Jesus Christ In The Writings Of John
JOHN’S VISION OF CHRIST
Lesson Text:
Revelation 1:4-20 (KJV)
Subject:
Description of the Ever-living Christ
Golden Text:
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive forevermore.” (Rev. 1:18)
Lesson Plan:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. INVOCATION OF GRACE FROM THE TRIUNE GOD (VS. 4-5)
3. AN ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE TO JESUS FOR HIS THREEFOLD BLESSINGS (VS. 5, 6)
4. THE ASSURANCE OF HIS COMING (VS. 7, 8)
5. THE VOICE OF JESUS (VS. 9-11)
6. THE VISION OF JESUS THE CHRIST (VS. 12-20)
7. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
Setting of the Lesson:
Time: The Book of Revelation was probably written A.D. 95, or 96, at the close of the reign of Domitian.
Place: It was written either on the island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea, where the visions were seen by John; or in the city of Ephesus after John’s return from exile.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Book of Revelation
It is mainly prophetic, the exhibition to God’s servants of the things which must shortly begin to come to pass. The practical tendency of the epistles to the seven churches is never lost sight of throughout; so that its object is not only to prophesy of the future, but also by such prophecy to rebuke, exhort, and console the Church of our Lord.1 The book is written with the object of conveying to the church revelations from God respecting certain portions of her course even up to the time of the end.
By failing to know and understand the Book of Revelation; if we neglect this book, we will: “Miss the blessing promised by Jesus (1:3). [We] will miss an opportunity to learn more about Jesus – Christ is central to every section of the book. [We] will miss the climax of the Bible – The other sixty-five book lead up to this one. [We] will miss instruction that can help [us] make sense of life – though appearances may be to the contrary, God is still in control. [We] will miss encouragement that can help [us] survive times of difficulty – God will make everything come out right. [We] will remain incapable of helping those who are mired in the bogs of wild speculation that abounds today concerning the Book of Revelation. [We] will leave [ourselves] vulnerable to that speculation – speculation that can disrupt the church, speculation that has caused Christians to fall away.” (Roper)
Palmer said that the Book of Revelation is not only “a hard book to understand; it is also a hard book to put down.” It can richly bless our lives if we are willing to put forth the effort to understand it; but it does not surrender its treasures easily.
Four schools of interpreters:
a. The Preterists – those who hold that the whole, or by far the greater part, of the prophecy has been fulfilled.
b. The Historical – those who hold that the prophecy embraces the whole history of the church and its foes, from the time of its writing to the end of the world.
c. The Futurists – those who maintain that the prophecy relates entirely to events that are to take place at or near the coming of the Lord. “To me it seems indisputable, that the book does speak of things past, present, and future; that some of its prophecies are already fulfilled, some are now fulfilling, and others await their fulfillment in the yet unknown future.” (Alford)
d. The Pictorial Unfolding – those who view the Apocalypse as the pictorial unfolding of great principles in constant conflict, though under various forms. The Preterist may, then, be right in finding early fulfillments, and the Futurist in expecting undeveloped ones, and the Historical Interpreter is unquestionably right in looking for them along the whole line of history; for the words of God mean more than one man, or one school of thought, can compass. The visions of the book find counterparts in the occurrences of human history; they have had these, and they yet will have these fulfillments; and these fulfillments belong neither wholly to the past, nor wholly to the future; the prophecies of God are written in a language that can be read by more than one generation; what was read here helped the early Christian to whom imperial Rome was the great Babylon of the world, to whom the emperor may have seemed as a wild beast, savage and relentless, rising out of the tumults of peoples and nations, fickle and ruthless as the sea. No less have the visions of this book consoled the metropolis of worldliness when “The Prince of the New Pharisees” was seated in Peter’s chair, and when out of a professedly Christianized society had arisen a power aspiring to some religious culture, but fierce, wild, and wanton as the wild beast of ancient days. Jerusalem stands as the type of the good cause, Babylon as the type of the metropolis of the world-power; Jerusalem is thus the Church of Christ (this symbolism is in complete harmony with Paul and other apostolic writers.2 Babylon is the emblem of Pagan Rome, but not only of Pagan Rome, for the Babylon type remains to this day; there are inspiring powers on the side of the heavenly Jerusalem; God is with her; she shall not be moved; the metropolis of evil has the assistance of evil powers; the dragon, the wild beast, and the false prophet are for a time with her.
This principle of interpretation (Pictorial Unfolding) is illustrated by the coming of the Lord. There are many comings of Christ. Christ came in the flesh as a mediatorial presence; Christ came at the destruction of Jerusalem; Christ came as a spiritual presence, when the Holy Spirit was given. Christ comes now in every signal manifestation of redeeming power. Any great reformation of morals and religion is a coming of Christ. It is thus that the sacred writers speak as of Christ’s coming always at hand: Lord speaks, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” Thus, viewed from one aspect, the “coming of Christ” has various applications; but viewed from another aspect, it will be seen to be a phrase expressive of a simple thought, and free from all perplexing ambiguity. The coming of Christ, viewed from the Divine side, is as a single act, in which all subordinate applications are included, and will be seen to have been earnests of the fullness of His coming.
Illustration
The interpreters are as men who stand on a plain to watch the sunrise. When the first veil of night is withdrawn, and the starlight is somewhat paled, the more ardent will cry, “The dawn,” but the rest answer, “Not yet.” Then, when the mountain-peaks begin to flame, another will cry, “The dawn,” and the rest will still reply, “Not yet.” And when the landscape around catches its true colors, another will cry, “The dawn,” but only when the great and glorious orb leaps into view will all be one in crying, “The dawn,” “The dawn!”
So is the coming of Christ. Some look upon the faint lightening in the moral atmosphere, and say, “Christ comes.” Others look to the reflected lights of truth proclaimed in the high places of the world, and say, “Christ comes.” Others look to the general diffusion of knowledge, and say, “Christ comes.” They are right, and they are wrong; right, for it is indeed Christ who is enlightening the world; they are wrong, because there is a coming greater than these, when He will in fuller manifestation of Himself, tabernacle with His people as their everlasting Light (Carpenter).
Roper suggests two other approaches of interpretations: The Symbolic Approach (speaks symbolically about the conflict between good and evil in every age, in which good will ultimately triumph); and The “Select-Wisely” Approach (each basic approach has its strengths and weaknesses).
