◄ What Does Revelation 1:14 Mean? ►

The most glorious yet awe-inspiring description of Jesus Christ is given in this first chapter of the Revelation to John, for our learning. The apostle had lived alongside the Son of Man during His sojourn on earth, and bore witness that Jesus was the incarnate Word of God. But in the twilight years of his life, while banished on the Isle of Patmos, this old man received visions of glory and judgement.

This elderly apostle was given an astonishing vision of Christ in all His might, majesty, dominion, and power. He was instructed that everything he heard and saw was to be written in a book and shared with the Church, which is the Body of Christ. All who read it and take it to heart have been promised blessings beyond compare. All who reject Him are condemned already.

During his exile, on the Day of the Lord, John was walking in pure, undiminished communion with God, and hearing the voice of a trumpet behind him, turned to see Who was speaking. The vision was of such overwhelming grandeur that this elderly apostle could do nothing but fall at the feet of One Who stood before him, as if dead.

It was Christ Jesus; the Alpha and the Omega, Who is, and was, and is to come, the Almighty. It was Jesus Christ Who was dead but is alive forevermore, that stood before him. It was Jesus - the Head of the Body - the King of the Jews - the Saviour of the world  - the Almighty God of heaven - the Ancient of Days. The first thing John noticed was: "His head and His hair were white like white wool. They were like snow." 

It was Jesus Who had washed his filthy feet so many years before, standing before John in the magnificence of His glory. His presence and posture was reminiscent of the Ancient of Days, described by Daniel: "Whose throne was ablaze with flames of fire, and Whose vesture was like white snow; the hair on His head was like pure wool."

The holy purity, dignified authority, eternal wisdom, and glorious presence of the One Who stood before John, was the risen, ascended, glorified Son of God, as had never been witnessed before. It was Jesus, Who is the express image of His Father. It was Jesus, the God-Man Who upholds all things by the Word of his power. It was JESUS; Who having by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The next thing John saw were His eyes which flashed "like a flame of fire," symbolising His all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, omniscience. He is identified as the righteous Judge of the earth, Who reads the thoughts and hearts of men. He is the One Who has been appointed to judge the world in righteousness, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness and ALL who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

The wrath of God will be poured out on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world during a succession of judgement, described in the following chapters of this book of Revelation. But the wrath of God for your sins and mine has already been poured out on Jesus; our sin-substitute Who died in our place, is risen, and is alive for evermore.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this amazing revelation of Jesus Christ and for opening our understanding that the Suffering Servant Who died for our sin and rose again on the third day, is the incarnate, all powerful God in Whom are the words of eternal life. Thank You that He took the punishment for my sin and that the same, mighty, resurrected God and Saviour is coming again to judge the world in righteousness. Thank You that those who are in Christ have nothing to fear, for perfect love casts out fear. Help me to live my life in a manner that is worthy of Him, to Whom be all honour and glory, world without end, AMEN.