The Living One (or The Prophet, Priest, and King)

Read: Revelation 1

The book of Revelation is usually attributed to the apostle John.  The book was likely written between the 60s AD and the 90s AD, with many thinking that John wrote the book in the mid-90s.  This would make John quite elderly, as 60-some years have passed since Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

The beginning of Revelation recounts how John received God’s word pertaining to the end of all things.  In the vision, John turns to hear who was speaking to him, and he sees:

“one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.  The hair of his head was white as wool – white as snow – and his eyes like a fiery flame.  His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters.  He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength” (Rev. 1:13-16).

We must remember that, as a young man, John had walked with Jesus for the three years of His earthly ministry.  John also held a close, personal relationship with Jesus.  In the gospel of John, John tends to refer to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved.”  At the end of Jesus’ ministry, John witnessed Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrected body.  Now, this vision comes many years later to John, who is now an old man nearing the end of his life.  God granted him the gift of seeing Jesus once more in this life.  Yet this vision of Jesus illustrates how much more Jesus was.

John quite sensibly falls to Jesus’ feet “like a dead man” (Rev 1:17) when he sees Him in all His glory and might.  When John walked with Jesus, Jesus looked like any other regular Joe.  Isaiah describes Him by saying, “He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him” (53:2).  When John turned around to see who was speaking to him in the vision, he could not have imagined Jesus in all His glory.

This description of Jesus illustrates several very important points about Him.  First, the title “Son of Man” reminds the reader of the words from the book of Daniel:

“…and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him.  He was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom…His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (7:13-14).

This description highlights Jesus’ role as the anointed One of God.  He is the king of all kings.  Jesus is the Almighty and is sovereign over all.  David Guzik writes, “[The Almighty] speaks of the great sovereign control of Jesus over everything – past, present, and future.”  In just three short words, John re-introduces us to the glorified Jesus.  He is not a mere man but God in the flesh and, now, fully glorified and fully Sovereign. 

Then John describes how Jesus is clothed and says that He was “dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest” (Rev 1:13).  This portion of the description likely alludes to the priestly garments worn by the priests of Israel (Ex. 29:5; 39:1-5).  The garments were intended “for glory and beauty” (Ex. 28:2b).  They were artistically fashioned with materials that were both valuable and beautiful.  The “golden sash,” or waistband, would have been sewn with threads of hammered gold.  The garments worn by the priests were made with materials that would have been more typical of royalty, so now, John’s vision has alluded to Jesus as both Priest and King. 

In the vision, Jesus has hair “white as wool – white as snow.”  This might indicate sheer age, which would be appropriate as one of God’s titles is Ancient of Days – implying immense age or even agelessness.  This specific description, though, takes us directly back to the prophet Isaiah when he wrote the words of the Lord: “‘Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool” (1:18).  We are reminded of several important truths here – Jesus was the sacrificial Passover lamb whose sacrifice once for all time cleanses us of all our sins.  Yet, He is simultaneously the perfect High Priest who makes atonement for us and the King of kings whose sovereignty spans all of space and time. 

The double-edged sword that comes out of His mouth holds yet more clues to Jesus’ identity. Hebrews refers to a double-edged sword when it says, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword…” (4:12).  The armor of God in Ephesians further says, “…the sword of the Spirit – which is the word of God” (6:17).   This idea of a sword does not bring to mind Jesus as a sacrificial lamb. Between the sword and the rest of the description in John’s vision, Jesus is shown in power and authority and glory. 

This is our Savior of the second coming, and He is coming for a very specific purpose.  Isaiah describes the Lord as a Divine Warrior coming to mete out justice and righteousness, which, I think, helps explain more of this vision of Jesus.  Isaiah writes:

“The LORD saw that there was no justice,

and he was offended.

He saw that there was no man –

he was amazed that there was no one interceding:

so his own arm brought salvation,

and his own righteousness supported him.

He put on righteousness as body armor,

and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

So he will repay according to their deeds:

fury to his enemies,

retribution to his foes,

and he will repay the coasts and islands.

They will fear the name of the LORD in the west

and his glory in the east;

for he will come like a rushing stream

driven by the wind of the LORD.” (59:15b-20)

Our Lord has come as our great King, sitting enthroned in justice and righteousness, and He will see it administered on Earth. Thankfully, our Lord is also our High Priest, who intercedes for us and grants us mercy.

I completely understand why John would fall before this Man, any response other than bowing low would just be wrong.  Jesus tells him, though, “Don’t be afraid.  I am the First and the Last, and the Living One.  I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:17-18).  Jesus is the First and the Last; He is our self-existent Creator.  There is no other like Him.  Jesus is the Living One, a title reserved for God alone.  The Living God is the Savior of all, the true God, the eternal King (1 Tim. 4:10; Jer. 10:10).  Of course, Jesus is not dead.  How can Death possibly contain Life itself?  Colossians reminds us:

“For everything was created by him,

in heaven and on earth…

He is before all things,

and by him all things hold together” (1:16a, 17).

Jesus is God.  He exists outside of the time and space He created.  He is our Creator; He is the Source and Sustainer of all life.  Hebrews tells us, “In these last days, [God] has spoken to us by his Son.  God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his power word.  After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:2-3).  Jesus is our King, our Priest, and our Prophet – the one who came as witness to God Himself and the love He bears for us, and He is the one who came to remove the stain of sin and death that had separated us from Himself. 

Jesus is the Living God, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe the writer of Hebrews says it best when they say, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31).  The choice lies before you: whom will you serve?