 Today I want to introduce you to the four living creatures who exist in the throne room of God. This information comes from Ezekiel the Prophet and the Apostle John.
According to John, one of the beings looks like an eagle, one like a lion, one looks like an ox, and one has a face like a man; and each of them are covered with eyes; eyes upon them - in the front and the back. Each of the creatures has six wings; and each of the wings everywhere, underneath and on top. This is just a side note but tomorrow I will share the poem I wrote in 2020 called spiritual clarity - it involves a vision about a rhinoceros and the thousand eyes that God put on my back. Anyway, the description of the four living creatures given by the Apostle John is much like the description given by Ezekiel the prophet of old - as described in Ezekiel Chapter One - except in the vision that Ezekiel saw, the creatures did not have six wings, but only four. Also, in Johns vision, he saw the throne room of God as it stood in the heavenly realm, but Ezekiel’s vision is about the Lord bringing His Kingdom down. Ezekiel’s vision entails a great storm cloud coming from the north. At the front is a great light that flashes with lightning. In the cloud is burning fire, a precious stone like gleaming amber. And from the center of the cloud are four living beings that look human, each with four heads (one like an eagle, one like a Lion, one like an ox and one like a human) with not six wings, but only with four. I’m curious- where did two wings go? And holy cow - the creatures appeared to have a human form. “The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.” “As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.” Ezekiel 1:15,17-18 The wheels appear to carry the eyes of God, just like the creatures that exist in the midst of His throne. When the living beings move, the wheels move with them. When the beings stop, so do the eyes of God. This is when their wings are let down, and this is when God seems to speak. In John’s vision the only words that comes out of the four creatures mouths is “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” They sing this song totally non-stop, all day and all night. According to Ezekiel, the creatures announce the glory of God. Hallelujah and Amen!
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 I think it is going to take me forever to walk through Revelation Chapter 4. Ever since John was invited into the open door there has been great illumination coming from the throne room of God!
John saw a throne and on it sat someone who looked like precious stones; and around the throne an emerald rainbow glowed. All I can imagine is the Aurora Borealis, the majestic northern lights, as if they resemble the aura of God. Surrounding God’s throne stood His divine council - 24 elders who help God govern the earth and the heavenly realm. The elders were all dressed in white robes and crowns of gold were on top of their heads. This information should not be misunderstood. It comes directly from the throne room of God. The divine council is something I will need to do more study on, but I do know David talks about them in Psalm 89. This morning I will move on to the next verse. I have confident hope that the illumination will be just as good. In verse 5, John expressed that he saw flashes of light, rumblings and peals of thunder coming from the throne room of God; and in front of the throne seven lamps burned. He called the seven lamps the seven spirits of God. Since God’s Word never returns void I am assuming that Isaiah was right when he declared the seven spirits and the manifold wisdom of God. Isaiah said, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1-3 There is nothing to change. The seven spirits are exactly what Isaiah said - the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit of Fear of the Lord. It’s as if our Father has made us a multicolored coat. I’m guessing this is how the Holy Spirit functions. He carries God’s essence into the world, and the children of God carry out their Father's plan by wearing the multicolored coat that He made for them. The Spirit of the Lord has always been, and to God’s witnesses the Spirit lies within. Through the Spirit of the Lord, Godly wisdom, knowledge and understanding are completely possible. With such wisdom great counsel can be heard, and it can only be delivered through the fear of the Lord. As Zechariah wrote in Chapter 4 verse 6, "It is not by our power or might, “but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts.” Through His Holy Spirit God, has His eyes on all of the earth. He is the ultimate judge as to what is good and bad. There has only been one human being to ever live that has been Just, and that being is not any one of us! We must remember everything in this fallen world is upside down. What we call love may actually be wrong, and what we call bad may actually be good. The only way for us to even know is to have humble hearts with a respectful fear of the Lord. Someday soon it will all change. The End of Age is closer than we think. Be careful how you think. Be careful how you move. The truth is secured to the Word of God; and all of God’s children delight in the fear of the Lord. Solomon, the son of King David, was the wisest man to ever live on the earth. Just before he died, this is what he said, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 And that my friend is where my wisdom comes from. I hope this has been great counsel for you.  Can you imagine being the Apostle John and at once being in the Spirit with Father God; standing in His throne room in the heavenly realm? I wonder what it would be like to see a Being who looked like jasper and ruby precious stones; and whose throne was surrounded by an emerald rainbow that encircled His throne. This is what it was like for John as he describes being in the Spirit and seeing God.
