The apostle John probably thought he knew the Son of God. After all, he walked and talked, wined and dined with Him and was even closer to Him than the other disciples – he even refers to himself tenderly in his account of the life of Christ as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:25, 21:7, 20). He was the same disciple who also not only dared to ask the Lord who would betray him (when the rest were scared stiff) but did so leaning on Him – So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” (John 13:25). John was also regularly counted among the inner circle of three The Lord invested in separately. He was present on the Mount of configuration and saw for himself Christ being transfigured in front of his own eyes as Moses and Elijah appeared to Him – Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them

This was how close John was with Jesus. Jesus was not unknown to John but very well so. And yet the revelation of Christ that John was confronted with on the island of Patmos in Revelation 1:12 – 16 was on a whole new level, unheard of and hitherto unseen by him. John was not just awestruck or gobsmacked but overwhelmed and bowled over – literally floored, by this new revelation of the Christ whom He thought he knew. Here is the only way he could respond, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” (Revelation 1:17a)

He did not just fall at Christ’s feet but, further qualifying his fall, says that he did so as dead. John responded to this vision of the Lord he received – like never before – falling at the feet of Christ and as if the life was sucked out of him. He could not remain standing – he fell at Christ’s feet not just out of respect but because his legs could not carry him, he did not have the strength to stand in the presence of the glorious Christ.

Something very similar happened to Daniel in Daniel 10:8 — 9
So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. Like John Daniel was faced with a vision of One who is described almost identically to John’s description of Christ. Like John Daniel too finds it impossible to hold himself together, to stand on his two feet and falls to the ground face down. He is overwhelmed by the greatness of glory he’s confronted with and the beauty of majesty he was beholding. He could not hold it together so falls down at His feet.

If John, the disciple who walked and talked with Jesus, wined and dined with Him and whom Jesus loved so dearly was hit and literally floored with a revelation of the Christ whom he thought he knew, how much more us?

How much more are we today in need of a continually fresh and real revelation of the Son of God to initiate true worship within us? There is more, much much more to Him than we have ever experienced or can ever do so. Only when confronted with a new vision and revelation of the greatness and glory, beauty and majesty of the risen Christ are we too able to fall at His feet in true worship.

May we have an undying hunger for more of Christ Himself in our lives!

Oh that The Lord would in His mercy visit us, His people, with a revelation of who He is, the greatness of His glory, the beauty of His majesty and the worthiness of His worship!