Design
In other respects opinions vary; but in one respect there is agreement: the Revelation aims at assuring the church of the advent of her Lord; it is the book of the Coming One. Most every school of interpretation admits this. It is to encourage and strengthen the church during the period which was to elapse between the close of direct revelation and the second coming of her Lord. That period had been described by Jesus Himself, especially in His last discourses, as one of great difficulty and trial to His people. They would have to contend both with outward persecution and with inward degeneracy and apostasy. Men’s hearts would faint for fear, and for expectation of the things that were coming on the earth. The very powers of heaven would be shaken. The Book of Revelation, then, was designed to cheer and animate the church through these days of darkness, and to point out to her more clearly than had yet been done, the nature of the position she was to maintain, of the contest she was to wage, of the sufferings she was to endure, of the triumphs she was to win, and of the glorious inheritance that she was to be bestowed on her at the last. It was to let her know that she had not been launched upon an ocean of unanticipated trials, but that “all had been foreseen by her Divine and watchful Guardian, and that she might rest in the assurance that, followed by the eye of Him who holdeth the winds in the hollow of His hand, she would in due time be brought into her desired haven.” (Milligan)
SCRIPTURE READING: REVELATION 1:4-5
2. INVOCATION OF GRACE FROM THE TRIUNE GOD
1:4 … “John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” The seven named in v. 11. Asia was not the continent Asia, nor all of Asia Minor, but the Roman province at the western extremity of what is now known as Asia Minor. Of this province Ephesus was the capital, and few early traditions of the Church seem more worthy of reliance than those which inform us that at Ephesus, John spent the latter years of his life. “The churches of that neighborhood would naturally be of interest to him, and he would be more intimately acquainted with their condition than with that of others” (Milligan). These were not all the churches in Asia Minor, but seven leading churches, as the number symbolizing completeness, were chosen to symbolize the whole church of our Lord, but without at all suppressing their historical reality.
1:4 … “Grace be unto you [God’s favor and love, and all the blessings which flow therefrom], and peace [the perfect peace of God which passeth all understanding, unmarred by sin, doubt, or fear], from him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” That is, the eternal, self-existing, unchangeable Father. Randell states: “The Greek words from which this is translated are literally, The BEING and the WAS and the COMING.” In English this is not grammatical, nor is it grammatical in the Greek; but “[This is] a deliberate violation of grammar to preserve the immutability and absoluteness of the divine name” (Moffatt). There are several examples of such awkward grammar in this prophecy; but “[They] are not due to ignorance of Greek construction, as shown by the predominantly correct uses in the book” (Beckwith). Coffman points out that “this title of God is essentially that of Exodus 3:14, ‘I AM who I AM.’ Christ also used this title of Himself in Mark 6:50; Mark 13:6; Mark 14:62; John 6:35; John 8:12; John 10:7; John 11:25 and John 14:6.”
1:4 … “And from the seven Spirits which are before [in the presence of] his throne.” Isaiah 11:2 has this: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Coffman points out that “there are seven titles of the Holy Spirit in this passage from Isaiah, and from very early times this reference in Revelation has been associated with it.” “It denotes the Holy Spirit in the plenitude of his grace and power” (Bruce). The reason for this interpretation: “It is used in the salutation in direct association with God and Christ, and a blessing is invoked from the three.” (Hinds)
The Holy Spirit3 in His sevenfold (i.e., perfect, complete, universal) energy, corresponding to the seven churches – sevenfold in His operations; “that doth his sevenfold gifts impart. He is regarded here not so much in His personal unity as in His manifold energies; just as light, being one, does yet in the prism separate itself into its seven colors; for ‘there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit’ (1 Cor. 12:4). The manifold gifts, operations, energies of the Holy Spirit are here represented under the number seven, being, as it is, the number of completeness in the church.” (Butler)
1:5 … “And from Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness. There is a powerful New Testament emphasis on the faith of Jesus Christ,4 as in Paul’s writings, especially in Galatians 2:16, 20; 3:22; Romans 3:22, 26; Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 3:9; etc. Coffman points out that “there is a false impression that since Christ was deity incarnate He did not need to have faith; but in our Lord’s humiliation as a man, faith in the Father was His predominate characteristic. All hope of salvation rests ultimately in the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the faithful witness in the sense of delivering accurately to mankind the word and the commandment which the Father gave Him on behalf of humanity.”
1:5 … “The faithful witness.” Because all things that He heard of the Father, He faithfully made known to His disciples. Because He taught the way of God in truth and regarded the persons of men. Because the truth that He taught in words, He confirmed by miracles. Because He will give true testimony of the works of good and bad at the Day of Judgment.
1:5 … “Firstbegotten [first born] of the dead.” The New Testament records the resurrection of Dorcas, the daughter of Jairus, Eutychus, the widow’s son at Nain, and that of Lazarus in addition to the resurrection of Christ. In addition, there were “many of the saints” who came out of their graves following the resurrection of Christ (seven resurrections). In what sense, then, is Christ the firstborn from the dead? He alone came back from death never to die again; and besides this, there is the inherent significance of His being the first of many to triumph over death. “The language implies the future resurrection of the saints” (Beckwith). Christ was the first fruits and proof of that glorious promise of resurrection that will be fulfilled in all His true disciples.
1:5 … “And the prince of the kings of the earth.”5 That which the tempter held forth to Jesus (Matt. 4:8) on condition of worshipping him, He has now attained by way of His humiliation unto death; viz., victory over the world (John 16:33). “Above all emperors and kings, above all armies and multitudes, He thought of the crucified as ruling and directing the course of history, and certain in His own due time to manifest His sovereignty” (Plumpte). “What are we to see in the simple Anno Domini of our dates and superscriptions, but that for some reason the great world-history has been bending itself to the lowly person of Jesus.” (Bushnell)
SCRIPTURE READING: REVELATION 1:5, 6
3. AN ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE TO JESUS FOR HIS THREEFOLD BLESSINGS
1: 5 … “Unto him that loved us, and washed [loosed] us from our sins in his own blood” He proved that love by coming from heaven to teach and to save us, and by giving His life for us that we might have eternal life. Coffman points out that the past tense “washed” (loosed), shows that the redemption mentioned is a past accomplishment, stating: “Since it is an undeniable truth that Christ keeps on saving the saved until at last they are saved eternally in heaven, it is evident that the initial salvation in conversion is the redemption that John had in view here; therefore, the King James Version rendition of this as ‘washed us’ is correct. On what the scholars consider sufficient textual evidence, this was changed to ‘loosed us’ in subsequent versions. The Greek words for these two expressions are almost identical in appearance; and, furthermore, it is immaterial exactly which is the original reading.”