John said, “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.” Revelation 4:4 Our Father God was not alone. He was surrounded by a council of elders who had their own throne, and each had a gold crown. It’s mind blowing to me to know that God has a Divine Council, an assembly of beings over which He presides. This information was also disclosed by King David, in times of old. Psalm 89:7 says, “In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared. He is awesome above all who surround Him.” The Apostle John and the Prophet Daniel saw much of the same thing. Daniel also wrote about the Ancient of Days, and His heavenly courtroom. Daniel wrote, "As I looked thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10 The court of judges who sit in the throne room of God are completely wise and perfectly placed for a reason, as also described in Daniel Chapter 7, verses 26 and 27. Daniel records the message that was given to him from an angel of the Lord when he asked what the vision meant. The angel told him, “the court will convene, and the Antichrist’s dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. When this happens, the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.” It's amazing to know that Jesus’s Kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him. I'm assuming that the Divine Council has a divine function. They know the truth and help God carry it out. I'm guessing they are there to bring order to all of the realms - both in heaven and on earth. This brings me to Ephesians 3:10 where the Apostle Paul said, “God’s purpose was that through the church (the body of Christ who follow His head) the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Father of all creation, both in the heavenly and in the earth realms, has a divine plan, a divine council and a divine will. His plan is still in the process of being carried out. According to Paul, the purpose of the assembly of God is to make God’s manifold wisdom through Jesus Christ known to the rulers and principalities in the heavenly realms. This means that when God’s Will is done, every person and heavenly being will pronounce that Jesus is Lord. The church age is almost complete. The end of these days is sooner than we think. No one knows the day or the hour, but we can be sure that the Father’s Will will be done. We really have two choices and we will all answer to God. We can choose to accept Christ and believe that God came in human form to shed His blood to cover our sin, or we can deny the greatest gift that human kind will ever receive. We can align our will to the Will of God or we can walk in opposition and disrespect Him. But we must understand - everyone is accountable to God. There is a consequence for how we choose. We will all stand in the throne room of God - in front of the Lamb of God, His 7 Spirits and the 24 judges who witness to Him. At the right hand of God will be Jesus himself. The Lamb of God who was brutally beaten, the suffering servant who died for our sin, and He will decide who belongs to Him. Thank God we serve a good, good Father - a father who gives us time to repent and turn back to Him.  Just after John saw the open door, he was immediately transformed into the Spirit of God. Now some may think that is not possible, because God and humans are completely separate. But I am being challenged this morning to consider the meaning of us and the Holy Spirit.
