Did you ever bump into someone who looks familiar, but you just cannot place him? You say hello, how are you, while you are frantically searching your brain trying to remember. You are in a panic. That is until he does or says that one little thing that gives away who he is. Everything clicks in your head, your face lights up, and you confidently call the person by his name.
The same thrill of discovery happens to me every time I encounter Jesus in the book of Revelation.
Revelation can be a strange reading experience. Beasts, dragons, colored horses. Scenes in heaven with winged creatures. We aren’t used to reading apocalyptic literature. I’m not always sure what these strange parts mean.
That’s why I am always relieved to see Jesus in Revelation. I know who Jesus is! John, the author of Revelation, doesn’t always call Him “Jesus” when he describes Him, but when I recognize Jesus in the book of Revelation, I feel the delight of recognizing a familiar face!
The Same Jesus
For example, in Revelation 1:9-19, John explains how he found out he would be sharing this message about the future. He was on the Island of Patmos and all of the sudden he heard a voice behind him. He turned around to see where the voice was coming from and he sees…
someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
John is overwhelmed and falls by the man’s feet. The man reaches down, places his right hand on John and says (v.17-18):
Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
It’s Jesus! The lighted figure is Jesus! The one who rose from the dead.
I wonder if Jesus looked familiar to John when he appeared as light.
John is the one who records Jesus saying:
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
It’s passages like this that remind me that Jesus in Revelation is the same Jesus we know and love from the gospels. Jesus in Revelation is the same Jesus who works in my life today. He is the same Jesus I will live with in eternity.
Look for Jesus in Revelation
The next time you read Revelation, look for Jesus. The familiarity of His presence will delight you and comfort you as you read the difficult book.
Here is a tool to help you look for Jesus in Revelation.
Print out this pdf Revelation bookmark, put it in your Bible, and record all the different titles or descriptions of Jesus that are given in Revelation. You could also find other places in Scripture that mention a similar description of Jesus. Record those on the Revelation bookmark as well. To make the bookmark stronger, you could fold the bookmark over a piece of cardstock or other heavy paper. Or, if the bookmark doesn’t have enough room, just make your notes in a simple notebook.
Please let me know if you use the bookmark! I would love to see a picture of your bookmark as you go along! You could tag me on
Instagram @schmoyer_rachel so I’m sure to see it.
What descriptions of Jesus do you already know from Revelation? Comment below!
That’s a great idea for reading through Revelation. In my education classes, we were often told that it’s great to have a purpose while reading and this is a good one!
Thanks, Rachel. My daughter and I were just discussing this. I quoted something Jesus had said in Revelation and said, “yep that’s the same Jesus from the Gospels.” I love this idea of looking for him. Great post!
Love it!
[…] Jesus. The familiar sight of Jesus in Revelation gives us comfort in the midst of the less familiar scenes of apocalyptic descriptions of judgment. Jesus in Revelation 1 appears as a light-filled figure. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 17, 21). Jesus is the returning conqueror, Faithful and True (Revelation 19) who then reigns in the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20). As you read Revelation, keep a running list of all of the descriptions of Jesus. […]