Hinds said: “Both words state true fact. That Christ washes us and cleanses us, through the merits of His blood is unquestionably true, as stated in Revelation 7:14. But by Christ’s blood we are loosed from our sins also.” The passage in Revelation 7:14, as well as the overtones of the whole context, incline us to accept the following: “The general tone of thought would lead us to prefer ‘washed’ as the true reading.” (Carpenter)
1:6 … “And hath made us kings.” The R.V. has it, “He made us to be a kingdom.” However, as Coffman points out, “the first step in understanding this passage is to get rid of the two verbs in the future tense that have been added to the passage by translators.” There is a world of difference in the statements, “God made us a kingdom” and “God made us to be a kingdom.” John was not writing about what Christians were to be, but what they already were. Beckwith, like many others, applied these words to the future, saying that, “The reference is not to the saints as forming the kingdom which Christ now rules.” The teaching of the entire New Testament makes it absolutely certain that Christians are now in Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:13), the precise terminology of this verse being found in Paul’s words there. This passage reflects Exodus 19:6, where it is revealed that God’s purpose for Israel was that, “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests.” 1 Peter 2:9 is also parallel to this. Therefore, our text means that, “Christ has made us a kingdom, each member of which is a priest unto god” (Charles). As Earle said, “This is not only a great privilege, but a great responsibility.” All the members of Christ’s kingdom, which as far as we are concerned is synonymous with His church, should be constantly engaged in offering up the spiritual sacrifices appropriate for a kingdom of priests.
Christians and kings
Not unto themselves, but unto God.
a. They are made kings over the earth; the best this world can give ministers to God’s people.
b. The principles and hopes of the Christian shall prevail in the earth.
c. They are kings over all forces and powers; everything shall be made subservient to the cause they love.
d. They are kings, in the sense of leaders and examples.
e. As in all true kingship they are kings not to be ministered unto, but to minister, to serve men, and help men, not to rule over men for their own advantage.
1:6 … “And priests.” As teachers of Divine truth to men; to sacrifice for men; to lead men to God; to be helpers, especially of the poor, the sick, the needy.
1:6 … “To him [who has done all these things for us] be glory [the honor, the reverence due His name, for He is the source of all this good] and dominion.”
John here breaks into a noble doxology, using words which imply the present and eternal dominion of the Son of God. The New Testament doxologies invariably ascribe God’s power, honor, and glory to His Son, Jesus Christ (See Rev. 5:12, 13; 7:10; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 13:21; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Pet. 3:18; and Jude 1:24).
SCRIPTURE READING: REVELATION 1:7, 8
4. THE ASSURANCE OF HIS COMING
“This is the topic-sentence of Revelation [v. 7], a great deal of which relates to the final judgment, an event mentioned at least seven times in the prophecy; and these are not seven different kinds or occasions of judgment, there being only one judgment day, the final and awesome event that shall conclude the dispensation of grace, see the resurrection of the dead and the assignment of every man’s destiny, and bring the redeemed into their eternal habitations. It will occur at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Coffman)
1:7 … “Behold, he cometh with clouds.” These words apply to the Second Advent, as in Matthew 24:30; Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9-11; and Mark 13:24. “He” is the Savior spoken of in the last verses. His coming is certain. The clouds (Mark 14:62) refer either to symbols of majesty, reflecting God’s glory and hiding His power, or clouds of attendants. “The clouds are the emblem of the saints of the Church, which is His body, who spread as a vast fertilizing cloud over the whole world.” (Augustine)
1:7 … “And every eye shall see him [His coming will not be in a corner, but manifest to all men], and they also which pierced him.” The very ones who crucified Him, as well as all opposers who have crucified Him afresh in the persons of His disciples, and all sinners whose sins pierce His heart. Coffman offers the following two striking paragraphs on this verse:
First, “There is no connection between this and the passage in Zechariah, except that the terminology is similar, the great difference being that in the Old Testament their looking upon the one who was pierced, and mourning, was grief for the pierced one, not grief for themselves, as is clearly indicated here and in Matthew 24:30, which words John probably had in mind when this was written. To understand exactly the object of the mourning here, one should read Revelation 6:15-17. See Zechariah 12:10 through 13:1.”
Second, “The atheist will suddenly know that God is a reality. The proud, the arrogant, the thoughtless, the sensualist, the materialist, and all who have lived as if there were no God shall be summoned to a judgment which they have never allowed as even possible. The mourning of people in that circumstance will surpass any possible description of it. And the mourning will not be ‘over Christ’ in the sense of their grieving for what was done nearly two thousand years ago TO HIM (how could people even imagine such an interpretation?). No, their grief will be for themselves. The Second Advent will be bad news indeed to the vast majority of mankind.”
1:7 … “And all kindreds of the earth [of the earth as opposed to heaven, as the scene of worldliness and evil] shall wail because of him.” Why? Because of the way they treated Him, because they are defeated and overthrown, and will be punished for their sins.
1:7 … “Even so [the testimony of the Lord], Amen.” The answer of believers; all approve of the coming of Jesus to overthrow His adversaries and to complete His triumph. This conclusion is strengthened by the words of the eighth verse, in which the emphasis lies on “the Almighty,” thus bringing into prominence that all-powerful might in which Jesus goes forth to be victorious over His enemies (Schaff).
1:8 … “I am [i.e., Jesus, the Son of God, as asserted in vs. 11-13] Alpha and Omega.” The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; here used figuratively to stand for the entirety of anything. Such a comparison seems to have existed for ages. The Hebrews said of Abraham that, “he kept the law from Aleph to Tav” (first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet). Plummer pointed out that the use of this figure is progressively expanded in Revelation, i.e., Alpha and Omega (1:8); The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (21:6); The Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (22:13).
1:8 … “The beginning and the ending.” (omitted in the R.V.) Jesus is before all things, and the origin of all things (John 1:1-3), and all things even to the end are controlled by Him, and will work out His will. He always has existed, and always will exist.
