Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
(1:1) “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.”
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place.” The term “revelation” (apokalupsis) comes from two roots: “away” (apo) and “a cover” (kalypsis). God is going to reveal something to us in this book—hence the name, revelation. (The careful reader will notice that the title of the book is not “revelations” as people often say!)
Does this refer to a revelation about Jesus, or a revelation from Jesus? The text could be rendered either way. This could either be a revelation from Jesus (subjective genitive), or a revelation about Jesus (objective genitive). We hold that this is a revelation from Jesus about the future for several reasons:
First, throughout the book, Jesus himself functions as the revealer of the truth about the future. Thomas writes that Jesus “addresses the seven churches in chapters 2-3; He opens the scroll of destiny (5:5, 7) and discloses its contents (6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12; 8:1). His activity in this respect supports viewing Christ as the revealer in Revelation.”[1]
Second, Jesus “sent and communicated” these truths to John. What truths? The “things which must soon take place.”
Third, this refers to “prophecy” about the future (v.3), which strongly favors the second view. Indeed, the revelation consists of “the things which must soon take place.” Consequently, most commentators[2] hold that this is a revelation from Jesus about future prophecy.
“To show” (deiknymi) implies that God revealed these future events through visions and pictures. John uses this term throughout the book to describe how God revealed these visions (Rev. 1:1; 4:1; 17:1; 21:9f; 22:1, 6, 8). Mark Hitchcock simplifies this by referring to Revelation as a “show and tell” book.[3] John saw the visions, and then he wrote down what he saw.
This could explain the perspectival and phenomenological language used throughout the book. After all, imagine if you were given visions of the year 4,000 AD. What words would you use to describe what you saw? John constantly uses the language of simile to describe what he is seeing (“It was like this…” or “It looked as though it was that…”). He is clearly searching for language to describe what he is seeing, and at points, the best he can do is approximate.
“He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.” The word “communicated” (esēmanen) comes from the word “signs” (sema or sēmeion). The word “yields the idea of ‘making known’ by means of symbols.”[4] This is the same root word that John uses to refer to Jesus’ “signs” in his gospel. Jesus performed seven literal signs, but each had symbolic meaning. Similarly, God chose to reveal this prophetic material through John in a similar way.
Some interpreters take this concept and run with it. They think this gives us free license to interpret Revelation however we want. Not true! John does utilize symbolic imagery, but this doesn’t mean careful interpretation goes out the window. After all, Jesus communicated seven “signs” (sēmeion) in the gospel of John, and these also need to be carefully interpreted. We do not have free license to read into symbols whatever we want. In fact, Hitchcock states that the interpretation for the symbol is given 46 times in Revelation alone.
The term “communicated” (esēmanen) means “to make known, report, communicate” (BDAG). Thomas comments, “Those words… tell the means God used to inspire John to write; they do not provide grounds for nonliteral interpretation. Interpreters should understand the revelation to John as they do the rest of the Bible, even though God gave it in an unusual symbolic fashion.”[5] He’s right. While God used symbols to communicate, our role is to accurately interpret the meaning of the text. The revelation through symbols doesn’t preclude their explanation through words.[6]
We frequently hear that “a picture speaks a thousand words.” The same is true for these rich symbols in Revelation. John doesn’t formally write about a political leader who will take over the world; instead, he calls this man “the Beast.” He doesn’t impartially describe a one-world economy; he calls it “the Whore of Babylon.” He doesn’t explain that Christians will be persecuted by the world-system; he says that the woman will be “drunk with the blood of the saints.” The imagery of these symbols is far more powerful than merely transmitting propositional truths about the future.
(Rev. 1:1) Why does John say that these events “must soon take place”? (c.f. 2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20) In our view, rather than interpreting the word “soon” (tachos) to refer to when Jesus will return, we could translate this as “quickly” to refer to how Jesus will return (Lk. 18:8; Acts 12:7; 22:18; 25:4; Rom. 16:20). Moreover, as an eternal being, God has a different relationship to time. Referring to the Second Coming, Peter writes, “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Pet. 3:8).
