Visions of Christ
Revelation
1:9-20
Every
once in a while you read something that leaves a lasting impression; something
that forces you to consider it even years after you’ve read it. I read such a
book in high school. In 1953 Ray Bradbury’s book, Fahrenheit 451, was published. Bradbury’s story described a society
where truth was hidden at all costs and self-centeredness was the rule of the
day. The people did everything possible to shelter themselves from the
realities of the world. They lived in a self-induced stupor having been
intoxicated by their self-indulgence. Bradbury wrote about people whose lives
were consumed by their entertainment and were lived vicariously through the
televisions that ruled their living rooms.
The people were happy to live in self-delusion with their allusions of
joy until they were brought face to face with the harsh reality of war. When
the time came that they had to face truth they had no idea how to handle it.
They were ill-prepared to face the trials and tribulations of life. As terribly
equipped as such a society seem, are we really much different?
John
faced a similar situation. The Romans filled coliseums with countless thousands
of people who went to find some kind of fulfillment and happiness. The empire
provided all the entertainment people needed through sports and wealth, but
they did what was necessary to hide the truth. That’s why John found himself on
Patmos.
Sometimes
it seems like the world will stop at nothing to hide definite truth. We see it
all around us. We read stories of scientists who are pressured by politics to
make sure their studies find what is considered acceptable by the powers that
be. There have been college professors who have lost jobs because they refuse
to blindly promote unproven theories of evolution in favor of intelligent
design. Many dictators have controlled the media of their country, and some
have gone so far as to censor what people are allowed to read.
Suppression
of truth is a means of inhibiting the freedom of people as they try to
understand life. By directing them to specific, well-chosen information they
are led to a conclusion that is desirable for their leaders. This has even
happened in the church. There was a day when Bibles were chained to pulpits and
the common man was not allowed access to God’s Word. This allowed the rulers to
maintain control over the conclusions that people would draw by denying them
access to all that is available to them. We see it in the church once again
today. The Bible is not kept from God’s people, but they have willfully allowed
themselves to live in ignorance of what it teaches, and the result has been
leaders who have led the church astray.
We
look around us and see a church that is largely failing in America. Our leaders
continue to promote leadership techniques and programs while the church
continues to decline. Outreach is the theme of the day, and if we aren’t
growing in great numbers we are not successful. Scripture teaches us that the
church grew in the New Testament as the Bible became more important to the
Christians. “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the
disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests
became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). When we do not know Scripture we do
not know how to deal with life’s circumstances, so we turn to leaders who will
give us instruction. Is this not how the Christian life is lived today? We
don’t go to the Word, but to some self-help guru for our direction. The
absolute truth of God’s Word has been confined to the shadows of the world, and
hidden in the dark corners of the church. Over a couple thousand years it seems
that some things haven’t changed all that much.
John,
the great apostle who proclaimed God’s truth to the early church, was exiled to
Patmos as a way of keeping the truth from people. F.G. Smith explains, “Having
confined him to a barren spot [Patmos], the emperor no doubt thought he had
effectually cleared the world of this preacher of righteousness…But when men
think the truth is dead and buried out of sight, God suddenly gives it a
resurrection with thirty-fold greater glory. It was so in this case.”[1]
Just when it seemed like the truth of God might be stamped out of existence,
the apostle received a vision on the far reaches of the prison of Patmos. He
was not given a structure or program that would obscure the glory and power of
God. He was not given instruction on where to find the nearest church growth
seminar, or tips on the amendment of bylaws.
When
God’s Word was hidden away the church received what she needed most: visions of
an all-powerful, resurrected, living Christ! As John contemplated the church on
the Lord’s Day a vision of a triumphant church came forth through the words of
Jesus. It is in times such as these that we experience visions of the work of
Christ. It is when the truth seems to be losing ground to the lies of man that
God speaks to His people and directs them back to His Word, and to His
revelation. It is in such times that God brings revival to the submissive
heart.
It
is important that we understand the victory that God is showing in this vision.
There are many who insist on a literal interpretation of what John saw on
Patmos, but to look at this in such a way is to take away from the victory won
by Jesus. We do not interpret Jesus – or His work – in light of the visions of
apocalyptic literature, but we always interpret such literature in light of
Jesus Christ and His victory over the powers of hell.[2] It
is truth that sets us free, and for that purpose God revealed the truth about a
victorious church through the book of Revelation. That purpose must be kept in
the forefront of our thought as we read the visions of John. Jesus told us in
John’s gospel that He came for the purpose of freedom. “So Jesus said to the
Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John
8:31, 32). Paul also told the Galatian church, “For freedom Christ has set us
free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal.
