“No impressions, however, from eternity are so deep and salutary as those conveyed to the heart by profound meditations on the doctrines, the history, and the character of Christ. Such impressions are the means by which the all-loving Father renews the moral character of his children and makes them meet for his everlasting fellowship and service.”
|
VISION
ONE, 1:9–3:22 |
|
|
II. The Messages of the Glorified Christ to the
Seven Churches, 1:9–3:22 |
|
|
A. The
Son of Man, the Glorified Christ, 1:9–20 |
|
|
1. The
setting—PatmosDS1 a. John
was a brother & companion to the believers 1) In
trials 2) In
the kingdom 3) In
perseverance b. John
received the Word on the island of Patmos |
9 I
John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos,
for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. |
|
c. John
was in a spiritual trance on the Lord’s DayDS2 2. The Lord’s
loud, trumpeting voice: He gave instructions |
10 I
was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of
a trumpet, |
|
a. John
was to write what he saw in a book b. John was to send the book to the seven churches in Asia |
11 Saying,
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in
a book, and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,
and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. |
|
3. The
Lord’s presence in the midst of the seven golden lampstands or the churches,
v. 20 |
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. |
|
4. The Lord’s awesome & frightening appearance a. With a long robe b. With a gold breastplate wrapped around His
chest |
13 And
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.
|
|
c. With hair like white wool, as white as snow d. With eyes like a blazing fire |
14 His
head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow; and his eyes were as a flame
of fire.
|
|
e. With feet like glowing bronze f. With a voice like the sound of rushing
waters |
15 And
his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice
as the sound of many waters.
|
|
g. With seven stars in His right hand h. With a sword in His mouth i. With His face shining like the sun |
16 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 shineth in his strength.
|
|
5. The
Lord’s reassuring presence a. John’s
terrified reaction b. Jesus’
calm assurance c. Jesus’
identification 1) He
is God—the First & the Last |
17 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: |
|
2) He
is the resurrected, living Lord 3) He
is the Judge of the universe |
18 I
am he that liveth, and was dead; and
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of
death. |
|
6. The Lord’s clear instructions |
19 Write
the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things
which shall be hereafter; |
|
7. The
Lord’s interpretation of the vision a. The
seven stars: Are seven pastors b. The
seven lampstands: Are seven churches |
20 The
mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the
seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.[1] |
• His clothing. “Clothed with a garment down to the foot and
girt about the paps with a golden girdle” (Revelation
1:13). This is the clothing and garment of a judge. The book of
Revelation is a book of judgment. Judgment even is found in the message to the
churches.
• His comparisons. “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” (Revelation 1:14, 15). The
comparisons emphasize judgment. First,
His age. “His head and his hairs
were white like wool, as white as snow” (Revelation
1:14). The head symbolizes age. Christ, the Judge, is eternal. He is the
“Ancient of days” (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22). Second, His anger. “His
eyes were as a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14).
Christ is angry with evil. Third,
His anathema. “His feet like unto
fine brass” (Revelation 1:15). The feet
will crush evil. Fourth, His audio.
“Voice as the sound of many waters” (Revelation 1:15). Many waters are roaring waters
like a flood, not like the “still waters”
of Psalm 23:2. Everything speaks of judgment here.
• His concomitants. “He had in his right hand seven stars; and
out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation
1:16). Two concomitants are here. First,
the stars. We learn later that the seven stars speak of the “angels of the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20), which many believe are the
pastors of the churches. “Stars” lead
and guide, and so should pastors. Second,
the sword. The two-edged sword in the mouth speaks of the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
• His countenance. “His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:16). The glory of the Lord is spoken of here.[3]
4 (1:13–16) Jesus
Christ, Exaltation—Glory: there was the awesome and frightening appearance
of Christ. Note who it is standing in the midst of the golden candlesticks or
churches. It is the Son of Man, Christ Himself. This means a most wonderful
thing: the message of Revelation is from the Lord Himself. It is not the
message of a man, not a message that we have to question and wonder about and
search out to see if there is truth in it. Revelation is the message of Jesus
Christ, of the exalted Lord Himself. It is a message that can be trusted, a
message that is true from beginning to end. It is a message that we must heed,
for it is the message of the Lord Himself.
