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Opening Vision of Jesus, the Lamb of God

Introduction

A National Geographic photographer told a story of when he was asked to get photos of a forest fire in California. The editors needed the photos fast, so they sent him immediately. He got to the airport, jumped into the plane, and told the pilot to take off. After a while in the air, he told the pilot, “Just fly close to the forest fire and do a couple of circles around it.” The pilot asked, “Why would I want to do that?” The photographer said, “I’m a photographer, and I need to you get close so I can get good pictures.” The pilot said, “So you are not the instructor?”55

Have you ever felt like you were in a plane flown by someone who didn’t really know how to fly the plane either? Or have you felt like you didn’t know what plane to get into in the first place? If we were entrusting our lives to a pilot, at 37,000 feet in the air, we would certainly want to make sure he was an expert pilot, capable of dealing with turbulence and unexpected problems.

It’s sad to think about how many people entrust their spiritual lives to a pilot who doesn’t know what to do. Maybe some of us have entrusted our lives to Jesus, allowing him to be the spiritual pilot of our lives, but we still don’t really know that much about him. As we grow in our understanding of Jesus, our confidence in his ability to handle the difficult situations of our lives will grow. We will increase in our willingness to rest in his care and control because we see him as he really is.

I believe most people are desperate for a reliable pilot right now. The world only seems to be getting scarier, and it would be nice to know there’s someone at the helm of our lives who can take us the right direction. People all around us may be looking for someone other than themselves to pilot their lives, because the turbulence is too strong.

Revelation 1:9–20 provides us with a picture of Jesus that should reassure us even in the most uncertain times. John was writing in the midst of the turbulence of persecution. He calls himself a “brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus” (1:9). He was writing from the island of Patmos, where he’d probably been exiled. Patmos was a penal settlement, about forty miles west-southwest of Miletus, where Roman authorities sent offenders.56 It was like an island prison. But in the middle of this persecution and trial, John heard the voice of Jesus and came face to face with images of Jesus that seared his mind. These images were so powerful and awe-inspiring, he could only think of material and physical analogies to describe the glory of what he saw.

Exposition

John writes that he was on Patmos “on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (1:9). This doublet in Revelation typically refers to persecution or suffering that precedes it, so it’s likely that John was exiled because of his witness, just as Jesus died because of the word of God and his testimony, and just as the faithful will be martyred because of the word of God and their testimony (see the two witnesses of chapter 11). Also, the fact that John calls himself a partner in tribulation assumes that he was currently being persecuted, just as many in the recipient churches were.

Ladd thinks that the language indicates that John was no longer on Patmos when he composed Revelation.57 But Aune makes the good point that, although this is a possibility, the use of the aorist tense itself does not prove that John was no longer on the island.58 Why was John exiled rather than simply executed by the Roman government? Only nobility and priests were given the luxury of exile, so this may speak to John’s social position.59 But it could also speak to the honor and respect John had as an older person with recognized status in the Christian community. According to Irenaeus (Against Heresies 2.22.5), John was released from Patmos and lived on until the reign of Trajan.60

John called himself a partner in three things (all agree in the dative case): the tribulation, the kingdom, and the patient endurance in Jesus. The word for “partner” in the Greek is similar to the word for koinonia, or fellowship. There was a commonality between John and the readers. Why are tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance listed together? According to Osborne, all three are related and should not be understood individually. Persecution and patient endurance are a part of the believer’s share in the kingdom.61 Mounce believes the order is important. The present is a time of tribulation and the kingdom a period of future blessedness. So, in the interim period, patient endurance is required.62 It is probably best not to think too much in terms of timing when we think about the kingdom. Revelation is a both/and kind of book. The kingdom is coming, and we dwell in the inaugurated age of the kingdom. Through our patient endurance in Jesus in the midst of trials, we will overcome (a common theme in Revelation) and inherit the kingdom of God of which we are already a part. Beale writes, “Believers are not mere subjects in Christ’s kingdom. They are actively involved in enduring tribulation, and in reigning in the midst of tribulation.”63 This threefold description of believers mirrors the threefold description of Christ in 1:5a. There is a corporate identity.

John writes that he was “in the Spirit.” What does ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati) mean? Was he in some ecstatic state? Was he in prayer? Was he like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1–4? The phrase is important in Revelation, because it is the Spirit who empowered John and opened his eyes to see the heavenly visions. Though Aune writes that there is no reason to understand the phrase as referring to the Spirit of God because it could be taken as an idiom that refers to the fact that John received these revelations not “in the body” but in a trance-like visionary experience.64 I side with Osborne65 who takes John’s words more literally here, particularly because of the important role the Holy Spirit has in the rest of John’s visions. Bauckham provides other examples in the Old Testament where the divine Spirit is “the agent of visionary experience.”66 See Ezekiel 3:12, 14; 8:3; 11:1, 24; 37:1; 43:5.