In the beginning, we were formed by the dust - watered by the Word and made into mud. Then “the Lord God breathed into man the breath of life; and man became a living being” here on this earth. Genesis 2:7 With a puff of vital breath man received a soul, divine inspiration by our Creator, God. The Spirit of Life was now inside us. After the Fall when man disobeyed God, both God’s grace and curse fell upon us. Humans were extended temporary life, without immediately having to experience death. You see, the Lord himself had told Adam, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 Now the serpent who had rebelled against God was more cunning than any beast of the garden and he went up to Eve and asked her a question. He said, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5 It didn’t take much for Satan to tempt the woman and her husband, the man who stood right beside her. He just planted a question within their heart that would get them to doubt and question God. Since God is love and love is not bondage, God gave his creation the free will to choose; and as a result of their not trusting God because of the selfish condition of their heart, the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.” Genesis 3:22-23 We must understand that God removed humans from His Garden, but He did not remove the breath that sustained them. God sent the rebellious into the wilderness in hopes that they would repent and finally come home. Every person has the living breath of God. Every person has a God-sized hole that calls out to them. Most people wander, even when they hear God calling. Instead of listening to His voice, they follow their selfish desires. They are the lost, lonely and broken hearted. It is the rebellious nature of who we are that separates us from God, and only those who repent decide to return home. Repentance is the act of sincerely turning away, in both the mind and heart, from self to God. God is so loving that He provides an open door. He knows that we have all been prodigal sons. He is so faithful and He kept His promise. In Genesis 3:15 God promised a new Seed - the Seed of the woman. To Satan, the good Lord said, “I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” The Seed of the Woman is Jesus himself - the Word of God that took on human flesh so that He could be broken for us. The Word of God sacrificed himself so that He could defeat death, and the curse that was spoken from His mouth. Prodigal sons who repent and return to God will be received with open arms back into His home, while the children of Satan who prefer the world will be thrown into hell - forever separated from God. Since God is love and gives his creation much grace, He has given us all a chance to live in the wilderness, this temporarily place that we call life. Many humans choose to turn off their ears but a few will listen to His Spirit that still speaks from within. You see, God never left us. We left Him. His Spirit is with us as we walk through this Valley of the Shadow of Death. The children of the Light hear their Father’s voice, and they are the ones who are drawn home. The children of God possess a strong faith. They are the ones who respond to His voice; and they are the ones who easily identify Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us those who believe and follow God’s Way, will be the living stones that make up God’s temple someday. The breath of God does not just die. God himself is the Creator of Life. On the final Judgment Day, that great and terrible Day of the Lord, every human will come out of the wilderness and every person will bow before Him. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. Nothing will enter His Kingdom that does not belong. All who follow the Spirit of God will immediately go right in. When the final harvest is ripe, the wheat will be permanently separated from the chaff. The wheat will be saved but the chaff will burn. My prayer is that anyone reading this poem would stop running away, and instead listen to the voice of God. The ministry of Jesus was to reconcile men - and my hope is to be a disciple of Him.  On the Lord’s Day while the Apostle John was in the Spirit, he heard from behind him a loud voice like a trumpet. The trumpeted voice told him to write on a scroll the things he would see, then to send the scroll to seven specific churches across the sea. The churches the voice mentioned were actually Christians who lived in the regions of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
When John turned around to see the trumpeting voice that was speaking to him, he saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands stood someone like a son of man who was dressed in a robe. When John saw the Being, he fell at his feet as though he was dead. The One who looked like the Son of Man placed his right hand on him and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 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.” Revelation 1:17-18 After John saw Jesus and heard the words of the Lord to send to the Church, a door suddenly appeared that stood between this world and the next. Then John heard a voice that said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” In an instant, John was in the Spirit, and there before him stood the throne room of God. This is where I need to stop. Before I can move forward in Revelation 4, I need to share the vision of the door that I saw in November of 2016. The poem is called “The Boardwalk Vision” and I translated it from my notebook to my blog on April 2, 2020. In the vision the Lord rescued me from a swamp. He lifted me up from a dark pit, then He placed me on a boardwalk where He rebuilt my strength. As I walked down the boardwalk with the Lord at my side, my strength slowly began to build back up. The Lord led me down the boardwalk to a tent door, and at the door He suddenly stopped. Jesus took His right hand and pulled back the veil, and immediately I was transitioned from this world to the next. It’s as if time did not exist, and all of a sudden I turned into light. I actually became a star. I was a star as small as could be, and millions of stars existed with me. In the center of the stars was the brightest and biggest Light I had ever seen, and immediately I knew it was the Light of God. All I could experience was a total peace. Everything around me was totally serene. I could have stayed content for the rest of eternity, but the Lord had something else up His sleeve. All of a sudden, I was back on the boardwalk all by myself, but I was not afraid because I had been given strength. I was ready for battle and I was made super strong - the Lord returned me to this world different than I was. I literally went from Raggedy Ann to a Warrior for God. In my hand was a giant sword, and I was dressed in the Armor of God. This was the day that everything changed. I was broken, but no longer afraid. I knew in my heart that everything was going to be okay. Brothers and sisters in Christ - There is a door that stands between humanity and God, and only Jesus holds the key. For some reason God gave me a small peek at what it will be like to live with Him eternally. It was quite an overwhelming feeling. I pray these poems reflect the Light of God, and that the Sword of the Spirit divides spirit from soul, and joints from marrow and bones. We must remember that “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13  I must say that I have been super hesitant about entering the throne room of God. I keep looking at Revelation Chapters 1-3 to see if there is anything I have left unturned.