(1:2) “[I John,] testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
John is serving as a witness to Jesus’ revelation of the future—to “all that he saw” (v.1). God communicated this revelation (“the word of God”), and Jesus validated this communication (“the testimony of Jesus Christ”).
(1:3) “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
It was common for the first Christians to read Scripture publicly (Lk. 4:16; Acts 13:15; 1 Tim. 4:13; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27). Many Christians couldn’t read, so this was the way they learned their Bibles. In addition, John calls this book a “revelation” from God (v.1) and “the word of God (v.2). Moreover, he has the audacity to claim that people will be “blessed” if they listen to the book and “heed” the words (v.3). Hence, John is classifying his book as inspired Scripture.
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear… and heed.” This is the only book[7] of the Bible that promises a special blessing for those who read and act on what they hear (“heed”). This is the way that biblical truth works: We need to listen to it and then act on it (Jas. 1:22-25; Jn. 13:17).
The word “blessing” (makarios) means “fortunate, happy, privileged” (BDAG, p.610). It’s sad that the only book in the NT that promises a special blessing is the same book that is “often left unread.”[8]
“The time” (kairos) refers to the return of Jesus (Mt. 8:29; 1 Cor. 4:5).
In what way does knowing about the future bless us?
(1) The study of the future gives urgency for following Christ in the present. John states that reading his book should lead to following “the things which are written in it.” Therefore, the study of Jesus’ return is intensely practical (cf. 1 Pet. 4:7-11). Since Jesus could come back at any moment, there is no time to waste. We have one life, and then it’s over. Forever.
(2) The study of the future encourages us to know our Bibles from cover to cover. Eschatology might be one of the most difficult interpretive tasks for the student of the Bible. In order to study this subject well, we need to understand the NT use of the OT, we need to systematically fit together what we’re reading, and we constantly need to sharpen or revise our interpretation and understanding based on contrary views. Therefore, studying eschatology causes us to read and reread our Bibles carefully and critically. What an incredible gift!
(3) The study of the future fills out our worldview. Imagine watching a movie at home, but it was damaged at the end. The movie stopped 75% of the way through the film. How frustrating! You would constantly wonder what happened in the plot and to the characters. Similarly, without the end of the biblical story, we would be lost in the present. If we didn’t know where history was headed, we would lack direction.
John’s exile
(1:4) “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.”
Why did John write to seven churches? At this point in history (AD 95), more than only seven churches existed in what is now modern-day Turkey. So, why did he choose seven? There are several answers that seem plausible—not all of which are mutually exclusive:
- Commentators regularly repeat that the number “seven” is “the number of perfection.”[9] For example, God created the world in “seven days,” so there is some truth to this assertion. But, quite frankly, this still leaves us wondering what exactly John means by using the “number of perfection” to refer to the seven churches. Does this mean that these individual churches represent the global Church? This is never quite explained. Indeed, commentators see much symbolism in the various numbers throughout Revelation. Indeed, the number seven occurs 54 times in Revelation alone.[10]
- These seven churches were typical examples of churches. Therefore, these “adequately represented the various spiritual situations of the surrounding churches at the time.”[11]
- John knew these particular churches well, because he led the churches in this area. So, these were the churches with which “John enjoyed the closest relationship.”[12]
- These seven churches were all closely connected geographically. It’s likely that these churches passed their letters around to one another (e.g. Col. 4:13). Indeed, if we look at the order of these churches, a letter carrier “would traverse a rough circle”[13] as he delivered these letters.
“From Him who is and who was and who is to come.” This refers to God the Father (Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5). God the Son is mentioned in the subsequent verse.
