Revelation - Chapter 1

The Sword and the Sun

Revelation 1:16 – and having in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword is proceeding, and his countenance [is] as the sun shining in its might. (YLT)

We already mentioned earlier that the seven stars is Pleiades, which represents the Feast of Tabernacles. The sharp two-edged sword that comes out of Christ’s mouth is clearly giving the image of God’s words being powerful which is also seen in these verses:

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and shaper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)

Hosea 6:5 – Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgment are as the light that goeth forth. (KJV)

So we can see that God’s words have so much power that they can affect the hearts and souls of men. This can also be applied to us. Sometimes we do not realize how powerful our words can be, sometimes sharper than a two-edged sword. Finally, the last part of Revelation 1:16 says Christ’s face is shinning like the sun. This is because His face has been “unveiled” which is a better translation of the word revelation as we talked about here. This analogy is also seen in Matthew:

Matthew 17:2 – and he was transfigured before them, and his face shone as the sun, and his garments did become white as the light, (YLT)

Not only is the face of Christ going to be unveiled, but so are the overcomers. Look at this passage:

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 – and [are] not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless, but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn – which in Christ is being made useless – but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie, and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away. And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty; and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (YLT)

This passage says that the Lord is working on our hearts to transform us. On the Great White Throne, it will be like looking in a mirror, because the overcomers will have the same unveiled glory and image as Christ Himself. Therefore, all of man has the potential to become overcomers, because overcomers are not born with this glory, but need to be transformed.

Power Over Death

Revelation 1:17-19 – And when I saw him, I did fall at his feet as dead, and he placed his right hand upon me, saying to me, ‘be not afraid; I am the First and the Last, and he who is living, and I did become dead, and, lo, I am living to the ages of the ages. Amen! and I have the keys of the hades and of the dead. ‘Write the things that thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to come after these things; (YLT)

The interesting part of this passage is when John says that Christ has the keys to hades and the dead. This means He has power over them. Remember from my article on Hell, that hades means the state of being dead. Christ proved He has power death because He rose from the dead. This power allows Him to save mankind who is subject to death. This idea comes from Hebrews:

Hebrews 2:14-15 – Seeing, then, the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself also in like manner did take part of the same, that through death he might destroy him having the power of death – that is, the devil – and might deliver those, whoever, with fear of death, throughout all of their life, were subjects of bondage, (YLT)

This concludes our study of Revelation chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 are letters that John writes to the seven churches. The letters basically repeat the concepts in chapter 1 to the churches. So the next article will focus more on the churches themselves then the words in chapters 2 and 3.

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