Jesus in the Book of Revelation
“The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.”
Revelation 1:1-3
The book of Revelation is a letter, a prophecy, and an apocalyptic work addressed to the first-century churches in Asia. It was written by the apostle John on the island of Patmos during his exile (likely due to Roman imperial persecution). Through a vision he received from Jesus, John addresses the events and situations of the time while also sharing revelations that speak to spiritual realities and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purposes. For the churches he wrote to, these words would have been incredibly impactful amid extreme hardship from persecution: a reminder of Jesus’ victory over all evil and a way to give their suffering significance.
Revelation is often approached by its readers as a tool for merely understanding the end times and determining when events will occur. While there is eschatological truth to be found, a deeper, more profound reality is at play: the truth of Jesus as our conquering King whose main aim is to dwell with mankind for eternity! While reading in these pages of the great spiritual battle between good and evil, we learn how it ends (the greatest spoiler alert of all time): Jesus wins and is coming to restore all things!
If Revelation is truly an unveiling of Jesus—showing us who He is in His fullness—then how we see Him matters deeply. And throughout this book, we are repeatedly called to look again, to see clearly, and to pay attention.
Behold: Pay Attention!
As we begin to look for Jesus within the pages of this book, we encounter a clear and consistent admonition: “Pay attention!” The Greek word ἰδού (edou), translated as “look, see, take note,” is used 26 times in this book and imitates the Hebrew word “hinneh” (Behold!). Each one of these “behold” moments points to the importance of these words. They hold great significance for us as believers, both in his time and today. Here are a few of these instances:
Revelation 1:7 - “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…”
Revelation 1:18 - “...behold I (Jesus) am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Revelation 2:10 - “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold…you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 3:8 - “Behold, I (Jesus) have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”
Revelation 3:20 - “Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 5:5 - “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered…”
Revelation 16:15 - “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake…”
Revelation 21:3 - “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Revelation 21:5 - “Behold, I (Jesus) am making all things new...”
Rev. 22:7 - “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming soon…”
Through these behold moments in the book of Revelation, believers are called to take note of what Jesus is speaking to us of His nature, His Kingship, and His ultimate and final victory over evil…so that we may dwell with Him for eternity. It is the great redemption story of the ages, and each of us has the opportunity to be part of it. Are we paying attention? And if so, how should we respond?
As we begin to pay attention to what is being revealed, we start to see more clearly who Jesus truly is.
Jesus is God
The book of Revelation is clear on Jesus’ identity as one with God. Several times throughout these pages, Jesus declares his deity: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev. 22:13). A similar statement is made in 1:8, 1:17, and 21:6. This truth - that Jesus is God - is foundational to our faith. When we see Jesus as fully God, our salvation in Him is validated, His nature towards us is more fully seen, and our foundation is more secure. The revelation of Jesus’ full divinity emphasizes the profundity of this gift: his coming to earth as a man to die for the sins of the world. Just as we read in Philippians 2, Jesus, who was fully God, laid aside his divinity and glory so that he could restore broken humanity to Himself for all eternity, setting things right.
Jesus:
“who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead, he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death —even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth —and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11).
Yes and amen. If Jesus is God, then my limitations are not His limitations. What overwhelms me does not in the least cause Him to worry. He holds all things in His hands, and because of that, I am free to lay down my need for control and live with a settled, unshaken confidence in who He is.
But the words in Revelation not only tell us that Jesus is God—they also show us what His power looks like. And what we see challenges everything we might assume about strength, authority, and victory.
Jesus as both the Lamb and the Conquering King
In this book, we see Jesus’ identity in two paradoxical roles: the suffering Lamb and the conquering King.
Rev. 5:6 speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God:
“Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders…”
In this way, John shows us a paradoxical figure. This Lamb is victorious (14:10; 17:14), but the victory is not won through the demonstration of strength, but rather through weakness. The Lamb's victory is won through defeat (12:11). In Revelation, Jesus does not conquer by taking life, but by laying it down.
In Revelation 1:12-18, we are given a contrasting image of the same Jesus as the Conquering King:
“Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp, double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look (Behold!)—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
This portrayal of Jesus, as seen by John in his vision, leaves me in awe and wonder. Eyes like a fiery flame, feet like fine bronze, voice like the sound of cascading waters, His face shining like the sun at full strength… Perhaps my view of our Lord needs to be greatly expanded? What a mighty King we serve! And is there anything too difficult for the one who holds the keys of death and Hades?
Lord, give us eyes to see you more clearly in all your majesty! To see Jesus rightly is to respond to Him rightly.
Worship and Alignment
“Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.” Rev. 4:8b
As we read the words of Revelation and catch a glimpse of the majesty and glory of our King, who has reigned over all since before time began, our rightful response is pure worship. Just as the twenty-four elders fell down in worship, casting their crowns, we, too, can declare with our hearts and our lips, “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:11).
When we put God in His rightful place on the throne of our hearts and our lives, we more fully align with our intended core purpose and, as a result, open ourselves to experience depths of peace and joy not available from any earthly source. We were created to dwell with the God of the universe, revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
But worship is not the end of our response—it is the beginning of a life formed by what we have seen.
As we behold Jesus as He is revealed in the book of Revelation—the Lamb who was slain and the King who reigns—we are not only invited to adore Him, but to follow Him. The same Jesus who conquered through surrender now invites us to live with that same kind of faithful allegiance. In a world that prizes power, control, and self-preservation, we are invited into a different way: to trust when we do not understand, to remain faithful when it is costly, and to live with confident hope in the One who holds all things in His hands.
And so we return to the question that emanates throughout the book: are we paying attention?
When we see Jesus clearly—high and lifted up, victorious and reigning—we are freed to lay down our fear, release our grip on control, and walk in steady, faithful obedience in the contexts where we live, work, and worship, knowing that the story is already written.
The Lamb has conquered.
The King is on the throne.
And He is making all things new, coming back one day so that we may dwell with Him forever.
Amen.
Questions for Reflection:
What am I currently “beholding” most in my life, and how is it shaping my thoughts, emotions, and responses?
Where am I trying to hold control instead of trusting Jesus as the One who holds all things?
What might it look like for me to follow the way of Jesus as the Lamb in a current situation—choosing surrender, faithfulness, or obedience even when it feels costly?
Where might my life be out of alignment with what I say I believe about Jesus—and what would it look like to bring that area back under His rule?