Now, note the vision. John’s vision of Christ was so awesome that it defied description. There was no human language to describe Him. All John could do was take some of the precious and awesome things of earth and say the glorified Lord is like that.
1. Jesus Christ was clothed with a robe down to His feet (v.13). This was the robe of prophets (Zec. 3:4), of priests (Ex. 28:4; 39:29; Le. 16:4), and of kings and princes (1 S. 24:5, 12). The robe symbolizes the prophetic, priestly, and kingly ministry of Christ.
⇒ As
a prophet, Jesus Christ proclaims the Word of God to us.
⇒ As
a priest, Jesus Christ gives us access to the presence of God and makes us
acceptable to God.
⇒ As
king, Jesus Christ rules and reigns over all the affairs of the universe, and
He protects and provides, and works all things out for good to those who love
and follow Him.
2. The
chest of Jesus Christ had a gold sash strapped across it (v.13). This particular sash was something
like the chest piece or breastplate of the high priest on which the names of
his people were engraved (see Ex. 28:4; 39:29).
The sash or chest piece covered the heart. This symbolized that Christ holds
His people and His church ever so close to His heart. They are all engraved
upon the chest piece of His heart and held ever so dear by Him. (See Ex. 28:15–30; 39:8–21)
“For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord” (Ro. 8:38–39).
3. The
head and hair of Jesus Christ were as white as white wool and snow (v.14). This is the picture of Christ as the
Ancient of Days, as being the eternal Lord of the universe. It is possible that
this is also a picture of His sinlessness and purity of mind. Spiritual
warfare is fought in the mind, and Christ never sinned; He never even had
one evil or negative thought that came short of God’s glory. He was the sinless
Son of God Himself.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast
down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the
hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and
his wheels as burning fire” (Da. 7:9).
“To wit [O’ to know], that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.… For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him” (2 Co. 5:19, 21).
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Ti. 3:16).
4.
Jesus Christ had eyes that were like a flame of fire (v.14).
This symbolizes a piercing, penetrating power. He sees everywhere, even in the
dark places and behind closed doors. His eyes search the innermost recesses of
the heart. He knows all; He is omniscient, and He is able to conquer all those
who reject Him and do evil. No one will be able to hide from Him nor can anyone
hide anything from Him.
“His body also was like the beryl, and
his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps
of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the
voice of his words like the voice of a multitude” (Da.
10:6).
“Neither is there any creature that is
not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of
him with whom we have to do” (He. 4:13).
“I the Lord
search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Je.
17:10).
“Can any hide himself in secret places
that I shall not see him? saith the Lord,
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord”
(Je. 23:24).
5.
Jesus Christ had feet like fine brass or bronze. This symbolizes strength and
perseverance. His feet are the feet that preached the gospel, the glad tidings
of peace. But they are also the feet that shall tread down His enemies. His
feet are also able to rush to the rescue of His people.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are
the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that
bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion,
Thy God reigneth!” (Is. 52:7).
“His body also was like the beryl, and
his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his
arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice
of his words like the voice of a multitude” (Da.
10:6).
“And how shall they preach, except they
be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Ro. 10:15).
“For we have not a high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
of need” (He. 4:15–16).
6. Jesus Christ had a voice that was like the sound of many waters rushing together (v.15). His voice symbolizes authority.
⇒ It
sends forth the glorious message of salvation, hope, joy, confidence, and
comfort.
“He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him,
rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy, therefore, is
fulfilled” (Jn. 3:29).
“And when he putteth forth his own
sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice”
(Jn. 10:4).
“Pilate, therefore, said unto him, Art
thou a king then? Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was
I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness
unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice” (Jn. 18:37).
“For the Lord, himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18).
