John Falling as Dead Revelation 1:17

John the apostle continued to share the “Revelation” which was given to him by Jesus Christ through an angel, and he told how he, “was in the Spirit on the Lord's day”, and he saw “in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;

and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.”. In chapter one and verse seventeen of Revelation, John shared, “when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead” where we read:

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,

saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

The verse begins, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, ...” John began with the words, “and when” which means “at the time and moment” “I saw him” or “John perceived with his eyes, noticed, discerned and discovered the Son of Man or Jesus”, “I fell” which means “John descended from an erect to a prostrate position” “at his feet” or “toward and near Jesus' feet” “as dead” which means “like one who has breathed his last, lifeless, deceased, departed, without and destitute of life and inanimate”. “And he laid” or “And the Son of Man put or placed” “his right hand” which refers to “the Son of Man's right hand of honor and authority” “upon me” which means “on John the apostle”. When John took in this ominous view of Jesus, he “fell at His feet” or “passed out and fainted” as though he were “dead”, and Jesus placed his “authoritative right hand” upon him.

The verse continues, “... saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:” John added the words, “saying unto me” or “speaking, uttering, declaring and proclaiming to John”, “Fear not” which means “do not be afraid, put to flight, seized with alarm or startled”; “I am the first” or “Jesus is the chief and principal in importance, honor and influence” “and the last” which means “and the extreme, uttermost part, the end of, farthest and final of place or time”. After Jesus laid his “right hand of honor and authority” upon John, he instructed John not to “be afraid or terrorized” because He is the “beginning and the ending” of all things.

When we consider John's words in this verse, we see the effect of John's vision of Jesus. John basically “passed out” from the overwhelming sight of Jesus and His magnificence, and Jesus was immediately there to comfort and assure Him. No doubt “fear” would have been the natural response for anyone seeing Jesus in this state, however the assurance that Jesus comes to touch, encourage and declare who He is should bring anyone to know He desires a relationship with them. God sent Jesus to live as a man, die for the sins of mankind and to be raised from the dead so they might live with Him eternally. Jesus left this “awesome” “faint producing” state to identify with man, and now everyone who believes and trusts in Him shall be saved. Let all who read these words consider the greatness of Jesus Christ and bow before Him in humility as they receive Him as “Savior and Lord”.

Next time John shares how Jesus said, “I am he that lives, and was dead”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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