better home. To prove that, he came to live with us. He came to our level to show us the extent of God’s love and protection.
Not only do we see Jesus’ sovereign power and protection, we also see, through John, evidence of Jesus’ authority and right to declare the truth. And the truth has the irresistible power of divine judgment. Johnson’s comment is worth quoting here: “The sword is both a weapon and a symbol of war, oppression, anguish, and political authority. But John seems to intend a startling difference in the function of this sword, since it proceeds from the mouth of Christ rather than being wielded in his hand.”74 Christ conquers the world through his death and resurrection, and the sword is his word and the faithful witness of his followers.
Isaiah 11:4 says of the Branch that will come from the stump of Jesse, “he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.” Also, of the servant of the Lord, we read in Isaiah 49:2, “He made my mouth like a sharp sword.” The authoritative word of Jesus is to be understood and received and believed over and against the false demands of the religions of the world and the fraudulent promises that the world offers. The word of Christ will ultimately prevail and only Jesus has the truth. Only Jesus is the truth. In a world that does not know truth anymore, this is a significant part of the picture of Jesus that we need to communicate. Jesus’ glorified face is a reinforcement of this truth. Like the brilliance of the sun, Jesus’ face is the glory of God. Jesus was revealed like this also during the transfiguration, a good example of Jesus’ declaration as the true Son of God.
John’s reaction to the vision of Jesus is like the reaction of many prophets of the past when confronted with the glory of God (see Joshua 5:14; Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 8:17; 10:15; Matthew 17:6; Acts 26:14). They fall face-down in great fear. John fell down “as though dead” (1:17) because he was probably immovable. Jesus’ comforting touch, not just voice, lifted John up and encouraged him not to fear. Again, just as Daniel was touched. What is the reason John must not fear? Jesus is the first and the last, just as God declared in Revelation 1:8. Mounce writes, “The laying on of the right hand communicated power and blessing. It is a commissioning hand which restores John’s confidence and prepares him to hear the words of consolation and command.”75 John puts into Jesus’ mouth the familiar ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi; It is I) of the gospel of John. Combined with the truth of being the first and the last, this must be another reference to Exodus 3:14. Jesus’ reassurance is not only in his touch, but in his exalted self-identity.
Part of the essential identity of Jesus is then revealed in that truth that he died, and is now living, and is alive forevermore. Because of his death and resurrection, Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades. This is a sign of authority and ownership. To hold the keys means Jesus has the say-so of who goes into Hades. To emphasize this truth Jesus used the word, “behold” to show John the drastic contrast. I did die. But look! Hello! I am alive now. Death didn’t hold me.76
John is commanded to write about two things: what he has seen and what will take place after this. Revelation is a prophetic disclosure of what is—the current state of affairs for the church and what will come, that is, what the church will have to face. The three phrases (what you have seen, what is, and what is to come) parallel the title for God in verse 4, and “relate to the eschatological perspective of the book as a whole.”77 Jesus again confirms in John’s mind and heart that this is a message for churches and that the lampstand, the presence of God, will continue shining amidst the faithful.
Conclusion
When presented this picture of Jesus, what is our response? Like John, I think if we saw Jesus in person, we would fall to our faces in fear. But we would also be recipients of his touch. When Jesus walked the earth, this is the picture of Jesus that demons saw. They were able to see the supernatural world. They saw not only the common-looking man that Jesus was on the exterior, but also the supernatural Jesus that John saw. What was their response? “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Luke 4:34). They were terrified.
Our world is in desperate need of an accurate picture of Jesus. What kind of picture are we portraying by our words and deeds? We want to make sure we lead people to the right plane with the right pilot. We can’t force them to get in. But we can at least try our best to present the correct picture of him. I believe that if people are truly seeking God (Proverbs 8:17), then this picture will be irresistible.
55. A version of this story appears in “Go Global: The Great Commission”, My Bible.
56. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 75.
57. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 30.
58. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 77.
59. Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 80.
60. Osborne, Revelation, 82.
61. Osborne, Revelation, 80.
62. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 75.
63. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, 45
64. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 83.
65. Osborne, Revelation, 83.
66. Bauckham, New Testament Theology, 116.
67. See, for example, Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 81.
68. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 203.
69. Osborne, Revelation, 84.
70. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 203, quoting Jeremiah 36:2.
71. See discussion from chapter 1:1–8.
72. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 207.
73. See Beale, The Book of Revelation, 209; Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 78; and Osborne, Revelation, 89, who say that the robe should be interpreted more generally as that worn by dignitaries and rulers indicating Jesus’ kingship. The aristocrat wore the sash around the chest, not the waist, to indicate high rank.
74. Johnson, Hebrews through Revelation, 428.
