“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
(Revelation 1:9-20)
Series: Understanding the Book of Revelation
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
First Baptist Church, Henderson KY
6-4-06 (PM)
- I invite you to open your Bibles to the book of Revelation.
Thank you for understanding my need to preach from Proverbs this morning and allowing me to switch the order of our messages. Tonight we finish chapter one of Revelation and we examine a passage of Scripture known as John’s “Inaugural Vision,” His first vision that gets us started in the book of Revelation.
- Let’s stand in reverence for the reading of the Word of God.
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and 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.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He 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.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
19 “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
20 “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.
- Pray.
Introduction:
One of my favorite hymns is “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” We sing it a good bit as an invitational hymn. It is a hymn that reminds us that when we focus on the Lord Jesus Christ everything else works out. The chorus:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
But as we “turn our eyes upon Jesus” how do we see Him? We really don’t know exactly what Jesus looked like. I’ve never been too pleased with the artist’s renderings of Jesus. I know I’ve shared this with you on prior occasions. I just don’t like the idea of an effeminate Jesus and that’s usually how He’s portrayed. He’s always portrayed as a skinny, womanly kind of figure, kind of wimpy looking. Jesus was a man, and a man’s man at that. He was a carpenter. He knew how to drive nails and cut wood. He could haul big nets of fish in a boat and how to overturn a table or two.
However Jesus looked in His earthly ministry, John catches a glimpse of Jesus as He is today. He has a vision of the glorified Christ in heaven. Tonight, we will turn our eyes upon Jesus and see Him just as He is.
Remember John is on the island of Patmos. See it again there in verse 9:
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John has been banished to the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. That is, he has been banished there because of his stand for the Lord Jesus Christ and his refusal to compromise. Remember that the Roman Emperor at the time is the Emperor Domitian. Domitian liked to refer to himself as “Lord and God.” Literally, that’s the way he loved to be addressed: “Lord and God.” Well, John didn’t address him that way. And so, Christians like John were often charged with treason and exiled to places like Patmos.
So John can identify himself with the churches as a “brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” That word “patience” is better translated as “perseverance” or “endurance.” It is a reference to the Christian’s perseverance under fire. So John is able to say, “I am a brother with you Christians in this time of tribulation. I am with you in this.” Then John gives us specifically the account of his vision. Let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus.
As we turn our eyes upon Jesus, first:
1. Hear the Sound of His Authority (9-11)
John first describes for us what he heard in his vision. He heard the sound of Christ’s authority. Now, look again at verse 10:
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
John heard a loud voice behind him, as of a trumpet. By the way, note when this vision took place. John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” The “Lord’s Day” is a reference to the first day of the week, Sunday. This vision took place on the Lord’s Day when John was “in the Spirit.” The text does not suggest John drummed this up himself. Rather, he was seized by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit seized him and our Lord Jesus appeared to him.
And John hears the sound of Christ’s authority. He hears behind him a loud voice, as of a trumpet. Now I used to play trumpet and one of the reasons I chose to play the trumpet when I was in the 4th grade was because it was the loudest instrument. I knew when I played this instrument I would be heard. The instrument carried a kind of authority all its own.
It’s appropriate, then, that John describes the voice of our Lord as of a trumpet. The voice of the glorified, risen Christ is a strong, loud voice of authority. No mealy-mouthed mumbling of the Lord Jesus Christ, but “a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”
Look what Jesus says to John:
11 . . . “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
He speaks with authority. He tells John to “write.” The verb is an imperative. Jesus is not asking John to write, nor suggesting that he write, He is telling him to write. “Take a letter, John. Get busy and write this down. Write in a book what you see and then send (another imperative) it to the seven churches which are in Asia.”
Then Jesus specifies the seven churches. Now we’ve mentioned these churches before. There are seven of them and they are listed in the order that a letter carrier would visit them if he were delivering mail. If you look at a map, you will see a circular route a letter carrier might take as he went from Ephesus to Smyrna to Pergamos to Thyatira to Sardis to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. John likes the word seven which signifies, or sign-i-fies perfection and completion. So these seven churches represent churches of all ages and locations. We’ll note that especially in the coming weeks as we study these churches and note how their problems do mirror problems in the churches today.