(Rev. 1:4) What are the seven spirits mentioned here? Some hold that these seven spirits refer to the seven angels. This surely has the benefit of the context of chapter 1. However, John never calls these beings angels—even though he repeatedly refers to angels throughout Revelation. Moreover, John later differentiates “the seven spirits” from “the seven stars” (Rev. 3:1). Therefore, we hold that the reference to the “seven spirits” is a symbolic way of describing the Holy Spirit. This fits the context as well, when John lists the persons in the Trinity (vv.4-5), and it also explains why Jesus says that the Spirit speaks to the churches (Rev. 2:7). Finally, a comparison with Zechariah 4 inclines us to believe that this is the Holy Spirit being described.
To be clear, we are interpreting a symbol here. The Holy Spirit is not literally “seven spirits” any more than Jesus is literally both a lion (Rev. 5:5) and a lamb (Rev. 5:6). Jesus doesn’t have additional animal natures in addition to his human and divine natures! The symbolism of “seven spirits” does nothing to change our doctrine of the Trinity any more than the “lion-lamb” symbolism of Jesus changes the hypostatic union. This being said, not much hangs on our interpretation of this verse—one way or another. So, we don’t hold this view dogmatically.
(1:5) “From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.”
“Jesus Christ, the faithful witness.” Jesus is the faithful witness, and we are to be faithful witnesses like him (v.2).
“The firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” The “firstborn of the dead” refers to Jesus’ status—not that Jesus was a created being (see Col. 1:15, 18). This is a partial fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (see Ps. 89:27). The rest of the book shows how Jesus will literally rule the Earth (Rev. 17:14; 19:16).
“To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.” This might be one of the clearest gospel passages in the entire Bible. This is also the only passage in the NT where God’s “love” is spoken of in the present tense. John uses the present, continuous tense to refer to the love of God. It is better translated as Jesus “keeps on loving us.” Right now, at this moment, Jesus loves you. You might not feel loved, but God’s word declares it and the Cross demonstrated it. Because Jesus “released us” (aorist tense), sin is a past reality. Now, we can experience ongoing love from God.
(1:6) “And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
We are not only released from sin (v.5), but we have the love of Christ currently resting on us (v.5). Could it get any better than this? Yes! We now belong to a “kingdom.” But this is no ordinary kingdom. In the Church Age, we aren’t a kingdom of soldiers, but a kingdom of “priests.” This is similar to Peter’s statement about the church being a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). Later, John will explain that believers will indeed take the world by force at the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19). Today, however, we share forgiveness with our enemies—not fighting. Because we have been forgiven (v.5), we are now agents of reconciliation to others (2 Cor. 5:19).
(1:7) “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”
This is similar to how Jesus stated how his return would be in the Olivet Discourse: “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:30). This is a conflation of Daniel 7:13-14 and Zechariah 12:10.
Daniel 7: “He is coming with the clouds.” Daniel writes, “Behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Rev. 7:13-14). In Daniel, only God should be worshipped—not idols, empires, or kings. Yet, in Daniel 7, universal sovereignty and worship is given to “One like a Son of Man.”
Zechariah 12: “Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.” Despite the absolute power of this Conquering King, he will have a conflicted identity. Zechariah writes, “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zech. 12:10). In context, Yahweh himself is speaking in the first-person. That means that this passage predicts the “piercing” of God himself. It’s no wonder that John sees this fulfilled in Jesus (see Zechariah 12:10).
When Jesus returns, people will universally mourn over what they did. Jesus said, “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” (Mt. 24:30). In both texts, the word “mourn” (koptō) means to “beat one’s breast as an act of mourning” (BDAG, p.559), and it can be understood as an act of “despair.”[14] Throughout the rest of the Revelation, people cry out in despair when they encounter the judgment of God.[15]
How could every eye see Jesus upon his return? Some interpreters have speculated that Jesus’ return could refer to a 24-hour period, where the entire globe could watch him descend. We disagree. This doesn’t match Jesus’ description of his return, which seems instantaneous: “Just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mt. 24:27).
