Revelation 1:17, commentary and pictures

Exiled in old age on lonely Patmos for faithfulness, John is in the Spirit on the holy Sabbath day when he turns at a trumpet-like voice and sees the glorified Son of man standing among the seven golden candlesticks in brightness no mortal can endure, and he falls at His feet as dead until Christ lays His right hand upon him and tells him not to fear as the first and the last. The One he sees is the same personal Jesus with whom he had walked and leaned on His breast, now revealed in glorified humanity as the Alpha and Omega who lives and was dead and is alive forevermore with the keys of hell and of death. His touch and word lift John from prostration and revive him to endure the sight and hear the message for the churches, answering overwhelming awe with loving presence that brings reverence, comfort, strength, and promise of still greater revelation. That fear not rests forever on His death and endless life, for He knows human sorrow and temptation by enduring them, intercedes at God's right hand for those He redeemed with His blood, and saves completely all who come to Him in faith. Beholding such holiness makes even the beloved disciple feel his own weakness and sinfulness, yet shows that the living Saviour is present with His persecuted people to sustain them, and calls every member to become one with Him and prepare to meet God with joy.

Setting and Vision

The aged exile is on the lonely, rocky Isle of Patmos, banished for faithfulness to his Saviour and for keeping the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. It is a time of fierce persecution and great darkness when Satan seems to triumph over faithful witnesses, and John is separated from companions in faith and cut off from gospel labor and from the society of his brethren. Yet he is not separated from God's presence, and his desolate exile becomes the gate of heaven, richly favored with light and revelation. This shows that God does not forsake those who trust Him in affliction, for persecution and isolation do not leave His people alone when the all-sufficient, all-powerful One is present with them. The opposing element that apostatized in heaven is determined by himself and his emissaries to block every soul who would favor Christ and be saved by Him.

He is in the Spirit on the Lord's day, which is the holy Sabbath day God blessed and set apart as His own. That Sabbath was instituted in Eden and remained precious to John with its promises as the sign that God was his and sanctified him. The meeting takes place on that holy day, and the testimony then given is given also for those who would search to know what will be in the last days.

Turning at a great trumpet-like voice behind him declaring to be Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, he sees the glorified Son of man standing in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks in the glory of the heavenly sanctuary. He is no longer in poor garments or humiliation, no longer in an old purple robe and crown of thorns, but clothed in glory and brightness with as much glory as a human being could behold and live. He wears a garment down to the feet with a golden girdle, head and hairs white like wool as white as snow, eyes as a flame of fire, feet like fine brass as if burned in a furnace, voice as the sound of many waters, seven stars in His right hand, a sharp two-edged sword going out of His mouth, and countenance as the sun shining in his strength. John had previously seen Him in human form with nail marks in hands and feet and had walked and talked with Him, and now beholds the same Jesus in glorified humanity, the glorified divine Being who ascended with glorified humanity.

Overwhelmed by the sight, more than half a century after leaning on His bosom, John falls at His feet as dead. The glorious appearance collapses him like a dead man, and Christ lays His right hand upon him, telling him not to fear and declaring Himself the first and the last. That Fear not is spoken first, with the same remembered voice that spoke from the cross, and its words and touch reassure that the One before him is a personal being and not an impersonal essence, the living, risen Christ whose authority extends over death. The words belong not to John alone nor to the seven churches in Asia alone but come through those churches as an inspired message to make a powerful impression in every age to the close of earth's history.

Christ Himself comes from heaven to tell John what to write while John is worked by the Holy Spirit. This gives a wonderful, dignified, exalted, solemn instruction and message, including the description in the first chapter and the message of the first three chapters to be heeded. Presenting that message with decided emphasis demands all the talents and capabilities God has given to man.

Christ further reveals Himself as He that lives and was dead and is alive forevermore with the keys of hell and of death. He commands John to write the things seen and present and future in a book and send them to the seven churches. He explains the mystery that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches, with seven representing a perfect whole so the churches represent all the churches in the world.

Christ's Glorious Identity

The One John sees is a personal being, not an impersonal essence, the same Jesus with whom he had walked and talked and on whose breast he had leaned more than half a century before, the One he honored and loved above all others and remained faithful to through suffering. He presents Himself in glorified humanity as one like unto the Son of man, changed from humiliation in poor garments and an old purple robe with a crown of thorns to heavenly brightness with a garment of heavenly brightness down to the feet and a golden girdle, white hair like wool as white as snow, eyes like a flame of fire, feet like fine brass as if burned in a furnace, and voice like the sound of many waters. This revelation presents God as He will appear when He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, contrasting His former humiliation and suffering with His divine majesty while giving personal reassurance to His servant.

