Wednesday in the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

Revelation 1:12-16, 20

The Son of Man—In His Glory

When our Lord came two-thousand years ago, he came in humility, born to humble parents in a stable (cave), and laid in a feeding trough.  But this is not his usual state.  From eternity our Lord was and is the Second Person of the Triune God, the only Son begotten of his Father, dwelling in inaccessible light.  And now he is exalted to the Father’s right hand having taken his earthly body with him but now glorified.  To put it another way, his humble state of being for those thirty or so years was an anomaly; his normal state of being is glorious, and three disciples were blessed to get a glimpse of that state when the veil was pulled back as he was transfigured before them.

So John (who was one of the three) now turns to see the one with the voice like a trumpet and the roar of many waters.  John describes him in all of his awful appearance; a long robe and golden sash, hair white as snow, eyes like flame of fire, feet like burnished bronze refined in a furnace, a two-edged sword protruding from his mouth, and face shining like the sun in full strength.  John naturally falls as if dead before him.

The description is very similar to Daniel 7:9-10 wherein is described the “Ancient of Days,” apparently a description of the Father but the Son shares his Father’s glorious appearance.  In Daniel 7:13-14, a “Son of Man” appears on the clouds of heaven and receives dominion over all peoples and nations.  Certainly what we see here is our Lord and Savior in all his regal attire appearing in his kingly office.

And over what does he rule?  He rules over his Church represented by the seven golden lampstands—a reference to Zechariah 4:1-10 where the lampstand represents the temple yet unfinished under Zerubbabel during its rebuilding.  That there are seven lampstands refers to all the churches.  And he who stands in the midst of the churches is the same mighty Lord we just described above. 

We remember that from our Lord’s mouth proceeded a sword—no doubt to judge the nations—but also to judge the churches when they stray from and compromise the truth when confronted with trial.  But even so, he still holds the “seven stars” in his hand, which might represent angels who preside over the churches, the pastors of those churches, or the faithful of each church.  Be that as it may, we may be comforted that in this world, the Lord walks among his churches as King, Protector, and Savior.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor

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