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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Revelation 1:9–20. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have now come to that glorious vision which the apostle had of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he came to deliver this revelation to him, where observe,
I.The account given of the person who was favoured with this vision. He describes himself,
1.By his present state and condition. He was the brother and companion of these churches in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Christ. He was, at their time, as the rest of true Christians were, a persecuted man, banished, and perhaps imprisoned, for his adherence to Christ. He was their brother, though an apostle; he seems to value himself upon his relation to the church, rather than his authority in it: Judas Iscariot may be an apostle, but not a brother in the family of God. He was their companion: the children of God should choose communion and society with each other. He was their companion in tribulation: the persecuted servants of God did not suffer alone, the same trials are accomplished in others. He was their companion in patience, not only a sharer with them in suffering circumstances, but in suffering graces: if we have the patience of the saints, we should not grudge to meet with their trials. He was their brother and companion in the patience of the kingdom of Christ, a sufferer for Christ's cause, for asserting his kingly power over the church and the world, and for adhering to it against all who would usurp upon it. By this account he gives of his present state, he acknowledges his engagements to sympathize with them, and to endeavour to give them counsel and comfort, and bespeaks their more careful attention to what he had to say to them from Christ their common Lord.
2.By the place where he was when he was favoured with this vision: he was in the isle Patmos. He does not say who banished him thither. It becomes Christians to speak sparingly and modestly of their own sufferings. Patmos is said to be an island in the Aegean Sea, One of those called Cyclades, and was about thirty-five miles in compass; but under this confinement it was the apostle's comfort that he did not suffer as an evil-doer, but that it was for the testimony of Jesus, for bearing witness to Christ as the Immanuel, the Saviour. This was a cause worth suffering for; and the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon this persecuted apostle.
3.The day and time in which he had this vision: it was the Lord's day, the day which Christ had separated and set apart for himself, as the eucharist is called the Lord's supper. Surely this can be no other than the Christian sabbath, the first day of the week, to be observed in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. Let us who call him our Lord honour him on his own day, the day which the Lord hath made and in which we ought to rejoice.
4.The frame that his soul was in at this time: He was in the Spirit. He was not only in a rapture when he received the vision, but before he received it; he was in a serious, heavenly, spiritual frame, under the blessed gracious influences of the Spirit of God. God usually prepares the souls of his people for uncommon manifestations of himself, by the quickening sanctifying influences of his good Spirit. Those who would enjoy communion with God on the Lord's day must endeavour to abstract their thoughts and affections from flesh and fleshly things, and be wholly taken up with things of a spiritual nature.
II.The apostle gives an account of what he heard when thus in the Spirit.
An alarm was given as with the sound of a trumpet, and then he heard a voice, the voice of Christ applying to himself the character before given, the first and the last, and commanding the apostle to commit to writing the things that were now to be revealed to him, and to send it immediately to the seven Asian churches, whose names are mentioned. Thus our Lord Jesus, the captain of our salvation, gave the apostle notice of his glorious appearance, as with the sound of a trumpet.
III.We have also an account of what he saw.
He turned to see the voice, whose it was and whence it came; and then a wonderful scene of vision opened itself to him.
1.He saw a representation of the church under the emblem of seven golden candlesticks, as it is explained in the last verse of the chapter. The churches are compared to candlesticks, because they hold forth the light of the gospel to advantage. The churches are not candles: Christ only is our light, and his gospel our lamp; but they receive their light from Christ and the gospel, and hold it forth to others. They are golden candlesticks, for they should be precious and pure, comparable to fine gold; not only the ministers, but the members of the churches ought to be such; their light should so shine before men as to engage others to give glory to God.
2.He saw a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the golden candlesticks; for he has promised to be with his churches always to the end of the world, filling them with light, and life, and love, for he is the very animating informing soul of the church. And here we observe,
(1.)The glorious form in which Christ appeared in several particulars.
[1.]He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, a princely and priestly robe, denoting righteousness and honour.
[2.]He was girt about with a golden girdle, the breast-plate of the high priest, on which the names of his people are engraven; he was ready girt to do all the work of a Redeemer.
[3.]His head and hairs were white like wool or snow. He was the Ancient of days; his hoary head was no sign of decay, but was indeed a crown of glory.
[4.]His eyes were as a flame of fire, piercing and penetrating into the very hearts and reins of men, scattering terrors among his adversaries.
[5.]His feet were like unto fine burning brass, strong and stedfast, supporting his own interest, subduing his enemies, treading them to powder.
[6.]His voice was as the sound of many waters, of many rivers falling in together. He can and will make himself heard to those who are afar off as well as to those who are near. His gospel is a profluent and mighty stream, fed by the upper springs of infinite wisdom and knowledge.
