Among the lampstands was someone like a Son of Man...
“I
turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I
turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was
someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his
feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head
was white like wool, as what as snow, and his eyes were blazing fire.
“He
wants to kiss you with fire, eternal flame... come a little closer,
look into His eyes of fire...” sings
“His
feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like
the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars,
and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His
face was shining in all its brilliance.
“He
wants you to burn for Him... be a carrier of the flame” sings
When
I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his
right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the
Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for
ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
'Write,
therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place
later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand
and of the seven golden lampstand is this: The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven
churches.” (Revelation 1:12-19)
This
vision that John saw while on the island of Patmos was in the context
of being told to write on a scroll what he saw to send it to the
seven churches. After this vision of Jesus, John was given both a
rebukes and encouragement to send to each of the churches.
There
are many vivid pictures in Revelation of Jesus, each one reflecting
certain aspects of Jesus with a specific purpose. For instance,
this picture of Jesus addressing the church looks different than the
one of Jesus seated on His throne with full authority ruling forever
in Revelation 4:1-11.
In
this picture in Revelation 4, He has an appearance of jasper and
ruby, with an rainbow shining like an emerald encircling his throne.
There are the 24 elders dressed in white with crowns and flashes of
lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne
there are seven lamps blazing that are the seven spirits of God and a
sea of glass that is clear as crystal [referred to as something like
a 'vault' in Ezekiel 1:22]. There were four living creatures around
the throne flying.
This
picture is more like that in Ezekiel 1 where the glory departed from
the temple. It says in Ezekiel 1:28 about a similar picture, “This
was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. The
elders fall down before him and toss their crowns before the throne
as they say, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory
and honor and power.”
It
also looks significantly different than the picture of Jesus, the
only One who can break the seals and open the scroll, in Revelation
5:6-12. In Revelation 5:6 it says about this vision of Him, “Then
I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center
of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits
of God sent out into all the earth.
All
the pictures are incredibly colorful and vivid as they depict certain
aspects of Christ. In the vision in Revelation 1, He is wearing a
long robe and golden sash. The long robe is something worn by a
High Priest as they serve in the temple of God. He is our high priest
who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord
according to Hebrews 8:1-2. The golden sash that surrounds Him
makes me think of the unity He brings as we look to Him.
His
eyes were blazing with a burning fire makes me think of His passion
and love. His feet like bronze glowing in the fire which speaks
standing firm in the midst of fire while His hair as white as snow
speaks to me of both His purity and aged wisdom. His words are
sharp, like a double-edged sword that both calls the churches
to repentance as well as heals and encourages.
His
face shining like the full brilliance of the sun. Moses' face shone
and radiated the glory as He went up to meet with God. Jesus is the
fullness of this radiance. Psalm 50:1-3 says, “The
Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from
the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of
beauty, God has shone forth. May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him.…”
He
stands in the midst of the churches and holds the angels that protect
and serve these churches in His right hand. He has full authority
over the church as well as serves the
church.
He
is in the midst of His church, has full authority over it and He
exercises His power to serve the churches. As He both calls the church to repentance in Revelation and encourages them, He is causing the church to be more
transformed in His image and likeness.
He also ignites the church with His fire. While He is standing in the midst of the golden lampstands it makes me think of how as priest He keeps the fire burning continually of the lampstands. Leviticus 24:2 says, “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.”
He also ignites the church with His fire. While He is standing in the midst of the golden lampstands it makes me think of how as priest He keeps the fire burning continually of the lampstands. Leviticus 24:2 says, “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.”
“He's
jealous for a fire on earth as it is in heaven” sings.
I was
watching Green Lantern recently my family. Most of you probably
have seen it but it depicts a good guy who wears and radiates green
and gets this power that radiates green from the will of man.
I
think of him in some ways Green Lantern as a shadow of Christ of
sorts that reflects certain aspects of Him in his new found goodness and desire to serve the people of the earth and protect them.
Paul
says in Romans 9:15-16, “For He
says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will
have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it does not
depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has
mercy.
Green Lantern is a shadow in a way of Christlikeness. Up until this moment encounter with the alien, this hero was different guy. He was fairly inconsiderate of others, took many risks, and gave up quickly. Then when put on the ring, suddenly his whole disposition changed. He became this hero who was making a vow to serve and protect the earth. Words he probably wouldn't have dreamed to say under his old nature. He was committed and passionate. The result of him saying yes to this ring and making a vow resulted in a complete transformation of him (by alien surgery in the movie) and then he was given training to live out his new life to serve and protect the earth while using this new power he was given to do so.