He identifies Himself as the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, the Living One, the beginning and the end, He that lives and was dead and is alive forevermore with the keys of hell and of death. His glorious appearance overwhelms John so that he falls at His feet as though dead, and His words and touch with His right hand reassure John that the One before him is the living, risen Christ whose authority extends over death and whose message John is to record. He is the risen Lord with authority over death, worthy of praise, living forever.

He is the divine Teacher at the center of all true education, continuing the work He established eighteen hundred years earlier, in whom true wisdom, truth, light, and life are found so that seeking them apart from Him is futile. He is Creator and Redeemer who holds the world in infinite love, by whom all things belong to Him by creation and by redemption as source and power of everything, with all value in any human being coming from Him and belonging to Him and all that people have entrusted to them to fulfill His work as Mediator. His kingdom is unlike earthly kingdoms because it does not rule by physical force or coercion but uplifts and ennobles fallen humanity, making His church a temple for God, present among those gathered in His name, and giving varied gifts and the Holy Spirit for duties of service and blessing.

He is the great Head of the church, the living Presence of a living Being and divine ruler who guides and oversees the churches, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks which symbolize the seven churches and holding the seven stars in His right hand. He holds His ministers under His special care and protection as instruments in His hands, like stars receiving and reflecting light under God's direction and accomplishing good only through His power, letting His light shine through His people to the world while He works to sanctify and prepare His followers for higher service in heaven. Churches and stars faithful to their trust are protected by His omnipotence and power and cannot perish while in His hand and need not fear coming to nothing, and if a star separates from God and falls another takes its place, for there will always be seven since seven is God's symbol of completeness. He constantly watches over His enfeebled yet supremely regarded church with tender solicitude as an assurance of the Saviour's interest and care when about to open the history of the church for future ages, knowing the works of the church, commanding John to write, and giving every church a guardian angel to minister to it.

He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and Lion of the tribe of Judah soon to ride forth conquering and to conquer, who on Patmos where John had been banished for fidelity opened to him the future of the church and of the world. Isaiah bears witness to His identity as Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, the One who came to this world to save the fallen race. He loved men and washed them from their sins in His own blood and made them kings and priests unto God, coming as One able to heal all maladies, the divine Healer whose work every faithful physician continues as a laborer together with God in restoring the moral image of God in men as well as healing diseases of the body.

Fear Not Reassurance

Christ lays His right hand upon John to strengthen and reassure him, lifting him from his prostrate position and reviving him so he can endure the sight, remain in His glorified presence, speak with Him and hear the message for the churches. Overwhelmed by the glory of the glorified Christ despite having loved Him and remained faithful through suffering, John falls as if dead, and Christ's touch and words comfort him and give him strength to abide before his glorified Lord whose appearance contrasts with His former humiliation and suffering. His loving presence in that touch answers overpowering awe with reverence, love and joy.

His words and touch restore His loyal, trusting servant, for the risen Christ before him is the living One whose authority extends over death and whose message John is to record. He speaks first, Fear not, with the same remembered voice that once spoke from the cross, and His words belong not to John alone nor to the seven churches in Asia alone but come through those churches as an inspired message for God's people to make a powerful impression in every age to the close of earth's history. The first sight of His majesty makes a person feel unable to live in His holy presence, yet His Fear not and His right hand comfort and restore His own and promise still greater revelations of God's glory with renewed strength and comfort.

He is thus the living Saviour present with His churches and with all who call upon Him and seek Him sincerely, to be trusted to receive, strengthen and comfort those who come to Him. The same Jesus who comforted John on lonely Patmos makes even an isolated home honored by His presence through His love, showing that persecution and isolation do not leave God's people alone because the all-sufficient, all-powerful One is present with them. He is with His chosen people amid oppression and persecution, revealing Himself to them even in prisons and at the stake and sustaining them until their trial is over, so that in the deepest darkness the rays of God's glory shine most clearly and give the church living power.

