Revelation: Vision 1. Christ the Head.

Marilyn C

Marilyn C

The Unveiling of Jesus Christ.

`The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him...` (Rev. 1:1) Revelation – from the Greek Word `apocalypse,` meaning `to unveil.`

There has never been any monuments erected in honor of great personalities throughout the centuries that is comparable to the magnificence of this unveiling of Jesus Christ & the magnitude of His triumph.


What inexpressible pleasure God the Father enjoyed when unveiling His Son`s true character & credentials, for the purpose of showing to His bond servants the regal nature of His Well Beloved. This unveiling of Christ`s Deity was given to John, the Apostle. He was to write it down for the Body of Christ down through the centuries.

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The Apostle John was a prisoner on the island of Patmos for his belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As he was waiting on the Lord, He hears a loud voice behind him, as of a trumpet, telling him to write what he sees & hears in a book.
 
Christ the Head of the Body.

John then turns & sees a vision of the one who spoke to him. It is the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. His appearance is like the sun shining in full strength. How awesome that would be to behold!

`Then I turned to see the voice that spoke to me....One like the Son of Man,` `His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.`
(Rev. 1: 12& 16)

The glory of Christ shone forth like the colors of light, revealing His character & abilities in a resplendent aura. John was overcome & fell at Christ`s feet as dead. But the Lord laid His hand on John & reassured him that He was `alive forevermore,` & now overseeing the Body of Christ.

The Lord then explains that the `golden lamp stands` John sees, are the `called out ones,` the Body of Christ. He is shown in their midst, the preeminent position, as their Head. It is God the Father who called Christ to this position.

The wonderful description of the Lord Jesus Christ, is divided into three groups of 3,

Christ`s Character, His Counsel & His Authority.

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Christ`s Character.

`…one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.` (Rev. 1: 13)

As this first vision of the Lord Jesus Christ unfolds we see Him as the Royal High Priest. He is like the Son of Man, indicative of the lowliest humility of our Saviour, yet He has obtained the highest honors in heaven and earth.

The long garment is as the priests wore, symbolic of holiness, yet Christ`s very character is holy and without spot. And the golden girdle was worn by the High Priest to indicate his high office and authority, but Christ, the eternal High Priest, ever lives to intercede, giving eternal blessings.

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Christ`s Counsel.

` His head & His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, & His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace,`
(Rev. 1: 14 & 15)


The whiteness of His head and hair symbolize the maturity of His understanding and the perfection of His intellectual knowledge. The eyes are another essential factor for discernment, if judgment is to be absolutely righteous. Christ`s vision penetrates every realm and sphere, and scans the innermost thoughts of every mind & heart.

The symbolic picture of the `feet,` refer to the uprightness of all Christ`s dealings. He is perfectly just, never misjudges, miscalculates or misunderstands any case in question. He rewards every worthy achievement and recognizes the sacrificial suffering of His people.
 
Christ`s Authority

`His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,`
(Rev. 1: 15 & 16)

In this amazing vision of the Lord Jesus we are shown His great authority in relation to the Body of Christ. We are told of His majestic voice, the powerful sceptre in His right hand and the awesome judgments that come forth.

The Lord speaks to many peoples on various subjects, `the sound of many waters.` (Rev. 17: 15) He combines His sovereign commands and counsel with His heartfelt comfort as He delivers His message in authority.

Then we see the prevailing might of His right hand which supremely oversees His Church, the Body of Christ. The stars are symbols of administrative authority in spiritual things, and all such power Christ oversees and maintains.

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Finally the execution of judgment or of justification is by His powerful word. With it He smites & by it He saves. The searching sight of His light operates through the `Sword of the Spirit.` No invention of man or of demon can evade the force of its thrust

`and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.` (Rev. 1: 16)


Here we come to the awesome sight of the Lord Jesus in His unspeakable glory. There can be no night where the Shekinah of His glowing countenance shines forth. The sun overlays all forms in the terrestrial while the light of His face adorns every life with the many diverse graces of His goodness.
 
Christ and the 7 Churches.

The Apostle John was overcome by this wondrous vision of the Lord Jesus and collapsed at His feet as dead. The blinding sight of Christ`s glory, His concentrated gaze and the terrible sword protruding from the mouth all made John`s heart tremble & become terror stricken. But the Lord lays His hand upon him and reassures him that He has all things under His command.

As the `First,` Christ is the creator of all things visible & invisible, and as the `Last,` He finishes all things in heaven and on the earth. He has conquered death & hell and is alive for evermore.

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The Lord Jesus then explains to John what the lamp stands and stars represented. As the priest in the earthly temple would move amongst the lamp stands and watch to keep their lights burning so it is that Christ, the Head of the Body, who moves amongst the churches makes sure that their lights, their witness of Him is true and clear.

And just as the seven stars, the Pleiades (Job 38: 31) control our planetary system from billions of miles away, so it is that Christ has administrative authority over the churches, His Body, supervising them over the centuries and throughout the world.

“The mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, & the seven golden lamp stands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches.” (Rev. 1: 20)

The Lord Jesus Christ, the founder and perfector of the Church is now shown as its competent Administrator. He is shown walking amongst the seven golden lamp stands. Each lamp stand fitted on to a common base representing the complete Church, the Body of Christ. The number seven in Hebrew means complete.
 
Thus looking back through history we can see that these seven churches are an overview, showing the entire history of its development and conflict against the enemy, while displaying Christ`s competence to meet all challenges, finally culminating in the completing of the mature Body of Christ, His glorious Church.

Thus the Lord Jesus Christ directs John to write to these seven churches in Asia who are representative of all the local churches, the believers who are the Body of Christ.

The Lord addresses each group particularly, giving words of commendation and encouragement or chastisement and warnings. Christ then counsels each group presenting Himself in clarity and truth. The response is but to repent & obey His Holy Spirit.

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Each church, each group of believers would be encouraged, comforted or challenged by the Lord`s discernment of them. Then down through the centuries as other believers read, they also could receive what Christ is saying by His Holy Spirit.

Now finally today there are believers who have left their first love, as did Ephesus; servants being martyred, as in Smyrna; others engrossed and overcome with worldly indulgences. Then those like the believers at Philadelphia trust in the Lord and keep His word, but those of Laodicea, trust in man and connect to the world`s system.

Yet the encouragement is to press on to maturity in Christ and to reach the unity of the faith (what we believe) and the knowledge of the Son of God. (Eph. 4: 13 – 16)
 
Hello Marilyn;

When I first learned about Revelation, meaning, before I studied, it was described to me as a time when "scary" events would take place and we could get caught up in it.

The 66th Book does describe amazing events but the theme of Revelation 1 that stood out with me is God's instruction to John's writing to the seven Churches regarding their strengths and warns them about their flaws.

Five Churches, Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Laodicea received rebukes while two Churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia received none.

I feel the seven Churches has the qualities that our Churches should seek but flaws it should avoid.

God bless you, Marilyn.
 
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