Revelations 1:9-16
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST
As I approach this pulpit each Sunday there are two things attached to it that remind me of my priorities. One of them is a clock, which always reminds me that the time is short. The other is a plaque that says "Sir, we would see Jesus." Today our text gives a clear picture of the glorified Christ.
If you would really like to see Jesus, then look with me as we touch upon our passage. Let us look and see who is the One revealing His revelation to the church.
After John’s arrest by Roman soldiers, were his body and his mind so battered by the stark cruelty of banishment to that barren isle of Patmos that he became paranoid? or irrational? After all, he was an old man, deprived of family and friends, thrown among thieves and murderers to slave out an existence on an island stained with the blood of victims. Before exile most prisoners were beaten and tortured, denied warm clothing or adequate food, so John may have been in poor physical condition.
He had been the leader of Roman believers and a clear witness for Jesus. It was logical that the Emperor Domitian would want to destroy him and weaken his testimony. To kill him would have meant creating another Christian martyr, but to force him to beg for mercy and deny this Christ he followed would have been a victory. John though understood and had written in his gospel that in the world believers would have tribulation. Even though he was the "disciple whom Jesus loved," he was not immune from suffering.
Out of suffering have come some of the greatest triumphs of Christians. When circumstances look darkest, God has the opportunity to shine the brightest. No, John was not irrational or insane. He was the one person God entrusted to reveal the end of this present age and the beginning of a
new world (David Jeremiah, Escape the Coming Darkness, 43).
I. THE SITUATION, 9-10.
II. THE SOVEREIGN, 11-16.
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John, the humble servant of our Lord, identifies himself to believers as our brother. John, though he is the last remaining apostle, sees himself simply as our brother. Believers are all one family in Jesus Christ. The high and the low, the rich and the poor, male and female, all are brethren together, children of one Father, servants of the same Lord and joint heirs with the same hopes and inheritance. He goes on to remind his readers that he is a co-partner, a companion, with them in the tribulation or the suffering that is the common experience of all those who are in Christ Jesus.
The word tribulation is best interpreted as pressure or stress. He shares with them the same type of difficulties, afflictions and temptations they were going through. Not only did He share trouble with them but also shared the kingdom and the perseverance or endurance. The word patience or endurance is hypomone, literally meaning to remain under and speaks of the faith and hope developed by going through difficult circumstances.
John identified with what other Christians were experiencing because he had experienced and was experiencing the same developmental process. You too can identify with what other brethren are going through because you have had your own hurts and problems because of life and your developmental relationship with Jesus, a relationship which the world despises.
John was on the penal colony called Patmos because of his faithfulness to the Word of the Lord and the testimony to Jesus. Patmos was one of a small group of islands off the coast of Asia Minor. It was a bare, rocky, volcanic island with hills rising to about a thousand feet. It was about ten miles long and six miles wide. He had been banished, exiled to that inhospitable, desolate place by the persecuting Roman Government, not for crimes but because he stood by the Word of the Lord and the testimony that Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord. But the wrath of the wicked only brings the choice saint nearer the greatest blessings of God. The prisoner work camp, Patmos, became the door to the highest communion with heaven for John. The government dooms his body to the isle of convicts and from there God lifts his soul to soar on the wings of prophetic ecstasy.
So many of us cry, "Why me?" when problems pile one upon another. The question probably should be, "Why not me?" Why should we be exempt from trials? John had every right to bemoan his fate; he had been a faithful follower of the Master, but in spite of his loyalty, no, because of his loyalty, he was a prisoner doing rock hard time. Yet it was during this period of suffering that the normal limits of his mind and body would be laid aside so that John sees an awesome and majesty vision of the future. He wants to take us with him on his journey into the future.
In verse 10 John continues the background of his prophecy. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.
John says he "was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day." We have difficulty just getting people in church on the Lord’s day, much more difficult is for them to be in the Spirit. What a beautiful thing it is to be in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, the first day of the week, the day we celebrate the resurrection. The Lord’s day is when we gather together as the church to celebrate Christ’s victory over death and over hell. Now remember the Apostle John wasn’t surrounded by all the luxuries of the 21st century church. He did not have the nutrients of God flowing through the membership and ministering to him, but he did have the Spirit and the Spirit carried him beyond normal senses into a state where God could speak to him with clarity and power.