So John hears the voice of Jesus. Now all of this happens before John turns around. You see that in verse 12? He says, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.” So all of this, verses 10-11, happened before John actually faced Jesus. He hears the sound of Christ’s authority.
John will later write in verse 15 that Christ’s voice is “as the sound of many waters.” If you’ve ever been next to a waterfall, you know what he’s talking about. Some of you have been to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They let you go right underneath the falls and walk behind them. It’s loud in that cave. It just echoes everywhere. Some of you have been to Niagara Falls. I understand the roar of the waters is practically deafening. Some people say, “If only God would appear to me, I’d tell Him a thing or two.” Friend, you wouldn’t gain a hearing. You’d try to argue with God and He would drown you out with the authority of His Word.
As we turn our eyes upon Jesus, we hear the sound of His authority. Secondly, as you turn your eyes upon Jesus:
2. Look at the Splendor of His Majesty (12-16)
In verses 12-16, John gives us a picture of the splendor of Christ’s majesty. Predictably, there are seven descriptions of Christ. But first, note where John sees Christ, verse 12:
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man,
John saw “seven golden lampstands.” Now there are times in the book of Revelation where we have to interpret the signs and symbols. Then there are other times when John just tells us exactly what the signs and symbols sign-i-fy. In verse 20 he tells us that the seven golden lampstands represent the seven churches. Then John says that “in the midst of the seven lampstands” he sees “One like the Son of Man.”
Of course, this is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that the term “Son of Man” is Christ’s favorite designation of Himself. He referred to Himself over 80 times in the Gospels with the self-designated title “Son of Man.” That phrase draws upon the Old Testament prophetic literature, particularly Daniel, chapter 7. We saw that last week. Turn there again tonight and we’ll look at it again. Daniel 7:13-14:
13 ” I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel is prophesying about the coming Messiah, a prophecy specifically about the Lord’s second coming. And he refers to the messiah as “One like the Son of Man.” And John is using this same language as he describes His vision of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ as He is today, as He is and so, as He will be when He comes again.
Now, let’s look at these 7 descriptions of the glorified Christ. As we do so, we’ll note that these descriptions are not meant to be pressed as literal descriptions. John is doing the best job he can describing what he saw. If we press the details as literal descriptions we will fail to capture all the splendor of His glory. And so we must take care to avoid what one commentator describes as “unweaving the rainbow.” Let’s not “unweave the rainbow” as we try to unpack the meaning of these 7 descriptions. John describes Jesus in verse 13 as:
clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
This is a description of a robe. Christ’s wearing of a robe pictures His priestly office. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He is our go-between. I told you last time, the New Testament nowhere teaches that man is to go to an earthly priest to get forgiveness from God. Jesus is our High Priest. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 7:25 that Christ “ever liveth to make intercession for us.” He is always there as our go-between. He is our bridge to the Heavenly Father. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow,
Some commentators believe this is a reference to Christ’s purity. It is true that Christ never sinned. He is pure, holy, righteous. Some say it pictures Christ’s wisdom. Perhaps both are in view. I think of the transfiguration again during Christ’s earthly ministry. We were allowed to see a glimpse of Christ’s glory as His glory emanated, white as snow, His glory shone through His body. Here is Christ in His glorified state, His glory unveiled forever.
and His eyes like a flame of fire;
His eyes, John says, are “like a flame of fire.” John’s doing the best job he can describing what he saw. He refers to Christ’s eyes like the work of a penetrating fire. This is a reference to the judgment of Christ Jesus. He looks at us with eyes that penetrate our hearts. He just looks right into our soul. I think Peter saw something of this in the earthly Jesus when he looked up at Jesus and felt the penetrating gaze of Christ and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” He saw something of this again later when he denied Christ in the courtyard and the Bible says in Luke 22:61 that when the rooster crowed, Jesus “looked at him” and Peter wept. The eyes like a flame of fire.