Is there more I can do to prepare my heart and my mind for what I am about to see and learn? I am super hesitant about entering Chapter 4. I’ve read the Bible many times through, but there is something different about reading scripture, line by line, meditating on each word and then writing poems. It’s as if God is providing manna from Heaven morning by morning, day by day, and what is not eaten is evaporated, and then it is gone. This heavenly food does not spoil nor does it need to be saved because new manna comes to me every single day. There is always enough spiritual food, and my body is being prepared to take in more. In preparation for entering God's throne room, I have read and wrote poems on Matthew, Luke, John and Jude. I also read and wrote poems on all of Genesis too. I studied Daniel and saw his heart. He served Babylon kings while passionately loving God; and he spoke the truth no matter what. Daniel was given favor but he was also put in the Lions Den. God created him to be a major prophet, and he always seemed to be protected. Daniel saw the One like the Son of Man, and he saw our God, the Ancient One. Just like the Apostle John. In my opinion, Chapters 1, 2 and 3 in Revelation summarize the story of the whole Bible. It’s the story of Jesus Christ and the message He shares with His Church. God gave His Word to redeem mankind from the curse He set upon them. That was certainly hard for me to initially understand. Why would a good God curse the world? But then God showed me it is because he is pure love - and anything separated from Him is NOT good! In Genesis we clearly see, that man exercised his free will to go against God. He ate of the only tree he was told not to, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was the only tree that God forewarned him not to. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 That was the beginning of our fall. Yet, God loves us so much that he spared us all. He allowed us to live separated from Him for a temporary time - in this wilderness, the world that is called the shadow of death. Then God gave His Word that He would send His Seed through a woman who would stomp on the head of that evil serpent who tempted mankind. God gave mankind a way to return and come back to Him. And just as Daniel was told, the seed of the woman came in physical form just a little over 2000 years ago, and God created a man named John who would deliver His Word. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:7-9 John the Baptist testified to the Word of God being born into this physical world by the Spirit of God through a human woman’s womb; and for his service to God he was imprisoned by Herod the King and then beheaded. The prophets of old all foretold about the coming of Jesus and the Day of the Lord; and the Law of Moses was given to us as a mirror to show humankind how in need of a Savior we really are. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets of old and the Law. God chose a people group who acted upon faith to bring His heavenly kingdom down. From dead seed, new seed was born. This is called the ancestry of Faith. “And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Ē´nosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.” Genesis 4:25-26 From Seth to Noah to Abraham a remnant of God always stood strong because “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5 The Revelation of Jesus Christ completes the story of the things which must shortly take place. This last book in the Bible is the compilation of God’s Word, and every person who reads it must acknowledge God’s sovereignty. God shared this information with His son so that it could be passed down to His children - the children who walk in the Light. As Isaiah said, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned (verse 9:2)." Revelation can only be understood by those who are actual children of God - "for this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." Ephesians 5:9 We are told in Revelation 1 that the information was sent and signified by the angel of the Lord to His servant John. Those who do not know Jesus will not be able to make sense of it - for they are still overcome by the world and walk in utter darkness. The information can only be illuminated by those who hold the Key of David. I have learned that the Son of Man is the Son of God, and that the Word of God existed since the beginning of time; and I've seen the authority of God. I've heard the curse that He spoke over all the earth, and I watched His Word bleed so that we could be reconciled back to Him. I’ve learned that God is good and He has always had a plan - eternal life with Him has always been the promise He had; and I’ve learned that our faith in God means that we believe Him, and it’s through faith that we are able to digest the Passover Lamb. I’ve learned that God is my sovereign and that the whole wide world fits into the palm of His hand, but most importantly I’ve learned that I am Child of God! I will NEVER again walk away from My Father. I will NEVER again be ashamed of acknowledging Him. So now, I am ready - I am ready to stand before My Father, and I will brace myself for whatever words may come. I am ready to see whatever it is that the Lord wants to know. I am ready to endure the heat that may come from being in the presence of His glory. I am ready to bow down and receive the whole Word of God - and I can only pray that the Lord will receive my soul.  Hey you, will you give me your ear?
