Revelation 1:12 - 20

April 29, 2020

Optimistically looking forward, the isolation will slowly be relaxed and we will be able to meet as a congregation, hopefully soon. If you are reading this and are in need of a church family, please join us at Faith Alliance Church of Fuoss Mills. (Just search "Fuoss Mills" and you will find us.)

It’s Wednesday, at least that’s what the computer is telling me. On one particular Sunday John sees Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, in as much of His glory as a human can endure. Verses 12 to 20 describe Jesus appearance. First, John hears then he sees; often this is the pathway of faith. We hear God speak (grace) then we see (understand). “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.” [Revelation 1:12 NLT] We will get back to this image in verse 20.

In verse 13 we read, “And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.” [Revelation 1:13 NLT] This is a nod to the Old Testament image, inside the Temple, golden candelabras graced  the Holy Place. Jesus appears as “Son of Man” or in other words human. It is a name Jesus uses for Himself 70 times in the four Gospels. Jesus is wearing a long robe and a golden sash. The long robe is reminiscent of the robe the high priest in the Old Testament wore, while the sash was typically worn by royalty symbolizing their position of leisure.

In verse 14 John describes Jesus the same way as Daniel described “the Ancient of Days” in Daniel 7:9. Revelation 1:14 states, “His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.” [NLT]  Here is another clear connection to the divinity of Jesus. Wool is commonly the image for eternity, while snow conveys purity. The eyes like flaming fire give the feeling of being able to look and see anything at any time anywhere. Basically, this is an image of Jesus’ omniscience.

“His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.” [Revelation 1:15 NLT] The image of Jesus, with feet as bronze heated in the fire comes from the Old Testament altar in the temple. It signifies being tested in the fire. Bronze was also the typical footwear for Roman soldiers in action. His voice was like the sound of rushing water. Patmos was devoid of water, yet ocean waves are comforting sounds.

In verse 16 Jesus holds seven stars, symbolizing the “angels” (messenger, pastor) of the seven churches (see verse 20). Out of his mouth is a double-edged sword. The Greek emphasizes that this sword is sharp. In Hebrews 4:12 the image of the Roman double-edged sword is the Word of God. This image appears in Ephesians 6:17 as the Word of God (Scripture). Jesus’ face shows like the sun in all its brilliance.

When John saw this image, even though he was in Jesus’ inner circle, he fell down at his feet “like a dead man.” We do not know if this was terror or a natural reaction to the glorified appearance of Jesus (or both). Jesus’ response in verse 17 is to say “fear not.” Possibly this expression is to calm John and the readers of Revelation and to remind of God’s grace in our life and the confidence we can have in that grace.

Jesus then describes Himself, “I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” [verses 17c – 18]. Again we are reminded of Jesus’ position as being the first and last. Jesus holds the keys to both death and Hell (Greek word is “Hades). Hades was the Greek concept of the afterlife. The Jewish concept of the afterlife was symbolized in the word Sheol. The American concept is often translated as the grave. The translators of the King James Version used the word hell. Unfortunately, we have forgotten the understanding of the word hell as used by the KJV translators (meaning “abode of the dead”). Basically Jesus is saying is that He has scored an indisputable victory over death and controls both the thing that we fear (death) and what happens to us after we die. This fits the theme of “fear not!”

Verse 19 repeats the three-fold image of time. “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen” [Revelation 1:19 NLT] Jesus commands John to write for the second time. At this point we have a matter of interpretation. Many people are fond of the “is – was – and is to come” reading. In fact some have built an entire theology of the book of Revelation off the three-fold image of time. However, if we read it literally, the Greek says what you have seen and what they mean—the things that have already begun to happen. [Revelation 1:19 NLT notes]

In verse 20 the mysteries of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands are explained. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. The word angel can be translated as a messenger or a spiritual being. It is highly unlikely Jesus is referring to a spiritual being. Probably Jesus is referring to the human individual responsible for the church.