in glory, if true, points to something beyond this life that reorients the way we think, feel, and love.

After Alexander Hamilton was fatally shot by Aaron Burr, he survived for over 30 hours as he died an agonizing death. Hamilton had a questionable Christian faith for all his life, although it appears in his final years that he may have truly come to saving faith in Christ. However, his wife Eliza was a devout Christian all her life. Her faith in Christ guided nearly every decision she made, and Alexander knew that. So when she came to his death bed and wept over him, even in his pain, Alexander looked to his wife and told her over and over again, “Remember, my Eliza, you are a Christian.” In his dying moments, he knew that Eliza’s faith would strengthen her to face this terribly tragedy in a way that she never could’ve without it.

And sure enough, Christ met her and gave her that strength; not to escape the realities of suffering, but to persist with great resolve even in the midst of tragedy. Because of her faith, Eliza was able to go on and do great work to advance the cause of abolition, start an orphanage, honor her husband’s legacy, and even write several hymns.

What we must decide is whether we agree with who the Bible says Jesus is. Is he truly Lord and God, and has that knowledge change our lives? Or is he something less, Just a man, or a mere legend?

Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian. He is also an avowed atheist. He has written several best-selling books on global history, as well as his predictions for what life will be like in the future. What I love about his work is his brutal honesty about his atheist view on life. There are no rose colored glasses, no wishful thinking to be found. Just a brute, bleak reality.

In his first book, Sapiens, he argues that not only are gods and religions imaginary, but so too are morals, ethics, meaning, and purpose. Anything outside of the physical world is a part of an “imagined order” that we make up to try and live a happy and satisfied life now in the present.

So in his second book, Homo Deus, he carries that argument even further and says that one of the great challenges of our present day is to create meaning out of a meaningless world. There is no great goal for your life, no purpose. In this bleak world, You’re going nowhere except 6 feet under, destined to be forgotten within a generation, scorched by the sun once our planet’s lifecycle runs its course. And that’s it. You may try to find meaning in sacrifice, in family, in some great adventure, but its all a delusion. So he says.

Who is right: Eliza or Yuval? If it is Yuval, then everything you’re hearing from me this morning is foolishness. You might as well turn off the video now. But if Eliza was right, then there really is something beyond this life that gives a sure foundation to our lives; our morals, ethics, love, and purpose. Deep down I think we all know these must be true and more then mere imagination.

That “something” is a “someone” who is beyond this life. It is Christ himself; who is filled with all glory and power. He has glory beyond life; and yet his glory has broken into this life. For this Jesus, who was and is divine in every way, willingly entered into our lives by taking on a fleshly body forever. And, living among us, he learned what it meant to have human sorrow and pain, even to suffer to the point of death, while still placing his hope in his Father. Where do you think John learned patient endurance from?

In an essay last April that is still very relevant, the Anglican Priest Tish Harrison Warren wrote: “The stakes could not be higher. As a deadly virus speeds its way around the world bringing chaos, destruction, and death” - let me just pause there, for now a year later we can add to this list heightened violence of all kind, racial injustice and political strife, even insurrection violence - she went on writing, “it’s painfully clear that the Resurrection is either the whole hope of the world—the very center of reality—or Christianity is not worth our time.”

What do you believe? Christ comes to you this morning as one who is clothed in all glory and majesty; as one who died and rose again, defeating death and sin forever. If you believe in the resurrection, then it ought to change everything for you! And if not, then as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, I am a fool and we Christians are to be pitied. On Easter we celebrate that Christ’s tomb is empty. He suffered for our sins and was raised victorious over death so that all who look to him in faith might share in his glory, his resurrection, his life. Is that what you believe?

Hope Beyond Death

Let’s continue looking at our passage in verse 17. The Apostle John believed in the resurrected Christ and eagerly awaited his return. But even now in this glorious revelation of Christ, he is struck as though dead. This is not an indication of respect, as if John is bowing before the Lord, it is indicating the physical effects of beholding Christ in all of his glory and splendor. He was struck down, unable to move, likely unable to speak.

This is not an uncommon response to the presence of God in the Scriptures. When we read of the likes of Moses or the prophets entering into God’s presence; they either hide, or become completely undone. Moses has to hide behind a rock and can only view the Lord from the back, but not his face - or he will die. When Isaiah is taken up into God’s presence through a vision, he becomes completely undone and says, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

But this is not the way it has always been. The opening chapters of Genesis reveal that mankind was made to live in the presence of God face to face. But we fell into sin, and this sin brought separation and judgment. We are unable to stand in God’s presence on our own; not unless somehow our sin is dealt with and our guilt and shame are taken away from us.

