THE SEVENFOLD GLORY OF HIS PERSON
Revelation 1:14-16, "His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."
How deeply moving and inspiring was the appearing of Jesus to John, who was in exile for the cause of the Word, and behold, the Living WORD now stands before him. What an illuminating vision, for every descriptive attribute has a significance. What a revelation of His glorious Being.
1. His Hair as White as Snow.
John first notices and mentions the whiteness of His hair. It was white, and as bright as snow. This was not because of His age. Oh, no. The brilliantly white hair does not signify age but experience, maturity, and wisdom. The Eternal One does not age. What is time to God? Time means little to God, but wisdom means much. It is as when Solomon called to God for wisdom to judge the people of Israel. Now He is coming, the Judge of all the earth. He will be crowned with wisdom. That is what the white and glistening hair signifies. See this in Daniel 7:9-14, "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the Judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." There it is. Daniel saw Him with that white hair. He was the Judge opening the books and judging out of them. Daniel saw Him coming in clouds. That is exactly what John saw. They both saw Him exactly the same. They saw the Judge with His judgment girdle over His shoulders, standing pure and holy, full of wisdom, fully qualified to judge the world in righteousness. Hallelujah.
Even the world understands this symbology, for in ancient times the judge would appear and convene court, dressed in a white wig and a long robe that signified his complete authority (head to foot robe) to mete out justice.
2. His Eyes as Fire.
Think of it. Those eyes that were once dimmed with tears of sorrow and pity. Those eyes that wept with compassion at the grave of Lazarus. Those eyes that saw not the evil of the murderers who hanged Him on a cross but in sorrow cried, "Father forgive them." Now those eyes are a flame of fire, the eyes of the Judge Who will recompence those who rejected Him.
Of all the human emotions He manifested the most when He appeared as the Son of Man was this one, He wept often. Yet behind that weeping and that sorrow there was still God.
Those same eyes saw visions. They looked deep within the hearts of men and read their very thoughts and knew all their various ways. Blazing out of mortal eyes was God, Who cried to those who knew Him not for what He was, "... If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." John 8:24. "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I do (the works of My Father), though ye believe not Me, believe the works..." John 10:37,38. Like Jeremiah of old, He was the weeping prophet, for men received not the Word of God and thrust aside the revelation.
Those fiery flaming eyes of the Judge are even now recording the lives of all flesh. Running to and fro throughout the earth, there is nothing He does not know. He knows the desires of the heart and what each one intends to do. There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed, for all things are naked before Him with Whom we have to do. Think of it, He knows even now what you are thinking.
Yes, there He stands as Judge with flaming eyes to mete out judgment. The day of mercy is over. Oh, that men might repent and seek His face in righteousness while there is yet time. That they might make His bosom their pillow ere the world dissolves in fire.
3. The Feet of Brass.
"And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." Brass is noted for its remarkable hardness. There is nothing that is known that you can put with it to temper it. But this brass that describes His feet is more remarkable yet in that it has stood the test of the fiery furnace, a test that no other one has gone through. And that is exactly right. For brass signifies Divine Judgment: a judgment that God decreed and brought to pass. John 3:14-19, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Numbers 21:8, 9, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." Israel had sinned. Sin had to be judged. So God commanded Moses to place a brazen serpent on a pole, and he who looked was saved from the penalty of his sin.
The brazen serpent on the pole symbolized sin from the Garden of Eden, where the serpent beguiled Eve, causing her to sin. Brass speaks of judgment, as is seen in the brazen altar where the penalty for sin was met in the sacrifice upon the altar. When God judged Israel for her sins in the days of Elijah, He withheld the rain and the fiery heavens became as brass. Now in this illustration we see that the serpent upon the pole represents sin already judged, for it is made of brass, showing Divine judgment had already fallen upon sin. Then whoever looked at the serpent on the pole, accepting the significance of it, was made whole, for this was the work or salvation of the Lord.
The serpent on the pole is a type of what Jesus came into the earth to accomplish. He was made flesh in order to take upon Himself the judgments of God for sin. The foundation of the altar of sacrifice was solid brass, typifying the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. Judgment had already passed upon Him when as yet there were no sinners. Salvation being entirely of the Lord, He trod the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God alone. His vestures were dyed crimson with His own blood. The fiery furnace of the just judgment and wrath of God was His portion. He suffered, the just for the unjust. "Thou art worthy, O Lamb of God, for Thou hast redeemed us by Thine own blood."
