John the Seer 1 John 1:1-5; Revelation 1:1-20; John 1:1-18
Prologue https://youtu.be/AtXOgoND7Oc
Last Friday was set aside in the liturgical calendar for the celebration of the life of John the Apostle, hence the readings for today from his written works gathered under the title, “John the Seer”[1]. What links these documents together is a conviction that John saw Jesus in his suffering (humiliation) and glory (John 1:14) as he truly is. He testifies of what he has seen with undeniable clarity[2] (1 John 1:1-3; 4:14). Granted insight into the mysteries of Christ[3], John is moved by the Spirit[4]to empower us to see spiritual truths otherwise hidden in the darkness of a fallen world. John consistently celebrates the total triumph of Christ over evil, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)[5]. Which consistent Bible reader has not fallen in love with the Jesus of the Gospel[6]? If John wrote the book of Revelation, which unveils the heavenly glory of the Lord in his present and future righteous rule over all things, why isn’t it shown the same affection[7]. “Revelation” is sometimes called “the Apocalypse”, a Greek term meaning “to uncover”. All John’s writings pull back the curtain[8] on the present and eternal identity of Christ. What most of us are lacking is a prophetic sharing in the Spirit filled “seeing” (John 14:26; 15:2-27; Rev 1:10) that is the source of all John’s writings.[9] In a time when the vison of Christians is being strained by pandemics and wars[10] we need a fresh testimony of Jesus’ full identity for the Church[11]. As John the Baptist came as a forerunner of the earthly Christ, John the Seer is the forerunner to Jesus in his coming again. What we know about John’s life will help us understand his message.
The Life of John
The highest privilege in John’s[12] life[13], was being chosen as a special intimate of Jesus, he was part of a select group joining Peter and his brother James to witness firsthand the healing of Jairus’ daughter, the miracle of the transfiguration and the anguish of Gethsemane (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). He is the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23), who was present at the cross[14] and entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother (John 19:2-27), he was one of the first witnesses of the resurrection (John 20:2, 8) and the only recorder of the miracle of the miraculous catch of fish after the resurrection (John 21)[15]. The intimacy of Jesus with James and John stands in strong contrast with a word from Christ about their identity, being nicknamed by the Lord “Boanerges” or “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). In Luke, we read we read how when a Samaritan village refused hospitality to Jesus on his way to Jerusalem[16], John says, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” [17] 55 But he (Jesus) turned and rebuked them.”[18] (Luke 9:54-55). These were men[19] of fiery disposition, called in the wisdom of God to the final perfection of their character in an apocalyptic mission. Church tradition (Jerome)[20] has John leading a very long life of singleness[21], the only apostle ordained to die a natural death rather than be martyred[22], somewhere around the time he was inspired to write the Gospel and Revelation, being carried into Christian meetings[23] repeating again and again “Little children love one another.” What transformed John from being a young religious zealot into someone defined by love and the bearer of, to the spiritually confused, the most frightening book of the Bible?[24]
The Glory of the Cross in John
John distinctly prophesies in his Gospel that the glory of the Lord pours forth from the cross; for example in John 12, “Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit…. “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”….30 Jesus answered (the crowd), “This voice has come for your sake,…31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” (12:23-24, 28-34)[25] The casting out of the ruler of this world, Satan (John 14:30; 16:11), points to the cross as a total victory, a conclusion confirmed by the tremendous cry that consummates Christ’s death in John, “It is finished” (19:30)[26]. For John, the cross is the offering up to God the Father[27] of all that Jesus has revealed himself to be. What is sacrificed, put to death on the cross, is the Incarnation of the fulness of the grace[28] and love which is the very being of God[29]. The action of the Father in putting forward Jesus (John 3:16) as an atoning sacrifice for a world created and sustains by the all present and powerful Word (John 1:1-4, 10) is how “the sin of the world” is “taken away” (John 1:29). It has been revealed to John that as the Word of life, light and truth of the world, the death of Jesus means the purification of all things (John 1:1-5; 5:26; 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 12:46; 14:6; 1 John 1:1-2). Seen from its very deepest level, the Gospel of John is an exposition of the glory of Sonship[30].
The Glory of Sonship
Years ago, I debated with a Christadelphian speaker arguing that in the New Testament devotion to Jesus is equivalent to devotion to God. John’s references to the unity of the Father and Son in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit[31] are indispensable in establishing the doctrine of the Trinity.[32]. To have the Spirit is to belong to God (John 14:23; 1 John 3:24; 4:13). Because John was granted the intimacy with Jesus that permitted him to “leaned on Jesus’ bosom” (John 13:23)[33] we have the revelation that Jesus is now “in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). In seeing Jesus as the complete Revealer of God the Father “our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Through a unique history with Jesus, John was gifted with the ability to “see God” in a unique way. The key to seeing how the fiery young zealot became the apostle of love and the bearer of the message of divine wrath is his suffering.