1:8 … “Saith the Lord.” Jesus. Some authorities add God. But the two words Lord God are not to be read together, but God is another description of Jesus. He is Alpha and Omega. He is God.
1:8 … “Which is, and which was, and which is to come [that is, eternal, self-existing], the Almighty.” The title of God applied to Jesus.
“Scholars make a big point out of this word’s being one of the ‘the Septuagint’s renditions of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts’ (Caird), but there is no reason for not applying it also to Christ who was prophetically designated as ‘The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father’ (Is. 9:6). That this is indeed a proper and appropriate title of Jesus Christ will vividly appear in subsequent chapters of this magnificent prophecy. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is often referred to as God. Furthermore, He Himself used the Old Testament ‘I AM’ no less than eight times. Also, of those eight New Testament usages of the ‘I AM’ title for Jesus Christ, five of them are in the Gospel of John; and the appearance of two more such usages here in the first chapter of Revelation emphasizes the close correspondence between it and the other Johannine6 works. The same mind lies behind all of them.” (Coffman)
SCRIPTURE READING: REVELATION 1:9-11
5. THE VOICE OF JESUS
1:9 … “Companion [fellow-partaker] in tribulation.” A word derived from the threshing of wheat – hard blows of sorrow and persecution to separate the chaff from the wheat. John was at this time an exile for Jesus’ sake, and had all the reasons other persecuted Christians had for being discouraged.
1:9 … “And in the kingdom.” He was a member of the kingdom of God, now seemingly at the mercy of its enemies, but in time to triumph. “These are a present experience and possession” (Beasley-Murray) of John and his readers. “We (Christians) are the kingdom, in it, partakers of it, lifted to royalty in it” (Lenski). “All theories that deny the present existence of the kingdom of Christ are contrary to the New Testament.” (Coffman)
1:9 … “And patience [patient endurance, and waiting for the brighter day to dawn] of Jesus Christ [it was a patience which draws its life and energy of endurance from Him], was in the isle that is called Patmos.” Patmos “is an island of the Dodecanese group, Greece, in the Aegean sea about 28 miles south-southwest of Samos (37 degrees 20 minutes north latitude and 26 degrees 35 minutes east longitude). It is volcanic, bare and rocky, rising to an altitude of 800 feet with a deeply indented coast” (Encyclopedia Britannica). The recorded population of Patmos in 1951 was 2,613; but in John’s day it is thought to have been a rock quarry, used as a place of banishment for certain types of offenders. In ancient days it was called Sporades. It is now called Patino or Patmosa. It is some six or eight miles in length, and not more than a mile in breadth, being about fifteen miles in circumference. It has neither trees nor rivers; nor does it have any land for cultivation, except some little nooks among the ledges of rocks. Though Patmos is deficient in trees, it abounds in flowery plants and shrubs. About half way up the mountain there is shown a natural grotto in a rock, where John is said to have seen his visions and to have written his book (Kitto’s Cyclopedia).
Banished to Patmos?
Regarding the theory that John was banished to Patmos by Domitian, emperor of Rome, the New Testament offers no hint of any such thing. However, the mention of tribulation in the same verse at least does not oppose the tradition. “If indeed John was an exile, it would be in keeping with the experience of some of God's other great prophets” (Coffman). When Jacob saw God at Bethel, when Moses saw God in the burning bush, when Elijah heard the still small voice, when Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord by the river Chebar, and when Daniel saw the ancient of days in Babylon, all of them were exiles. Some scholars believe that John was not an exile, but that his reason for being in Patmos was no other than to receive the Revelation. Biblically, there is no way to be certain.
1:9 … “For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” As we have seen, some believe the theory that because John was faithful in obeying and teaching the Word of God and testifying about Jesus, he was banished to Patmos. Coffman points out that the language here could mean one of three things: that he was in Patmos to preach the Gospel; that he was there for the purpose of receiving the Revelation; or he had been banished to Patmos as punishment for his loyalty in proclaiming the Word of the Lord. There is no way to know exactly which understanding of the words is correct.
1:10 … “I was in the Spirit.” Alford pointed out that this means John was “in a state of spiritual ecstasy or trance, becoming thereby receptive of the vision or revelation to follow.” Compare Acts 10:10; 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4. “Connection with surrounding objects through the senses is suspended and a connection with the invisible world takes place” (Ebrard). “Ecstasy or spiritual rapture was the supreme characteristic of prophets” (Exp. Gk. Test.). However, little is known about being “in the Spirit.” Evidently, all of the Scripture writers were in such a state when receiving their Divine revelation. Jesus said of David, “How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord?” (Matt. 22:43)
1:10 … “On the Lord’s day.” This is the only place in the New Testament where this expression is found and, as Randell pointed out, “beyond all reasonable doubt it means on Sunday.” Here, “Lord’s day” is a similar construction to “Lord's supper” (1 Cor. 11:20). Earle pointed out that “it means ‘belonging to the Lord,’ or ‘consecrated to the Lord.’” Coffman states that “it is preposterous to suppose that ‘the Lord’s day’ is a reference to the Jewish Sabbath.” Jesus spent the entire twenty-four hours of Saturday in the tomb. On the other hand, Sunday was the day Jesus rose from the dead, the very same day the apostles met Him in the upper room, and a week later, on another Sunday, the Lord again appeared to His assembled apostles. The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost Sunday; it was the day the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20:7); it was the day the collection was taken up (1 Cor. 16:2); and Coffman goes on to say that “Added to all this, the invariable Christian tradition of more than nineteen centuries makes Sunday the day of Christian assemblies, a custom still observed all over the world. ‘The Lord’s day’ is thus an exceedingly appropriate title for the day.”
1:10 … “A great voice, as of a trumpet.” Loud, clear, distinct. “This voice was presumably that of the Son of man” (Beasley-Murray). Finis Jennings Dake counted over sixty usages of the word “great” in the Book of Revelation. However, Bruce expressed unbelief that the great trumpet-like voice mentioned here was that of the Lord, basing his opinion on the fact that the Lord's voice is said to be like the sound of many waters (Rev. 1:15). He viewed it as a herald-like prelude to the appearance of the Great Conqueror.
1:11 … “I am Alpha and Omega.” As in v. 8. Note: Am. R. omits this phrase.
1:11 … “What thou seest, write in a book.” A parchment roll.
