Читать книгу Hidden In Plain Sight: A Study of the Revelation to John - Uchenna Mezue - Страница 14

1¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ¹⁹ “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

On turning around to see the source of the voice like a trumpet, John saw the spiritual image of the seven churches (the golden lampstands), and amongst them, and Lord over them all was ‘one like a son of man’. He also saw the designated shepherds of these churches before the throne of God held in the right hand of the Son of Man (the seven stars in the hand of the Lord). It is unlikely that the voice like the Trumpet that asked John to write is that of the Son of Man revealed here, as John himself describes the voices differently (Rev. 1.10 vs. 1.15). John certainly did not specifically indicate that the one like a Son of Man was the one that spoke in the trumpet-like voice and subsequent events do not support this conclusion. It is probable that the trumpet-like voice is that of the angel mediating the revelation or that of one of the Guardians of the churches, i.e. one of the Archangels.

The personality and thus, the identity of the One like a son of man, is intrinsic in the description of what John is permitted to see of him. The mode of dressing clearly indicates his authority. Wisdom and purity could be discerned in his white hairs, power and omniscience in his blazing eyes, and unyielding, rapidly approaching justice in his feet of glowing bronze. His voice was pervasive, soothing and life-giving. Like the sound of much water, it is our sustenance, and being immanent in all things, he speaks to us all the time. This is not the same as the trumpet-like voice sending a warning to humanity. Out of his mouth came the sharp double-edged sword of Truth against which we will all judge ourselves. In his total countenance, we see his essence, the pure unapproachable Light, the eternal source of Life. His immediate helpers (the stars in his right hand) are seven powerful angels, each in turn shepherding one lampstand (v20).

The Lord is described as ‘one like the son of man’ and it had commonly been assumed that this represents the Lord Jesus Christ who had walked the earth as one of us, a son of man. However, because this is looking into the future, the description will apply to Jesus only if we are considering his second coming. It is more likely to apply to the Spirit of Truth promised by Christ, who is to come just before the end to bring the final word and admonition, and usher in the judgment.

Is the ‘one like a son of man’ then the Love of God or the Will of God or both? This question remained unanswered until the gift of the last Message from God, the Truth brought by the comforter promised by Christ. In the Grail Message, a clear distinction is made between the Son of God and the Son of Man. The Son of God cannot at the same time be the Son of Man! Although, addressed in the introductory section, I must emphasize that it is fruitless to debate whether the Son of Man is the Christ or the Holy Spirit; what is important is to recognize that the Son of Man is coming! We are meant to recognize that both are One in and with the Father.

One thing is clear though; he comes in the power of and represents the Eternal One. This event is happening in the spiritual on the island of Patmos and so, this is the spiritual image of the Son of Man. Contrast with chapter four where John was taken beyond his spiritual origin where he was not able to see the Divine or Primordial Spiritual form of the Son of Man.

When John saw the Son of Man, the experience overwhelmed him, for his spirit could not stand the radiance of unshielded Divine presence. The Lord placed His hand on John in blessing indicating acceptance of his worship and thereby imparting courage and strength. This should be contrasted with when John attempted the same with the Angel (Rev. 22.8) who could not accept his worship, but gently rebuked him. Worship belongs to God alone.

The Lord then further reassured John by asking him not to be afraid – he had died but he is alive forever. He is the Living One who holds the key to Life (eternal life) and to death and judgment (Hades). This will suggest that He is the Judge of the Living and the dead. The first part of verse 18 “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever!” is another basis for the conclusion that the Son of Man meant is Jesus but see above (discussion on Rev. 1:4-6). We must remember that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are One and that Jesus clearly stated that he did not come as a judge.

John is now again commanded to write what he has been allowed to see of the present and the future. The earlier command to write The Revelation (Rev. 1:10-11) was given by the voice like a trumpet and here he is again commanded to write, this time the message of the Son of Man to the seven churches, a declaration of imminent judgment. These specific messages to the churches are given in chapters two and three.

It is important to note that the message to the seven churches is for the present and the future and it is too restrictive to limit this message to the small communities in Asia Minor (that no longer even exist as such) and to the oppression of the church by Roman Emperors of the time.

We are now given an insight into the profound meaning of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands; a meaning that suggests that these seven churches represent a comprehensive aggregation of human spirits before the Eternal One.

The seven lampstands before the Son of Man are the seven churches. This fact supports the view that these are not just churches in the earthly province of Asia; churches that were indeed dying or dead at the time of writing the Revelation, but that they represent something of much more significance. They are the seven Universes of the Material planes of Creation represented before the owner of Creation as lampstands. The Lord walking amongst them has the angels of the churches in the hollow of his right hand i.e. under his authority and protection. The seven stars are the angel guardians of the communities or Universes. These guardians are probably also the seven that sound the warnings to the Universes in the Trumpets. It is also likely that it is the voice of one or all that spoke to John like a trumpet earlier. They are responsible for the seven communities in the presence of God and it must surely be their place to bring the final warning. From chapter 8:1 we see that these are indeed high beings who stand in the presence of God.

The Son of Man is not described as standing or sitting amongst the lampstands, but as indicated in Rev. 2:1 walked amongst them. This suggests that the Lord was on a judgment tour of the Universes. From transmitted scripts available from the Grail foundation, when the Son of Man approached each community the light from the stand flared, glowed or dimmed according to the spiritual movement within the specific church. They judge themselves in the presence of the Son of Man.