John was in the Spirit “on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). This means Sunday, as that day took on this special designation because it was the day of Jesus’ resurrection. It does not refer to the day of the Lord, as some have proposed.67 From the second century on, the idea of “the Lord’s day” was taken to mean Sunday68, so it should not be surprising that this was the idea in the first century as well. On Sunday, while in prayer “in the Spirit” John heard a loud voice like a trumpet. When Moses was on Mount Sinai, something similar happened. Exodus 19:16 says, “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.” If John was literarily making a reference to this trumpet blast as he heard the new trumpet sound off, he may have been placing his revelation on par with Moses’ revelation on Mount Sinai, i.e., that his vision of Jesus was as legitimate as Moses’ reception of the Law. Osborne mentions three other uses of the trumpet in the Old Testament: 1) to signal warfare (Judges 3:27; 6:34; Ezekiel 7:14; 2) as heralds for a king, especially in coronation (2 Samuel 6:15; Nehemiah 12:35–36); and 3) with sacrificial offerings (2 Chronicles 29:27:28).69 Given John’s richness in language and his reliance on the Old Testament, we can consider his intention a combination of these. He heard the voice like a trumpet because the final war is about to begin between the dragon and his forces against the Lamb. The trumpet is sounding forth because of the coming of the King of kings, which will signal the end of all things. And the trumpet accompanies the sacrifice of the Lamb and of those who follow the Lamb who do not love their lives as much as they love the Lamb, and so do not shrink from death.

The voice commands John to write about what he sees, not what he hears. This reminds us of the nature of Revelation. It was a vision to be passed on, penned down, for the strengthening and encouragement of the churches. The prophets of the Old Testament were also told to write for the sake of the people of God. The Lord tells Moses in Exodus 17:14, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua.” The Lord commands Isaiah similarly in Isaiah 30:8, “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.” And Jeremiah was told, “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations.”70 John is part of a long tradition of prophets who are given the word of God’s judgments to the nations and hope for those God has redeemed.

Revelation was to be sent to the seven churches of Asia Minor, both literally seven churches and symbolically for the church universal, represented by those seven churches. The order of the churches followed the circular path of the messenger delivering the letter to these churches, in geographical order. These churches can be understood, then, both as literal churches in a literal location with real problems in the first century and as examples for other churches throughout the ages. The number seven here again stands for completion or perfection.71

In the middle of this trial and persecution and exile, John hears the voice of Jesus and sees images that, it’s clear from the text, bewilder and overpower him. We may think it strange that John writes that he “turned to see the voice” (1:12). How do you see a voice? This may be a simple metonymy, the voice representing the person speaking, thus emphasizing the “voice as expressing an authoritative utterance.”72

Before John sees the owner of this powerful voice, he sees “seven golden lampstands” (1:12). Lampstands appear in the Old Testament in Exodus 25:31–40 and Zechariah 4:1–6. In Exodus 25, God describes how the lampstands of the tabernacle were to be crafted. The original lampstand of Israel’s sacrificial system was in the holy place. It had seven lamps and was made with gold, as is the lampstand in John’s vision. In Zechariah 4:1–6, the lampstand represents the presence of the Spirit (Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”) Whereas Zechariah’s lampstand was one lampstand with seven lamps, John sees seven lampstands, one for each of the seven churches and maintaining the idea of perfection. The lampstand in Zechariah stood for faithful Israel. The lampstands in Revelation are for the faithful people of God from all nations.

Jesus is standing “in the midst of the lampstands” (1:13). Described as “one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest” (1:13), this is the same “one like a son of man” from Daniel 7, who “came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him” (Daniel 7:13). The long robe and golden sash are signs of kingly authority and power. In Isaiah 6, Isaiah describes seeing the “train of [the Lord’s] robe fill[ing] the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). From Exodus 28:4, we know that a robe and a sash were a part of priestly attire (see also Exodus 28:31; 29:5; 35:8; Zechariah 3:5).73

What does this picture of Jesus mean for us? Jesus is with us now. Jesus is not some statue or ornament or philosophy. He is real, and he is present. Since he is present with us now, he sees our deeds and knows what we are doing for him, how we are serving him. He also knows what we are not doing for him. We see this in his addresses to the churches when he says, “I know your works” (Revelation 3:15). Since he is present with us, he also sees our hurts and sorrows and fears and loneliness. This is why we can trust the Bible when 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to, “[cast] all [our] anxieties on him, because he cares for [us].” He cares enough to be with us, actually to dwell with us, “taking the form of a servant [and] [. . .] humbl[ing] himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:7–8).

