This Easter Sunday we will go over what John saw, heard, and did when he had a vision of Christ.
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John’s Vision Of The Risen Christ
Revelation 1:9-20
In C. S. Lewis’ classic fiction, “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” there is a scene in which Lucy is speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Beaver about Aslan:
“Is–is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion–the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he–quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
This is exactly what the apostle John will discover about the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Revelation 1, John describes a vision of Christ that he sees. John has been exiled to Patmos, a 5 by 10 mile volcanic island in the midst of the Aegean Sea. It is about 37 miles west of Miletus, which is just south of Ephesus. Why is he there? It is because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. John was being persecuted for his bold and faithful witness concerning Jesus Christ.
According to Tertullian, an early church father around 200 A.D. the Emperor Domitian had John plunged into boiling oil in the Colosseum, but it did not harm him. Apparently, God had more work for John to do before he went home to heaven. So, instead the Emperor had John sent to the island of Patmos to live in isolation. It was here that he had these amazing visions that he wrote down, and which were called the Book of Revelation.
John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (probably the first day of the week), and he heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet telling him to write down what he saw and send it to 7 different churches.
That is where we are going to pick up the vision this morning that John saw.
As we work our way through this amazing vision of Christ, we are going to examine three questions:
- What did John see?
- What did John do?
- What did John hear?
1. What Did John See? (1:12-16)
Remember, that we ought not to try to understand this description of Christ literally. Those images presented here are intended to function symbolically. Each symbol is given to teach us truth about Christ.
One Like A Son Of Man. This was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself. He uses it more than any other. It comes from Daniel 7:13-14,
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And 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]a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every [b]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.
This must refer to what took place upon Christ’s ascension to heaven at the right hand of God after He rose from the dead. He was presented before the Father, and the Father gave Him universal sovereignty, unrivaled glory, and kingdom which would consist of people from every nation to serve Him.
Right out of the gate we see that this is not a calming and soothing vision. Rather, it is a terrifying vision of Jesus Christ that far surpassed anything John beheld when Christ walked the earth.
In the middle of the lampstands. 1:20 tells us that the seven lampstands are the seven churches that John was to send this book to. Jesus is ministering to His churches. He is trimming the wicks and pouring in the oil, that these lampstands will continue to burn brightly. Jesus has not forsaken His Church. Rather, He is ministering to it, and sanctifying it that it will pour forth His light in the midst of a dark world.
Robe reaching to the feet, golden sash girded across His chest. The word “sash” occurs ten times in the Old Testament. In eight of those 10 times, it refers either to the High Priest, or his sons. Exodus 28:4 mentions both the robe and the sash of the high priest. Therefore, I think it is best to conclude that Christ in this vision is appearing as the High Priest in the midst of His churches. What was the function of the high priest. Well, among other things, he was to offer sacrifice and make intercession. Christ had already offered Himself as the sacrifice for sins on the cross. But now, decades later, He appears as the High Priest who continues to make intercession for His people.
His head and hair were white like wool, like snow. This is the same description as that of the Ancient of Days, God the Father in Daniel 7:9. Here is one of the many indications in the book of Revelation that Jesus is God. His white head and hair suggest His infinite wisdom, and holiness.
His eyes were like a flame of fire. The same description is repeated in Revelation 2:18, where the context emphasizes that Jesus “searches the minds and hearts” (Rev. 2:23) and He knows all of the deeds that we do (Rev. 2:19). Hebrews 4:13 says, “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” Jesus Christ knows all. He sees all. And He will judge all. His eyes are like a flame of fire. We can’t hide anything in our life from Him!
His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace. In the Old Testament, bronze is often associated with judgment. His feet are white hot! He will crush His enemies, and purify His church.
His voice was like the sound of many waters. It was a deafening and powerful roar, that can not be ignored.
Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. This must refer to the Word of God which will judge and destroy His enemies. In the New Testament, there are two different Greek words translated as “sword.” The “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17 is a small sword, or large knife, that could be used to cut up flesh. The “two-edged sword” here in Revelation 1:16 is a large broadsword that would be used in battle to kill their enemies. It is the same word used in Revelation 19:15 which describes Christ’s second coming, in which He will judge and destroy the wicked, and pour out His wrath.