I think I have something that you may want to hear. About 2000 years ago, the Angel of the Lord came to Jesus’s servant named John while he was exiled on Patmos, one of the Dodecanese islands located on the southeastern side of Greece. John was exiled for sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ. I guess he thought Jesus’s life and death and resurrection and ascension into Heaven was more important than being afraid of sharing his “religious beliefs.” Jesus rewarded his best friend, for being so bold here on this earth, by giving him knowledge of what’s come to the church and the rest of mankind at the end of this age. You see, God revealed to Jesus the Revelation of His Word to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Then Jesus sent and signified what He had heard by His angel to His servant John. Then John bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Revelation 1:1-2 The scripture says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” The scripture also says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 I feel totally blessed! I live in a country and at a time when I still have access to the written Word of God! I am able to read the Book of Revelation, and I carry the Holy Spirit who makes the Word known to me. I am so blessed! My ears are perked up! This book is so important that I have to read it - It's the Revelation from God that was given to Jesus! When Jesus spoke the 7 churches through His servant John, he offered a piece of himself, a different greeting, if you will, to identify himself, and then he ended each letter with the same words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” After diving in to Revelation 1-3, and spending time with the Lord to write these poems, I clearly hear what the message is. Each person who accepts the free gift of God’s Passover Lamb before their exodus out of this world receives God’s spiritual blood to put over their hearts, and the angel of death will pass right over them. To prepare their hearts for this freedom experience, a person must be willing to pick up their cross and die to self. They shall put away the flesh, and roast it with fire; they shall eat it unleavened bread and pair it with bitter herbs. Every part of their life must be roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. When the body is burned, and ready for devour, Jesus will for His bride. He will look for the members who have their garment belted around their waist, sandals on their feet, and a staff in their hand; He will look for those in a hurry, those who are ready to receive the Passover Lamb. God will go through the world and fatally strike every person that does not belong h to Him. Against all the gods of the world, God will execute His judgments. The blood of Jesus is a sign to live, and when God sees the blood, He will pass over them - and death will not come upon His children. The Bible is clear that all people are God’s creation and that God loves the entire world, but the scripture is clear that only those who digest the Passover Lamb are born again by the His Spirit, and become children of God. Jews and Gentiles alike become brothers and sisters with Christ. Jews and Gentiles alike become heirs to God’s throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Body of Christ. If you lack love, but you overcome, then Jesus will allow you to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 Do not fear suffering. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation. Be faithful until death, and Jesus will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10 He who overcomes and holds on shall not be hurt by the second death which comes to all. To him who overcomes Jesus gives some of the hidden manna to eat. And He gives them a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. Revelation 2:17 For all those who endure false doctrine, but stay true to the Word of God, Jesus will give power over the nations. Revelation 2:24-27 And he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and will not be blotted out from the Book of Life; but Jesus will confess his name before His Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:5-6 For those who keep His command to persevere with patient endurance, Jesus will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, Jesus is coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. To each person who overcomes, Jesus will make them a pillar in the temple of God, and he shall go out no more. Jesus will write on them the name of His God and the name of the city of His God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven. And each person will have on them, Jesus’s new name - (which I don’t know what that is yet). Revelation 3:10-12 “Behold, Jesus is standing at the door and knocks. If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, Jesus will come in to him and dine with him. To him who overcomes Jesus will grant to sit with Him on His throne, as He has also overcame and sat down with His Father on the Throne of God. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of God says to His Church.  I’m not quite ready to move on to Revelation Chapter 4. I need to take some time to focus on “the Son of Man” as described by the Apostle John in verse 13 of Chapter 1.