Others argue that modern satellite technology will allow everyone on Earth to see Jesus arriving on their phones, tablets, or TVs. We’re not sure. We might not all see Jesus in the clouds, but the text never specifically asserts that we will all see Jesus at the same moment. It merely asserts that everyone will (eventually) see him. This could allow for a span of time, rather than a universal and instantaneous event. In the end, surely every person will see Jesus (Phil. 2:10-11).
(Rev. 1:7) Does this passage refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70?
(1:8) “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
This seems to refer to God the Father. In the OT, this language refers to Yahweh God. Isaiah writes,
“I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He” (Isa. 41:4).
“I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me” (Isa. 44:6).
“Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last” (Isa. 48:12).
However, John uses the same titles to describe Jesus. At the end of the book, Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13). If this does refer to Jesus, then it is a good passage for his deity, because he is called “the Lord God.” That being said, Morris[16] holds that this is referring to God the Father. Thomas does as well, but only “ever so slightly.”[17]
(1:9) “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 is the only surviving apostle. He was the “disciple Jesus loved,” but at this point, John hadn’t seen Jesus for 60 years. He is living in exile on the island of Patmos, which is 8 miles long and 5 miles wide (Pliny, Natural History 4.12.69).[18] Hitchcock claims that a cave looks out over some of the Seven Churches on the mainland. John might have been praying for these churches who were just out of his reach. It must’ve been torture to see them from the shore, while not being able to talk to the people he loved.
How severe was John’s exile? Hitchcock claims that John was exiled on Patmos to be isolated from the churches, but this wasn’t a harsh existence. We disagree. After all, John writes that he is in the “tribulation.” Thomas writes, “Early Christian tradition says John was sent here during Domitian’s reign over Rome (AD 81-96) and was forced to work in the mines.”[19] For instance, Victorinus writes, “When John said these things he was in the island of Patmos, condemned to the labor of the mines by Caesar Domitian. There, he saw the Apocalypse; and when grown old, he thought that he should at length receive his quittance by suffering, Domitian being killed, all his judgments were discharged. And John being dismissed from the mines, thus subsequently delivered the same Apocalypse which he had received from God” (Victorinus, Apocalypse 10:11). Likewise, Eusebius states that John returned to Ephesus after the death of Domitian (Church History 3.20.9).
Did John believe that he was living in the Tribulation? The text doesn’t require this. John states that this tribulation was “in Jesus.” This could be a case of “already-not-yet” language. Similarly, Paul uses similar language to describe his ordinary suffering in the kingdom: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22; cf. Jn. 16:33).
“Because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” There is evidence that this was a prison colony, and early church fathers associate John’s exile with being forced to work in the mines. This could be why John clarifies that he was suffering “because of the word of God,” not because of any crime he committed.
(1:10) “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.”
“On the Lord’s day.” This likely refers to Sunday. Extrabiblical writings refer to Sunday as the Lord’s day (Didache 14:1; Ignatius, To the Magnesians, 9:1; Melito of Sardis, Eusebius, Church History 14.26.2). Thomas writes, “Quite possibly, this is the first use of this name for Sunday in Christian history. If so, it began a habit picked up by other Christian writers shortly after John’s time.”[20]
(Rev. 1:10) What does it mean that John was “in the Spirit”? The NLT translates this verse as, “It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.” This is a poor translation. Indeed, it isn’t even a translation but an interpolation because the term “worship” appears nowhere in the Greek text. The NLT is projecting modern church culture back onto the text, depicting John as though he was sitting in a worship service in church on a Sunday!
Rather, this expression (“in the Spirit”) appears three other times later in the book (Rev. 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). It is similar to the term used for being in a “trance” (ekstasis, Acts 10:10; 22:17), where the prophet is “open to the Holy Spirit and ready to see visions.”[21] Or as Thomas states, “In this kind of condition the natural senses, mind, and spirit are not operative in relation to and responsive to the natural world. God brings a man’s spirit into direct contact with the invisible spiritual world and with the things in God’s own mind, yet in ways accommodated to finite human perception.”[22]
“I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.” Imagine someone sneaking up behind you and blowing a trumpet at the back of your head. John must’ve nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard this. Moses described God’s voice as sounding like a “trumpet” at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16, 19), and it terrified the Israelites. This is yet another example where John associates Jesus with Yahweh.
