Glimpses of God - The Appearance of Jesus

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NASB) Rev. 1:7-8

The Apostle John. John now identifies himself to the seven churches. History tells us that John had ministered to at least some of them and maybe all of them. Since some of the churches are going to be rebuked for their lack of love, faithfulness, and willingness to suffer for Jesus, John reminds them that he was on the island of Patmos. He is an example of how a Christian should be willing to suffer for Jesus.

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (NASB) Rev. 1:9

The Romans had turned the island of Patmos into a prison. John was imprisoned there during the reign of Caesar Domitian because he was a Christian. Patmos is a small island about 37 miles or 59.6 kilometers off the coast of the nation of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. The island is small and measured about 10 miles by 6 miles (16.1 Km by 9.7 Km). The Romans would banish prisoners there and then force them to work the mines on the island until they were dead. John was about 85-90 years old. This would have been difficult for him. Yet, his heart remembers Jesus with loving warmth. History tells us that he was released later when the Roman emperor Nerva came to power.

To suffer for Jesus means “I love you, Jesus.” It is the greatest sacrifice a person can make for our Lord, short of death. Yet, many do not want to suffer for Him. In fact, it is common for Christians to be afraid to witness for Jesus because they fear the words of rebuke. There is a statement that goes like this, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I believe the statement is wrong. Words do hurt! They prevent us from telling others about Jesus. John did not fear the pain of working a mine. John was willing to suffer for his Friend. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that those who suffer for Him will receive great reward.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NASB) Matt. 5:10-12

Seven Churches. I wonder if Jesus gave John the vision that follows because he had suffered, because he had been faithful and was willing to suffer for Him. We are not told why Jesus visited him, but I wonder. Yet, it is only important that Jesus came. John received the vision on a Sunday. The Holy Spirit helped him to receive and understand the vision.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (NASB) Rev. 1:10-11

As the vision started, John must have been surprised to find that someone was speaking to him from behind. I am sure that he did not know who was talking. He simply heard the voice tell him to write a book and send it to seven of the churches, that were near his prison. Two of them were great churches but five of them were not.

Glimpse of Jesus. So John did what most of us would have done. He turned around to see who was speaking and saw seven golden lampstands and someone standing in the middle.

And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. (NASB) Rev. 1:12-13

“One like the son of man . . .” is Jesus Christ. He is clothed in a robe of royalty, and it speaks of His divine dignity and grace. The golden girdle, or better “the gold sash” is a picture of Jesus’ holiness (Eph 6:14), a holiness that we do not understand, a holiness that we can only receive when Jesus releases us from or removes our sinful deeds from the record of our lives.

And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. (NASB) Rev. 1:14-15

His eyes of fire remind us that He sees and knows all that we do (Job 34:21). There is no escape. The divine “camera” is on and a record of your deeds is being made, and His feet of burnished bronze means that He will some day be our just and holy Judge (Rev. 2:18-29). His voice is one of authority, for He spoke the world into existence and His Words are truth.