We have been working through a series on the book of Revelation. This book of the Bible can be difficult to understand for a variety of reasons, so we are taking it slow and studying it bit by bit together.

As we progress through Revelation, John discovers that the voice speaking to him is Jesus. In verse 16, he describes Jesus as having “a sharp, double-edged sword coming from His mouth.”

In Ephesians 6:17, we read about “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” We also know from John 1:1-3 that Jesus is the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Verse 14 continues, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

So what does it mean that Jesus has a double-edged sword coming out of His mouth? Hebrews 4:12 makes it plain. “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.” Jesus is the living Word of God and He is the judge of every human.

John 5:21 says, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

When Jesus walked the earth, His message was one of repentance. He wanted people to turn from their own ways and turn to Him. John is describing the risen Jesus, Who is the judge using the sharp sword of the Word of God to sort out the thoughts and intentions of every human heart. Those who have not turned toward Jesus will suffer, while those who have made the decision to accept Jesus will be with Him in heaven forever.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the wisdom that we have in the Bible. Lord, help us to apply Your Word in our everyday lives. Lord, help us to study Revelation and give us understanding. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

We have been working through a series on the book of Revelation. This book of the Bible can be difficult to understand for a variety of reasons, so we are taking it slow and studying it bit by bit together.

In Chapter 1, John, the author, turns around to see who was speaking to him and it was none other than Jesus! We know from verse 1 that the book of Revelation is, “the revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.” John is told to write down what he sees so that the servants of God, (that is us), would know what is going to occur. We covered this portion of Revelation deeper in a prior post.

John knew Jesus, he had spent years ministering alongside of Him, had seen the transfiguration of Jesus and witnessed many miracles. Yet the Jesus that John describes for us is the risen Jesus. This is the Jesus Who stands before our Father in heaven right now pleading for us, (Romans 8:34). Jesus is our Protector and King, the Lord of Lords and the Head of the global Church.

In verse 14, John writes, “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.”

Throughout Revelation, it is helpful to keep in mind that John was being shown things that he did not always have words to describe, so he references things that the reader of that time would have known. John describes Jesus as having hair like wool, eyes like fire and a voice that sounded like rushing waters.

The wool of lambs would have been a common sight to the readers of John’s letter as Jewish people were regularly bringing spotless or white lambs to be sacrificed to God. In the Bible, white hair is a blessing, an honor, and a sign of wisdom (Proverbs 16:31 and 20:29). The description of white hair like wool would have also been familiar to Jewish scholars of the time. Like John, Daniel the prophet and author of the book of Daniel, was shown visions of heaven. We read similar Scriptures in Daniel chapter 7 verse 9, describing God, the Ancient of Days.

“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 . . .”

Not only did John and Daniel use similar words to describe Jesus’ hair, their overall visions of Jesus are incredibly similar. Daniel, chapter 10 verse 5, says, “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”

The eyes of Jesus are like flames of fire, which represent His judgment. His eyes see into the human heart (1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 21:2, Psalm 44:21, Acts 1:24, Romans 8:27). The feet of Jesus appear like burnished bronze to both John and Daniel. Bronze that has been burnished in a fire is strong and gleams like gold, it is not easily broken or destroyed. Jesus’ feet will not falter or fail wherever He places them.

Finally, both John and Daniel describe that when Jesus speaks, his voice sounds like rushing waters – full of power and might. When He speaks, all creation responds. It is only by His Word that our hearts continue to beat, and our lungs fill with air. With one Word, Jesus gives life and can take it, for all things were made through Him, (John 1:3).

How might your prayer time look different if you pictured the risen Jesus? What if we envisioned Jesus with His eyes blazing with fire and a voice like the sound of rushing waters?

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the wisdom that we have in the Bible. Lord, help us to apply Your Word in our everyday lives. Lord, help us to study Revelation and give us understanding. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

We have been working through a series on the book of Revelation. This book of the Bible can be difficult to understand for a variety of reasons, so we are taking it slow and studying it bit by bit together.

As we continue through the book of Revelation, in Chapter 1, verse 12, John writes, “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.”

This description of what Jesus is wearing reflects what the Old Testament priests would wear. Exodus 28, verse 2 says, “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. ³ Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. ⁴ These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. ⁵ Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.”

In verse 40 of Exodus 28, we read why Old Testament priests were to wear robes and sashes. “Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honor.” Jesus does not need a robe and a sash to give Him dignity and honor. So why does He wear something similar?

While the robe and sash that John saw the risen Jesus wearing is similar to that of the Old Testament priests, they are not the same. Jesus’ robe and golden sash represent the supreme authority over all priests. Jesus deserves all honor and praise and glory. Jesus reigns supreme over all priests, pastors, popes, bishops, and any other title that church leaders may have.

When we pray to Jesus, how do we approach Him? Do we approach Him as we do a priest or Pastor? Or do we approach Jesus as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings Who has supreme authority over all church leaders?

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the wisdom that we have in the Bible. Lord, help us to apply Your Word in our everyday lives. Lord, help us to study Revelation and give us understanding. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.