5:1). God has provided visions in Scripture that will free us from the bondage
of worldly ideas. We find ourselves in bondage to the world, but the church
need not live in that prison. The truth, if sought and applied to our lives –
individually and corporately – will truly set us free.
It
Is During Tribulation That We See Christ
We
cannot deny that the church of John’s day was facing tribulation. This has
often been a result of the world’s response to the faith of God’s people. Faith
in the Word of God offends the sinful hearts of the world and brings conviction
to their souls. When we place our trust in the moral standards set forth by God
it gives us a hope that the world does not possess. By putting our trust in
God’s Word we are making a clear statement that the testimony of His Son will
be the example by which we live. We will not settle for the relativity of the
world, or the universalism that has become a part of the beliefs of so many.
John was sent to Patmos for this faith. Many Christians have lost their lives
for the same type of faith. God’s people have been martyred, exiled, beaten,
imprisoned and publicly shamed for their commitment to something greater than
the government rulers of this world.
It
is during these times of great trial that the church has historically risen to
new heights as men and women of God come together to support one another as
they endure hardship. In verse 9 John claimed to be partnered with the church
in tribulation, the kingdom, and patient endurance. We experience the presence
of Jesus today during these times as His body lives in harmony with one
another. As we encourage and carry one another we see God at work. This is what
John meant when he said he was their partner in the kingdom. We live together
in mutual submission to God’s reign even under the most sever tribulation.
“Just as Jesus suffered in order to establish his rule so must believers. Those
who put themselves under the lordship of Christ open themselves to tribulation
in this in-between-time before Christ’s return and the final consummation and
destruction of all evil.”[3]
History proves that Satan will do anything to keep God’s people from submitting
to His reign. We will face trial, tribulation, difficulty and obstacles, but
God will overcome all these things through His people living together as His
kingdom. Visions of our King remind us of the One whom we serve as we face this
opposition of the Devil.
God
has not left us alone to face difficulty. It is during this time that we
experience the work of Christ. We see Him move through His church, and in the
lives of His people. We experience His peace and comfort, His love and mercy.
If our faith remains steadfast in Jesus, we will never face a trial without a
“partner” in tribulation. When we meet obstacles we see Christ work.
It
Is When We Are In the Spirit That We See Christ
It
is no coincidence that John was “in the Spirit” when he saw a vision of Christ.
The Spirit is the one who reveals Christ to us. He testifies to the work of
Jesus. “He will glorify me, he will take what is mine and declare it to you”
(John 16:14). Since the Spirit reveals Christ to us we see Him most clearly
during the times when we are led by the Spirit. John Stott pointed out, “It is
only logical. If Christian maturity is maturity in our relationship to Christ,
in which we worship, trust and obey him, then the clearer our vision of Christ,
the more convinced we become that he is worthy of our commitment.”[4]
Stott went on to say, “For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our
vision of Christ the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our
vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”[5]
It
is the Holy Spirit who allowed John to look to the heavens and see the vision
of Christ rather than to his immediate circumstances of difficulty. The
testimony of Christ that we see in Scripture helps to teach us that it is never
our circumstances that should dictate the way we live, but the Spirit of God.
When we become bitter over troubles we face visions of Christ are more
difficult to see. The church has been called to live in a world that is hostile
to her culture, but we must live in light of the visions of Christ that
Scripture reveals to us. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will
of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). If our witness is
to stand, we cannot afford to respond to adversity in the same way the world
responds. We can’t allow ourselves to live in panic and worry over what is
going to happen. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew
6:34).
The
Spirit of God will always direct us to Christ. When it is the Spirit who is
guiding our decisions and responses we will always respond in light of our
vision of the work of the Son of God. It is from this position that John sees
the vision of Christ and His triumphant church.
It
Is Among the Churches That We See Christ
John
did not simply see a vision of Jesus. He saw our Risen Lord walking among seven
golden lampstands. In fact, the text would lead us to believe that John the
first thing John saw after hearing the voice of Christ were these lampstands. We
are not left to guess what these lampstands must be; Jesus told John exactly
what they are: “As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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” (Rev. 1:20).
It
should come as no surprise that we find Jesus among the congregations of His
church. Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered in my
name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). He also reminded them before He
ascended to heaven, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”
(Matt. 28:20).