John said, “In the midst of the seven lamp-stands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and 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, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Revelation 1:13-18 I fully believe that the One who is like the Son of Man is Jesus Christ. He called himself “the First and the Last” and then He said he was dead, and behold, he lives forevermore - and He claimed to have the keys of death. There is no one else who has ever lived on this earth, as both God and human, who could fit this description. In fact, Jesus called himself “Son of Man” over 80 times, as recorded by Matthew, John, Mark and Luke. The Son of Man is a title of humanity and humility. The second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, was the Promised Seed, conceived by the Holy Spirit and a human woman - to be beaten and bruised, despised and rejected, so that a member of the Godhead could shed his blood to cover our sin and reconcile men back to Him. The Son of Man is a title of deity for “in Him is the whole fullness of deity in bodily form" as stated in Colossians 2:9. God put on flesh, to come in human form, to break the Word that was set against man. Through His blood, as the Passover Lamb, Jesus came to forgive sin, take the keys of death, rise from the dead, ascend into Heaven, execute judgment, and return again. At His trial before the high priest, Jesus said, “From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64. The Son of Man is the fulfillment of prophecy. Through human history Jesus has always been the scarlet thread. Jesus is the Son of Man described by Daniel in verses 13 and 14 from Chapter 7. He is the One who sits and the right hand of the Ancient One. Jesus is the One who “approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence; was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The Son of Man is the Son of God. They are two titles that express God’s beloved Son, the scarlet thread, the Chosen One.  Before moving on to Revelation 4, I need to summarize Chapters 1-3 so that I can consolidate the information and build a solid memory.
Chapter 1 was about the Father giving information to His beloved Son who then sent and signified the information by His angel to His servant John. The information was given by Father God so that Jesus could share it with his servants who follow him. The information was about the things that would come. The angel of the Lord came to John, and then John bore witness to the word of God. John testified to Jesus and to all things that he saw. John heard a voice that said the most amazing words, and then John looked in the direction of where he had heard. John saw a person that looked like the Son of Man standing in the midst of seven lamp-stands, and in His right hand He held seven stars. The One who looked like the Son of Man appears to be the same man described in Daniel 7. "He was clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like that of the sun." Both Daniel and John had the same reaction. They both fell to their face as if they were dead, and in both instances, the Son of Man laid His right hand on them to give them strength and said, “Do not be afraid.” The Son of Man who came through the angel of the Lord identified himself as the First and the Last, the firstborn from the dead, and the final ruler over the kings of the earth. He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” and He declared he had the keys of death. He said, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” The angel of the Lord declared that Jesus "is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Then he explained the seven stars and lamp-stands. I am so glad we don’t have to guess. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches. It’s really that simple. The seven churches that Jesus addressed were seven churches in the region of Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor - which today are located in the region of western Turkey. The seven churches had all spring up in that area after the Good News of Jesus went out. That area was heavily under Greek influence, Greek gods and Greek culture. Chapter 2 was about the message that was to be shared with leaders of the seven churches. John was instructed to write what he heard and saw, in a book, and then send the information out to them. John was informed that Ephesus lacked love, that Smyrna was good and needed to continue to endure persecution, that Pergamos was compromising and that Thyatira was a church filled with corruption. John found out that Sardis was dead, Philadelphia was faithful, and Laodicea was lukewarm. It’s crazy to see that only two out of seven were living life according to God. In Chapters 1-3, the following things were greatly illuminated to me: 1. The Father is the One who holds all the information and He gives to Jesus his Son as He wants to disclose. 2. Jesus has his own angel - who is probably the Angel of the Lord. 3. The angel is the messenger between Heaven and earth. 4. The people who follow Christ are called His servants. 5. John was chosen to see the things that would come. 6. John was told to deliver a message to the angels of the seven churches through a book who were growing in Asia Minor which were heavily under Greek gods and Greek culture. 7. The same “Son of Man” appeared in Daniel chapter 7 and in both instances the people who saw him fell and appeared dead. And the Lord touched them with his right hand and breath came back in them and they regained strength and were alive again. 8. Only two churches were living according to God and both those churches were told to have faith, patiently endure and endure the persecution that was surely to come. 9. Five of the churches were living partly according to God, but God had things against them. They were told they would need to change or they would surely die. 10. This is interesting - because most believe “once saved always saved.” Now I’m confused. If the five churches did not change and continued to live lives partly dedicated to God, would they be saved or would they experience eternal death? According to scripture, they would not be saved for God’s kingdom. Perhaps this means they never truly were pure in heart - never really a true child of God??? 11. But God! In all cases the One who appeared like the Son of Man told the five churches to repent. He always leaves an opportunity to do what is right. He always leaves an opportunity to reconcile men. 12. Last, the Angel of the Lord said to John, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 Now I know that I MUST read and seek to understand the Book of Revelation that was given to Christ by His Father God about the things that are yet to come, and I must learn from the same instruction that was given to the seven lamp-stands who stood in the midst of Jesus, and the seven stars who were held in His hands. I pray the Lord will open my eyes, and that the words that come out of mouth and the words that drop onto these pages are God-inspired and just in His eyes.  I recently read a paper that said, “Comparison will hinder you from hearing from God.”