"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He suffered as no man had ever suffered. Even before the cross He had shed great drops of sweat like blood from His body as in the intense agony of the ordeal ahead the very blood separated in His veins. Luke 22:44, "And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
But some day those feet of brass will stand upon the earth. And the Judge of all the earth He shall be, and with equity and perfection will He judge mankind. And there will be no evading that judgment. No turning of that justice. There will be no tempering of it. He that is unjust will be unjust still; he that is filthy will be filthy still. The Unchanging One will not change then, for He never has and never will. Those feet of brass will crush the enemy. They will destroy the anti-christ, the beast and the image and all that is vile in His sight. He will destroy the church systems that have taken His Name only to corrupt its brilliance and crush them along with the antichrist. All the wicked, the atheists, the agnostics, the modernists, the liberals, will all be there. Death, hell, and the grave will be there. Yes they will. For when He comes, the books will be opened. That is when even the lukewarm church and the five foolish virgins will appear. He will separate the sheep from the goats. When He comes He will take over the kingdom, for it is His, and with Him will be the thousands times ten thousands, His Bride, who come to minister to Him. Glory! Oh, it is now or never. Repent before it is too late. Wake up from amongst the dead and seek God to be filled with His Spirit or you will miss eternal life. Do it now while there is time.
4. His Voice Was as the Sound of Many Waters.
Now what do the waters represent? Hear it in Revelation 17:15, "... the waters which thou sawest,... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." His voice was as the sound of multitudes speaking. What is it? It is the judgment. For these are the voices of the multitudes of witnesses, who by the Holy Spirit all through the ages have testified to Christ and preached His Gospel. It will be the voice of every man rising in judgment against the sinner who would not take warning. The voices of the seven messengers will be heard loud and clear. Those faithful preachers who preached the saving power of Jesus, who preached water baptism in Jesus' Name, who preached the in-filling and power of the Holy Ghost, who stood with the Word more than they stood with their own lives; all of them were the voice of Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost down through the ages. John 17:20, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word."
Have you ever thought how terrifying it is to a man drifting helplessly toward a cataract? Think now of that roar as he approaches his sure and certain doom. And just exactly like that is coming the day of judgment when the roar of the multitude of voices condemns you for not having paid heed ere it was too late. Take heed this very hour. For at this moment your thoughts are being recorded in heaven. There your thoughts speak louder than your words. Like the Pharisee who claimed so much with his mouth, but not listening to the Lord, his heart became corrupt and evil until it was too late, even now this could be your last call to hear the Word and receive it unto eternal life. It will be too late when you approach the roar of the many voices of judgment and doom.
But have you ever noticed how sweet and relaxing the sound of water can be? I like to fish, and I like to find a spot where the water is whispering in ripples. I can just lie back and hear it speaking peace and joy and contentment to my heart. How glad I am to be anchored in the haven of rest where the voice of the Lord speaks peace, as the Word of the waters of separation hath declared. How thankful we should be to hear His voice of love and care and guidance and protection. And some day we will hear that same sweet voice speak, not in judgment, but in welcome to us whose sins have been remitted by His blood, whose lives have been Spirit-filled, and whose walk was in the Word. What could be more precious than to hear the multitudes of welcoming voices and be surrounded by those multitudes who have believed unto eternal life? Oh, there is nothing like it. I pray that you will hear His voice and harden not your heart, but receive Him as your King.
Oh, if you would only see it. It was the waters that destroyed the world, but it was the same waters that saved Noah and also saved the whole earth for Noah. Listen to His voice, the voice of His servants, as it calls to repentance and life.
5. In His Right Hand Were Seven Stars.
"And He had in His right hand seven stars." Now of course we already know from verse twenty what the seven stars actually are. "And the mystery of the seven stars are the angels (messengers) of the seven churches." Now we couldn't make a mistake here on any account, as He interprets it for us. These seven stars are the messengers to the seven successive church ages. They are not called by name. They are just set forth as seven, one to each age. From the Ephesian Age on down to this Laodicean Age each messenger brought the message of truth to the people, never failing to keep it the Word of God to that particular church age. Each one held to it. They were steadfast in their loyalty to the original light. As each age pulled away from God, His faithful messenger turned that age back to the Word. Their strength was from the Lord or they never could have stemmed the tide. They were safe in His care, for othing could pluck them out of His hand, and neither could anything separate them from the love of God, let it be sickness, peril, nakedness, famine, sword, life or death. They were truly yielded to Him and kept by His omnipotence. They were not concerned about the persecution that came their way. Pain and derision was but cause to give glory to God that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him. And in thankfulness for His salvation they burned with the light of His life and reflected His love, patience, meekness, temperance, gentleness, faithfulness. And God backed them up with wonders, signs, and miracles. They were accused of being fanatics, and holy-rollers. They were denounced by organizations and held in mockery, but they kept true to the Word.
Now it is not hard to stand up and keep true to a creed. It is easy, for the devil is right behind all that. But it is something else to be true to God's Word and go back to what the Word originally produced after Pentecost.