Jesus
walks among His people today – just as He walked with the church in John’s day
– to fill the role of high priest. “But when Christ appeared as a high priest
of the good things that have come…” (Heb. 9:11). In Old Testament times it was
the responsibility of the high priest to trim the lamps in the tabernacle. “And
Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices; every morning when he trims and
fills the lamps he shall burn it” (Exod. 30:7 AB). The lamp was put in place to
light the holy place in the tabernacle. Without the light of these lamps the
tabernacle of God would be dark, so twice a day the high priest filled the
lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks. This kept deposits from building up that
would eliminate the light that was given. Jesus fulfills the same role in God’s
New Testament tabernacle.
The
churches give off the witness of God’s power and glory. Jesus walks among the
congregations to tend their lamps. It is through visions of Christ that the
witness of the church is carried into the world. As we see His revelation in
Scripture it trims and removes deposits from the wick that lights God’s lamps
today. He continually works through His Spirit to empower the church to do His work
in the world today. As we are built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5) we
see visions of Jesus walking among His people to fulfill His role as our high
priest maintaining the work of God within our lives. It is the presence of
Jesus that makes this tabernacle the church. It is this presence that allows us
to rightly consider ourselves the temple of God. John was given a vision of one
who trims the lamps.[6]
It
Is In Humility That We See Christ
It
is important that we see Christ through His Word and His church. We must
understand the work He does through His church. We must also respond to these
visions. John responded to the presence of God’s Son as many have reacted
throughout history. His response mirrors that of Ezekiel, “Such was the appearance
of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face,
and I heard the voice of one speaking” (Ezek. 1:28). Moses removed his shoes
and bowed before God (Exod. 3:5). Even
the Apostle Paul fell on His face before the Risen Christ, “And falling to the
ground he heard a voice” (Acts 9:4)…
A
real vision of Jesus Christ should give us a sense of inadequacy, and should
leave us standing in wonder and awe of our God. As we begin to understand what
God reveals to us through such a vision it reminds us that even the brightest
and best of our day cannot compare to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, and His power
working through His people is unmatched by anything that is spawned within the
finite mind of man. This revelation of the mind and will of God is what has
drawn His people back to Him in times of revival over the course of history.
Dennis Kinlaw commented, “I am convinced that every great revival in the
history of the church has started when God’s people began to seek ‘the mind of
Christ.’ When they set aside the normal human way of thinking about the world
and allowed Christ to direct their lives, the world has been turned ‘upside
down.’”[7]
For
decades the church of our day has stood as a darkened tabernacle, not knowing
whether or not our high priest stands among us. We have turned to programs,
gimmicks and fads to light the lamps of the church once again, but nothing has
reignited the fire among God’s people. Visions of Jesus Christ serve to
reignite the passion of God’s people. These visions bring revival to the
church. As long as we continue to look within ourselves for guidance we will
never be the lamps that burn brightly in the dwelling place of God. It is
through visions of Jesus, and the revelation of the mind of Christ that the
church moves in power in this sinful world. We experience God’s power when we
respond to visions of our Lord as Isaiah, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a
man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for
my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5). Our trials are not
overcome by our own ingenuity, but by visions of Jesus Christ and His plan for
a triumphant church.
It is during eras of difficulty that
apocalyptic literature was written by the Jews before the time of Christ. It is
in the same kinds of circumstance that John was given this vision. “Here is the
meaning of the vision: A living, holy, majestic, omniscient, authoritative,
powerful Christ stands in the midst of the churches, holds their destiny in his
hand and says: ‘Stop fearing. I was dead. I am alive forever. More than that, I
hold in my hand the keys to death and the grave. You should not fear to go to
any place to which I hold the key. You may be persecuted to death but I am
still your king.”[8]
It doesn’t matter what we are facing today – individually or corporately – we
are kept by our risen Lord. The Apostle Paul’s words still hold true today:
"What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also
with him graciously give us all things?
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was
raised – who is at the right
hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are
being killed all the day long; we
are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us” (Rom.
8:31-37).
Do we live in light of a Scriptural
vision of a risen, victorious Christ? One who stands amid a Spirit-led,
triumphant church?
[1] F.G. Smith, The Revelation Explained, 36
[2] Richard K. Eckley, Revelation: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis:
Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 57
[3] Carol Rotz, Revelation: A Commentary In the Wesleyan Tradition (Kansas City:
Beacon Hill Press, 2012), 59
[4] John Stott, The Radical Disciple (Downer’s Grove: IVP Books, 2010), 42
[5] Ibid, 47
[6] David Ravenhill, The Jesus Letters (Shippensburg: Destiny
Image, 2003), 33
[7] Dennis Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson: Francis
Asbury Press, 1998), 19
[8] Ray Summers, Worthy Is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman
&Holman Publishers, 1951), 105
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