His Fear not is an everlasting assurance grounded in His death and life: He died, lives forevermore, and believers have life and hope through Him. Standing at God's right hand He intercedes for those He redeemed with His blood, inviting sinners defiled by sin to come to Him in faith, saving completely all who come, with a sacrifice that remains fully effective despite the passage of time. He knows human sorrows, temptations, conflicts and anguish because He endured them Himself, and He is a present help in trouble.

In exile John sees more distinctly than ever before what will be at the close of earth's history, beholding the mercy, tenderness and love of God blending with His holiness, justice and power. He sees sinners finding a Father in Him of whom their sins had made them afraid, so that instead of fleeing from God because of sin they flee to His arms for protection and pardon, where mercy and truth meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other and the throne terrible in unbelief becomes in repentance a place of refuge. So Jesus meets a despairing sinner who feels too unworthy to be saved, revealing Himself in beautiful benevolent majestic form and countenance, with a gaze that knows every circumstance of life and every inner thought and feeling. Though the sinner tries to shield herself from His searching eyes, He draws near with a smile and lays His hand upon the head with a word and sweet voice that take away fear and thrill the heart with new happiness and hope. Overcome with ineffable happiness the sinner sinks prostrate helpless at His feet while scenes of beauty and glory pass before the mind giving a sense of having reached the safety and peace of heaven, and then strength returns as His loving eyes and smile fill the soul with gladness, holy reverence and inexpressible love.

Message to Churches

The fall as dead and the touch of the right hand with the words Fear not and the declaration I am the first and the last, He that lives and was dead and is alive forevermore with the keys of hell and of death, carries the command to write the things seen and the things which are and the things hereafter in a book and send them to the seven churches. The number seven represents a perfect whole, so those churches represent all the churches in the world. The names of the churches of Asia are descriptive of the characteristics of every church, and the light thus revealed is for the present time to be read and understood and proclaimed with no uncertain sound to warn the world.

The book so given is the word of God given by Christ to John, not a sealed book but a mystery unfolded that must be understood concerning the scenes to take place in the last days of this earth's history to meet the deceptive designs of the enemy. It is to be taught to those unacquainted with the truth, and to be studied and believed and preached, with its light not hidden under a bushel. It is to be studied and read from first to last to see what it means, after Jesus came to reveal it to His servant and displayed His glory before him so that he fell as if dead and was then strengthened to hear the message coming to the churches.

The vision of One like unto the Son of man walking among the candlesticks, which symbolize the seven churches, was given when God was about to open the history of the church for future ages as an assurance of the Saviour's interest and care for His people. It shows how closely heaven is connected with events taking place on earth and how great God's care is for those who are loyal to Him. The program of coming events is in the Lord's hands, and the Majesty of heaven has the destiny of nations as well as the concerns of His church in His own charge, so in great emergency His servants are not to trust to themselves because the world is not without a ruler.

The first, second, and third chapters give the history of Satan's effort to bring dissension into the church, with instruction for difficulties that must be met today. They are the testimony of the True Witness to those living in the last days, giving a decided testimony to bear about the work of overcoming. Christ is the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks and knows the works of the church, who commanded John to write to the church in Ephesus, and every church has a guardian angel to minister to that special church.

Prophecy of Last Days

The verse belongs to Christ's visit to the aged apostle on Patmos to give a revelation of what should be in the last days of earth's history. When John saw Christ in glory in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks he fell at His feet as dead, and Christ laid His right hand upon him saying Fear not, declaring Himself the first and the last, He that lives and was dead and is alive forevermore with the keys of hell and of death, commanding him to write the things seen and present and future and send them to the seven churches, and explaining the mystery that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. The book so given is the word of God given by Christ, not a sealed book but a mystery unfolded concerning the scenes to take place in the last days to meet the deceptive designs of the enemy. It is given so believers may know how to escape the perils of the last days and know where their dependence lies, making no gods of men but worshiping the Lord with all heart and mind and soul and strength and loving neighbor as self, for on these hang all the law and the prophets. The revelation comes from Jesus Christ to make light and solemn truth known to the world, including events preceding His return, and belongs to His meeting with exiled John revealing events of the last days, His coming, and the glories of heaven.

It stands in the opening chapters that give earnest warning to prepare to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven, for He comes with power and great glory. The One John sees is a personal being, not an impersonal essence, presenting God as He will appear when He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The warning confronts indifference to the signs foretold by Christ and gives evidence that the end of the world is right upon us. The assurance Fear not, because He died and is alive forevermore, is spoken to His commandment-keeping people as they wait and watch for the Son of Man, whom He loves and keeps as the apple of His eye, and He alone must be their shield and strength and sufficiency.