(1:11) “Saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, 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.’”
John is repeatedly told to “write” what he sees (Rev. 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 4, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5). Here, he is told to collect the letters to the seven churches, and then, these letters would circulate around Asia Minor. In fact, Mounce thinks that this was all one big scroll (biblion) containing the entire book, and we see no reason to disagree. From this viewpoint, the “entire scroll including all seven letters was to be read at each church.”[23] This explains why Jesus repeatedly states that these Christians should hear what he is saying “to the churches.”
“Write in a book what you see.” John was given the information through visions. This explains the perspectival language in this book. He was literally seeing visions of the future, and he must’ve been at a loss to know how to explain what he was seeing.
(1:12) “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.”
“Seven golden lampstands.” These are symbols for the “seven churches” (v.20). This might also be an allusion to the seven-branched lamp in Zechariah 4:2. Walvoord writes, “In the Tabernacle and in the Temple one of the items of equipment was a seven-branched lampstand, a single stand with three lamps on each side and one lamp in the center forming the central shaft. It would seem from the description here that instead of one lampstand with seven lamps there are seven separate lamp-stands each made of gold and arranged in a circle.”[24] This is insightful. Yet, John sees seven separate lampstands—not one lamp with seven branches. At most, John is merely harkening back to Zechariah 4.
(1:13-15) “And in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.”
This is the only description in the NT of what Jesus looks like. In his First Coming, Jesus had “no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him” (Isa. 53:2). Here, we see another description entirely: Jesus is completely transfigured in front of John. This description not only alludes to Daniel’s vision about the “one like a son of man” (Dan. 7:13-14), but it also mimics Daniel’s description of God the Father in this same passage: “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames” (Dan. 7:9). Therefore, John is granting Jesus “attributes and titles previously reserved for the Father (cf. 1:18; 2:8; 5:12; 22:13).”[25]
“His voice was like the sound of many waters.” John continues to use OT imagery that refers to Yahweh to refer to Jesus. Ezekiel writes, “[God’s] voice was like the sound of many waters” (Ezek. 43:2).
(1:16) “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.”
“Seven stars.” These are the “seven angels” sent to the churches (v.20). We currently possess coins of Emperor Domitian’s son that depict “the child seated on a globe surrounded by seven stars.”[26] This could be a way for John to demonstrate that Jesus is the true son of God—not the baby of the Roman Emperor.
The “sharp two-edged sword” refers to God’s word. Isaiah writes, “He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked” (Isa. 11:4; c.f. Isa. 49:2). Likewise, the author of Hebrews writes, “The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). Moreover, Paul writes, “The sword of the Spirit… is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). This explains why this “sword” is coming out of Jesus’ mouth. Jesus’ power comes from his mighty word.
(1:17) “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last.’”
“Like a dead man.” This doesn’t merely describe worship. The language describes complete sensory overload, and perhaps a fear of death at seeing God face-to-face (Ex. 19:21; 33:20; Judg. 6:22-23). John fell down in abject fear.
“He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid.’” Yet, this interaction also shows the relational imminence of Jesus (“He placed His right hand on me…”). After blasting him with a raw vision of his glory, we imagine Jesus reaching down gently to pick up his scared friend (cf. Dan. 10:10; Mt. 14:27), just as he had done at the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt. 17:7).
“Right hand.” Jesus is able to hold the entire Church in his right hand, and he is also able to reach down and touch a terrified follower with his right hand.
“The first and the last.” In the OT, Yahweh calls himself with these words: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me” (Isa. 44:6). There is only one God (“there is no God besides Me”), and Jesus claims this divine title for himself.