His face was like the sun shining in its strength. In this vision, Christ appears like God the Father, who dwells in unapproachable light. Have you ever tried to look directly into the sun on a cloudless day? I hope not! You can do real damage to your eyes, even blindness. When Jesus was transfigured in Mt. 17:2, the Bible says His face shone like the sun. This points to His overwhelming glory, majesty, and holiness.
2. What Did John Do?
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. I don’t think this was voluntary. John is not bowing down in worship or prayer. I also don’t think John is being “slain in the Spirit” as some Charismatic believers think. Notice, John is not falling backwards with someone to catch him as is done in popular Charismatic revivals. He is falling forwards, at His feet. So, what then is going on?
What happened to John is likened to a man falling dead in battle. Imagine the soldiers rushing toward their enemies during the Civil War. One man is shot in the head and dies instantly. His lifeless body drops to the ground. That seems to be what John is describing here. There was such fear, and such trauma associated with this vision, that he drops to the ground as though he is dead. Perhaps he fainted. Perhaps this vision was just too much for him to handle, and his body just shut down.
We do know that this was a terrifying vision, because Jesus has to tell John, “Do not be afraid.”
And this should not surprise us, because this is virtually the way everyone responded when God appeared to people in the Bible.
Judges 13:22. When Manoah and his wife had a visitation from the angel of the Lord, Manoah concluded, “We will surely die, for we have seen God.”
Isaiah 6:1-5. When Isaiah saw the Lord on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the Seraphim calling out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the whole earth is full of His glory”, Isaiah responded, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Ezekiel 1:28. When Ezekiel had a vision of God, he fell on his face. He is knocked down by the dread of His overwhelming glory. 3:23 – Ezekiel again falls on his face.
Daniel 10:7-9. Daniel had a vision of God. His friends ran away to hide themselves. Daniel had no strength left in him. His natural color turned to a deathly pallor. He fell into a deep sleep on his face, with his face to the ground.
Mk. 5:41. After Jesus calmed and hushed the sea, the disciples were very much afraid. There is something more terrifying than a wild sea outside your boat. It is to have the Lord of glory inside your boat.
Mt. 17:5-6. When God spoke from heaven when Jesus was transfigured, “This is My Beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased, listen to Him!” The disciples fell down to the ground and were terrified.
Luke 5:8. When Jesus told the disciples to let down their nets, and there was a great catch of fish, Peter started to understand that He was more than just a man. He fell down at Jesus feet and said, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
Acts 9. When Paul had a vision of the risen Lord, he was knocked to the ground, blinded, and couldn’t eat for three days.
When God appears to man the only spontaneous response is to collapse in dread of this overwhelming glory!
I remember John MacArthur once talking about a charismatic pastor friend who told him that Jesus often appears to Him while He is shaving. MacArthur asked him, “Do you keep shaving?” If he could nonchalantly keep on shaving, then the Lord wasn’t appearing to him!
When the risen Lord appears to His people, they don’t burst into holy laughter, or start barking like dogs. They fall on their faces in dread of His sovereign power and overwhelming glory, because they know they are sinners!
3. What Did John Hear?
Do not be afraid. John was terrified, but the Lord assured him that he did not need to be afraid. But why?
I am the first and the last. So, what did Jesus mean by that? 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.” Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last letter. He is the first and the last. And the Alpha and Omega is the Lord God, the Almighty. But just to make sure this is what Jesus meant, in 22:13 it says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Here “the first and the last” is coupled with “the Alpha and the Omega.” What this tells you is that Jesus Christ is the Lord God the Almighty. Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus is “a god” but not God Almighty. In fact their Bible, the New World Translation substitutes “the Lord God” for “Jehovah God.” What that means is that Jesus is the first and the last, and the Alpha and Omega, and Jehovah God!