John Sees
In estimating the sufferings of John, we must remember that the first believers were all friends and were closer than family. It was a sovereign decision[34] of Christ that John would live through every trial of his life becoming, of all the apostolic band. Th one who would live longest in suffering for the glory of Jesu. It was the risen Christ’s will that John hears him testify how Peter’s death would glorify God[35] (John 21:19). In Acts, the first account of physical punishment meted out on the Church is the imprisonment the apostles (5:40), shortly after, Stephen would be martyred, then his own brother James would be killed by Herod (Acts 12:2), then later Peter, Paul and all his earliest companions would need to share in the dying of Jesus for the expansion of the Church[36]. The impact of all this on a sensitive man like John must have been immeasurable. I find it hard to cope emotionally with the internet news that comes in week after week about the dreadful suffering of the Church throughout the world[37]. How much more difficult for a man of John’s sensitive conscience[38]. By the time of the writing of Revelation, the Church John knows and loves has either grown cold (Ephesus) is compromised and in danger (Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis) is lukewarm (Laodicea) or is faithful but needs divine help to endure (Smyrna, Philadelphia). On the surface, until the great “revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:1) it looked like the beast and his empire will conquer the Church.
The Triumph of the Lamb
If the guilty human conscience instinctively closes its heart against a manifestation of the wrath of God[39], then John’s heart was extraordinarily purified through decades of suffering submitted in trust to the Lord, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)[40]. So pure was his heart that he was able to “see God” in Christ (Matt 5:8) in the glory of heaven as he actually is. Only a man freed by suffering love from personal wrath can see the wrath of God as pure, holy, righteous and just (Rev 15:3; 16:7; 19:2). As the final/greatest prophet in history John perfectly exemplifies the identification of the Word of God and the word of the prophet[41] as the “testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10), a testimony in which every believer shares. His is the word of the kingdom stripped of all selfish malice[42].
It should not surprise us then that when John is lifted up to heaven by the Spirit (Rev 4:10) he sees a vast throne room scene climaxing in a revelation of the limitless worthiness of God (Rev 4:11), to be followed as the vision proceeds with the equal worth of a mere creature (Rev 5:2, 4), “a Lamb standing as slain” (5:6) in the midst of the throne[43]. This all-victorious Lamb is a title[44] placed on Jesus[45] for the weakness and brokenness of the cross is fragrant with the splendour of the Lord (2 Cor 2:14, 16; Eph 5:2) in all the dimensions of its saving power as the meaning of history. God’s wrath abides on all who do not obey the Son[46] for now the wrath of God is the “wrath of the Lamb” (6:16; 14:10)[47], who having taken upon his guiltless self the sin of the world has perfect authority to pour out upon it what he once took for it. The wrath of the Lamb[48] is nothing but[49] an extension of the action of his Father against sin (John 10:30; 14:9), an action of “him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev 1:5)[50]. Since all that makes up God the Father was at the presentation of Jesus in his sacrifice we know that he is wholly satisfied with us his children.
For the Church
Since John is a “partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (John 1:9), all that he sees is “for the Church” (Acts 20:28; Eph 1:22). John knows that the fruit of the suffering we share with Christ (Col 1:24; 2 Cor 1:5) is the transformation of the whole cosmos in all of its dimensions[51], this is a suffering we share unto victory, not by effort or striving[52] but by abiding in the Vine (John 15:1) whose fruit in the End will fill the whole world[53].
[1] Liberal scholars argue that the Greek of Revelation is too different (45 solecism or grammatical errors) to justify this conclusion, and that its author was a Christian prophet called John. The Greek of Revelation, as R. H. Charles has commented, is “unlike any Greek that was ever penned by mortal man.” Which is hardly surprising, given the turbulent circumstances of its inspiration.
[2] Some people would hold this is impossible, in the case of “relativism”, objective knowledge about anything is denied. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/
[3] Linguistically this is directly expressed at Rev 1:10; 107; 17:5,7; but implied in the marriage scene of Rev 19 etc. arguably, this applies just a surely to the Gospel of John, which its deep spiritual truths expressed in 7 signs, 7 “I am” sayings and so on.
[4] To write as a sort of spiritual eye doctor.
[5] “The reason the Son of God appeared was rto destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
[6] Something anticipated by Christ himself, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Rev 2:4).
[7] Vast multitudes of Christians either avoid this book or treat it as some form of conspiracy theory or puzzle to entertain them. This is especially true of futurist interpretations of Revelation.
[8] “behold” appears 26 times in Revelation.
[9] Seeing is the main source of understanding who Jesus is in Revelation. ““I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches” (Rev 1:11)This translation tradition (cf. KJV, ASV) is preferable to “write in a book/scroll what you see” (ESV, CSB, NIV, NRSV)
[10] See Rev 6 for Christ as their ultimate source.
[11] What is seen is Jesus as a Lamb of God at the centre of heaven’s dominion over the world (Rev 5:6). John the seer helps us see the truth. Jesus stands behind it all.
[12] Beyond him being a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35-37).
[13] John came from a well to do fishing family who had hired servants (Mark 1:20) and knew the High Priest personally (John 18:15, 19).
[14] Wherever the other disciples may have been, the only recorded disciple at the foot of the cross is John.