(1:18) “And the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
We are going to read about a lot of scary scenes and terrifying tyrants in Revelation. But right from the beginning, we receive this breathtaking vision of Jesus—totally poised and in control—holding the keys to death itself (cf. Rev. 20:13-14). This image symbolizes his authority over death and the grave.[27] This towering figure is the One who is going to walk with his followers through this dreadful period of history, and he is the One who says, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). If we’re standing with him, we have no reason to fear!
(1:19) “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.”
This serves as a divine outline for the rest of the book:[28]
(1) “The things which you have seen.” This refers to the vision of Jesus in chapter 1.
(2) “The things which are.” This refers to the letters to the current churches (chapters 2-3).
(3) “The things which will take place after these things.”
This refers to the future of human history that picks up in Revelation 4:1. John will use the same language in Revelation 4:1 to show that he is transitioning to write about the future (“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…”).
(1:20) “As for the mystery of the seven stars which 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.”
The book of Revelation isn’t as difficult to interpret as we might think. Many symbols are interpreted for us in the context. Here, Jesus states that the “stars” are angels, and the “lampstands” are churches.
Jesus governs the Church (Col. 1:18). He not only walks among the churches (Rev. 1:13), but he holds the Church in his “right hand.” Moreover, Jesus promised that he will stay with us until “the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). So often, we fret and worry about God’s Church—that is, God’s people. But there’s no good reason to fear: Jesus is holding us in the palm of his hand.
Questions for Reflection
If you could know the future of the human race, would you want to know? Why do you think some people might not want to know the future of the human race?
What do we learn about Jesus from this opening chapter?
- Jesus rules over the “kings” on Planet Earth (v.5). These early Christians living under persecution would’ve taken great comfort from this statement.
- Jesus rules the entire material universe (v.8). He is the beginning and the end (cf. Col. 1:17).
- Jesus is unbelievably powerful and unbelievably loving (v.17). If we saw Jesus face to face, we would collapse in abject fear (Phil. 2:11; Lk. 5:8). But because he is so loving, he wants us to stand up and relate with him.
- Jesus bought the Church with his blood (v.5). He expressed his love to us through his death.
- Jesus rules the Church (v.20). We have no reason to fear in ministry. We are in the safest place possible: In the palm of Jesus’ hand. While Jesus will issue admonishment to some of these churches, he still holds them. Elsewhere, Jesus said, “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (Jn. 10:28).
- Jesus is in the middle of His Church (v.13). He stands in the “middle of the lampstands” (i.e. the churches). Jesus isn’t distant from us in ministry. He’s right here with us. And he promises his presence even in the smallest of churches. He said, “Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Mt. 18:20).
Read verses 5-6. We often hear the acronym WWJD: What would Jesus do? However, this passage doesn’t speak to what Jesus would do, but what Jesus has done. From these two verses, explain what has Jesus done for us—for you?
John describes Jesus as both the Lord and as our Friend. What would happen if we only related to Jesus as a friend, rather than as our Lord and King?
Read verse 13. Why does God choose to use the symbol of a “lampstand” to describe the churches?
John was an old man by the time he wrote this book (AD 95). How do you think he felt when he saw Jesus?
How do you think you will feel when you see Jesus face-to-face as John did? How do you think Jesus will feel when he sees you?
DEVOTIONAL: “Jesus is good, but not safe”
Postmodern people often have a conception of God that reflects the sentimental messages of Hallmark greeting cards or the characters in Lifetime television shows. To the postmodern person, God is a therapeutic concept who exists to validate our thoughts and feelings. God is fun and friendly like a teddy bear—or soft and soothing like a quilted blanket that’s fresh out of the dryer. To be in God’s presence would be comfortable and cozy.