⇒ It
thunders forth majestic rebuke, conviction, and judgment.
“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Ps. 29:4).
“Therefore, prophesy thou against them
all these words, and say unto them, The Lord
shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall
mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread
the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth” (Je.
25:30).
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall
come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28–29).
“And as he journeyed, he came near
Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he
fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me?” (Ac. 9:3–4).
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me” (Re. 3:20).
7.
Jesus Christ held seven stars in His right hand (v.16;
cp. v.20). The seven stars symbolize the
messengers, the ministers of the churches. His hand securely holds the
messengers with skill and strength and comfort.
“And they that be wise shall shine as
the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as
the stars forever and ever” (Da. 12:3).
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it to you” (Jn. 15:16).
“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy
way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,
and kings, and the children of Israel” (Ac. 9:15).
“But rise and stand upon thy feet: for
I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a
witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the
which I will appear unto thee” (Ac. 26:16).
“Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt. 28:19–20).
“Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (He. 13:5).
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who
hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry”
(1 Ti. 1:12).
“For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day” (2 Ti. 1:12).
“And the Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory forever and ever” (2 Ti. 4:18).
8.
Jesus Christ had a sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth (v.16). This symbolizes the Word of God and
its penetrating power (see 2 Th. 2:8).
“For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart” (He. 4:12).
“All scripture is given by inspiration
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness” (2 Ti. 3:16).
9.
Jesus Christ had a countenance that was like the sun shining in its full
strength. This symbolizes the dazzling brilliance of His presence in all of His
majesty and honor and glory as God.
“For the Son of man shall come in the
glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man
according to his works” (Mt. 16:27).
“And was transfigured before them: and
his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Mt. 17:2).
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me
with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was”
(Jn. 17:5).
“And Saul yet breathing out
threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the
high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if
he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them
bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly
there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth and
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he
said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Ac.
9:1–5).
“For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Co. 4:6).
“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Re. 5:12).[5]
And standing in the middle of the lampstands was the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire. 1:13–14 NLT[6] The long robe pictures Jesus as a leader. The gold sash across his chest reveals him as the high priest who goes into God’s presence to obtain forgiveness of sin for those who have believed in him. In the first century, wearing a sash, especially across the chest, indicated leadership and authority. Hebrews 2:17 identifies Jesus as the final high priest. His glowing white hair indicates his wisdom and divine nature (see also Daniel 7:9). His blazing eyes symbolize judgment of all evil (see Daniel 10:6) and deep insight, not only over the churches and the believers but over the entire course of history (see also 2:18; 19:12).
His feet were like bronze glowing in a
furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 1:15 NIV The feet like bronze picture an exalted person with great power (also from
Daniel). Bronze usually symbolized the might of Rome—bronze shields and
breastplates were used by the Roman army. In addition, the altar of burnt
offering was covered with bronze (Exodus 38:1–7).
Again, this is a picture of an all-powerful Victor. The description of glowing metal used to describe this Son
of Man is also found in Ezekiel 1:13, 27; 8:2;
and Daniel 10:6.
The voice like rushing waters (see also 19:6) evokes the image of a huge waterfall roaring over a high cliff. Thus, the voice is powerful and awesome. When this man speaks with authority, nothing else can be heard.
He
held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his
mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance. 1:16
NLT In his right hand, Christ holds seven
stars, explained in 1:20 as “the angels
of the seven churches,” referring to the seven churches, listed in 1:11, to whom this letter is addressed. That
Christ is holding the stars implies his protection of these churches as he
walks among them.
There are two swords in Revelation. Chapter
19 has the “great sword.” The sword here is the sharp two-edged sword. This type of sword, invented by the Romans,
represents invincible might. Only two to two and a half feet long, these swords
were quite possibly the greatest military invention of the ancient world.
Previously, swords were about three feet long and made of an inferior metal.
They could not be sharp on both edges because the metal wasn’t strong enough.