The question is WHY? Why does comparison hinder our ability to hear from God? Is it because He does not care? Is it because we do not matter? Absolutely not! In fact the reason is quite the opposite. Comparison hinders our ability to hear from God because comparison reflects a heart that is still hardened. Let me explain. God’s desire is to bring us through His refining fire. He wants us to be like precious gold - with hearts that reflect His pure light. His desire is to burn off the impurities that cause human hearts to hardened. Let’s take a look at God’s instruction book to see what His word says about comparison. The first mention of comparison in the Bible is in Genesis 3, when Satan comes to Eve and tempts her to eat from the forbidden tree. Satan says, “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 Satan tempted both Adam and Eve, because Adam was sitting beside her. Satan paired the forbidden fruit with the desire to be like God. Satan tempted God's human creation by showing them the comparison between them and God and by eating the fruit their eyes would be opened and they would be more like God. Comparison happens through temptation and doubt - and a flesh desire to want something that you do not already have. There’s a heart of discontentment; a feeling of resentment; a longing aroused by someone else's quality or possessions. The comparison that happened in the Garden between Adam and Eve and Satan was not good. That temptation led to a permanent separation - a falling away of the first humans. But God is faithful. In Genesis 3 verse 15, the Creator of Heaven and earth promised a new Seed, a Seed that would crush the head of Satan. God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 I thank God he is faithful and keeps His promise! I thank God for the promised Seed who is Jesus! The second comparison that happens in scripture is between Adam and Eve’s first two sons, Cain and Abel. “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” God was trying to get Cain to see that has heart was still very hard. God was trying to help Cain create a ground that was fertile. “Now Cain talked with Abel and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” The envy and jealousy that filled Cain’s heart became uncontainable. The sin that poured out was a violent anger that led to a horrible murder. “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” Cain said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord had the same response with Adam when He entered the garden. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:9-10 I’m not saying that Adam’s response was good, because he still hid, but at least he knew he had done something wrong. But within one generation of human separation from God, Cain had already developed a prideful superiority - Cain used sarcasm with God! God said, “What have you done? “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.” God hears the blood! The blood of every human who has been murdered! The babies in the womb. The child sacrifices. The children who have been brutally abused, and the poor who have been neglected. God hears the blood! The blood of the beheaded. The blood of those hung. Every murder by bomb and gun - God hears it all! God said to Cain, “When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” Cain became a wanderer - a wanderer without a home; a wanderer without His God. Cain was a man who had a heart that was hard. Comparisons lead to evil. Humans were created to worship! That is why we have Jesus. When our eyes are focused on Christ, we are not tempted by anything that is void of His light. When our eyes are focused on Christ, we are led by His Holy Spirit, and we are convicted and redirected when we get off course. When our eyes are focused on Christ, we are not distracted by the earthly qualities and possessions of another person. We are totally content with the light that Jesus gives us. |
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