Deeper Reflection
THE APOSTLE JOHN WAS ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS³³, probably exiled there by the Roman authorities because he was considered a threat to public order by his uncompromising commitment to proclaim the word of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ (v.9). According to verse 10, John received the revelation on a Sunday (“the Lord’s day”) while in a state of heightened spiritual sensitivity (“in the Spirit”). He was to record the revelation in writing to be sent to the seven churches (v.11). The voice which commanded John regarding these things belonged to the resurrected, ascended and sovereign Lord Jesus Christ (vv.17-18).Jesus was vividly described in verses 13 to 16. He looked like a human being and a divine being at the same time (“one like a son of man”, v.13; cf. Dan 7:13-14)³⁴. Seeing Jesus, John immediately fell at His feet as though dead and in great fear (v.17). If we were in John’s sandals, the blinding radiance of Jesus’ glory would overwhelm us too – perhaps like how we cannot bear to look directly at the blazing noonday sun with our naked eyes. A glimpse of Jesus in His incomparable majesty and power would instantly make us weak and our knees would involuntarily buckle, causing us to fall face down to the ground and remain there trembling uncontrollably in great fear and awe.Although we have not had John’s experience of seeing the Lord Jesus, we can nonetheless learn to approach and worship Him in reverent awe. There is simply no place for a casual approach, a flippant attitude, an irreverent posture and a distracted heart.

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³³ Patmos was a small island off the West coast of Asia Minor; it was one of the places to which Rome banished its criminals: https://biblehub.com/topical/p/patmos.htm ³⁴ The Son of Man receives from the Ancient of Days a glorious, universal and everlasting dominion, and an eternal Kingdom.