Revelations From the Book of Revelation

Post 2

John begins the book of Revelation as, “a revelation of Jesus Christ”. He said God gave this revelation to Jesus so that we could know the things that were to come to pass.  Jesus then made them known to John through a messenger so that he could write them down and we could know as well.  John makes it clear in Revelation 1:4-8 that this vision of the things we need to know is coming from God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus. He goes further by identifying the very nature of each one so as to not be misinterpreted (Revelation 1:4-8).

Starting in verse 12 John states that while he was in the vision he turned to see who was speaking to him and it is here where he begins to relay what he saw; which are the very attributes of Jesus given to the churches.

“Then I turned to see [who was] 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 robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. His head and His hair were white like wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire.  His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze, as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead.  But He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities.] I died, but see I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).” (Revelation 1:12-12 Amplified)

What did John see?

            John first saw the seven golden lampstands; these represent the seven churches to which John was to send the vision.  He saw Jesus standing in the midst of those lampstands.  Jesus always stands in the midst of His people so that they may have free access to Him as well as to the Father.  He is our bridge or connection to Father God.  “…I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) 

John goes further to describe this One, Jesus, and His appearance is unlike anything we could imagine.  As we read each physical attribute that John relays; the picture that forms in our minds can seem a bit unreal even frightening.  But, if we take each aspect one at a time and ask ourselves “Why does He look this way, is there some reason behind His appearance?” we may find peace in knowing each one of His physical attributes are there for our good, our safety, and our provision.

Just scanning the description we can see correlations between the wordings in these verses to the wording John uses in other chapters as he addresses each church.  “His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire.  His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze” (Rev. 1:14-15); these are the same words used to address the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:18.  "In His right hand He held seven stars"  (Rev. 1:16) are also seen in addressing the church of Ephesus in 2:1 and the church of Sardis in 3:1. "From His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword" can be seen in 2:12 as John states to the church at Pergamum that Jesus "has and wields the sharp two-edged sword." Then in 1:17-18 John says Jesus is "the First and the Last, and the Ever-living One" which he also relates in 2:8 to the church in Smyrna and again in 3:14 to the church in Laodicea as he states Jesus as the "Amen...the Origin and the Beginning..."
John also begins each address to the churches with other descriptions of Jesus beyond those similar to the first chapter which give more insight into the provision we have in Him for what He is asking from us.  We will continue to examine each one of these aspects of Jesus' character seen in chapter one within the next post.