1:11 … “The seven churches which are in Asia.” See under v. 4. These seven churches were leading churches in the vicinity of Ephesus, John’s home. Beasley-Murray wrote: “It is difficult not to feel that seven churches are chosen because of the sacred nature of that number.”
“There is a sense in which the seven here selected represent a diversity of conditions prevailing in congregations throughout history. While we do not hold to the view that these seven churches stand for seven successive periods of the history of the church throughout the current dispensation; still, it is true that in any given age there may be congregations exhibiting the same characteristics as those found in any one, or all of the seven churches mentioned here. This very day, there are ‘Philadelphia churches,’ and ‘Laodicean churches,’ and even ‘Sardis churches.’ All seven churches lay relatively close to each other in western Asia Minor; and have the same sequence in Revelation that would normally be followed by a person visiting all seven.” (Coffman)
SCRIPTURE READING: REVELATION 1:12-20
6. THE VISION OF JESUS THE CHRIST
1:12 … “And I turned to see the voice.” “The voice” is used to signify the person speaking. As in Genesis 3:8, the voice is put for the speaker. “One of the big things in Revelation is the voice so frequently mentioned. The voice from heaven is one of the principal focal points in the whole book.” (Coffman)
1:12 … “I saw seven golden candlesticks.” “Lamp-stands,” each one with a separate lamp, or the candlesticks may be each like the seven branched candlesticks of the Temple; made of gold tried in the fire, beautiful, pure, and precious.
It is the providence of the church of our Lord to give light, as a lighthouse, sending far and wide the light of truth, the light of good works, of all the fruits of the spirit. The light is kindled by the Holy Spirit. “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)
These typified the seven churches already mentioned, and are not joined in one corporate unity, as with the above Jewish candlestick, familiar to many as depicted on the above Arch of Titus (see v. 20). Consider Caird’s perception of this: “Once again John is asserting that the church is the new Israel, the true people of God, but with this difference: whereas Israel was represented by a single candelabra with seven lamps, the churches are represented by seven separate standing lamps; for, according to the teaching of the New Testament, each local congregation of Christians is the church universal in all its fullness.”
The candlestick is not light, but the bearer of light, holding it forth to give light around. The light is the Lord’s, not the Church’s; from Him she receives it. “Golden” symbolizes at once the greatest preciousness and sacredness.
The vision of the glorified Jesus
In studying this vision let us keep in mind the face, emphasized by Moulton, that the figurative expressions are symbols, and not images. They cannot be presented in pictorial form. Each particular symbol is an echo from the Old Testament, and is, as it were, the text for the presentation of one characteristic, and it is the characteristic, not the symbol, that forms the picture. We have a fine instance in The Song of Solomon where his beloved is described: “Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory; Thine eyes are as the pools in Heshbon which looketh toward Damascus; Thy nose is like the tower of Lebannon; Thy hair is like a flock of goats.”
No one could make a picture of the Beloved from this description, but the symbols present her in her attractive beauty.
1:13 … “In the midst.” To indicate the perpetual presence of Christ among His churches, with His people. This is one of the truly great messages of the whole prophecy. Christ is with His congregations. He is fulfilling the promise of Matthew 18:20; 20:28.
1:13 … “One like unto the Son of Man.” “One like to a son of man, i.e., one having a human form, like that of man” (Stuart). Am. R., “a son of man.” “Like a human being, as Jesus was. ‘Who is He? He is a Being of surpassing glory, and yet He has “a human air,’ He is ‘one like unto a son of man,’ aye, like unto the Son of Man. He is transfigured in celestial light, as in that great day on the Mount; but the heart which throbs beneath that breast, the spirit which flames from out those eyes, the soul which utters itself in that voice, is the same as in the happy days of long ago.” (Gibson)
1:13 … “Clothed with a garment down to the foot.” “A long, full, flowing robe, which was worn by kings, nobles, and priests” (Stuart). “The form of the Son of man is seen arrayed, not as in the days of His ministry, in peasant, but in the long robe reaching to the feet, that had been the special garment of the high priest” (Plumptre). “An Oriental mark of dignity, denoting high rank or office, such as that of Parthian kings” (Exp. Gk. Test.). “The long loose robe worn by the high priest, ‘for glory and beauty,’ belonging to royalty as well as priesthood. See Daniel 10:5.” (Tait)
Most commentators see these things as symbols of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ; but, as Beckwith said, “That office of his is not mentioned in our book.” It seems to us that Christ is here presented as the Judge of all people. Why do we say that? Because the sword in His mouth a moment later in the text is no part of the trappings of a priest. “The garment down to the foot and the golden girdle are marks of rank and dignity” (Coffman). “Neither shows Christ to be represented here in his priestly character, as many commentators interpret.” (Beckwith)
1:13 … “Girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” “A golden girdle” worn by priests and kings, and symbol of power, strength, and free activity (Is. 11:5; Eph. 6:14). He is girded with a golden girdle, not as one who toils and runs, around the loins (compare Luke 12:35), but as one who had passed into the repose of sovereignty, around the breast. That the girdle should be of gold, as the symbol of that sovereignty was almost a necessary consequence. “In this combination of the received emblems of the two forms of rule, there was set forth, in its simplest symbolism, the union of the kingly and the priestly offices.” (Plumptre)
1:14 … “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.” Like the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:8; 10:6. This is a symbol of eternal existence, the mighty center of two eternities; the wisdom of age and the purity and splendor of eternal youth. “The whiteness signifies purity and glory” (Alford). White designates pure, white splendor. The purest splendor, like that of the lightning (so it is expressly described in Dan. 10:6), or like that of metals heated to the highest point, is intended by the writer (Stuart). “Like snow in the sunshine. The white head is never in public sentiment other than the venerable sign of ripe knowledge, mature judgment, and solid wisdom, and the authority which they give” (Ellicott). This description of the white hair is a “deliberate reminiscence of Daniel 7:9, where it belongs to the Ancient of Days” (Beasley-Murray). “This application to Jesus Christ of the attributes of deity is a recurring phenomenon in Revelation. There are also a number of other reflections of the Book of Daniel, not only in this passage, but throughout the book.” (Coffman)
