Jesus comes to John as the God of the Old Testament.
“When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.” Revelation.1:12-16.
John sees Jesus among seven golden lampstands, which represent the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev.1:20). Jesus is portrayed as walking among the lampstands, ministering to the churches. The background to this idea is the Old Testament covenant: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Lev.26:12, NIV).
One of the best things about the covenant concept is that God is not arbitrary. He subjects Himself to the covenant (agreement or contract between two parties.) “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deut.7:9, NIV). God is not like the ancient pagan gods who couldn’t be trusted. The Hebrew God approaches His people in a consistent fashion, obeying His own rules. This is a tremendous source of security and stability for our spiritual life. We know what to expect from Him.
The good news of the gospel is that God in Christ has already met the obligations of the covenant at the cross and the resurrection. (Acts.13:32-33; 2Cor.1:20). For those in a relationship with Jesus, the covenant contains nothing we need to fear. The promises of God are all freely available in Christ. We can have security in our relationship with Him.
Many Christians are insecure. They don’t know if they have done enough or if they are right with God. To them, Jesus says, “I am here among you.” Are these churches perfect? Have they done all the right things?
No. It’s very clear that they are fallible, make mistakes, and, in some ways, are even turning away from Jesus. Yet He continues to walk among those lampstands as the faithful God of the covenant who is there for His people. Weak and defective though the church may be, it is still the object of God’s supreme regard on earth.
The appearance of Jesus on Patmos was dazzling. At the sight of Him John essentially collapsed from astonishment (Rev 1:17). Jesus wasn’t anything like the ordinary-seeming human being John had known in Galilee. What was the significance of this stunning description?
Revelation’s introductory vision (1:12-18) centres on a glorious picture of Jesus. He is like the Son of Man (V:13) , the one who died and is alive forevermore (V:18). Based on Daniel 10:5,6 and a number of other Old Testament texts, this vison portrays the glory of Jesus otherwise only seen in the Transfiguration during His earthly ministry. The characteristics of Jesus in the vision are repeated throughout the seven messages of Chapters 2 & 3. The vision is like the stage backdrop to the first act of a play.
In this passage, Jesus is as dazzling and impressive as the one who appeared in Daniel 10. The descriptions are similar. But He is even more than that. He also bears the characteristics of God. The hair like wool, the comparison with snow, and the flaming fire are characteristics of the Ancient of Days Himself in Dan 7:9. When He calls Himself the Alpha and Omega (V8) and the first and the last (1:17-18), there is no question that Jesus comes to John as the God of the Old Testament ( c.f. Isa 44:6; 48:12).
This is the second time already that John has provided a link with the book of Daniel. As we progress, we will find that the books of Daniel and Revelation have intimate connections and work together.
Like John on Patmos and the first century Christians, who were by the time of this vision experiencing the persecutions of Diocletian, at times dark clouds surround God’s people. It seemed at this point that persecution and oppression would extinguish them. Sometimes the most brilliant beams of God’s glory are revealed in the deepest gloom. Staying faithful in the dark times is the ultimate test of our faith. It is the ultimate test of your faith!
We are so blessed that Jesus is a loveing God and is always with us happy Sabbath Ross and family ❤️ x
Hi Ross, Thankyou once again for providing me with these updates. I am missing no. 13 though. Thankyou. Debbie.
Thank you Ross, I am learning lots
And enjoying it.
Blessings
Elliette
I realised I did not receive # 13 either Ross.
Kind regards.
Did I sent you #13?