[7.]He had in his right hand seven stars, that is, the ministers of the seven churches, who are under his direction, have all their light and influence from him, and are secured and preserved by him.
[8.]Out of his mouth went a two-edged sword, his word, which both wounds and heals, strikes at sin on the right hand and on the left,
[9.]His countenance was as the sun shining, its strength too bright and dazzling for mortal eyes to behold.
(2.)The impression this appearance of Christ made upon the apostle John (Rev 1:17): He fell at the feet of Christ as dead; he was overpowered with the greatness of the lustre and glory in which Christ appeared, though he had been so familiar with him before. How well is it for us that God speaks to us by men like ourselves, whose terrors shall not make us afraid, for none can see the face of God and live!
(3.)The condescending goodness of the Lord Jesus to his disciple: He laid his hand upon him, Rev 1:17. He raised him up; he did not plead against him with his great power, but he put strength into him, he spoke kind words to him.
[1.]Words of comfort and encouragement: Fear not. He commanded away the slavish fears of his disciple.
[2.]Words of instruction, telling him particularly who he was that thus appeared to him. And here he acquaints him, First, with his divine nature: The first and the last. Secondly, With his former sufferings: I was dead; the very same that his disciples saw upon the cross dying for the sins of men. Thirdly, With his resurrection and life: "I live, and am alive for evermore, have conquered death and opened the grave, and am partaker of an endless life." Fourthly, With his office and authority: I have the keys of hell and of death, a sovereign dominion in and over the invisible world, opening and none can shut, shutting so that none can open, opening the gates of death when he pleases and the gates of the eternal world, of happiness or misery, as the Judge of all, from whose sentence there lies no appeal. Fifthly, With his will and pleasure: Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and which shall be hereafter. Sixthly, With the meaning of the seven stars, that they are the ministers of the churches; and of the seven candlesticks, that they are the seven churches, to whom Christ would now send by him particular and proper messages.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
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Thoroughly terrified by fear of his weakness, insignificance and inferiority, he fell down, not falling only to some degree, but wholly giving himself over to the Lord in humility and faith. And, therefore, the Lord also felt compassion in view of this most pious devotion. “He laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not.’ ” Here he both rewards faith and strengthens the faithful, who is terrified not by unbelief but by an awe-filled wonder, and he urges John not to fear.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet. As a man, he trembles at the spiritual vision, but the Lord's mercy dispels human fear.
Fear not; I am the first and the last. The first, because all things were made through him. The last, because all things are restored in him.
And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. In this passage John signifies Christ's limbs, and the angel signifies Christ specifically. Therefore John falls as dead at the angel's feet because the Church follows Christ's footprints to die to the world. It is appropriate to say that he is as dead, because even if the Church dies to the world and to vices, it still lives to God. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. The right hand of the angel in this place represents the preachers. Hence it is said by Moses, In his right hand a fiery law, [Deut. 33:2] that is, in the holy preachers the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It is not mentioned at all what the angel did with his hand laid upon him, but we deduce with a certain reasoning that he lifted up from the ground either John or the Church in him. Now, can it be that the Church was put away from the imitation of the sufferings of Christ? No. Therefore the angel laying his hand upon John who lay at his feet as dead and raising him from the ground, is the Redeemer Lord lifting up the Church which imitates his sufferings from sorrow of the heart to the hope of future glory by encouraging it through the holy preachers, as in The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us. [Rom. 8:18] He fittingly says Fear not, as if the Lord were saying to the Church, “Receive confidence from above, and drive human fear away.” I am the First and the Last, and I was alive, and dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever. Here it is made clear that this angel specifically bore the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom all this corresponds to. And have the keys of death and of hell. By the keys is represented the divine judgment’s power, which no one can escape, but it shuts everyone in like a key, according to this: He shutteth, and no man openeth; [Rev. 3:7] by death is meant the one about whom it is written, By the envy of the devil, death came into the world; [Wis. 2:24] and by hell are represented those who belong to him. So with one set of keys the Devil is released to tempt the Church, and with the other he is bound; whence it is written, God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able. [1 Cor. 10:13]
It is customary for the holy prophets to see a vision and be struck with awe, revealing human weakness; and how much the divine surpasses the human and excels it with incomparable differences. This we also know from Joshua the son of Nave, when he saw the chief commander of the Lord's army (Jos. 1:9), and Daniel the man of desires in the visions that appeared to him. (Dan. 10:11; 8:17)
"I," therefore, "fell at his feet as though dead," says the evangelist, struck with awe at the vision.