Yet most people in world religions don’t perceive God this way. People across the world have a “frightening and irrational experience” when they come into contact with the divine.[29] Scholars of comparative religions call this the “mysterium tremendum et fascinans.” The word mysterium means “wholly other,” and the term tremendum refers to “awfulness, terror, awe.” Paradoxically, the word fascinans describes “attractiveness in spite of fear.” To most people, God isn’t comfortable and cozy, but terrifying and attractive all at once. The worshipper “finds the feeling of terror before the sacred, before the awe-inspiring mystery (mysterium tremendum)… that emanates an overwhelming superiority of power. The numinous [i.e. God] presents itself as something ‘wholly other,’ something basically and totally different. It is like nothing human or cosmic. Confronted with it, man senses his profound nothingness, feels that he is only a creature.”[30]
We see these sorts of encounters in Scripture. When Isaiah encountered God in his throne room, he said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isa. 6:5). Likewise, when Peter witnessed the divine power of Jesus, he said, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Lk. 5:8). Where is the comfortable and cozy Jesus that we’ve come to expect?
When Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, we expect the people to flock to Jesus, but what does Mark record? He states that the people became “frightened,” and they “began to implore Jesus to leave their region” (Mk. 5:15-17). But be careful what you pray for! Jesus answered this request and left them alone.
At the end of his life, we see the same phenomenon. On the night of his betrayal, Jesus blasted the Roman cohort (600 men!) with just two simple words, “I am!” His words frightened these battle-hardened soldiers so much that they “drew back and fell to the ground” (Jn. 18:6). This is only a preview of the Second Coming, when all people will collapse in Jesus’ presence and “every knee will bow” (Phil. 2:10). Again, we must ask: Where is the comfortable and cozy Jesus that we’ve come to expect?
In Revelation chapter one, the apostle John encountered the living Jesus. The voice of Jesus sounded like a blasting trumpet (v.10) and like roaring waters (v.15). His eyes blazed like a “flame of fire” (v.14), and his feet smoldered like glowing metal in a furnace. Jesus’ face “was like the sun shining in its strength” (v.16). This overwhelming sight was enough to cause John to feel like he had dropped dead! (v.17) No matter how phenomenal we imagine Jesus to be, he will look even more breathtaking and unimaginably awesome!
Yet Jesus is not only a being of unspeakable power and inexpressible glory. He is also the friend of sinners. So, what happened to John next is striking. John writes, “Jesus placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Rev. 1:17). The mysterium tremendum placed his hand on John’s shoulder, and told him that there is no reason to be scared. Truly, the safest place to be is in the presence of power and love like this. This might be why John wrote, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18).
Perhaps C.S. Lewis got it right, when one of his characters in the land of Narnia asked if Aslan (Jesus) was safe—to which one of the Narnians replied, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King.”
[1] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 52.
[2] See Robert Thomas, 52; Alan Johnson, 416; David Aune, 12; Osborne, 52.
[3] Mark Hitchcock, “Revelation,” Credo Courses (video lectures).
[4] Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 55.
[5] Robert L. Thomas, “A Classical Dispensationalist View of Revelation,” in Four Views on the Book of Revelation, ed. Stanley N. Gundry and C. Marvin Pate, Zondervan Counterpoints Collection (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), 181.
[6] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Galaxie Software, 2008), 35-36.
[7] Though, James 1:22-25 shares a similar idea. We need to be a “hearer” of the word and a “doer” of the word. If we do this, James writes, “This man will be blessed in what he does.”
[8] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Galaxie Software, 2008), 36.
[9] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 53.
[10] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Galaxie Software, 2008), 28.
[11] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 64.
[12] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 64.
[13] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 53.
[14] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1967), 54.
[15] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 78.
[16] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 56.
[17] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 80.
[18] Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1989), 27.
[19] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 87.
[20] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 91.
[21] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 57.
[22] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 90.
[23] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 56.
[24] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Galaxie Software, 2008), 43.
[25] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 101.
[26] Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in their Local Setting (England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1989), 116.
[27] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 112.
[28] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1992), 116.
[29] Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (Orland, FL: Harcourt, 1957), p.9.
[30] Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion (Orland, FL: Harcourt, 1957), pp.9-10.