There is also a man who is a villain in the story. He turns yellow and looks a little like a snake while he radiates yellow when he uses his power. This yellow power is generated by fear. A shadow in some ways of the devil.He was always greedily looking for more - to get the girl, to get more power, to be popular.
Green
reminds me of the rainbow encircling God's throne that shines like
an emerald. A rainbow was first depicted after God flooded the earth
and made a covenant not to bring a flood destroying all that is
living again. God exercises His will towards us for mercy.
Green Lantern is a shadow in a way of Christlikeness. Up until this moment encounter with the alien, this hero was different guy. He was fairly inconsiderate of others, took many risks, and gave up quickly. Then when put on the ring, suddenly his whole disposition changed. He became this hero who was making a vow to serve and protect the earth. Words he probably wouldn't have dreamed to say under his old nature. He was committed and passionate. The result of him saying yes to this ring and making a vow resulted in a complete transformation of him (by alien surgery in the movie) and then he was given training to live out his new life to serve and protect the earth while using this new power he was given to do so.
There is also a man who is a villain in the story. He turns yellow and looks a little like a snake while he radiates yellow when he uses his power. This yellow power is generated by fear. A shadow in some ways of the devil.He was always greedily looking for more - to get the girl, to get more power, to be popular.
The fire stays burning on the lampstands because He is standing among them serving them and causing them to burn continually like the lamps of the Old Testament. Isaiah 43:2 says, "A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering fire He will not put out." He draws the church near and fans the flame to one that is brightly burning.
“Eternal
burning before the throne.... see the fire burning, ever burning
before the throne.. there is only One in the middle of the
candlesticks” sings.
Fire also represents the Spirit of God. In Revelation 4:5, there were
seven lamps that were blazing that represented the seven spirits of
God.
A.W. Tozer writes about the Holy Spirit as a flame. He notes that first of all, it is a moral flame of purity.[1] The Holy Spirit is pure and purifies us with fire. Psalm 106:18 says, ""And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked."
A.W. Tozer writes about the Holy Spirit as a flame. He notes that first of all, it is a moral flame of purity.[1] The Holy Spirit is pure and purifies us with fire. Psalm 106:18 says, ""And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked."
Tozer
goes on to note that He is a spiritual flame that raises our worship
to true spiritual levels.[2] The flame burning in the temple represented the worship of God.
The flame burning also represents revelation and Him being our guiding light. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of revelation which reveals/unveils Jesus and helps us to see various aspects of Him as well as being the lamp unto our path that guides us by His revelation in our daily walk.
The flame burning also represents revelation and Him being our guiding light. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of revelation which reveals/unveils Jesus and helps us to see various aspects of Him as well as being the lamp unto our path that guides us by His revelation in our daily walk.
The flame burning is also the Spirit's empowerment. In
Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came down during Pentecost as a burning flame
upon the people who had been waiting for Him. He filled them with
His Spirit and empowered them to be supernatural witnesses to the
people around them. As a result, about 3000 came to know Christ on
that day alone.
He tells John in Revelation 1:18 that He is the beginning and the ending, the Resurrected One that holds the keys of authority over both death and Hades/hell.
Lord, open our eyes to see more of your beauty and let the church burn brightly ablaze with Your fire and radiate your passionate love to all who come in contact with us.
In The Midst
Seven
golden candlesticks
the
Holy One in the midst
Wearing
a long priestly robe
with
a golden sash around His chest
His
hair as white as snow
and
His eyes with fire blaze
Keeping
the lamps burning
brightly
every day
His
voice sounding
like
a powerful water surge
Deep
calls onto deep
as
His voice is heard
His
feet like burnished bronze
standing
within the fire
Holding
in his right hand
the
messengers of fire
Coming
out of His mouth
a
sharp, double-edged sword
Speaking
forth the truth
Life comes forth
from His words
His face radiates
glory
Like the
brilliance of the sun
He is the First
and the Last
The Resurrected,
Living One.
The keys of death and Hades
Are held in His hand
He is the One who has conquered
And given us the land.
The keys of death and Hades
Are held in His hand
He is the One who has conquered
And given us the land.
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