The double-edged sword was lighter and sharp on both edges. With the older
swords, fighting was done by drawing back and hacking, but when the Romans used
their double-edged swords, they could slice and cut both ways. These swords
gave such a great advantage in hand-to-hand combat that the Roman army was
called “the short swords.” It made them virtually invincible.
This sharp two-edged sword is coming from Jesus’ mouth,
symbolizing the power and force of his message. Jesus’ words of judgment are as
sharp as swords; he is completely invincible (2:16;
19:15, 21; Isaiah 49:2; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).
His face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance. This shining brilliance probably describes Christ’s entire being. The same sort of picture is described in the Transfiguration, an event that John himself had witnessed (10:1; Matthew 17:2).[7]
TO SEE JESUS
Revelation will probably challenge and change your mental picture of Jesus Christ. That is its purpose—to reveal Jesus Christ. What forms your impression of Jesus right now—famous paintings, movies, Sunday school art? To what degree do you picture Jesus with a gold sash and snow-white, woolly hair? Do his eyes flash fire and his feet glow like bronze? When you imagine Jesus speaking to you, does his voice sound like a trumpet or rushing waters? Reevaluate the way you think of Jesus as you read and study Revelation. Allow his awesome presence to transform your life.
Voices and
visions from eternity
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,” etc. Concerning
this vision, and, indeed, nearly all the visions recorded in this Apocalypse,
there are three facts to be predicated at the outset.
1. It is mental. What
is here reported as heard and seen by John was not seen by his bodily eye or
heard by his bodily ear. It was, I consider, a purely mental vision. It is one of the characteristic attributes
and distinctions of man that he can see and hear objects that come not within
the range of his senses. Though the eagle is reported to have a keen and
far-reaching eye and has borne its pinions into the region of sunny azure, it
has no glimpse of the spirit-domain; whereas a man who may be even sightless
and deaf has the power of seeing wonderful things and hearing wonderful things.
The sightless bard of England lived in a bright world; his genius bore him
aloft into regions where there was no cloud. These mental visions are of two
classes—voluntary and involuntary. The former are the
productions of creative genius, the latter are those dreams of the night when
deep sleep falls on man. Mental visions are not necessarily illusions. They are often more real than those of the physical; they come further into the depths
of our being and convey to us impressions of things of which material phenomena
are but the effects and expressions.
2. It is credible. Had
it been reported that John saw with the outward
eye, and heard with the outward ear,
the things here reported, the report could not have been believed. The objects
are so unique, so incongruous with all that is natural, so grotesque, and, we
may say, so monstrous and unesthetic, that we could not believe a man who said
he saw them with his outward eye or heard them with his outward ear. A Being
“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
shineth in his strength.” Who could believe a man who said he beheld these with
his bodily eye? But as a mental vision, it is credible enough.
What grotesque shapes appear to us in dreams! what strange monstrosities rise
to our mental eye! The deities that
arose out of the imagination of Nineveh, Greece, and India, and throughout the
whole domain of heathendom, were as unnatural and incoherent in their forms as
the aspects of the Son of man before
as. The reports of mental visions,
however extraordinary, are credible; men believe in them.
3. It is symbolic. It has a deep spiritual meaning, it adumbrates mighty lessons, and it is a picture of eternal realities. What are the great truths here symbolized? That a wonderful voice from eternity comes to man; a wonderful personage from eternity appears to man, and wonderful impressions from eternity are made upon man. Notice—
I. That a wonderful
voice from eternity comes to man. “I was in the Spirit on the
Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” We are told
also that the voice that came to John was “as the sound of many waters.” The spiritual condition of John when the
voice came is worthy of note. He was “in the Spirit.” This means, something
more than being in the spirit in a moral
sense—in the spirit of heavenly loyalty and devotion. In this condition, all
true men of God are led by the Spirit, and they walk by the Spirit. It is being
in an elevated state of mind, a kind of ecstasy
in which a man is lifted out of himself, in which, like Paul, he is taken up to
heaven, and sees and hears things unutterable. He was in such a condition as
this at a certain period here called “the Lord’s Day.” All men who are in the
Spirit in the moral sense—in the
sense of vital godliness—feel and regard all days as “the Lord’s Day.” But the
days of spiritual ecstasies and transports are ever special. Perhaps the first
day of the week is here referred to—as the day of our Saviour’s resurrection
from the dead. Probably the association of that wonderful day served to raise
his soul into this ecstatic state. Concerning the voice that came to him when
in this state, it was marked by two things.
