Revelation 1v17-18 – John and Jesus Interact

Context

In our previous message, we continued looking at the initial vision in the book of Revelation of “one like a son of man” in the midst of the seven candlesticks. This depicts Jesus in the midst of His Church.

In this message, we’ll look at John’s response to this extraordinary vision and we will see Jesus’ interaction with John which further indicates that Jesus is not only equal to God but is, in fact, God.

Let’s start by reading Chapter 1 verses 17 to 18. I’m reading in the English Standard Version.

¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’

Having turned to see the voice speaking to him, John fell, as though dead, at the feet of this overwhelming depiction of Jesus. This is not unlike the response of the prophets when they found themselves in the presence of God. Isaiah said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5, KJV).

Jesus Comforts John

Ezekiel responded similarly, writing, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face” (Ezek. 1:28b).

Jesus’ response to John is one of reaffirming grace and mercy, just as God had been toward the prophets in the Old Testament. John wrote, “he laid his right hand on me.” This was a touch of care as seen by the accompanying words, “Fear not.” And, the assuring hand carried authority, depicted by John saying Jesus reached out with His “right hand,” which is a symbol of authority.

Jesus’ words, “I am the first and the last,” echo the words of God in the Old Testament when He says in Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel . . . I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” By using the same words, Jesus is unequivocally saying that He is God.

Also, by calling Himself “the living one,” Jesus depicts Himself as the originator of life, who, like God, has life in Himself. John had written similarly in his Gospel, saying, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4) and “I am . . . the life” (John 14:6).

“I am” prefaces “the living one” and reflects the other “I am” sayings that John used in his Gospel, and later in Revelation, to depict Jesus as God. In Rev. 21:6, Jesus says, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” And, in Rev. 22.13, Jesus used the words that God used to describe Himself in Rev. 1:8, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

In keeping with One who has life in Himself, Jesus said, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.” This reiterates the great work of salvation that he did in dying and rising, thereby conquering death.

By saying “I have the keys of Death and Hades,” Jesus indicates that He has authority over these entities. These are comforting words not dissimilar to those in 1 Cor. 15:55, where Paul wrote, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” or, as in the NKJV, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

If nothing else, these verses in Revelation clearly depict Jesus as God by His actions and what He says about Himself.

Rob Morley