"And he placed his right hand upon me, saying, 'Do not be afraid.'" The holy John could not have survived the terror if he had not leaned upon the saving right hand of the Son of God, which alone worked the greatest wonders by touch; and he says to me,
"I am the first and the last." Thus he spoke: "I am the one who, at the end of the ages, came to dwell with you in the flesh for the salvation of all of you, I am the first and the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15). How then could it be possible for you to suffer any harm from my presence?" For if, being alive and the source of life, I became dead for your sake and again came to life after having trampled down death, how is it possible for you, who are alive through me and through my vision, to become dead?
If "I" too "hold the keys to death and Hades," so that I may kill or bring to life whomever I wish, leading them down to Hades and raising them up according to what is written about me, and as the prophet says, the pathways of death belong to me (Prov. 12:28), I would not send my worshippers and disciples prematurely to death. Since he will not die, he says:
"Write, then, what you have seen and what is, and what will happen afterward." In speaking of what is, he reveals both what has passed and what is present; and in speaking of what is about to happen, he reveals the future. For among the things seen in the holy vision, some were already accomplished, although they had reached their limit, they had not ceased to exist; therefore, concerning these things, he spoke of "what is," meaning what was present. As for "what will happen," the word would show it as it unfolded.
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Summary
Revelation 1:17 records John's overwhelming response to the glorious vision of the resurrected Christ, causing him to collapse as if dead. In this moment of profound human frailty and awe, the Lord Jesus extends a comforting hand, reassures John with the command "Fear not," and profoundly declares His eternal, sovereign identity as "the first and the last," establishing His ultimate authority over all creation and history.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a pivotal moment following John's initial encounter with the resurrected and glorified Son of Man in Revelation 1:12-16. John has just described Christ's awe-inspiring appearance, replete with symbolic imagery: eyes like a flame of fire, feet like burnished bronze, a sharp two-edged sword proceeding from His mouth, and a face shining like the sun. John, who once leaned on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper, is now confronted with a divine majesty that utterly transcends any earthly familiarity. His immediate and visceral reaction of falling "as dead" is a natural human response to such an overwhelming manifestation of divine holiness and power, setting the stage for the revelatory message that Christ is about to impart.
Historical & Cultural Context
John, exiled to the island of Patmos for his testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9), receives this vision during a period of intense persecution for early Christians under the Roman Empire, likely during the reign of Emperor Domitian (c. AD 95). In the Greco-Roman world, emperor worship was increasingly enforced, and refusal to participate often led to severe consequences. Against this backdrop of imperial power and human vulnerability, Christ's appearance and declaration of ultimate sovereignty would have been profoundly significant and counter-cultural. The gesture of laying on the right hand was a common practice in the ancient Near East, signifying blessing, healing, commissioning, or the imparting of authority and comfort.
Key Themes
Revelation 1:17 contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Revelation and the broader biblical narrative. It powerfully underscores the Divine Majesty and Sovereignty of Christ, demonstrating that the glorified Jesus is not merely a historical figure but the eternal, all-powerful Lord. John's reaction highlights the Human Frailty in the Presence of God, a recurring motif throughout Scripture where prophets and individuals collapse before divine glory (e.g., Daniel 8:17 and Ezekiel 1:28). Crucially, the verse introduces the theme of Divine Comfort and Reassurance, as Christ immediately extends grace and dispels fear, a pattern seen throughout biblical encounters where God initiates communication after revealing His power (e.g., Isaiah 41:10 and Luke 1:30). Finally, Christ's declaration "I am the first and the last" establishes His Eternal Pre-eminence and Deity, a title echoing Yahweh's self-declaration in the Old Testament, thus affirming Jesus' co-equality with God the Father and His ultimate control over all history and destiny.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb means to frighten, to be alarmed, or by analogy, to be in awe of or revere. In this context, John's "fear" is not merely terror but a profound, overwhelming awe in the presence of divine majesty, leading to physical collapse. Christ's command "Fear not" is a divine imperative to calm this natural human response, enabling John to receive the revelation.
This phrase, combining the emphatic first-person pronoun (G1473) and the verb "to be" (G1510), is a direct echo of the divine self-designation "I AM" from the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 3:14). When Jesus uses this phrase, especially in conjunction with "the first and the last," He is unequivocally asserting His eternal, self-existent deity and co-equality with God the Father.
This adjective denotes foremost in time, place, order, or importance. In the context of "the first and the last," it signifies Christ's absolute priority and pre-existence before all creation, as well as His supreme importance and authority.
This superlative adjective means farthest, final, or uttermost, referring to both place and time. Coupled with "first," it emphasizes Christ's ultimate finality, His role as the consummation of all things, and His enduring reign beyond all temporal boundaries. Together, "the first and the last" convey His absolute, eternal sovereignty over all existence.
Verse Breakdown
"And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead."