1. The voice was
marked by clearness. “A great voice, as of a trumpet.” The
voice was clear, loud, strong, as a trumpet. It was a voice to which he could
not close his ears if he wished to; its clarion notes rang into him.
2. The voice was
marked by fulness. “As the sound of many waters.” “Daniel
described the voice of the Ancient of Days as the voice of a multitude (Dan. 10:6); but the voice of the multitude was in
earlier Hebrew writings compared to the sound of the waves of the sea, which
the voice of the Lord could alone subdue (Ps. 65:7;
93:4). This image the evangelist adopts to describe the voice of Christ,
strong and majestic amid the Babel-sounds of earth. That voice whose word
stilled the sea sounds as the waves of the sea which St. John heard him
rebuke.”
Is there any voice in nature equal to the voice of the old ocean—majestic, full, continuous, drowning all other sounds? The clamor and the din of a thousand armies on the shore are lost amidst the roar of the incoming waves. Such was the voice that came to John from eternity, and such a voice comes to all men in every condition and in every age, clear and full, bearing messages to the soul from the great Father of spirits. True, clear, full, and continuous though that voice be, it is only heard by those who, like John, are “in the Spirit”—whose spirits are alive and elevated with the real and the Divine.
II. That a wonderful
Personage from eternity appears to man. “Like
unto the Son of man.” Christ was indeed the Sort of man, not the son of a tribe
or of a class, but the Son of humanity, free from all national peculiarities,
tribal idiosyncrasies, or ecclesiastical predilections. Observe here two
things.
1. The scene of the
appearance. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks.” The seven
Churches, viz. those of “Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia, and Laodicea,” are here represented as “golden candlesticks;”
they are precious lights, they bear and diffuse the light of God. Why these
seven Churches are here selected and addressed rather than other Churches, of
which there were several, some more important than these, such as the Church at
Corinth, Thessalonica, etc., I know not. It might have been because they had in
their combination all those excellences and defects, needs and duties, which
together represent the universal Church, the Church of all times and lands. It
was in these Churches, these “candlesticks,” that the “Son of man” now appeared
to John. He who would see Christ must look for him in true Churches, the communions of holy men.
2. The characteristics
of the appearance. Mark the description. He was “clothed
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about, tile paps with a golden
girdle”—a long, ample robe of regal authority. “His head and his hairs were
white like wool, as white as snow.” Does the white hair indicate decay? It
frequently does so, with us. Snowy locks are at once the sign and consequence
of declining strength. Not so with him. He is “the same yesterday, and today,
and forever.” “Fire,” says Trench, “at its highest intensity is white; tile
tried in fire is of the earth, earthy; it implies something which the fire has
not yet thoroughly subdued, while the pure flame is absolutely white. This must
be kept in mind whenever we read of white as the color and livery of heaven.”
“His eyes were as a flame of fire”—eyes that penetrate into the deepest depth
of the soul, discern moral distinctions, and burn with holy indignation at the
wrong. “His feet like unto brass as if they burned in a furnace.” This
indicates strength at once enduring aid resistless. “He had in his right hand
seven stars.” These seven stars represent, it is supposed, the chief pastors of
the seven Churches. An ideal pastor is a moral star, catching and reflecting
the light of the Sun of Righteousness. “Out of his mouth went [proceeded] a
sharp two-edged sword.” This is the Word of the truth, elsewhere called the
“sword of tile Spirit,” quick and powerful, etc. The sword by which Christ
fights his moral battles and wins his moral conquests is not the sword of
steel, but the sword of truth. “His countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength.” “Of the angel by the vacant tomb it is said his countenance was like
lightning (Matt. 28:3); here the countenance
of the Lord is compared to the sun at its brightest and clearest, in the
splendor of the highest Moon, no veil, no mist, no cloud obscuring its brightness.”