1:14 … “His eyes were as a flame of fire.” This indicates the omniscience of Christ, the ability to penetrate all disguises and to judge things as they are, not as they might pretend to be. “Light, brilliancy, energy, thrilling power, all combined, can be set forth by no more pertinent symbol than this – a flame of fire” (Cowles). The words do not say merely that nothing can escape His searching, penetrative glance; they express the indignation of the Holy One at the discoveries of evil; looking into the very souls of men, into the deepest mystery and the most distant future. Nothing escapes these “eyes of fire.” “These eyes of fire do not merely look through the hypocrite and the sinner, but consume him and his sins together – unless he will allow them to consume his sins, so that he may live” (Stone). Coffman points out that “this indicates the omniscience of Christ, the ability to penetrate all disguises and to judge things as they are, not as they might pretend to be.” “Like Homer of Agamemnon in a rage: ‘His eyes were like shining fire’ (Iliad I:104).” [Vincent]
1:15 … “And his feet like fine brass [polished or burnished brass; which in the furnace has attained what is called white heat], as if they burned [or had been refined] in a furnace.” “These lightning figures represent the feet as moving with inconceivable swiftness” (Fuller). “They indicate the purity and fervor of the Lord’s activities among His people” (Riddle). They symbolize the Lord’s Omnipresence; He is able, against all obstacles, to go wherever He is needed, to overcome all enemies, and bring swift deliverance to His own people. They resemble not only that splendid metal, “but the metal when subjected to a vehement heat, in which case its radiance is greatly increased” (Stuart). “This grand and terrible image reveals to us Christ in His power to tread down His enemies; at once to tread down and consume them.” (Trench)
“The sense is that the feet of Jesus resembled gold-bronze, not as this is when it is cold, but as it appears when it is glowing in the intense heat of a furnace. Where such feet tread they utterly blast and instantly turn to ashes everything they touch, or even approach.” (Lenski)
“Here again, we have a figure that is utterly incompatible with the priestly function of our blessed Lord. It is in His character as Judge that He appears in this introductory vision and throughout the book of Revelation.” (Coffman)
1:15 … “And his voice as the sound of many waters.” “Resounding, powerful, musical, and one that can be heard afar. His voice deep, grand, majestic, as the roar of the sea. It was the voice that woke the dead at the gates of Nain, or brought back Lazarus from his tomb” (Tait). It was the symbol of God’s voice through the Spirit, through providence, through conscience, through His Word – a voice that must be obeyed, even when “he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked” (Is. 11:4). It is a voice manifold as many waters, speaking in many ways. It is far-reaching, heard round the world. It is pleasant and musical to those who desire to obey, but terrible to the obstinately wicked, as the sound of the breakers on a lee shore to a tempest-tossed vessel.
From the personal appearance of the Redeemer, the seer now passes to His equipment for His work, and that in three particulars.
1:16 … “And he had in his right hand seven stars.” The stars are explained later in v. 20 as emblems of the angels (the ministers, or representatives) of the seven churches. They are described as stars in His right hand; “they perhaps appeared as a wreath, or as a royal and star-adorned diadem in His hand” (Carpenter). De Wette pointed out that “He appears as their guardian, their provider, their nourisher.” And “we may add, their possessor, who brings them out and puts them forth to be seen when He pleases.” (Alford)
1:16 … “Out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword.” This figure expresses the fact that Christ overcomes the world with His Word, as with a two-edged sword. Christ’s simple Word is intended here; hence “there is also a reference to the power of that Word, in so far as it is contained in the preaching of His servants” (Lange). “By His Word He acts, He creates, He overcomes, and He destroys” (Craven). Its two edges (back and front) may allude to its double efficacy – condemning some, converting others. A sword standing for Divine justice, i.e., Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice, presents an unlikely symbol of any priestly function. Coffman points out that the mouth is an “abnormal place from which a sword might appear; the symbolism, therefore, includes the meaning that the Gospel which came from the mouth of Jesus is the two-edged sword.” Why two-edged? “It proclaims grace to those who repent and put their faith in God, with the corollary of judgment upon the impenitent and disobedient.” (Bruce)
Here is the symbol of the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). It is the weapon by which sin is to be vanquished, and the world is to be overcome, so that its people shall be transformed into citizens of the kingdom of God.
1:16 … “His countenance as the sun in his strength.” At His brightest and clearest; no veil, no mist, no cloud, obscuring His brightness. “No doubt, if there had been anything brighter than the sun, the seer would have chosen it to set forth the transcendent and intolerable brightness of that countenance which he now beheld” (Trench). It is the luster of holiness and righteousness signified here. In this symbolic mystery, Christ sets forth to all ages the relation that He holds to His church, as one whole, composed of many branches; exhibiting Himself as the source and upholder of its ministry, the source and dispenser of its light; its centrally supreme and governing head, directing its movements in the divinely merciful work of slaying sin, and spreading both the light of truth and the garment of holiness over all the earth. Until finally, what was represented to the lesser Asia by the mystic circle of the seven golden candlesticks, with their accompanying seven shining stars, shall have widened and thrown its circumference around the globe; “becoming the Church of our Lord in all lands, and, with its numberless stellar angels, making universal the light both of the knowledge and the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Stone). Here is a reflection of the imagery of Malachi regarding the “sun of righteousness” that shall rise with healing in his wings. Christ as the light of the world; Christ as the center around which everything else revolves; Christ the Omnipresent One; and Christ the Omnipotent One – all symbolized by this glorious countenance. Martin Kiddle points out that Revelation “conveys a conception of the Messiah which is unique, for Christ is endowed with a splendor and authority which hitherto had been ascribed only to God.”
Like the glory seen in the Transfiguration, and by Paul near Damascus. It was the symbol of the glorious nature of our Savior-King, eclipsing all other beings as the sun eclipses the stars; the source of light, beauty, comfort, and power; the victor over the darkness of ignorance and sin, and over the prince of the power of darkness.
The overwhelming effect on John
1:17 … “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” From fear and awe. Overcome by the glory of His presence. “The brighter discoveries we have of Christ, the more shall we be humbled in the dust before Him” (Simeon). Being in the Spirit does not supersede existence in the body. Just as dreamers might express their bodily feelings by the physical act of weeping, so might John while in this ecstasy (see Acts 9:3). Coffman points out that “Paul fell at the feet of Jesus revealed to him as a supernatural person (Acts 26:14); and the phenomenon occurs frequently throughout the Bible, especially in connection with receiving visions (See Ezek. 1:28; Dan. 8:17; 10:9; and Matt. 17:6).”
