The Revelation of the Pre-Eminence of Jesus Christ- Part 3
Revelation- A Message to the Churches • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 35:24
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12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
3 levels of meaning-
3 levels of meaning-
1st- The vision that John saw
2nd- connection of the one that he saw to the Son of Man in Daniel and the idea of one coming to establish a kingdom and bring justice and judgement.
3rd level- the meaning of the things he saw in the vision- robe, hair, eyes, feet- “Could be this” uncertain.
Upon hearing this voice of great authority, John turns to look for the source of the voice. And as John looked He saw in the midst of seven golden lampstands (the seven churches), one like the son of man. This is the description of what he saw.
5. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace
5. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace
His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace/like metal that has just come out of a forge glowing with heat. “His feet were like gleaming bronze as when it is aglow in a furnace” Probably signifying His movement among the churches to enforce standards of moral purity. Feet carry the idea of movement in the NT
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Gleaming metal alight with the fire of a furnace carries with in the idea of shinning purity.
27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
In these OT instances the brightness pictures the appearance of the glory of God
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
The total impact of this feature of the description, then, is to bring attention to Christ’s movement among the churches to inculcate purity.
6. His voice was like the roar of many waters
6. His voice was like the roar of many waters
Probably signifying His identification with the Father in the power of His utterance. In the OT this description suggests a powerful force unlike no other!
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!
13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
But this seems to be a direct parallel of Ezek 43.2
2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
In the Hebrew of Dan. 10:6, which the writer has followed through much of this description, the messenger’s voice is compared to the sound of a multitude, suggesting the idea of confused roar. He moves to Ezekiel at this point, however, so he can identify the speaker with God and the power of His utterance as He returns to dwell with His people
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
This is the same voice that at the beginning of the vision was described as “loud” and “as a trumpet” (1:10). It is not difficult to explain why John should mention the voice at two separate points of his description. As he writes, he is trying to recall details of an experience that is now wholly in the past. The trumpet similitude is appropriate for the voice’s introductory function, and the sound of many waters appropriately suggests the divine authority behind the commission to write the whole book (1:19), especially the seven messages (Revelation 2–3), which John is about to receive for transmission purposes
7. In his right hand he held seven stars
7. In his right hand he held seven stars
Probably signifying His authority over the seven messengers and the churches they represent.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
Two suggested meanings for this symbolic representation have arisen: (1) The main idea is that of Christ’s absolute authority and complete control over the seven stars (Charles). (2) As in John 10:28, holding in Christ’s right hand implies the notion of safekeeping (Beckwith). The latter notion of safekeeping finds support in its being an acknowledged Johannine sense of the figure (Beckwith) and in the customary association of the right hand’s being the position of favor and protection (Morris). This certainly fits this setting where John and these churches were objects of persecution. But this same title is used in later on in 2-3
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
The nature of the problems in the two churches does not call so much for the idea of protection as for authority and control.
8. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword
8. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword
Probably signifying His power to overcome His enemies and pronounce judgement. Uses again in 2:12, 16, 19:15.
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Word of God likened to a sword-
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
OR else predict that the returning Christ will destroy the man of lawlessness “with the breath of His mouth
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
The rhomphaia (found elsewhere in the NT only in Luke 2:35) was a large-bladed sword of Thracian origin. For the sword to be regarded, like the spoken word, as coming from the mouth is quite understandable, because the short Roman sword was shaped like a human tongue. For a sword to be “double-edged” meant greater sharpness. Ancient Greek poets also used distomos, meaning “double-mouthed” or “double-edged,” to describe swords (Swete). The resultant focus of this part of the description is upon the judicial authority of Christ. It combines the force of a warrior defeating his enemies in battle and the pronouncement of his sentence of judgment upon them.
9. His face was like the sun shining in full strength
9. His face was like the sun shining in full strength
Probably signifying that His glory was like unto that of the glory of the Father.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
This feature forms the climax of his initial vision with its allusion to the overwhelming nature of the glory of the ascended Christ.
“This first vision of John, then, included an indication of Jesus’ Messianic office with its associated functions: judgment of the unrighteous and comfort of the suffering righteous, His high rank that fits Him as an agent of imposing divine wrath, His activity in imposing that wrath, His preexistence along with God the Father, His penetrating intelligence that enables Him to perform righteous judgment, His movement among the churches to enforce standards of moral purity, His identification with the Father in the power of His utterance, His authority over the seven messengers and the churches they represent, His power to overcome His enemies and pronounce judgment upon them, and His return to earth to implement judgment upon mankind.” (Thomas, Revelation 1-7, 105)
How does it make you feel to know that Jesus Christ- the Son of Man- the one who radiates power and glory- that this one is coming with the clouds? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus Christ- the Son of Man- the one who radiates power and glory- that this one stands in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks? or that He holds the seven stars in his hands?
9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”