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Contents Introduction The Risen Christ Christ Directs the Churches Christ the Lamb The Wrath of Christ The Return and Reign of Christ Conclusion Bibliography 10 The Book of Revelation is the perennial culmination of the New Testament canon. It is a work of profound theology, but overall, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1: 1) and any commentary cannot neglect this fact; it fills all understanding of the book. Christ is present in visual representations, in titles used of Him, and functions ascribed to Him (Guthrie, 1987, p. 39). The portrayal of Jesus in the Book of Revelation is dramatically different to that of the gospels. No longer is the second person of the Trinity restricted, having surrendered temporarily the voluntary use of His divine attributes (Philippians 2: 5 - 8). Rather than being one who thirsted (John 19: 28), hungered (Matthew 4: 2) and sweat drops like blood (Luke 22: 44), the Christ of Revelation is unparalleled (Guthrie, 1987, p. 41) and stands in the midst of the seven Churches: "Dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance (Revelation 1: 13 - 16). " Jesus' mission on earth has been accomplished. Just before finally dying on the cross He declared, "It is finished" (Revelation 19: 30). At this time He cancelled the code that was against us (Colossians 2: 14) and disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them (Colossians 2: 15).
Having done this, in Revelation, He is revealed as having wrested the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1: 18). As Jesus explains to John, He is the First and the Last. He is the Living One. He was dead, but behold, He is alive for ever and ever (Revelation 1: 17 - 18). As Wilson (n. d. , p. 74) comments, "Christ's was not the resuscitation of the body - it was complete victory over death. " Jesus humbled Himself and took upon Himself the nature of a servant (Philippians 2: 7).
He clothed Himself in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8: 3), being found in appearance as a man (Philippians 2: 8). But now, just as Christ prayed that the Father would glorify Him with the glory He had with the Father before the world began (John 17: 5), God has exalted Him to the highest place and given Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2: 9). Not only is Jesus the First and the Last, He is the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1: 5). He is the Bright Morning Star (Revelation 22: 16). He is the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1: 8), the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22: 13).
Since alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, it is not difficult to imagine that these last titles are equivalent in meaning with "the First and the Last." What is interesting, is the fact these are also the sole designations of God which appear in Revelation (1: 8; 21: 6). Christ possesses the fullness of deity (Colossians 2: 9), but these designations express more than this mere fact. Bauckham (1993, p. 27) explains: "In the form, 'the first and the last', the designation derives from Isaiah, where it occurs, as in Revelation, as a divine self-designation: 'I am the first and the last; besides me there is no god' (44: 6); 'I am he; I am the first, and I am the last' (48: 12; cf. also 41: 4)... the designation encapsulates the understanding of the God of Israel as the sole Creator of all things and sovereign Lord of history, which... [Isaiah] so magnificently expounds and asserts polemically against the idols of Babylon.
Unlike human-made gods, this God is the utterly incomparable One, to whom all nations are subject, whose purpose none can frustrate (cf. Isa. 40: 12 - 26). It is precisely this exclusive monotheistic faith that determines the prophetic outlook of Revelation. Hence the unique importance of the designation: 'the Alpha and the Omega'.
God precedes all things, as their Creator, and he will bring all things to eschatological fulfilment. He is the origin This is the risen Christ in the Book of Revelation; this is the risen Christ for the rest of time. Jesus directed John to write to the angels of each of seven prominent Churches in the Asia Minor of the time (Revelation 2 - 3). Possibly the "angels" refer to supernatural beings, potentially protecting the Churches, but it is more likely that angelo here means human messengers (such as the leaders of the Churches), just as it does in James 2: 25 and Luke 9: 52. At any rate, both the angels and the Churches belong to Christ; He holds the angels in His hand (Revelation 1: 16, 20; 2: 1) and He walks amongst the Churches (Revelation 1: 13; 2: 1). According to Rienecker and Rogers (1976, p. 815) peripateo (walks among) implies that the Lord patrols the ground and is ever on the spot when He is needed; His presence is not localized but is coextensive within the Church.
Goswiller (n. d. , p. 14) draws a comparison with the location of the tabernacle in the midst of the camp in the Old Testament. Jesus loves His Church; indeed, it was for its members that He died (John 3: 16; Romans 5: 8 - 9). For each of the seven Churches, apart from Laodicea, Jesus had a word of encouragement. He is attentive - He knows their deeds (Revelation 2: 2; 2: 115), their afflictions and their poverty (Revelation 2: 9), where they live (Revelation 2: 12), and their love, faith, service and perseverance (Revelation 2: 19). For these things, Christ commends the Churches.
Yet, He who commends also searches hearts and minds, and will repay each according to their deeds (Revelation 2: 23). For each Church, apart from Smyrna and Philadelphia, comes a rebuke. Yet, Christ quickly follows each of these with an exhortation and then a promise. The smallest and most insignificant Church is assured of Christ's presence (Wilson, n. d. , p. 77). Elsewhere in Revelation, an angel declares, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19: 10).
Just as is evident from the letters to the Churches, the Spirit speaks in the accents of the crucified and risen Lord, summoning people to become conquerors in the name of Him who has conquered (Caird, 1966, p. 238). Nothing stands outside of the bounds of Christ's knowledge. He makes careful, precise diagnoses of attainments and failures of each congregation. Many may be deceived by the outward wealth and success of the Laodicean Church, but Christ knew all the truth: wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3: 17). Such unfailing discernment is devastating to the insincere and challenging to the sincere (Wilson, n. d. , p. 78).
John wept because he believed there were none found worthy to open or look inside the scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5: 1 - 4). Straightaway he was told not...
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