Not long ago a man said to me that the Roman Catholic church had to be the true church as it had been true to what it believed over all the years, and kept on growing and not changing. That isn't so at all. Any church with the government behind it, and with its own creed which isn't the Word at all, and with no manifested ministry to cause the devil to get aroused, could surely carry on. That was not a criterion. But when you think of that little group whose members were sawn asunder, fed to lions, persecuted and driven from pillar to post and yet stayed true to the Word - now definitely that would have to be God. How they survived their battle of faith and carried on still: THAT is a miracle.
And this comfort is not for the seven church age messengers only. Every true believer is in the hand of God and can draw from His love and power, and receive the full benefit of all that God is to the believer. What God gives the messenger, and how He blesses and uses the messenger, is an example to all believers of His goodness and care to ALL members of His body. Amen.
6. The Two-edged Sword.
"And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." In Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Out of His mouth went the sharp two-edged sword which is the WORD OF GOD. Revelation 19:11-16, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
John 1:48, "Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." There it is. When He comes, that Word will come against all nations and all men. And none will be able to stand against it. It will reveal what was in every heart as He did with Nathanael. The Word of God will show who did the will of God and who didn't. It will make known the secret works of every man and why he did them. It will divide asunder. That is what it says in Romans 2:3, "And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" Then it goes on to say how God is going to judge men. Here it is in verses 5 to 17. The hard impenitent heart will be judged. The works will be judged. The motives will be judged. There won't be any respect before God; but all will be judged by that Word, no one escaping it. Those who heard and wouldn't listen will be judged by what they heard. Those that rested in it saying they believed it, but didn't live it, will be judged. Every secret will come out in the open and be shouted from the housetops. Oh, we will really understand history then. There won't be a mystery left from all the ages.
But do you know that He is revealing the heart-secrets of men and women in this age in which we are living? Who else could reveal the secrets of the heart but the Word, Himself? Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." It is the Word. It is performing where-unto It was sent, for It (the Word) is full of power. It is the same Spirit that was in Jesus (the Word) that is present again in the church in this last age as a last sign trying to head the people off from judgment, for they that reject Him (the Word) are now already come into judgment, crucifying Him afresh. Hebrews 6:6, "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame."
Now Paul said that the Word came in power as well as voice. The Word preached actually demonstrated itself. Like a flaming, cutting sword it went to the consciences of men, and like a surgeon's knife it cut out the diseases and set captives free. Everywhere those early believers went, "they went preaching the Gospel (Word) and God confirmed that Word with signs following." The sick were healed, devils were cast out, and they spoke in new tongues. That was the Word in action. That Word has never failed in the mouths of believing Christians. And in this last age it is here stronger and greater than ever in the true Word bride. Oh, little flock, you little minority, hold on to the Word, fill your mouth and heart with it, and some day God will give you the kingdom.
7. His Face Like The Sun.
"And His countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength." Matthew 17:1-13, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart. And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise, shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist."
Now in Matthew 16:28, prefacing Matthew 17:1-13, Jesus had said, "... There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." And the three apostles did see just that - the order of His second coming. They saw Him transfigured there on the mountain top. His raiment was blazing white and His face shone like the sun at its zenith. And there as He appeared, stood Moses and Elijah on either side. That is exactly how He is coming again. Truly Elijah will first come and turn the hearts of the children (bride) back to the fathers' Apostolic Word Doctrine. Malachi 4:5,6, "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
Israel is already a nation. She is established now with her armies, navy, postal system, flag, and all that pertains to nation-hood. But there is still to be fulfilled the Scripture that says, "... or shall a nation be born at once?..." Isaiah 66:8. That day is coming soon. The fig tree has put forth her buds. The Israelites are waiting for the Messiah. They are expecting Him and their expectations are about to be fulfilled. Israel will be reborn Spiritually, for her Light and her Life are about to be revealed to her.
In Revelation 21:23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." This is the New Jerusalem. The Lamb will be in that city, and because of His presence, there will be no light needed. The sun won't rise and shine there, for He is the Sun and Light thereof, Himself. The nations that come into it will walk in His light. Aren't you happy that day is upon us? John saw that day coming. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
Malachi 4:1-3, "For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven: and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of Hosts." There it is again. The SUN shining out in all its strength. Oh, the strength of the Son of God shining in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. There He stands, the Judge, the One who suffered and died for us. He took the wrath of Divine judgment upon Himself. He tread the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God alone. As we have already stated, to the sinner His voice is as the sound of the cataract or the surf pounding in waves of death upon the rocky shores. But to the saint, His voice is as the sound of the sweetly singing brook as you lie at rest, satisfied in Christ. Shining upon us with His warming rays of love He says, "Fear not, I am He Which Was, Which Is, Which Is To Come; I am the Almighty. Beside Me there is no other. I am the Alpha and Omega, the ALL of it." He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star. He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. Yes, that great day is ready to break and the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings. 7ch006.htm
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