[15] He was at Pentecost and a companion with Peter at the miraculous healings which saw the Church grow like wildfire (Acts 3:1, 3, 11; 4:13, 19), together they were appointed by God to impart the outpouring of the Spirit to the Samaritans, the very group he had earlier wished to curse with the fires of hell (8:14) , Paul calls John a reputed “pillar” of the Church (Gal 2:9).
[16] To die for their sins!
[17] Cf. When John tries to stop an exorcist, “because he does not follow with us.” (Luke 9:49).
[18] In the Gospels Jesus only “rebukes” demonic powers, plus the attempt by Peter to forbid him going to the cross, saying, ““Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33). Which is suggestive that Christ saw the devil behind the attitude of James and John that the mission of Messiah could be focussed on judgement.
[19] James is beheaded as an early martyr in Acts (12:2).
[20] 4th century (342-420 A.D.).
[21] Like Jesus, John the Baptist and Paul, who are the main biblical authorities for the Church as Christ’s Bride (John 3:29; Eph 5:29-32; Rev 19:6-9).
[22] For the traditions as to the death of the apostles, https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html
[23] Likely in the church in Ephesus.
[24] But seen in the Spirit the bearer of its most encouraging message.
[25] “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (3:14); “Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.” (13:31-32); “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (17:1-5).
[26] The perfect tense of the verb (tetelestai) makes it clear that it is completed once and for all time and into the future. The so-called “finished work of Christ”. It is realised in Revelation 15:1, “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished (etelesthe).”
[27] Explicit in 1 John 2:1-2, “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation/atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
[28] “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16), in Jesus it is nothing but grace because “we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (1:14) “Grace…is identical with Jesus Christ”. (T. F. Torrance)
[29] Virtually all the followers of Jesus know and love John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Similarly the great commandment, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:34-35). For John, love for God and each other is the very essence of the Christian life. John 15:12, 17; 1 John 3:14, 23; 4:10-11, 21.
[30] For instance, the unity of the Church is an application of the unity of Father and Son, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and cloved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:22-23).
[31] In John 14:16,26; 1:26; 16:7, he is sent by the Father and the Son as their perfection of unity.
[32] http://cross-connect.net.au/father-the-only-god/ There are around 60 references in the text to John’s Gospel and 13 to Revelation.
[33] NKJV. The less literal of the more archaic translations miss out on this intimacy.
[34] John knows “” They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev 17:14 cf. 19:16)
[35] Traditionally recorded as death by upside down crucifixion.
[36] He too knew the truth of Jesus’ words for his people, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”” (Luke 24:26).
[37] Principally through this source. https://www.elizabethkendal.com/blogs/religious-liberty-prayer-bulletin/
[38] “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20).
[39] Isa 6:9-10; Matt 13:14-15; John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27
[40] “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
[41] See http://cross-connect.net.au/lectures/ go to, Renewal, Word and Spirit, p.144 The Religion of Sympathy.
[42] “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 4:20 cf. Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; Tit 3:3; 1 Pet 2:1).
[43] In Revelation Jesus is consistently enthroned, and with God (3:21; 7:9-10, 15, 17; 12:5; 22:1, 3). He fully shares the glory of the Father.
[44] “Lamb” as a comprehensive title , which incorporates victory* 5:8, 12, 13, 6:1, 16*; 7:9, 10, 14, 17; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 14:4, 10*; 15:3; 17:14*; 19:7, 9; 21:9, 14; 21:22.
[45] A recapitulation of Rev 1:12-20.
[46] “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36).
[47] As Christ himself said it would be at the Last Day (John 5:22, 27; 9:39; 17:2).
[48] “If we must speak of the wrath of God in the context of the death of Jesus, then Jesus himself is the wrath of God, the fiery, passionate, holy, unrelenting divine opposition to our destruction. This opposition, this wrath of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is embodied in Jesus’ vicarious death, and is satisfied’ in our resurrection and recreation and ascension in Jesus.” (Baxter Kruger). “Only God Himself could bear the wrath of God. Only God’s mercy was capable of bearing the pain to which the creature existing in opposition to Him is subject. Only God’s mercy could so feel this pain as to take it into the very heart of His being. And only God’s mercy was strong enough not to be annihilated by this pain. And this that could happen only by the divine mercy is just what did happen on the cross of Golgotha…. the One who as the servant of all bore the punishment of death which we had deserved, and the One who as Lord of all took from death its power and for ever vanquished and destroyed it.” (K. Barth) “True love will jealously defend the love relationship in which it exists. Thus, a husband is rightly jealous that his wife belongs to no other man. Love will not allow outside intruders into the relationship. From this assertion, one can understand that God is a “jealous, wrathful God. Those who would undermine the love God pours forth for the world experience his love in the form of wrath.”
[49] ““Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19)
[50] Cf. 1 John 1:7; 5:9; 7:14; 22:14.
[51] “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19-21)
[52] Certainly not in a religious way.
[53] Taking Rev 14:14-16 as a harvest of the saints, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.”.