Revelation 1:16
16 And[kai] he had[echo] in[en] his[autos] right[dexios] hand[cheir] seven[hepta] stars:[aster] and[kai] out of[ek] his[autos] mouth[stoma] went[ekporeuomai] a sharp[oxus] twoedged[distomos] sword:[rhomphaia] and[kai] his[autos] countenance[opsis] was as[hos] the sun[helios] shineth
[phaino] in[en] his[autos] strength.[dunamis] KJV-Interlinear
16 And in His right hand He held
seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face
was like the sun shining in its strength. NASB
We have seen in this first chapter, that the seven
spirits represent the learning and spiritual growing process.
The seven lampstands represent
the completed church, all believers in our dispensation. The cities listed were those in Asia Minor,
and not cities in Judah.
Now we have the image of seven stars which are held
in Christ’s right hand.This holding is
not one for safety or security, but one of control. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, Eph
4:15; 5:23; Col 1:18.Jesus Christ
controls history, Isa. 41.Jesus Christ
guides His Church through life by means of doctrine. Jesus Christ is the ruler of the Kingdom of
God, Col 1:13.
Jesus Christ holds the stars, which are mentioned
in verse 20 as the angels of the churches, in His right hand, and therefore
possesses control over them.
In Rev 2:1 and 3:1, the stars are referred to as
angels, ‘angeloi,’ which is not a reference to actual
angels, but to messengers, Luke 7:24; 9:52; James 2:25. The stars are told to repent (angels have no
need to repent; that portion of their history has already been completed), and
to communicate that same message to their constituents. And since the message from God in our current
dispensation is through the written word, and communicated to believers by
means of instructors, then the seven stars represent the instructors of
doctrine.
The hand is not the left hand, not any hand, but
the right hand and is representative of the hand or position of authority. Jesus Christ is the ultimate authority over
all that exists and certainly of His own family, and Church.
Christ's two edged sword can go either of two
ways.One way to discipline or judge,
and the other way is to heal surgically. With punishment on the one hand and grace on
the other, Christ controls the outcome of each of our lives.
Typically the sword represents the defense of the
Church from enemies that are outside of the Church, Rev. 19:15, 21. But here and in the next couple of chapters,
this defense is for the Church from enemies which are within the Church itself,
Rev. 2:12, 16, Acts 20, 30.Those who disseminate
discord, lies, and such from within the church through false doctrines. As well as those who lead dysfunctional
spiritual lives through ignorance.
Gods
Word is powerful, Heb 4:12-13, and will be used against His enemies, 2 Thess 2:8, and therefore nothing will prevent Christ from
building His Church, Matt. 16:18.
John finishes his vision of the glorified Christ
with the description of His radiant glory, which was apparent on His face,
Judg. 5:31.
The radiant glory of Jesus Christ shines forth from
Him and through His Church, reflecting His glory, Matt 13:43, 2 Cor 4:6, Eph 3:21.
The reflection of Christ’s glory comes through His
Church, through those who advance to spiritual maturity. And this despite all of their failures, hardships,
or flaws in this life.
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