And he heard a loud voice behind him that sounded like a trumpet. The trumpet is sounded to get peoples attention and gather them together so that they might hear the voice of authority. The voice came from behind him. It seems like we are always looking for God in the wrong direction. If you are going to serve God, no matter where you look you must turn to where you hear Him speaking to you.
II. THE SOVEREIGN, 11-16.
Saying, "Write in a book what you see; and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
In keeping with verse two John is given the command to write what he sees and create a book (scroll) and send it to the seven churches. The vision was not for the private enlightenment of John, but for the church of God. The message of the entire book is sent to each of the churches which included a short direct message for each particular church. We will look at these churches in later messages when Jesus addresses them personally.
Verse 12 gives John’s reaction to the voice. And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands (12).
The golden lampstands are like the one in the Tabernacle and Temple. A single central shaft in the middle was the highest with three lower stems on either side. The olive oil which gave fuel to light the lampstands is symbolic of the power of the Spirit sending forth our bright witness was poured in the central stem.
Churches are the lampstands (vs. 20) or light-bearers. They have no light in themselves but they hold and issue light forth which the oil of the Holy Spirit and the fire of sanctifying grace supply.
They were made of hammered gold. Gold is a most costly and precious metal. Just as each Christian who makes up the church is precious and costly and must be hammered--shaped to become a bearer of the light of Christ, so the church hammered by many situations through the years has been shaped so that she might light her world. It is the function of Christians and churches to shine light to the world. Should the light fail, the lampstand was removed (2:5).
The seven lampstands with seven stems represent completeness and here designate the whole Christian body, of all times and all places. The symbolic lampstands are in a circle for they are being tended by the One so that they might shine forth Him and His message.
In verse 13 we see the Vision of Christ. And in the middle of the lampstands One like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.
The son of man was Jesus favorite way to designate Himself which spoke of His humanity as well as being a title for the Messiah (Dan. 7:13). The word like is used because we will see that the glorified Christ has become again the Ancient of Days. Christ is seen in the midst of His lampstands or His churches. If you are going to see Jesus you must not divorce Him from church. Jesus is always most clearly seen in the midst of His church, where He cares and ministers to His people.
Jesus is always in the midst of His church. I don’t care what kind of problems they have. I don’t care what kind of mess they’re making of their stewardship of shining the light into the darkness. I don’t care what kind of hassles they are going through because of their carnality. They are His lampstands, and He is in their midst. Always working with them, disciplining them, cleansing them, always doing whatever is necessary to prepare His bride.
Jesus stood among "seven golden lamp stands," which He explained later were the seven churches. Lampstands, of course, light our way at night. When Christ was banished from the world, the world was plunged into darkness; however, the lampstands, representing the churches, throw their light on His perfections. The light is the Lord’s, not the churches, and the purpose of the light is to bring glory to the Father in heaven.
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). The responsibility of Christians is to let a lost world see the light of the glory of God. Church programs are fine, if Christ is at the center. Sunday school lessons may relate to immediate personal problems, if Jesus is the focus. The ultimate success or failure of social concerns, charity groups, or philanthropic organizations depends upon that focus. Jesus’ position must be in the place of prominence; the center of the church, where everyone can see Him clearly as the head of His church. [David Jeremiah, Escape, p 45].
Every stroke of the Spirit’s brush has a meaning. John saw the resurrected Christ in a long flowing robe reaching to His feet. The robe speaks of His greatness. [It was long like the high priest’s robe, yet longer to make it a royal robe. It was girded up high (the priestly figure in Daniel was girded at the loins) across the breast with a golden girdle again making it more royal than priestly (the High Priest’s girdle was threaded with gold).] The garments signified one of official dignity and royalty.
Verse 14 continues the startling description. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
The fact that His head and His hair are white as snow corresponds to the vision of God in Daniel 7:9 thus making Jesus share the same features as the Ancient of Days. The whiteness signifies mature purity or holiness.
His eyes are like a flame of fire. This symbolizes His all-searching omniscience, or knowing. It speaks of the searching out of divine righteousness and its judgment upon all that is impure. [In 19:12 it is a characteristic of the conquering Christ who destroys His enemies.] It is all-knowing combined with holy wrath against all that is unholy.