1:17 … “And he laid his right hand upon me.” His all-powerful hand, in which the churches are held (v. 16).
1:17 … “Fear not.” These comforting words represent the character of Jesus to the terrified apostle. Jesus had comforted His apostles with similar words that night as they struggled to navigate Galilee, and the night of his betrayal. He said: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” This is the message that heaven has often shouted to earth, but we have a perpetual need to hear it. Remember the night the shepherds beheld the angelic band? They spoke of “Good tidings which shall be to all people;” beginning their message with, “Fear not.”
1:17 … “I am the first and the last.” The eternal God – that Holy Being who is, was, and forever shall be (see v. 8). The same divine Jesus whom He had known on earth, the One he had seen crucified and risen from the dead.
1:18 … “I am he that liveth.” The living One, possessing absolute life in Himself, an essential attribute of God. This statement is of particular interest because it is a title of God Himself. Undoubtedly, this is the most important title in the verse, because it is as the Living One that Christ holds the keys of death and the grave. Like the Father, Christ possesses life in His nature. “As the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:26)
1:18 … “And was dead.” Yet He became man, subject to death, and died as man dies. This shows that it was Jesus the Messiah who was speaking.
1:18 … “And, behold, I am alive for everyone [He is still the eternal God, able to confer life through death on everyone], Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Hell here is not Gehenna, but Hades. “The word Hades signifies indefinitely the state of separation, whether blessed or accursed; it means only ‘the invisible place,’ whither whoso descends shall be no more seen. Paradisus and ghenna are the distinct states of hades” (Taylor). The keys signify power over. He who holds the key has power to say who shall go in or shall be kept out.
1:19 … “Write the things which thou hast seen.” The vision of Jesus as He is, the messages to the churches, the visions that follow.
1:19 … “And the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” The three things John was to write are often thought of as being an outline of Revelation, i.e., things he saw (Rev. 1), things pertaining to Revelation 2 and 3, and things “hereafter,” referring to the balance of the prophecy. However, as Smith said, “This classification does not help much in interpretation.” Therefore, since the word “hereafter” is used eight other times (Rev. 4:1; 7:1; 7:9; 9:12; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1; 20:3), it is difficult to reconcile its repeated use with the theory that everything in the book was fulfilled “shortly” after it was written. Erdman also strongly objected to the view that this verse gives us a three-fold outline of Revelation. And Caird thought that, “It is better to take the words ‘things which thou hast seen’ to mean the whole of John's vision.” We conclude that in each of the cycles covered by the prophecy there are things past, present, and future in all of them. For example, the judgment mentioned no less than seven times, is a future event; though each mention of it comes in a different section of the book.
1:20 … “The mystery of the seven stars.” The hidden sense conveyed by the symbols.
The Revelation to them and to us
The glorious Savior here revealed is the one comfort and hope of the church all through the ages. In the greatest darkness of persecution, when all things good seem to be going to ruin, here is our star of hope. Amid the worldliness and temptations of the present day, each attribute revealed in the above description brings help and courage and victory. The more the church of our Lord recognizes this being as their Savior, the greater will be its victories.
“Yes, this Son of man, with eyes like a flame of fire, and a voice like the sound of many waters, and His face like the sun shining in His strength, is the very same at heart – as tender, as gentle, as compassionate – as in the old days when, with eyes like ours, and a voice like ours, and a face like ours, He went in and out among the people, and ate with publicans and sinners, and poured out His soul unto death upon the cruel cross.” (Gibson)
1:20 … “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” Some desire to identify these “angels” of the seven churches as a ruling bishop, the pastor, the chief elder, or other human representative of the church. However, not everyone agrees: “Whatever may be the exact conception, ‘the angel’ is identified with and made responsible for the church to a degree wholly unsuited to any human officer . . . he is punished with it; he is rewarded with it” (Plummer). Coffman, Erdman, Earle, Plummer, and many other scholars have understood the angel to be a personification of the church itself; but two of the best explanations we have thus far uncovered are:
“The angels are the symbolical representatives of the churches . . . in toto. The angels then are all those members of the church who are actively engaged in carrying out God’s commands . . . in any or all congregations throughout the world. Christ holds them in the hollow of His hand and gives them the strength and protection that only He can give.” (Banowsky)
“In spite of the seven letters being directed in each case to ‘the angel’ of the church, it is not an angel, but the church itself which is addressed. ‘Hear what the Spirit saith to the churches’ is the injunction repeated no less than seven times, applying in each case to the message that was written to ‘the angel’ of the various churches. It is clearly the members of the church who are addressed; hence, the conclusion must be that in some kind of metaphorical language, the members are individually represented under the figure of an angel – that is a star, in Christ’s right hand. The consideration should also be noted that, if any such thing as a metropolitan ‘bishop’ had been intended by this, there can be no doubt whatever that the primitive church would have preserved this title for ‘bishop.’” (Coffman)
1:20 … “The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are seven churches.” We have already noted (v. 12) that in the vision these churches are not joined in one corporate unity, as with the Jewish candlestick, familiar to many as depicted on the Arch of Titus. No; they were separate and independent, indicating the autonomy and completeness of each local unit of the church. Compare this with the words of Jesus who warned that a person’s religious and spiritual life should not be hidden under a bushel, under a bed, or under a vessel; but that it should be put “on a stand!” (Luke 8:16, and parallel verses). Coffman points out that “the application is that a truly spiritual life is always identified with the local congregation of the Lord's people.” Beckwith concluded that both the lampstand and the angels represent the churches, and stated: “The lampstand represents the outward organic life of the church; the star symbolizes the angel which is the invisible spiritual life of the congregation.” It is characteristic of Revelation that even after it has been “explained,” the mystery and uncertainty often remain. Therefore, we openly admit that the interpretation offered herein concerning the “angels” of the churches leaves many unanswered questions, even after the heavenly voice has told us what the stars in Jesus’ hand represent. However, seriously studying this helps each of us to better realize the presence of Jesus, as Leader, Savior and King. He is not a mere vision, but a living reality unveiled from the unseen. He is a living Fact, One each of us can love as we would an absent friend, with whom we are in constant communication.
7. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS
a. vs. 4, 5: The one God is represented in His triune nature, that we may more fully comprehend His manifold nature and relations to us.
b. vs. 4-8: Our Savior Jesus Christ, because He is both God and man, is the revealer of God’s truth, the Lover of our souls, the Redeemer from sin, the proof of the resurrection and the life, the Prince over all world powers, the eternal and almighty God – just the Savior we need.
c. There He is coming in glory, and the triumph of His kingdom is sure.
d. All Christians are made kings and priests, and should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.
e. v. 10: We should all be in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and then the Lord will speak to us.
f. v. 12: The various congregations of the church of our Lord are the precious light-bearers of Christ, so that Christ’s life, doctrines, love and power shall shine from them upon the world.
g. v. 13: Jesus dwells among the churches – “Lo, I am with you always.”
h. Christ keeps His human feelings and sympathies even in heaven, on the throne. He is still the Son of man, to help, reprove, comfort, and save; as well as God, able to give all good things to His people.
i. vs. 14-20: In Jesus are all the qualities and powers needful to give the victory to His people over all enemies.
j. v. 16: God’s ministers are like stars held in the hand of God; shining by His light, examples and guides to the flock, controlled and guided by God, and kept by the right hand of His power.
Footnotes:
1 For more information on the church, see God’s Church in Contents section of StudyJesus.com.
2 Compare Galatians 4:24-31; Hebrews 12 22, 23.
3 For more information on the Holy Spirit, see God the Spirit in Contents section of StudyJesus.com.
4 By understanding Paul’s long sentence in Romans 3:21-26, we understand the Gospel, all of Romans and the Bible. The 1885 English Revised Version changed “the faith of Christ” to “faith in Christ” in Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16, 2:20, 3:22; Ephesians 3:12; and Philippians 3:9. In his book, “Commentaries on the Old and New Testament,” James Burton Coffman concludes that the KJV is a correct translation of all these verses, a fact confirmed by the total agreement of the Emphatic Diaglott in each case. James Macknight, Adam Clarke, as well as other older commentators, also agree with the KJV translation of these verses – “the faith of Christ,” like the “faith of Abraham” in Romans 4:16. We asked a full-time minister serving a large church, about whether he believed that to be saved one had to believe in the “faith of Jesus Christ” to which he wrote: “God provides righteousness to those who believe. If through the faith of Jesus – everybody would be saved.” We asked the same question to a university Bible professor, who expressed a view of modern translations held by many today. He wrote: “Both ideas . . . are biblical . . .” However, we also presented the question to an elder of the church, who wrote: “The believer’s faith causes him to respond to that perfect justification which is and was brought by Christ in His obedience to God’s will of offering His son as the perfect atonement for all mankind (sins).” We concur with the elder and older commentators, as well as Coffman, whose commentary on this verse is a scathing rebuke of many modern-day professors and preachers. Coffman points out that we should stay with the KJV in this verse, because changing it represents the same tampering with the Word of God which resulted in the monstrosity of changing “the righteousness of God” to “a righteousness” (Rom. 3:21 & Rom. 1:17). He writes: “the true Scriptural justification by faith has absolutely no reference to the faith of stinking sinners, but to the faith of the Son of God. The only end served by this change was to bolster the faith only theory of justification.” He further writes: “the true grounds of justification cannot ever be in a million years the faith of fallible, sinful people, would appear to be axiomatic. How could it be? The very notion that God could impute justification to an evil man, merely upon the basis of anything that such a foul soul might either believe or do, is a delusion. Justification in any true sense requires that the justified be accounted as righteous and undeserving of any penalty whatever; and no man’s faith is sufficient grounds for such an imputation. On the other hand, the faith of Jesus Christ is a legitimate ground of justification, because Christ's faith was perfect.” In the absolute sense, only Christ is faithful – “Faithful is he that calleth you” (1 Thess. 5:24). Only He is called “the faithful and true witness” (Rev. 3:14). The faith of Christ was also obedient; a perfect and complete obedience, lacking nothing. Therefore, we conclude that the sinless, holy, obedient faith of the Son of God is the only ground of justification of a human being – Christ only is righteously justified in God’s sight. How then are we saved? We are saved “in Christ,” having been incorporated into Him – justified as a part of Him. Our study prompts agreement with Coffman’s conclusion that faith is not the ground of our justification; it is not the righteousness which makes us righteous before God. The “faith of the Son of God” is the only basis for our justification, and that faith is definitely included in the “righteousness of God” mentioned in this verse. Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ shows the principal constituent of God’s righteousness. In conclusion, God’s righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ – His absolute, intrinsic, unalloyed righteousness – implicit in His perfect faith (mentioned here) and His perfect obedience (implied). The contrary notion that God’s righteousness is some imputation accomplished by the sinner's faith is unfounded. Any righteousness that could commend itself to the Father and become the ground of anything truly worthwhile would, by definition, have to be a true and genuine righteousness. That righteousness was provided by the sinless life of the Christ, summarized in this verse as “through faith of Jesus Christ,” the idea being much clearer in the KJV, “The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ.” We concur with Coffman on this subject, including his final conclusion, “. . . the word believe in this verse refers to sinners’ faith (believer’s faith) which is no part of God’s righteousness at all, but, like baptism, is but a mere condition of salvation – being neither more nor less important than baptism.”
5Christ is here spoken of as the possessor of all power and authority, fully in keeping with the Savior’s words, “All authority in heaven and upon earth has been given unto me” (Matt. 28:18). This authority belongs to Christ now and in perpetually. He is not planning to start ruling at some future time; He rules now. A great deal of the misunderstanding of this prophecy derives from a failure to take account of this tremendous truth. Some have difficulty believing that Christ rules now; because, as they say, the world is in such a dreadful mess. However, the world was in a dreadful condition in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, who had to eat grass with the beasts of the field for seven years to learn that “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:25). As for the reason why God’s rule permits such atrocious wickedness on earth, it is clear enough that God permits it because it is in keeping with His purpose. Serious students of the Lord’s Word will find it difficult to accept a declaration like the one offered by Lindsey: “Even though Christ has the right to rule the earth, he isn’t exercising this authority over kings and kingdoms at this time” (Hal Lindsey, There’s a New World Coming). If Christ is not exercising His authority, then how can the church receive His promise of being with us “even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20)? Yes, despite the inability of some to see and recognize it, Christ is ruling now and will continue to rule until the last enemy is destroyed (1 Cor. 15:25).
6 See Johannine Studies and Expository Study of John’s Gospel in Contents section of StudyJesus.com.