John's physical collapse is a visceral and authentic human response to the overwhelming glory and power of the glorified Christ. It signifies profound reverence, humility, and the stark realization of human frailty in the face of divine holiness. The phrase "as dead" emphasizes the complete incapacitation and awe that seized him.
"And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me,"
This action is a tender yet authoritative gesture. The "right hand" (G1188, dexiós) often symbolizes power, blessing, and authority. Christ's touch is an act of divine comfort, healing, and commissioning, immediately preceding His words of reassurance and revelation.
"Fear not;"
This is a direct command from Christ, a recurring divine utterance throughout Scripture when God or His messengers appear to humans in a terrifying manner. It serves to calm John's overwhelming fear, preparing him to receive the profound truths that follow and to fulfill the prophetic task assigned to him.
"I am the first and the last:"
This is a profound declaration of Christ's eternal, self-existent, and sovereign nature. It is a divine title, explicitly used by Yahweh in the Old Testament, asserting Christ's absolute pre-eminence, His existence before all creation, and His ultimate authority over all things, including the beginning and end of history.
Literary Devices
Revelation 1:17 employs several potent Literary Devices. John's description of falling "as dead" is a form of Hyperbole, vividly conveying the overwhelming impact of Christ's glory on a mortal human, emphasizing the chasm between divine majesty and human frailty. The act of Christ laying His Right Hand upon John is rich in Symbolism, representing comfort, blessing, healing, and the imparting of authority or commissioning, a gesture understood in ancient Near Eastern cultures. Most significantly, Christ's declaration, "I am the first and the last," is a powerful Allusion to Old Testament divine self-declarations (e.g., Isaiah 44:6). This Theological Claim asserts Christ's eternal, self-existent nature and His absolute sovereignty over all creation and history, functioning as a foundational statement of His deity that underpinning the entire prophetic message of Revelation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Revelation 1:17 profoundly establishes the absolute deity and sovereignty of Jesus Christ, echoing Old Testament declarations of God's eternal nature. John's prostration before the glorified Christ underscores the vast chasm between human finitude and divine majesty, a common biblical theme when mortals encounter the unveiled presence of God. Yet, the immediate gesture of comfort and the command "Fear not" reveal Christ's compassionate pastoral heart, assuring His servant that His overwhelming power is not meant to terrify but to empower and reassure for the task ahead. The declaration "I am the first and the last" is a direct claim to the divine attribute of eternality and ultimate authority, positioning Christ as the Alpha and Omega of all existence, the one who initiates and consummates all things, thereby providing an unshakable foundation for the unfolding prophecies of Revelation.
Reflection and Application
Revelation 1:17 offers a profound invitation to both reverence and reassurance. John's immediate and overwhelming response to Christ's glory reminds us of the infinite holiness and majesty of our Lord. It calls us to cultivate a deep sense of awe and humility in our worship and daily walk, recognizing that we serve a God whose power and glory far exceed our comprehension. Yet, the tender act of Christ laying His right hand upon John and His immediate command, "Fear not," speaks volumes about His compassionate heart. In moments of overwhelming circumstances, fear, or uncertainty, we are reminded that the same all-powerful Lord who reigns supreme also draws near with comfort and reassurance. His declaration, "I am the first and the last," anchors our hope and trust; He is sovereign over all history, from its origin to its ultimate culmination. Therefore, we can face life's challenges, even apocalyptic ones, with courage, knowing that our eternal, unchanging Lord holds all things in His capable hands.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did John fall "as dead" when he saw Jesus?
John's reaction of falling "as dead" is a common biblical response to encountering the unveiled, overwhelming glory and holiness of God. It signifies profound awe, reverence, and the stark realization of human frailty and sinfulness in the presence of divine majesty. This is not merely fear of punishment, but a deep, incapacitating sense of unworthiness and the immense power of the divine, as seen in other biblical encounters like Daniel 8:17 and Ezekiel 1:28. It underscores that even a beloved disciple like John could not casually stand before the glorified Christ.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Revelation 1:17 powerfully unveils the glorified Christ, revealing Him not merely as the historical Jesus, but as the eternal, sovereign Lord who fulfills all Old Testament prophecies and divine attributes. His declaration, "I am the first and the last," directly echoes the self-identification of Yahweh in Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12, unequivocally asserting His co-equality and shared deity with God the Father. This title signifies His pre-existence before all creation (John 1:1-3), His ultimate authority over all history and destiny, and His role as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all things (Revelation 22:13). The comforting touch of His right hand and the command "Fear not" foreshadow His ultimate victory over sin and death, assuring believers that the one who holds all authority (Matthew 28:18) is also their compassionate Savior, who has overcome the world (John 16:33) and promises His abiding presence (Matthew 28:20) even amidst the most terrifying visions of the end times.