Revelation 1:12-16
Jesus in His
Glory!
Read Rev. 1:12-16
Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Rev 1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Rev 1:14 His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
Rev 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Pray
Intro
√ A picture's worth a thousand words!
In our text this morning we find the only description of Jesus in the New Testament!
Not a word in the Gospels concerning His physical appearance!
Brown curly hair
Blue eyes
5’10” and cut
Nothing!
But now that Jesus is glorified we find that John gives us a most interesting description of Him.
A snapshot, if you will, of Jesus in His glory!
May I suggest that the picture John gives us of Jesus is more than just a physical description of what he saw…
…it also speaks to us symbolically and reveals the fullness of Jesus' majesty!
Ap. Do you know my Jesus?
As we share with John in the testing of our faith it is vital that we know the One for whom we patiently endure suffering.
That we might remain faithful in hardship
That our hope would be sure
That our joy would be unquenchable
Let's look now at Jesus as He is in Heaven today!
His Body (vs. 12-13a)
Rev 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Rev 1:13a and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man,…
Having been called to attention by the "voice that sounded like a trumpet"…
…John turns now to see the One who is speaking. He describes the One who spoke as…
"One like the Son of Man"
This title is used frequently in the Gospels but only twice in the Revelation. It reminds us that Jesus though in His resurrection body, will still look like a Man.
Not some oval-headed alien!
He will be recognizable to those who walked with Him by the sea of Galilee, and by you and me!
Ap. “Will we know our friends in heaven?” - yes! We will have bodies like Jesus.
1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Ex. Remember also that Peter, James and John recognized Moses and Elijah at the transfiguration - they weren’t wearing name tags.
His clothing (vs. 13b)
Rev 1:13b …clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
This is best understood as a description of the garments worn by the high priest!
Note that the golden band (or belt) is around the Lord's chest, verses His waist. The common man of the day wore a belt around his waist.
The high priest wore a band, or belt, around his chest.
Ex. The record of Josephus
Josephus tells us that this design was in keeping with the majesty and dignity of the office of high priest.
The main difference between the garments that Aaron and his descendants wore is that they only had a golden thread woven through his girdle, or band.
Here however, Jesus the True High Priest, Whom Aaron was only a representative, has a solid golden band!
In other words, Jesus
is the real deal!
That of course is the testimony of the author of Hebrews…
Heb. 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
Ap. Reminds us that Jesus is interceding for us before the throne of the Father!
Because He lived as a Man, He knows the troubles and trials of life and is therefore compassionate toward us as He knows our weakness.
His hair (vs. 14a)
Rev 1:14a His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow…"
John's description of Jesus is interesting because it so closely resembles the vision that Daniel saw of God the Father, called “The Ancient of Days”, in Daniel 7.
Clearly attributing to Jesus the same divine qualities of the Father!
What's it all mean? His white hair is symbolic primarily of His purity, but may also speak of His eternal existence (i.e. “Ancient of Days”).
Jesus of course is completely pure - no spot, no stain of sin - perfectly pure. In fact, when the religious leaders sought to bring an accusation against Him…
…they could not come up with a single sin for which they could convict Him!
Like "snow"? The idea is that in our natural experience there are few things as pure and undefiled as freshly fallen snow.
Ex. Fresh snow makes even a pile of junk look good!
Ap. John's vision reminds us that only Jesus is pure
He is distinct from every other religious leader that has ever lived.
And, He has promised that He will grant those who trust in Him the same purity that characterizes His nature!
Isa 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Only Jesus can make us clean. He alone can change us and transform us so that we too have a nature that is pure!
His eyes (vs. 14b)
Rev 1:14b …eyes like a flame of fire;
Wow - can you picture that! This speaks of His searching righteousness and divine judgement of all that is impure.
That is, in the gaze of Christ there is no evil thing that can be hid…
No secret sin
No false motive
No hate or bitterness of heart toward another
Nothing can be hidden from Him Who’s eyes are like a flame of fire!
We find an interesting parallel scripture in Hebrews...
Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Ex. Ever know someone like that? When they look at you it’s like they can see right through you!
Ap. Better to willingly confess our sins to Jesus than to have to bear up under that gaze!
We can fool one another, we cannot fool Jesus!
His feet (vs. 15a)
Rev 1:15a His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…"
What does that mean?! A Coppertone tan?
The metal described as brass, more properly bronze (cooper alloy), is used symbolically in the Bible to represent divine judgement.
Ex. In Exo. 38 the implements of worship such as the brazen altar which were used in connection with the sacrifice for sin.
The picture then of Jesus' Nature is that He is the Judge to whom every person must give account!
Jesus said…
Joh 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
Jesus also speaks of this judgment in Matt. 25:32-46 where He describes what He will do when He returns to the earth - separating people…
…some to eternal reward (the sheep), others to eternal fire (the goats).
The reason that the Father has committed all judgement to the Son is that ultimately each person is judged by how they have responded to Jesus.
Acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord?
