SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
1/12/2015 12:51 PM
My Worship Time Focus: The Unfolding of the Vision PT-2 and 3
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
1:13b-15a
Message of the
verses: We will be looking at the
second aspect of this main point, “The Unfolding of the Vision and this is
entitled “Christ Intercedes For His Church.”
“Clothed in a
robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash (Rev.
1:13b).”
John first noticed the robe that Christ was wearing and
as we search through the Scriptures we will find that those who were kings,
priests and prophets wore a similar robe.
We can remember that Jesus Christ is prophet, priest and king as He
holds all three of these positions. Now
speaking of priests I believe that I forgot to mention that all believers are
priests according to Revelation 1:6.
What does a priest do? They
intercede to God on behalf of others and according to this sub-title that is
what Jesus does. Why would He have to do
this? I think that when we look back at
the book of Job we can see that Satan came into the presence of God to accuse
people before God, and we can be sure that he does this today and when he
accuses the brethren before God, so Jesus will then intercede for them because
Jesus paid it all and therefore Satan cannot accuse us before the Lord because
all the Lord sees is the righteousness of Jesus Christ and not our sins for He
paid for them on the cross.
The next thing John sees is the golden sash which is
across the chest of Christ. We can
remember from our study of Exodus that the High Priest wore one similar with
twelve stones on it which represented the twelve tribes of Israel, as he kept
them close to his heart to intercede for them.
On another part of the blog that I write I am putting
SD’s which began in December of 2002 on my study that I did on the book of
Hebrews and one of the themes that is woven through Hebrews is the fact that
Jesus Christ is our High Priest: “17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that
He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He
Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the
aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:17-18).” Propitiation means that Jesus Christ’s
sacrifice satisfied God, and we also see that Jesus Christ is not only God, but
also man as the text says “He had to be
made like His brethren in all things.”
We also see that He was tempted in all things. Now I want to make it clear that Jesus Christ
could not sin, it was impossible for Him to sin because He is God, however
think about how difficult it is not to succumb to a temptation, perhaps a
temptation that goes on day after day.
This is what our Savior had to do while He was on planet earth as Satan
tempted Him along with other demons, and yet He never sinned.
Christ
Purifies His Church (Revelation 1:14-15a): “14
His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were
like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been
made to glow in a furnace.”
John first describes His clothing and now he moves on to
describe His person in verses 14-15.
“The first few features depict Christ’s work of chastening and purifying
His church.”
One of the very first attributes that I looked at when
studying the attributes of God is that God is holy, and holiness is perfection,
something that God alone is, and yet He wants His church to be holy. This is the purpose for Christ purifying His
church, to make them holy. One of the
words that describe the church is that we are the “bride” of Christ, and this
is a very good reason for Christ to want us to be holy, and of course the fact
that He died for the church is another reason He wants to make her holy. “Christ...loved
the church and gave Himself up for her, 26
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of
water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself
the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but
that she would be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:25-27).”
How does Christ maintain the holiness of His church? We first saw this in the book of Matthew and
chapter 18:15-17 “"If your brother
sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won
your brother. 16 "But if he does
not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO
OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 “If he refuses to listen to
them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church,
let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” This speaks of the disciplining of
those sinful believers who are in the church.
Paul also writes to the Corinthians about this too.
John MacArthur writes the following about Christ’s head
and hair as being white like white wool, like snow “is an obvious reference to
Daniel 7:9, where similar language describes the Ancient of Days (God the
Father). The parallel descriptions
affirm Christ’s deity; He possesses the same attribute of knowledge and wisdom
as the Father. White translates leukos, which has the connotation of
‘bright,’ ‘blazing,’ or ‘brilliant.’ It
symbolizes Christ’s eternal, glorious, holy truthfulness.”
Next we see his eyes like flaming fire which means that
He can penetrate all things in the church to see how the church is living up to
the things they are suppose to be doing for the cause of Christ. “for
there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not
be known (Matthew 10:26b).” “12 For the
word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no
creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the
eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12-13).” These eyes speak of Christ’s all knowing and
all seeing which is a part of His attributes.
We now move to His feet which were “like burnished bronze, when it has been made
to glow in a furnace.” I have
mentioned that I worked in a foundry for close to 35 years and we melted an
average of 300 tons of cast iron five days a week and so I had the opportunity
of looking at molten iron and have an idea of what John is speaking of in this
section. One day in the foundry a man
threw a gun into a furnace where the iron was not molten and the gun just glowed,
similar to what we see in this passage.
Bronze was what the altar was made of in first the tabernacle and then
the temple, and that had to do with sin, and that is what Christ is moving
through the church to see. “You have forgotten the exhortation which is
addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF
THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD
LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7 It is
for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son
is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without
discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children
and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we
respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits,
and live? 10 For they disciplined us for
a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so
that we may share His holiness Hebrews 12:5-10).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I, like most
people do not enjoy being disciplined by the Lord, but that is the only way for
me to grow in my faith and obedience of the Lord, so from time to time it is
necessary for all believers to experience His discipline.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, and
strength, and remember and experience the love He has for me, to just believe
that He loves me so very much.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:5-8.
5 Now for this very
reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and
in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and
in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and
in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness,
love. 8 For if these qualities are yours
and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfaithful to the true
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Amram” (Exodus 6:20).
Today’s Bible
question: “Which book tells of the
ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/12/2015 1:57 PM
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