We live as Jesus’ church with a King in our midst. People around us are looking for meaning and a real relationship with God. Even if they’re not looking, this is the very thing they need, the only thing that will fill the emptiness inside. Jesus is present with his people. And as the great High Priest, this takes on even more significance. Jesus is the High Priest in that he is our mediator. He is our go-between. He represents us before God’s throne, and he represents God to us. We are a kingdom and priests only by virtue of our relationship with Jesus. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”

In verse 14, John sees Jesus’ hair as “white, like white wool, like snow.” White hair most likely is another reference to the Ancient of Days from Daniel 7. John’s vision of Christ is a reflection of the glory of God because he is the glory of God. His head represents his wisdom and purity, beauty and ancient knowledge. James 1:5 advises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” Jesus is the source of wisdom and glory. He is both the guide and the path to real holiness. Remember the pilot of a plane. We want to make sure that the pilot understands the instrument panel and has the wisdom about which direction to fly the plane. A plane from where we live in Makassar, Indonesia to Jakarta, a major city on another Indonesian island, will cross over the sea south of Kalimantan. A foolish pilot would fly it over Australia first, the wrong direction.

As the Son of Man with the Ancient of Days, Jesus is also the divine Judge. His blazing eyes can pierce all. They are flames of fire. He sees. Indeed, he is omniscient. He knows all. The flames of fire remind us also of the pillar of fire in the book of Exodus, the abiding presence of God and his protective power over his people. Daniel saw a similar vision of this in Daniel 10:6. That figure also had eyes like flaming torches, and a face like lightning.

Jesus is the Judge. We are not just trying to sneak an extra piece of cake away from the table and hoping our moms don’t see us. Jesus sees the thoughts of the mind and the motivations of the heart. This is a picture of Jesus that is lost in our society. We don’t serve a tame Jesus or one who is tiptoeing through the churches, making sure he doesn’t disturb anybody. He comes to awaken and expose. No one can escape his eyes of judgment. We must be attentive to accurately portraying this image of our Lord to a people around us who have grown complacent in their sin and their attitude toward God. Jesus walks among the churches with the penetrating gaze of fires fully aflame.

Jesus’ “feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace” (1:15). This is similar to what Daniel saw in Daniel 10 and what Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 1 when he saw the Lord on the throne. This is glory and purity and majesty. “His voice [. . .] like the roar of many waters” (1:15) is similar to the thunder of Ezekiel 1 and the thunder later heard by John in Revelation. Ezekiel 43:2 says, “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.”

It is hard for us to imagine what John must have seen and heard. If you have ever stood beside a mighty waterfall, like Niagara Falls, you may have an inkling of an understanding of what the voice of Jesus must have sounded like to John. When you stand next to Niagara Falls, you not only hear the falls, but you feel the power of the water as it sprays you in the face, and you feel the wind from the falls whipping your hair and ears. Now, imagine standing in the presence of One whose voice does the same thing. This is power!

Along with this image of power, Jesus is characterized as the protector. John saw Jesus with the seven stars in his right hand. From verse 20, we know that these seven stars are seven angels/messengers for the seven churches. He holds their future in his hands. He has ultimate sovereignty. He has the final voice and decision.

When our children were small, many years ago, I brought a dog home to our house. She was only six weeks old. She was scared and cold. It was February. She had left her mother and her siblings. The home that she left was dirty (urine stains all over the carpet of the house), disorganized, and probably abusive. But this little dog didn’t know me yet. She was afraid. That night, I had to sleep next to the dog on the family room floor because she was so afraid. She needed to know I was her protection, and in spite of her fears, I was going to give her a better home. We often feel that our lives would be better and more secure if we figured them out on our own. But Jesus has us in his hands. He knows better than we do, and he wants to give us a better home. To prove that, he came to live with us. He came to our level to show us the extent of God’s love and protection.

Not only do we see Jesus’ sovereign power and protection, we also see, through John, evidence of Jesus’ authority and right to declare the truth. And the truth has the irresistible power of divine judgment. Johnson’s comment is worth quoting here: “The sword is both a weapon and a symbol of war, oppression, anguish, and political authority. But John seems to intend a startling difference in the function of this sword, since it proceeds from the mouth of Christ rather than being wielded in his hand.”74 Christ conquers the world through his death and resurrection, and the sword is his word and the faithful witness of his followers.

