"Fear" and "Fear Not"

Revelation 1:9-20      George Badeaux

 

In Rev 1:9-20 John tells us of an experience he had "in the Spirit."  I would like to focus on verse 17 here.  When John encounters Jesus in a glorified state in Revelation (his eyes were like a flaming fire, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength), John falls to the ground as though dead.  A very similar thing happened to James, Peter and John at the transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17.  When the Father spoke from the bright cloud that had enveloped them, they "fell facedown to the ground, terrified."  In both cases Jesus reached down and touched them and said, "Fear not."  This teaches us something very important about the fear of the Lord.

 

Scripture clearly teaches us to fear the Lord.  I have heard many teach that the word fear here does not mean the kind of fear that first comes to our mind.  They speak of awe and respect, but either imply or plainly state that it is not being afraid.  I think they are missing something (e.g. "fell facedown to the ground terrified").  Some quote the scripture  "perfect love casts out fear" (1 Jn 4:28).  But remember the one who wrote those words, the apostle of love, in both of the cases above fell to the ground in fear.

 

Multiple places in scripture tell us that God's glory is so great that, on our own, we would not be able to survive if exposed to it closely.  We would die.   And God has the ability and sovereignty and righteousness and justice to cast us into the lake of fire, or to bring His wrath down upon us here and now.  Our fear of Him should include an abundant understanding of this aspect of His nature, knowing that on our own, "Woe to me! ... I am ruined!"  (Isaiah 6:5)  But that understanding alone would be incomplete.  In His love Jesus reaches down and touches us and says, "Fear not!"  If we stood in the presence of God without Jesus we would die.  But with Jesus we are invited to come near to the Father, so near that God would actually live inside us, expressing His love in bountiful ways.  Let us draw near to Him, enthralled by His love and grace and glory, with appropriate fear in its appropriate place.  He is worthy of our all.