There the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the Lion of the tribe of Judah soon to ride forth conquering and to conquer, opened to John the future of the church and of the world. The vision shows how closely heaven is connected with events on earth and how great God's care is for the loyal, so that in great emergency His servants are not to trust to themselves because the world is not without a ruler. The program of coming events is in the Lord's hands, and the Majesty of heaven has the destiny of nations as well as the concerns of His church in His own charge.

It records Christ's second advent in the days of the early Christians at Patmos, following His first advent as an infant at Bethlehem, when He revealed Himself in glory to John and John fell at His feet as dead. Christ strengthened John to endure the sight and then gave him a message to write to the churches of Asia, whose names are descriptive of the characteristics of every church. The light thus revealed is for the present time, to be read and understood and proclaimed with no uncertain sound to warn the world.

The revelation Jesus gave to John has no contradiction and is tested by Scripture with Scripture. The entire revelation was already rehearsed by Moses in the Exodus and in the plagues brought upon Egypt. It helps show His position and relation to God and to humanity, and careful, prayerful study makes these truths understandable.

Its setting on the desolate island where John was for keeping the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus shows Satan, the opposing element that apostatized in heaven, determined by himself and his emissaries to block every soul who would favor Christ and be saved by Him.

Application for Believers

Beholding glorified Christ and falling before Him as one dead shows that sight of God's holiness and majesty leads a person to recognize personal weakness, sinfulness and deeply defective character rather than to boast of holiness. Those who know Jesus best feel their own sinfulness most deeply as they contemplate His life and character, and they are least inclined to claim holiness of heart or boast of sanctification. Mortal human nature cannot endure unveiled divine glory, so that even greatly beloved John fell as a dead man and could not bear the sight.

Because glory of that order would strike sinners out of existence, God works through a human messenger, taking aged and persecuted John and giving him mysteries to make known to the churches. Messages from God therefore must not be thrown aside because they come from human lips. When mortal puts on immortality the ransomed will be changed to be like Jesus, for they will see Him as He is. Then they will stand accepted before the throne of God and the Lamb and look upon its undimmed glory with all sins blotted out and all transgressions borne away.

That standing is the glorious reward of faithful workers who were partakers with Christ in His sufferings and workers together with Him in redemption, who will share with Him the joy of beholding souls saved through their labor praising God through all eternity. The first sight of Jesus' majesty makes a person feel unable to live in His holy presence, yet His words, Fear not, and His right hand raising John from prostration show that He comforts and restores His loyal, trusting people. They will receive still greater revelations of God's glory. The visit to aged John shows that God can use aged workers to bear a firm, decided testimony.

Persecution and isolation do not leave God's people alone, for the all-sufficient, all-powerful One is present with them, and the very trials that make it seem He has forsaken them are to lead them closer to Christ. He is the mighty One to whom people should turn for help and confidence rather than depend on human beings, for He alone must be their shield, strength and sufficiency. He is to be worshiped with all heart and mind and soul and strength, with love to neighbor as to self, for upon love to God and love to man hang all the law and the prophets, and He loves and keeps His commandment-keeping people waiting and watching for the Son of Man as the apple of His eye. He lives forever, worthy of praise, having grace and strength and power to give, and He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children, truths about His living power to be thought about and studied in Revelation.

The glory, preciousness and love of Jesus revealed here is now dimly seen and little realized, and it must be seen by faith on earth in answer to prayer in order to see it in fullness in heaven above. As sight of His glory can make one fall as though dead, so the wicked, unable to endure the glory resting on the delivered righteous, will fall to the earth like dead men.

Call to Prepare

In Revelation 1:17 Jesus makes Himself known to John as the great Head of the church, the living Presence of a living Being, declaring Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. That self-revelation calls every church member and every youth to become one with Christ and to prepare to meet God. The preparation is for beholding His glory and exclaiming at having seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

He reveals Himself to John as He is in glory, bringing a message for the churches. Though the church is enfeebled and defective, it is the object of His supreme regard, and He constantly watches over it with tender solicitude and strengthens it by His Holy Spirit. As members of His church, people are to allow Him to impress their minds and to work through them to His glory. They are to heed and obey the messages He gives to His church and so make certain their redemption. Then they will meet Him with joy at His coming and not be among those who mourn because of Him.