In the Revelation there are four hear and see pairs, where John hears one thing and sees something different, but in each case it is the same entity but from a different perspective.
Chapter 5 John is told to look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When he obeys he sees a lamb that appears to have been slaughtered.
Chapter 7 John heard the number of those sealed, 144,000, but he sees, not a precisely ordered and numbered military body, but a great crowd that no man was able to number.
Chapter 17 An angel offers to show him a prostitute sitting on many waters, but what he sees is a prostitute sitting on a scarlet-coloured wild beast.
Chapter 21 An angel offers to show him the bride of Christ. What he sees is not a woman but the holy city Jerusalem, descending from heaven.
In each case, the two entities are the same, but seen from a different viewpoint.
Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the victorious king who has conquered sin and death. But through his own death he paid the ransom, atoned for our sins, and guaranteed salvation for everyone exercising faith in him. Therefore he is also the Lamb that appeared to have been slaughtered. Victory is not through domination but through sacrificial love.
If victory is achieved not by a military force, then John might have been surprised by the next hear/see pair. In hearing of a precise number ordered by tribe, he may have had in mind the various censuses from the nation of Israel, one of the purposes of such was to determine the nation’s military strength. Was he expecting to see an impressive well-equipped army comprising solely of Israelite soldiers? What he saw was an innumerable, multi-ethnic great crowd dressed, not for war, but in white robes; they have palm branches, not weapons, in their hands and ascribe their salvation, not to their own prowess, but to God and the Lamb. It is important to note that John sees, not two, but just one group of people. This assures us that although God knows those who truly belong to him (2 Tim 2:19), he is not restrained in any way by predetermined criteria. Victory is not by violence but by martyrdom – bearing witness to Jesus. We fight, but not with violence; we conquer, but not by military force (Zech 4:6); we win through faith and love – the fruitage of God’s spirit - and we follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
The prostitute represents one oppressive, seductive, corrupt empire. The waters show how she is supported by the nations, while at the same time she attempts to control and dominate the political powers of this world. One prostitute, two perspectives.
In hearing that God’s people are depicted as a beloved bride, shows John the close relational identity they have in Christ, but in seeing a city, carefully measured, he realises that they form a strong community, perfectly formed, and eternal. When Satan is let loose after the millennium those who have conquered once by their faith and love are not required to repeat the process through some final test. After the great tribulation the entire great crowd are granted the authority to enter New Jerusalem and eat of the tree of life (22:14). Their eternal security is assured.
Back