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,
This is a reference to the strength and stability of Christ. His strength is permanent.
and His voice as the sound of many waters;
We looked at that earlier, the sound of His authority.
16 He had in His right hand seven stars,
He holds in His right hand “seven stars.” I told you earlier that some of the signs and symbols John interprets for us. What are the seven stars? Do you remember from verse 20? “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” I believe we are to take that just as it reads. The stars are angels. The word “angel” occurs over 60 times in the book of Revelation and it always refers to heavenly beings. Apparently, then, the seven churches have something like a “guardian angel” over each one. The idea is that God is in control of his churches. He is “in the midst of the lampstands” and He holds “in His right hand (the right hand is a reference to control and authority) the seven stars,” which are seven angels. Christ is in control of His churches.
out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,
Here again is a reference to the judgment of Christ. His judgment is like a double-edged sword. When He renders judgments, this King of the Universe speaks like a double-edged sword. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the word of God this way in Hebrews 4:12, “The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Again, a reference to the unveiled splendor of Christ’s glory, the glory that was veiled on earth and is now unveiled for eternity. His face shines like the sun shining in its strength.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus and hear the sound of His authority, see the splendor of His majesty and:
3. Rest in the Strength of His Sovereignty (17-20)
We have examined what John heard and what John saw, now watch what John does.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.
When I saw Him, He says I fell at His feet as dead. Someone said, “Better to be dead at the feet of Jesus than alive anywhere else!” But of course, John didn’t die, but fell at Christ’s feet “as dead.”
This reaction is a reminder of what happens when we encounter the holiness of God. Like Isaiah in Isaiah 6. He encountered the holiness of God and he said, “Woe is me. For I am undone.” Job, argued with God for 37 chapters. God responds in chapter 38, “Who is this who darkens my counsel? Brace yourself like a man, Job, because I’m going to ask you some questions now. Where were you, Job, when I laid the earth’s foundation? Where were you when I flung the stars in space?” From chapters 38-41, God asks no less than 71 questions. Job finally responds in chapter 42: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand. I repent in dust and ashes!” John “fell at Christ’s feet as though dead.”
But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
You see the strength of Christ’s sovereignty here. He rests His right hand upon John, the right hand a symbol of authority. He rests it there to convey rest to John. Then He says, “Stop being afraid, I am the First and the Last.”
Those words convey sovereign rule and reign. We saw this last time from verse Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Christ alone is God. He is the Lord over everything. He is before all things and He outlasts all things. He starts and He finishes.
18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
I am He who lives, and the sense is, “became dead.” The Son of God “became dead.” He says in John 10:17, “No man takes My life from Me. I willingly lay down of My own accord.” He “became dead” for us. He died for us. Then He says, “I am alive forevermore.”
The crucifix does not tell the end of the story. He “became dead” and is “alive forevermore.”
And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
He holds the keys to Hades and Death. Hades is a term that refers to the grave. It refers to the place of all dead. Like Sheol in the Old Testament. It’s like our saying of one who dies, “He has passed on.” We’re not saying where that person has gone. We’re saying he’s no longer here. He has passed on to another realm, could be heaven, could be hell.
Death claims the body. Hades claims the soul. And Christ has the keys of Hades and death. He is the one who holds our fate in His hands! If we’ve been saved, He unlocks Hades and death and we enter into the presence of heaven. If we are not saved, death claims our body and hell claims our soul. He is the only way in. He holds the keys in His hand. His sovereignty.
19 “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Here again is our outline for understanding the book. Then:
20 “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 the seven churches and the seven stars are the seven angels, probably guardian angels, of the churches. And where is Christ? He is in the midst of the seven lampstands (v.13) and he holds the seven angels in His “right hand.” This speaks of the presence and the protection of Christ. He is with us. You need fear nothing. Rest in the strength of His sovereignty.
Invitation / Conclusion:
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
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