Reject Him as nothing more than fiction or a good man?
The sin for which there is no atonement, only judgement, is to reject Jesus as God's Son.
Ap. Seek His mercy while it is available!
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Don't wait to get
right with the Judge!
His voice (vs. 15b)
Rev 1:15b "…and His voice as the sound of many waters;"
Or,
"his voice was like the sound of rushing waters." - NIV
"his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves." - NLT
"His voice had the sound of a great waterfall"
J.B. Phillips
John is communicating that the sound of Jesus' voice was all-present, overwhelming, that it was the singularly discernable sound which he could hear.
That is, the only thing that John could discern was the Lord's voice because it filled all of his capacity to hear.
No other sound was able to complete with, or distract from, the voice of Jesus!
Ex. Vernal Falls - the ONLY sound you can hear is the water fall.
Or, as a the marketing experts might say…
"When Jesus speaks, everyone listens!"
Ap. Hearing the voice of God
Today, one of the questions I'm most often asked is…
"How do I know when the Lord is speaking to me?"
The point is that today there are many voices competing for our attention making it sometimes difficult to discern the Lord's voice.
Ex. Elijah
The Lord spoke to him, not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire…
…but, in a still small voice.
Ap. Quiet time with the Lord
If we desire to hear from the Lord, we have to make time to be quiet so that we can hear Him speaking to us!
However, in eternity there will be no competing voices! When Jesus speaks His voice will command the attention of every saint and angel!
In part, because His voice is the only voice that really matters!
I long for that day when I will be able to hear Jesus clearly!
His hand (vs. 16a)
Rev 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars…"
What a cool thing to be able to hold!
We aren’t left to wonder what the stars are for Jesus tells us in vs. 20
Rev 1:20 "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 which you saw are the seven churches.
We’re told that the stars are angels - each church having it’s own angel. That’s the simple part - the difficult part is what is an “angel”?
Angel = angelos - means “messenger.
Typically angelos speaks of those beings created by God who operate in the spirit realm. They can appear in human form when required to, but don’t have material bodies like men.
However, some have suggested that as used here, angelos, was meant to mean the pastor or ruling elder of the churches to which Jesus sent His message.
They point to the messages to the churches in chapters 2 & 3 as evidence.
But in every other use of the word in the Book of Revelation angelos is clearly speaking of heavenly beings.
The good news is that whichever interpretation is correct, the spiritual significance is the same!
That is, these angels are messengers who are responsible for the spiritual welfare of the seven churches named in the Revelation.
Note also their location - they are in the right hand of Jesus - indicating His...
possession
protection
sovereign control.
…of the churches. Reminding us that the church belongs to Jesus!
Ex. "Your church"
I know what people mean when they refer to Calvary Chapel in the Ozarks as…
"Your church"
…however, its not mine! It belongs to Jesus and I'm just His messenger boy.
Ap. A word to pastors
Knowing that the local church belongs to Jesus can bring both encouragement, and correction!
Encouragement - we don't have to fret and worry about the church! It belongs to the Lord and He knows what's best for the people and how to grow them.
Correction - reminds us that we better not take advantage of the people or the resources of the church because they belong to Jesus!
So, if you've been called to leadership in the church - remember, it belongs to Jesus.
His mouth (vs. 16b)
Rev 1:16b "…out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,"
Obviously this is symbolic! Most of us are familiar with the verse in Hebrews 4:12 which speaks of the word of God as a sword.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This word used in Hebrews refers to a short sword or dagger - like that which the Roman soldiers used. As used in Hebrews the Word of God is said to be able to pierce to the inner most being of a man and reveal his thoughts and motives.
But the word used in Revelation is different! It speaks of a large heavy sword that wielded caused great devastation - everything in it’s path gets wiped out!
Ex. The sword of a knight vs. the foil of a fencer.
The vision then is symbolic of the divine judgement that Jesus speaks to an unrepentant World.
Rev 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
Finally, John concludes his description of Jesus by telling us that...
His countenance (vs. 16c)
Rev 1:16c "…and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength."
Speaking of His brilliant glory.
This is the light that blinded Saul on the road to Damascus.
This is the light that every sinner seeks to avoid and every saint desires to enter into!
Yet, in our present bodies we are not able to behold such glory - that is why we need a new body as promised in I John and I Cor. 15 - we just can’t handle His glory!
Ex. Ever try looking at the Sun?
The picture of Jesus here reminds us that just as the sun outshines all the other planets in our solar system…
…so the glory of Jesus outshines the glory of the angelic host and the saints of God.
Close
√ Jesus is awesome to behold!
Just as a picture speaks a thousand words, so John's description of Jesus gives us fresh insight into Who He is. That in a time when everything about Jesus is…
Called into question
Treated with disrespect
Openly mocked and blasphemed
That we might have…
A greater love for Him
A more secure hope for the future
An awesome reverence for this One Who love us so
That we might remain faithful in hardship
That our joy would be unquenchable
May Jesus be everything to you!