So, viewing Christ in complete glory and splendor, it’s no wonder John was struck down as if he was dead. I’m sure he was thinking, “This is it for me!” But Christ is not only filled with glory, but he is also filled with tender mercy and compassion. So he comforted John, laying his hand on him saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.”

What is remarkable here is that Jesus held the care of the many churches in his hands, and yet could also put his hand on John and care for him individually. It is a remarkable truth that Jesus can care for the needs of all his people and churches while at the same time care for the needs of each one of us individually. As the African church father Augustine said, “God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.”

Jesus continued and said, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” As the one with power over death, we can find great hope in Christ that endures beyond death. The good news of Easter that if Christ was raised, then all those who put their trust in him for the forgiveness of their sin will someday be raised with him.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:

1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 ESV

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Those who put their trust in Christ have a hope which goes beyond death, for they share in Christ’s resurrection. This is a gift he gives to us because he loves us; it is not deserved, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. He lavishes us with his grace; all we must do is turn from our sinful rebellion and believe.

Easter marks the end of every awful thing; and it is the beginning of all that is beautiful, lovely, and true.

Far from a sentimental crutch, this hope gives us the power to face the suffering and trials of this life head on. We know that death and suffering are a reality; but so too is new life.

However, this hope does not come without its own challenges. In an essay for the New York Times titled “The Unsettling Power of Easter”, Esau McCaulley, also an Anglican priest, wrote of the women who discovered Jesus’ empty tomb. Here’s what he said:

Hope is much harder to come by. The women did not go to the tomb looking for hope. They were searching for a place to grieve. They wanted to be left alone in despair. The terrifying prospect of Easter is that God called these women to return to the same world that crucified Jesus with a very dangerous gift: hope in the power of God, the unending reservoir of forgiveness and an abundance of love. It would make them seem like fools. Who could believe such a thing?

Christians, at their best, are the fools who dare believe in God’s power to call dead things to life.

John was received as a fool and for that he was banished.

The message of Easter sounds like foolishness to many, but what if it’s true? How might your life change if Jesus really did live and die, if he really was raised from the dead? What if it is true?

A number of years ago, I served as a volunteer for the Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. I signed up as a patient care volunteer there, thinking I might get an opportunity to help out families going through a rough time. But I never imagined I would be assigned to the children’s cancer ward.

I walked onto my first shift in the hospital with a sense of fearful confidence. My blue shirt was freshly ironed, and my “New Volunteer” badge was hanging from my neck. It felt like a safety net in case anything went wrong.

I stepped onto the unit and walked over to the patient board. I didn’t get beyond the first patient listed on the board before I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Written there in the first position for visitation were the words: “3-year-old. Female.”

Perhaps the look of shock and dismay gave it away, because the nurse standing next to me looked at me and said, “She’s been having a really rough morning and has been crying non-stop. There’s probably nothing you can do.”

Maybe not, but I wanted to try. I walked over to her door, and knocked – no response. I slowly opened the door, and like a tidal wave I was hit by multiple forces all at the same time.

There she was on the bed, tears in her eyes. She had a look of sadness and confusion across her face. What can a 3-year-old possibly grasp in terms of what it means to have cancer? It took everything I had to repress the human instinct of shock and disbelief about what was playing out before me. What kind of world would be so cruel to allow this poor girl to be in so much pain?

Her father – perhaps thinking I was on the medical staff – rushed to the door with a huge sigh of relief. He had been waiting for someone to come and relieve him so he could go check on her food. I promised I would stay with her until he got back.

As I walked over to her bedside, I began to take it all in. There were tubes and wires hooked up to every limb of her body. She had those sticker fake-earrings on, highlighting the beauty and innocence of such a small child. Strands of her hair covered the bed.

The crying never stopped. I tried everything I could possibly think of. Noticing the sparkle paint near her bedside, I even began to draw things on my face. It only brought a few seconds of relief. Eventually the poor child ran out of energy. She laid down and quietly sobbed to herself. It was all I could do to just rub her back and pray for her silently as we waited for her dad to return.

I have thought about this moment often as I have wrestled with the reality of sin and death in this world. This world can be a very dark and mean place. Sometimes I even wonder, am I fool for believing in the resurrection? Is it foolish to believe that there is hope in a dark world where even the smallest of children can get sick and die from cancer?

If I am a fool, I am Christ’s fool, and I have found him to be the most trustworthy friend, the kindest savior, and the surest hope.

I invite you to consider and turn to this Christ today, whether for the first or thousandth time. He is the first and the last, and the living one. He is alive forevermore; his tomb is empty. His resurrection is proof that there is glory beyond this life, and hope that endures beyond death. Put your trust in him. Has he given you any reason not to?