Revelation 1:12-18 – I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 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. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 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. 18 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.
“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 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.” John turns around to see who was speaking to him. We must remember that symbols are used in the revelation given to John. The best interpretation of the symbols, when available, are the Word of God itself. And more clear yet is the when, within the book of Revelation, the meaning of the symbol is clearly given. The seven golden lampstands are so explained in V20 “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” So the mystery of the symbolism of the seven golden lampstands is gone. They represent the seven churches that the Lord will be addressing (Revelation 2-3).
Who is among the churches but He through whom the churches exist and survive, Jesus (Colossians 1:16-20). Here he is called someone like “like a son of man.” This is the term that was most often used by Jesus of Himself (Matthew 8:20, Matthew 9:6, Matthew 12:8, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 17:22, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 25:31, Mark 9:9, Mark 15:39, Luke 4:41, Luke 21:27, John 5:27, John 12:23). Also we can see in Daniel 7:13 that the Messiah, that Jesus was referred to as “like a Son of Man.” He was wearing a robe that some interpret as priestly. He had a golden sash around his chest. Gold is representative of royalty and here we have He who is King of kings (Revelation 17:14). The Jewish priests wore sashes around their waist. Here the sash is around His chest. It has been suggested that it is around His chest because when Jesus was on earth He wept, as when He wept for Lazarus and a lost world. However when Jesus comes back He does not come back as the Lamb of God, but as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as Judge, Lord of lords and King of Kings, as Conqueror of all who oppose Him. He now longer is weeping and reaching out. He comes to rectify. The sash is binding His heart because He is control, He is on the throne and everything is going according to plan.
“The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.” Having hair “white like wool, as white as snow” takes us back to the Daniel 7:9. In this verse God is referred to as the “Ancient of Days” (Oh I love that name of God!) Here the hair of God is likewise described as “white as snow” and while like wool.” The reference back to this verse in Daniel is no accident. Daniel 7 is describing the same end times as Revelation the two are irrevocably linked. God the Father and Jesus are one. His white hair represents dignity, the wisdom of old age, holiness and purity. Here is the Jesus, who committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22) returning and people may see what the truth of what they had wanted to stone Him for, that He and God are the same, they are equal (John 10:33). Oh, I love it! Praise our Almighty Triune God!
His eyes are like blazing fire. They look right through us. No, better said, they burn right through us. There are no secrets between God and us. There will come a day when we shall all stand before God and all our works shall be judged if they were done for Jesus, or for any other reason. If what we have done in our lives is not for Jesus, then it is like wood, hay or straw. All our works will be to the fire. All works done not for Jesus, will burn in fire as He sees them. However, all works done because of the love of God within, will not burn, but will survive the fire. The only thing that will remain is what was done with Jesus as the foundation. For these, we shall be rewarded. Remember, this is a judgement that is not a judgement of salvation or cursing. We have an eternal salvation through Jesus that He will never take from us and that no-one and nothing can take from us. This is a judgement solely of our works. Family, imagine that day, standing before the Lord and Him calling you His own. The reality of the eternal punishment for those who rejected Jesus is very real and before our eyes. We are happy beyond belief that we belong to Jesus. Our gratitude to Him is without limit. Now it is my turn to have my works examined by the Lord. As His gaze ignites my works, how ashamed I will be if, as I stand before my Savior and Lord, almost nothing that I did was in His name, to bring Him glory. Oh what great shame! How horrible that feeling. Yet, more divine, and almost too much at the same time, is that He sees the meager pile of what remains and then looks at me and smiles at me with the most warm and loving face I have ever seen. Oh, I know I deserve eternal punishment from God. I also know that the only reason I am not receiving the eternal punishment is standing before me, accepting me as His, even with my feeble efforts on His behalf exposed. Those eyes that are blazing like fire are eyes that see all we have ever done, and we know it. Oh. My. Goodness. And at the same time praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Oh how He love us!
Family, knowing, whether we are always fully cognizant of it or not, we are in His presence. He is watching us. Let us all pray that our actions glorify God. He deserves that kind of love from us. In that day, when we stand before Him, we shall know the truth of His Word as He has revealed it to us. May we live faithful to God not that we may not be ashamed then. Even so, He loves us. For those who love the Lord, “Everything is going to be okay!” Everything is going to be beyond great. Praise God who assures that for us!
“His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”
“16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.”
“His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
“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.”
“18 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.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.