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Friday, May 8, 2009

Rev 01:12-20: Jesus' Appearance

(12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; (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. (14) His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; (15) And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (16) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (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: (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. (19) Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; (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. (Revelation 1:12-20 KJV)

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Jesus Divine Appearance

John turns around to "see" the voice. He sees "seven golden candlesticks" (12), and in their middle he sees Jesus Christ, dressed like a king with a long garment and a golden girdle, who reveals Himself as "the first and the last" (17) and the one who was resurrected, and who is eternal (18). His white head and hair like white wool, as white as snow, speaks of His being blameless, without any fault; He is God's lamb. But white is also the color that represents brightness, light. While the color black absorbs light completely, the color white reflects it. But the white of His countenance does not reflect the sun; He is shining Himself like the sun. God is light, such a light as daylight, like the shining sun. He came to earth "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:79 KJV) Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the father now, but He left His Holy Spirit on earth, who is shining brightly through His people, the Christians, whom He told: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16 KJV) We glorify the Father by our good works, but we should not boast, because they show the light that Jesus brought into this world, and which the Holy Spirit sends out from us now that Jesus is with the Father: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5 KJV) We humans could not do anything good on our own without Him. When John sees Jesus, he "falls at his feet as dead" (17). John is completely overwhelmed with Jesus' Holiness and Divinity, recognising God, and so much in awe that he feels like dead. This appearance of Jesus seems to be very impressive on him, and he feels fear, but the Lord Jesus comforts him, touches him by laying his right hand on him, saying, "Fear nor". Then Jesus reveals who He is, and that He has "the keys of hell and of death" (18). So Jesus has the power to decide who has to stay in hell and who is not, as much as He can give life or take it away. He is the master of death, and we are promised that everybody who believes in Him will have eternal life (cf. John 3:15 ff.), which is why the Apostle Paul could say, "... Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55 KJV)

The Seven Stars and the Seven Candlesticks

In (20) Jesus clears up that the seven candlesticks represent the seven churches. Jesus is the center of them as He is the center of the churches today. He is their light, and whatever they are doing, they are simply a reflection of the light of God's face. They are golden, the candlesticks, golden like Jesus' girdle. This is a hint to us that Jesus and the churches belong together. They both have the attribute "golden", which is often used for something that is Royal, Divine, Holy. Jesus also holds the seven stars in His right hand (16), and in (20) he explains that they are the angels of the seven churches. Angels are often used as God's messengers, and it seems God is ready to send them out.

Jesus' Eyes are a Flame of Fire

His eyes are a "flame of fire". (14) In many commentaries that this means he looked at the churches penetrantly, which sounds plausible, because He has a check up on the seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation, a critical view, and also a rebuke of six of them. He wanted them to repent. But the picture of the flame of fire says more. A fire like that brings warmth, but can also destroy, and fire is also said to purify things. So while Jesus sees everything that the seven churches (which are examplary for all the churches) do or do not do critically, He also has a purifying or destructive power on whatever His eyes may see.

Jesus' Feet looked like Fine Brass

I wondered why Jesus' feet looked like "fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace" (15), but then I found out that brass, which is an alloy, looks white if it contains more than 51 per cent of zinc. So this would have made almost all of Jesus' whole body white, glowing and shining.

Jesus' Voice is like the "Sound of Many Waters"

Jesus' voice sounds like the "sound of many waters" (15). Water usually has the meaning of life, and life in abundance is what Jesus has come to earth for. He offers to everybody: "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17 KJV) In chapter 14 of Revelation the comparison turns up again: "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder" (Revelation 14:2 KJV). But it also refers to the majesty of His voice, which reminds me of Psalm 29:3-5: "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." (KJV) Sometimes the waters represent a multitude of people or tongues, as in Revelation 17:15: " And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." (KJV)

The Twoedged Sword

"Out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword" (16), which is the Word of God, which is "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. 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." (Hebrews 4:12-13 KJV)

The Scene compared to Matthew 17:1-7

The whole scene (13-18) is something that might have reminded John of the following event that happened during His dwelling on earth, on the mountain as referred to in Matthew: "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. (Matthew 17:1-7 KJV) This is also more evidence to believe that the Apostle John, James' brother, is identical with John in the Book of Revelation. I do not believe that the similarity of events was accidentally. John could really be sure that his vision came from Jesus Himself. It is especially in the Gospel of John that he speaks of Jesus as "light", as in John 1:4-5 (KJV): "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

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