Here, then, is the wonder of Personage which has appeared to us, the children
of men, from eternity. Though he is “the Son of man,” thoroughly human, he has
an attitude and aspect that are superhuman. His voice clear as a “trumpet” and
full as an ocean, his regal robes girt with a “golden girdle,” his “hair white
as snow,” radiating effulgent purity, his feet strong as “brass,” his hand
clasping “seven stars,” his mouth flashing out a “two-edged sword,” and his
countenance luminous as the “sun in his strength.”
What manner of man is this? The symbolical representation here indicates (1) Royalty. He is robed as a king— “clothed with a garment down to the foot.” Christ was a royal Man in the truest and highest sense—royal in thought, sympathy, aim, and character. (2) Purity. His brow was encircled with locks white as now. “His head and his hairs were white like wool.” The only morally spotless man the race has ever known. (3) Penetration. His eyes pierced into the deepest depths of human thought, they were “as a flame of fire.” (4) Firmness. There was no vacillation of purpose, but inflexible and invincible. “His feet like unto fine brass.” (5) Dominion. Having the brightest and purest intelligence in his possession and at his command. “He had in his right hand seven stars.” (6) Victory. His victories are bloodless. He conquers the mind; he slays not existence, but its curses and its wrongs. “Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.” (7) Brightness. No dark thoughts clouding his brow, indicating anger or sadness, but bright looks withal. “His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” This Man was the greatest gift of Heaven to the race. In him dwelleth not only all the fulness of what is purest and grandest in human nature but all “the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
III. That a wonderful impression from eternity is made upon man. “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as [one] dead.” It is a physiological fact that a sudden rush of strong emotions will stop the heart and arrest the current of life in its flow. What were John’s emotions? Was there amazement? Was he amazed at seeing One whom he loved above all others, and with whom he had parted, some few years before, on the Mount of Olives, when a cloud received him out of sight, now in form sublimely unique and overwhelmingly majestic? Was; it dread? Was he terror-struck at the marvelous apparition? Was it remorse? Did the effulgence of its purity quicken within him such a sense of guilt as filled him with self-loathing and horror? I know not. Perhaps all these emotions blended, in a tidal rush that physically paralyzed him for a while. When Isaiah, in the temple, saw the Lord on high and lifted up, he exclaimed, “Woe is me! for I am undone.” When Job heard the voice speaking out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed, “I abhor myself in dust and ashes.” When Christ appeared to Peter, he cried out, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” When the Roman ruffians, in the garden of Gethsemane, saw the moral majesty on his brow and heard his words, such emotions rushed up within them as stopped their hearts, and they “went backward and fell to the ground.” Eternity is constantly making solemn impressions upon man. In most cases, perhaps; the impressions are superficial and fugitive, but frequently in certain seasons and conditions of life they are terrible beyond description. There are but few men who have not felt at times something of the moral terrors of Eliphaz: “In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.” No impressions, however, from eternity are so deep and salutary as those conveyed to the heart by profound meditations on the doctrines, the history, and the character of Christ. Such impressions are the means by which the all-loving Father renews the moral character of his children and makes them meet for his everlasting fellowship and service. —D. T.[8]
Revelation 1:13-16 The Lord’s Awesome and Frightening Appearance
VISION ONE, 1:9–3:22
DS
Deeper Study
DS Deeper Study
[1] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[2] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical
Bible Expositor: Revelation.
Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[3] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical
Bible Expositor: Revelation.
Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[4] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation. Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible
Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
[7] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation. Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible
Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[8] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. 1909. Revelation. The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk &
Wagnalls Company.
No comments:
Post a Comment