Isaiah 11:4 says of the Branch that will come from the stump of Jesse, “he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” Also, of the servant of the Lord, we read in Isaiah 49:2, “He made my mouth like a sharp sword.” The authoritative word of Jesus is to be understood and received and believed over and against the false demands of the religions of the world and the fraudulent promises that the world offers. The word of Christ will ultimately prevail and only Jesus has the truth. Only Jesus is the truth. In a world that does not know truth anymore, this is a significant part of the picture of Jesus that we need to communicate. Jesus’ glorified face is a reinforcement of this truth. Like the brilliance of the sun, Jesus’ face is the glory of God. Jesus was revealed like this also during the transfiguration, a good example of Jesus’ declaration as the true Son of God.

John’s reaction to the vision of Jesus is like the reaction of many prophets of the past when confronted with the glory of God (see Joshua 5:14; Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 8:17; 10:15; Matthew 17:6; Acts 26:14). They fall face-down in great fear. John fell down “as though dead” (1:17) because he was probably immovable. Jesus’ comforting touch, not just voice, lifted John up and encouraged him not to fear. Again, just as Daniel was touched. What is the reason John must not fear? Jesus is the first and the last, just as God declared in Revelation 1:8. Mounce writes, “The laying on of the right hand communicated power and blessing. It is a commissioning hand which restores John’s confidence and prepares him to hear the words of consolation and command.”75 John puts into Jesus’ mouth the familiar ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi; It is I) of the gospel of John. Combined with the truth of being the first and the last, this must be another reference to Exodus 3:14. Jesus’ reassurance is not only in his touch, but in his exalted self-identity.

Part of the essential identity of Jesus is then revealed in that truth that he died, and is now living, and is alive forevermore. Because of his death and resurrection, Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades. This is a sign of authority and ownership. To hold the keys means Jesus has the say-so of who goes into Hades. To emphasize this truth Jesus used the word, “behold” to show John the drastic contrast. I did die. But look! Hello! I am alive now. Death didn’t hold me.76

John is commanded to write about two things: what he has seen and what will take place after this. Revelation is a prophetic disclosure of what is—the current state of affairs for the church and what will come, that is, what the church will have to face. The three phrases (what you have seen, what is, and what is to come) parallel the title for God in verse 4, and “relate to the eschatological perspective of the book as a whole.”77 Jesus again confirms in John’s mind and heart that this is a message for churches and that the lampstand, the presence of God, will continue shining amidst the faithful.

Conclusion

When presented this picture of Jesus, what is our response? Like John, I think if we saw Jesus in person, we would fall to our faces in fear. But we would also be recipients of his touch. When Jesus walked the earth, this is the picture of Jesus that demons saw. They were able to see the supernatural world. They saw not only the common-looking man that Jesus was on the exterior, but also the supernatural Jesus that John saw. What was their response? “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34). They were terrified.

Our world is in desperate need of an accurate picture of Jesus. What kind of picture are we portraying by our words and deeds? We want to make sure we lead people to the right plane with the right pilot. We can’t force them to get in. But we can at least try our best to present the correct picture of him. I believe that if people are truly seeking God (Proverbs 8:17), then this picture will be irresistible.

55. A version of this story appears in “Go Global: The Great Commission”, My Bible.

56. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 75.

57. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 30.

58. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 77.

59. Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 80.

60. Osborne, Revelation, 82.

61. Osborne, Revelation, 80.

62. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 75.

63. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, 45

64. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 83.

65. Osborne, Revelation, 83.

66. Bauckham, New Testament Theology, 116.

67. See, for example, Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 81.

68. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 203.

69. Osborne, Revelation, 84.

70. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 203, quoting Jeremiah 36:2.

71. See discussion from chapter 1:1–8.

72. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 207.

73. See Beale, The Book of Revelation, 209; Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 78; and Osborne, Revelation, 89, who say that the robe should be interpreted more generally as that worn by dignitaries and rulers indicating Jesus’ kingship. The aristocrat wore the sash around the chest, not the waist, to indicate high rank.

74. Johnson, Hebrews through Revelation, 428.

75. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 80.

76. According to Jewish literature, power over the keys of death and Hades belong to God alone (Jerusalem Targum. On Genesis 30:2; Sanh.113a) (Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 81).

77. Osborne, Revelation, 97.