His eyes like blazing fire contrast with His time on earth when John had seen Him with tear-filled eyes. He looks into the deepest depths of the soul, penetrating every thought and motive. The Bible says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13).
His all-penetrating sharp look sends warmth into the good but discomfort and terror into the hypocritical and godless. We should cry with David "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way," before we meet those eyes face to face (Ps. 139: 23-24). I know when Jesus looks into my eyes on that day I will not be able to hide behind any facade.
His description continues in verse 15. And His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
Brass (or bronze) represents judgment. Bronze was used in Old Testament types like the brazen altar [and other items like the serpent in the wilderness] in connection with sacrifice for sin (Ex. 38:30) which symbolizes divine judgment against sin. The feet of brass signify the time when He will put all His enemies and every evil power beneath his feet. The foes of Jesus will be utterly crushed. Wherever the brazen feet go, there goes judgment. The Lord’s feet are now in the midst of His church presently judging His people (1 Pet. 4:17) but one day He will stride forth to judge the world.
His voice went forth as the sound of many waters. This is not a quiet stream, but a booming Niagara Falls. This denotes a voice that carries and is full of majesty, power, and thundering authority. It is a voice that shatters the proud and gives joy and confidence to the lowly. [Jeremiah was given this prophecy: "The Lord will roar on high; He will thunder from His holy dwelling and roar mightily against His land. The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth" (Jeremiah 25:30, 31). The sound of His voice will shake the corners of heaven and earth. Escape, p 47]
Verse 16 is impacting. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
The seven stars in His hand are defined in verse 20 are the messengers or preachers to the seven churches. Those who are responsible for the churches are held in the right hand of the son on man. In the Bible the right hand represents authority and control. Jesus is described in the Scriptures as sitting on the right hand of God. The seven stars are identified in following verses as seven angels. The stars of the churches are His ambassadors, the pastors or ministers over whom the Lord exercises absolute authority, and those whom He protects when they obey Him and are faithful in His service. Those Christ protected leaders were to project a guiding light as stars do that the church might follow their Lord.
In the Book of Revelation, the two-edged sword of the Word is the weapon of our Lord. Out of His mouth came a sharp "double-edged sword," an instrument of warfare, which is the Word of God. The word for sword (romphaia) refers to a long heavy sword used for thrusting or stabbing action (it is for slaying not the edge slicing which wounds more than kills). The sword is the instrument of justice and judgment. Such an awesome warrior and weapon gives us great assurance.
Hebrew 4: 12 states, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
We see a mighty warrior, battling the forces of evil to a final victory. This Jesus shall speak and it shall be done. So often today God’s Word is treated as empty utterance. In the last days nothing shall be more powerful than the Word of Christ.
The concluding reference in verse 16 is to the brilliant glory of His countenance represented by the sun shining in its strength. The churches are lamps, its ministers stars, but Christ is the sun. He is to the spiritual world what the sun is to the natural world. Some of the glory of His countenance was revealed at the transfiguration. There His face did shine as the sun and His clothing was as white as light. Something of the same manifestation occurred when Paul was blinded by Christ on the road to Damascus. If John had looked directly into the face of the Lord, he might have been blinded. The face of our Lord is the central feature of His person---it represents everything that He is. Everything fades in light of its brilliance.
The saints in their glorified bodies will be able to see Christ in His glory but He who gives such assurance to the saint will strike terror into the heart of the sinner.
CONCLUSION
The assurance given in 1 John 3:2; "We know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him like He is" becomes all the more meaningful and desirable.
In this fully-drawn picture of our Lord He walks among His churches and cleanses them of their sinfulness. He walks in royal garments with glowing attributes that are dulled only by the radiance of His Holy countenance. Here He is lifted up to the right hand of power and clothed with sovereign majesty that all creation might bow at His feet and become obedient.
Let us give honor and praise to Him who gives greatness to the lowly, strength to the weak and honor to the despised. To Him who humbles the proud, tears away the mask of falsehood and enforces the rule of Heaven here on earth. May we do this by letting our individual light shine as well as our corporate light, the light house of all First Baptist Church, shine forth healing and hope to our community.