If Jesus is God, and He is in the midst of the churches as their High Priest interceding for them, then John doesn’t need to be afraid. Yes, in ourselves we are sinful and deserve God’s judgment. But in Christ, we are forgiven and justified.
The living One. Jesus is the One who has life in Himself. He is Self-Existent. He does not derive live from some other source. Life comes from within Him. In Revelation 22:1 there is a vision of the river of the water of life coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. God and Jesus are the source of all life, eternal life. 1 Jn. 5:11 says “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
I was dead. This refers to His crucifixion. Jesus actually died in history. Christ died for sins, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God. This is Good Friday. This is the atonement. This is the propitiation for our sins. This was Christ becoming sin for us.
Behold, I am alive forevermore. This is Easter Sunday. Christ is risen! He is alive forevermore. Romans 6:9 says, “knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”
I have the keys of death. What do keys do? They either lock or unlock something. Picture a locked door, and everyone behind that door are those who have died. Jesus Christ has the authority over death. He is ultimately the One who is sovereign over death. No one can die unless Christ, the Sovereign Lord permits it. Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” The number of our days that were ordained for us, have been written in God’s book, and it was written before we were born! That tells me, that when we die is no accident. Jesus has the authority to decide who lives and who dies.
I have the keys of Hades. Hades is the realm of departed spirits. When anyone dies physically, their spirit goes into Hades. However, within Hades, there are 2 different destinations. Both are temporary. There is a temporary Heaven, and a temporary Hell. Some call it an intermediate Heaven and Hell.
Temporary Heaven: 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. Paul says in Philippians 1:23 that he had the desire to depart and be with Christ. So, for the believer, death causes his spirit to enter Hades, the realm of depart spirits. However, Jesus Christ uses His authority to cause that person to enter into the temporary heaven. This temporary heaven will last until the second coming of Christ. When that takes place the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Then God will create new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. That will be the Eternal Heaven. And the only One who has the authority to admit you to that Paradise is Jesus Christ. He has the keys, and no one else. If you reject Him, you are rejecting the only One who can give you admittance to Paradise.
Temporary Hell: In Luke 16:23 it says of the rich man that in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. Some that enter Hades will not go to the temporary heaven. They will go the temporary hell. I say “temporary” because the eternal version of hell is the lake of fire. No one is there now. However, after God’s ultimate judgment in Revelation 20:11-15, death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. It’s kind of like our judicial system. If a person is arrested, they are put in jail. After their trial if they are found guilty, they are sent to prison. Jail is the temporary residence of the guilty. Prison is the final residence of the guilty.
Conclusion
My friends, do you realize what it means for Jesus to have the keys of death and Hades? It means that He has the authority to assign you to your eternal destiny. It means that once he puts you into the temporary hell, no one can get you out. There is nothing you can do to get out. There is no one with more authority or power than Christ, so if He assigns you to hell, you are there forever. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham tells Lazarus who is in Hades, “between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from her to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us” (Lk. 16:26). Hell is kind of like solitary confinement. A lot of people think they are going to love being in hell, because it is going to be an endless party with all their friends. No, hell is called “outer darkness”. The comfort of friends is no where to be found in hell.
Who goes to hell? Those that do not have the Son. He who has the Son have life. He who does not have the Son of God do not have life. It all comes down to Jesus.
Christ also has the keys to the temporary heaven. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, have loved Him, believed in Him, served Him in this life, and confessed Him before men, He will use His keys to open the gates to Paradise and usher you in. And once you are in, he shuts the gates and locks them. You can never get out, and you would never want to. The only reason you would want out of heaven if you wanted sin more than Jesus. And in heaven, there is no sin. There is no devil, no temptation, no flesh, no world, and no sin. There is only pure, holy love to Christ. So, you will be forever with Christ – the place you want to be more than anywhere in the world. And the good news, you can never be kicked out!
This Easter, if you are a Christian, rejoice in your sovereign Lord. Rejoice that He has the keys of death and Hades. Rejoice that He has opened the door to heaven.
If you are not a Christian, be afraid. He holds the keys to your eternal destiny. Psalm 2:12, “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
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