JESUS SPEAKING
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands 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 were like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if burning in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. And 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 if dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Fear not; 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. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches” (Revelation 1: 12-20.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
The Apostle John was the author of the book of Revelation. When the Lord visited him, he was an old man, living in exile on the Aegean Island of Patmos. John was the last living Apostle; imprisoned for his faith in Jesus Christ (it is generally accepted that John recorded this revelation around 95 A.D.; some sixty years after the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.) John heard the voice of the Lord and turned and saw Jesus in his Heavenly throne room (in his glorified state.) His eyes were aflame; his hair was a brilliant white; his feet were like shining brass. He was bathed in radiance like the shining of the sun. John was filled with fear and fell face down at Jesus’ feet. The Lord commanded John to record all that he was about to see and hear. Jesus verbally expressed four distinct characteristics of his Godly nature; He is eternal and the creator of all things; He cannot die; He can grant eternal life to whomever he desires; and he stands outside of time (to God, the past, present and future are one in the same.) Jesus also revealed the mysteries of the seven stars and seven Golden lampstands. The seven golden lampstands were representative of the seven churches of John’s day. There were large churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The seven stars Jesus held were the seven angels, or spirits that inhabited the churches (Jesus later addressed each individual church, and discussed matters of sin and obedience.) These churches also stand outside of time (they still exist today.) Over the course of nearly 2000 years, all seven churches have grown to encircle the Earth. Every true believer is a member of one of God’s churches. Anyone who does not believe in the God of the bible has no church; they are lost and headed for death and destruction. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is seated in heaven as the ‘head of the church.’ The church is ‘the house of God’ and no one in God’s house will ever die.
Jesus said, “I have the keys of hades and death.” Only the one true and living God can grant eternal life. ‘There is an ancient story of a woman who had lost a son; distraught, she sought a way to bring him back to life. She heard that Buddha had a potion that could bring people back from the dead. She sought him, and he agreed that he did have such a potion. Anxious, she asked to help collect herbs to aide him in making the tonic. Buddha sent her out with one simple requirement; he told her that the herbs had to come from a house that had never been touched by death. She set out to collect the herbs, but every door she knocked on had (in one way or another) experienced death; (a brother, a cousin, an uncle, a grandparent, a son or daughter.) The woman came to realize that death afflicts everyone. She lost hope in the resurrection of her son, and allowed him to be buried. The woman returned to Buddha to thank him for helping her to come to terms with the death of her child.’ Buddha had no magic potion; he was unable to bring the dead to life. He was only successful in replacing the woman’s hope with acceptance. Unlike Buddha, Jesus Christ has replaced the acceptance of death with the hope of resurrection. Believers understand that there will be a day when they will mourn no more. Lost loved ones will live again. For those who love Jesus, death holds no power; all those who have died, will rise to live forever.
Will you live again? Are you aware that Jesus is seated on his throne in heaven? Do you understand that for those who believe, there is no death? Those who confess that Jesus Christ is their master, and live to please him, are eternal; there is no death, only life. Don’t lose faith; don’t lose hope; keep your heart and mind focused on that day; the day you and I will see Jesus Christ face to face (just as John saw him); and we will know complete peace; unending peace; eternal peace; in the presence of a loving God.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and we recognize Your power and glory. Jesus, we look forward to the day we will see You face to face. You are the only God, the one true and living God, and we put our faith and trust completely in You. We trust that we will live forever with You, in Your eternal Kingdom. Give us the courage and strength to reach out to others who may not know You, that they might come to accept You and receive unending life for themselves. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus Speaks 