A Revelation Invitation

(The “How to Read Revelation” series begins here.)

Principle #6: An Intimate Walk with an Infinite God

When 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, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18 ESV)

Despite first impressions Revelation was not written in secret code so that bloggers might impress their readers with hidden knowledge. It was not intended to exalt the informed over the uninformed. It was not written for the edification of an elite few who were in the know. Just the opposite: John wrote it explicitly to reveal things that had previously been hidden. God intended that Revelation would enlighten everyone from the simple to the learned. In Revelation God invites us all into his inner circle.

We read Revelation to learn of those things that had previously been hidden. But it is much more than that. It is an experience. It is deeply personal. It is intimate. All through Revelation John expresses this intimacy using expression such as “I was in the spirit … I heard … he laid his right hand on me … I turned to see … I said to him … speaking to me … I was told … I took and ate … said to me … give me … I saw … I went to the angel … addressed me … I looked … showed me … I began to weep … I was given … carried me away … I was about to write … I watched … I fell down.” We get a palpable sense that his was a deeply personal, intimate experience. Close your eyes envisioning what he narrates and you feel like you are with him in the moment, that you experience what he experienced.

And who did he encounter in this vision? One like a son of man … a Lamb … the rider on the white horse … the bridegroom … the Spirit … a throne in heaven … living creatures … twenty-four elders … a great multitude … a voice from heaven … an angel and angels and a mighty angel and thousands upon thousands of angels. When we see this vision through John’s eyes, we also experience the emotional impact of encountering the power and majesty and holiness of heaven. We walk with him through the wonder of it all. We too fall to the ground out of a sense of unworthiness. We stand in awe of the glory that he witnessed.

When John came face to face with one like a son of man, he fell at his feet in fear as any of us would. He sensed that he was in the presence of an all-powerful God, an infinite God, the holiest holy God. John expected to die at the hand of the one who holds the power of life and death. And what did this one like a son of man do with that hand? He comforted John. “Fear not,” he heard Jesus tenderly say. Thus began his intimate walk with this infinite God.

Whether you and I ever fully grasp the symbolism of Revelation, whether we ever understand its imagery, we can nevertheless sense the intimacy of John’s experience. As we read Revelation, we too will sense the strength and glory of the one who sits on the throne that rules the world. We will trust the power and authority of the one who reigns over all creation. We can be confident that he has ordained the final outcome and that he will carry us with him to victory.

Lord Jesus, I fall before you who holds the key to Death and to Hades. You have not only spared my life, you have granted me eternal life. You have touched my life deep within comforting me in my distress. You promised to be with me always. May I ever walk beside you. Amen.

(Part 8 of “How to Read Revelation” is here.)