Visions of God

Revelation 1:12-22

In the introduction to Revelation, John says:

Revelation 1:1 (NKJV) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified [it] by His angel to His servant John,

This opening tells us that this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The book’s main character is Jesus Christ, and it records His works. In addition, Revelation reveals much concerning Jesus’ nature and person. Another way of saying this is to say, “Revelation adds to our Theology (knowledge of God).” 

Revelation builds on our knowledge of God by visually representing things and events in heaven and the spiritual realm’s interaction with the earth. 

One of the most shocking and startling visual representations is the opening vision of Jesus Christ. It is shocking in the sense that He is pictured as having “eyes like flames of fire” and a “sharp two-edged sword” coming from His mouth. This visual representation of Jesus is also startling in that up to this point in the New Testament, Jesus has been gentle, humble, and compassionate. While His grace and compassion are unchanging, the picture of a sword and fire does not suggest these characteristics.

While we are beginning with the eyes like flames of fire and sharp two-edged sword,” other features are mentioned that communicate truth. We are reminded of what Hebrews 1 tells us of Jesus.

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV) ¹God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Look at verse 3 again. Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person. In John 14, Jesus tells us, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Think about what that means! He who has seen Jesus has seen the Father!

When God sent His Son, He sent him as one of us in a humble, gentle manner in order to invite us to accept His mercy and grace. However, some of the visual revelations of God throughout the Bible are anything but humble and gentle. 

In Exodus, when God met with Israel at Mount Sinai, we are told:

Exodus 19:16 (NKJV) Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who [were] in the camp trembled.

As Israel stood before the mountain, the Lord descended and was manifested in the physical world. The lightning was real (not imaginary or visionary); the smoke, sound, and trembling took place in this physical realm.

God is a person, not a human person, but a person in the sense that He thinks, feels, and has His own being inside Himself (i.e., He is self-aware). He sent His Son so that we can understand that we are created in His image. But, this is where the similarity ends because He is the Almighty Creator and has no physical limits. So, when God gives glimpses of Himself in the world or in visions, these glimpses are both terrifying and difficult to describe.

In addition to Sinai, two revelations of God stand out: Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 1.

First, let’s read what Isaiah saw.

Isaiah 6:1-5 (NKJV) ¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His [robe] filled the temple. ²Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy [is] the LORD of hosts; The whole earth [is] full of His glory!” ⁴And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵So I said: “Woe [is] me, for I am undone! Because 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.”

The Lord was sitting on a throne, seraphim stood around Him covering face and feet with wings, and the Lord’s presence caused smoke to fill the house. Isaiah’s response was, “Woe is me, for I am undone!”

Next, look at how Ezekiel describes what He saw.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 (NKJV) ²⁶And above the firmament over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne [was] a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. ²⁷Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. ²⁸Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so [was] the appearance of the brightness all around it. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw [it,] I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Brightness and glory that overwhelms the human mind surround the Lord God. Notice Ezekiel’s response to what he saw. “So when I saw it, I fell on my face.”

In the Gospel accounts, we are introduced to God in the flesh. However, Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of the glory of God in Jesus. At the Mount of Transfiguration, they were given a glimpse of who Jesus is.

Matthew 17:1-6 (NKJV) ¹…Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ²and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” ⁶And when the disciples heard [it,] they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

These men, who were Jesus’ closest companions, fell on their faces and were greatly afraid! In Revelation, around 60 years later, John sees Jesus’ glory once again. And, once again, he is overwhelmed to the point that He fell at Jesus’ feet as dead. Here is how John describes what he saw.

Revelation 1:12-16 (NKJV) ¹²Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and 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. ¹⁴His head and hair [were] white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; ¹⁵His feet [were] like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; ¹⁶He 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.

This description of Jesus reminds us of Israel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel’s visions of God. However, a difference that we see in John’s narrative is that it is clear that this vision is enhanced with symbols. For example, a physical sword from our physical world is not sticking out of Jesus’ mouth. While I do not profess to know what Jesus’ eyes are made of, they are not made out of physical fire. These images are given to communicate truth about Jesus in His person.

Jesus tells us that some things that John is seeing are symbolic. He says:

Revelation 1:20 (NKJV) “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.

The seven lampstands are us, the Church. As an important side note, we should notice that the lampstand holds up the light as a “light bearer” but is not the source of the light. We are the light of the world because we carry the Spirit in our persons and corporately as a body. The source of the light, however, is Jesus. We will consider some of the implications of this as we look at the seven churches.

However, as John beholds His Savior, He notices His eyes. When I meet a person, I like to look in their eyes, and by this act, I seek to connect with that person; even if briefly, I fix my attention on that person. When we connect with Jesus, He sees into our souls. He knows our thoughts, intentions, and desires. This is the fire. It is a refining fire because everything about us is laid open and bare before Him who is perfect in holiness and power. He is our judge, the One we lived in fear of before the cross. Even as believers, we are refined by this fire. As Peter says:

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷that the genuineness of your faith, [being] much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…

We are to be found to praise, honor, and glory God, but this means we must be refined like gold in the fire. Jesus, who began a good work in us, will continue that work until it is complete, as Philippians 1:6 tells us.

Related to this is the sharp two-edged sword that is seen coming from Jesus’ mouth. Ephesians 6 tells us what our spiritual armor is. Of all the armor, the only offensive weapon we are described as having is a sword, which is said to be “the word of God.” Hebrews tells us this:

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 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.

Jesus is the Word, He is with God, and He is God. We see Him thus in Revelation, and the sword coming from His mouth reminds us of this. The word from His mouth vanquishes His foes and lays bare before Him all our thoughts and intentions. 

We would despair but for other elements of His appearance. For one, His garment is a robe down to His feet with a gold sash. Oh! Such a glory! These are the robes of a priest! He is our high priest. In Exodus, the priest’s robes are described, and the one difference is the Old Testament priests wore a plate with stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel on their chest. But Jesus, Oh Jesus, He wears a gold sash over His chest because His is the perfect priesthood, and He represents all the tribes and nations of the earth before the throne of God.

His loud voice speaks of His absolute victory over sin, death, and the grave, and His white hair speaks of His purity. The feet are the feet of the mighty warrior who conquers the earth and all His (our) enemies. 

These things are terrifying to His enemies and the glory of us who He calls His friends.

I want to draw a very brief and sudden conclusion to this talk. 

We, like John, should fall as dead before our great and glorious God and Savior, and then getting up as He has raised us, we need to tell people, publish far and wide, what we have seen, the things that are, and the things that will be. 

Jesus is the only hope of this world, and He has us here as His Church to be people who help people know Jesus. It really is as simple as that.

Our great commandments are to love God and People, and our great commission is to disciple, baptize, and teach. We are people who help people know Jesus.

How are you doing with this?

The first step is to accept Jesus.

The second step is to learn how to walk by:

1. joining with other believers (church membership, our combined efforts go much further than our individual efforts ever could, plus Jesus works through His Church)
2. finding a place to serve (we serve Jesus by serving others as part of His body)
3. teaching others to do as we have done.