_ The begotten again Christian has
spiritually died in Christ. See Rom 6.3;
Eph 2.1-5. With death comes separation into
three parts: spirit, soul, and body. See
Ecc 12.17; Rev 20.13. Through His death
on the Cross, each of these three parts of the Son of Man separates from the
others through His death on the Cross.
Each part of our Lord spiritually joins our corresponding part when we
died with Him and in Him through the spiritual death represented by baptism. The joined spirits, entrusted to the Father,
later enable the exit of the joined souls from Hades and the appropriate giving
and sustaining of new life in each body. See Luke 23.46; Matt 16.18; 1 Cor 15.45. The joined souls, after a very short stay in
Hades, have rest in heaven. See Eph 1.3;
2.6; Heb 12.22-24. The joined bodies,
raised to new life, form a manifestation of the Body of Christ. See Rom 12.1,5.
_ John perceives the continuing spiritual
reality of these three joinings in this passage, Rev 1.12-16. The lampstands represent the joining of
spirits. The visage like the sun and the
stars represent the souls joined in heavenly places. The head and body of the
one like a son of man represent the joining of bodies. All members of the universal Assembly have the
capacity to perceive spiritually this very real spiritual environment. See Rev 5.6; 1.1 (with 1:1.2 in In Two
Cities: C Rev1v1to3 Our book http://bit.ly/13ssEjl ).
Rev
1:12-16 NKJV Then I turned to see the voice that spoke
with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, (13)
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. (14) His head and hair were white like wool, as
white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; (15)
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice
as the sound of many waters; (16) 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.
_ It seemed best to add a fair amount of
interpretation in the translation below instead of being overly literal. Most of the additions and changes to
traditional translation make implied meanings obvious in English. Brackets are
used to designate unfamiliar or novel choices in translation and
interpretation. Comments below attempt
to explain rather than prove choices, particularly those bracketed.
Rev
1:12-16 jba I then turned to see who was speaking to me. After turning, I saw seven golden lampstands.
(13)
In the midst of the seven lampstands I saw One [resembling a son of Adam]. His garment reached to his feet. He had a golden band around His chest. (14) The
hairs of His head were as white as white wool, as white as snow. His eyes shone
like a fiery flame. (15) His feet resembled furnace fired burnished
brass. His voice resembled the sound of
many waters. (16) He had in His right hand seven stars. A sharp, two-edged sword proceeded out of His
mouth. His face was shining and resembled
the sun at its brightest.
1:12.1
I then turned to see [who] was speaking to me. The
source of the great voice is implicitly a person in a time before voice
recording and broadcasting. (John has just
been directed to write all that he perceives and to send the book to seven
assemblies. The great voice he hears resembles
a trumpet in sound, not the rushing waters of the voice of the one like a son
of Adam. See Rev 1.10,15. 1 Thes 4.16
indicates that our Lord is the speaker.)
1:12.2 After turning, I saw seven golden lampstands. Implicitly
the lampstands are the source of the voice. The spirit of Christ speaks through the union of
His spirit with the spirits of believers in the Assembly and in each community.
(The meetings of each assembly and the apostolic era special spiritual offices,
gifts, and manifestations are secondarily in view. 1 Cor 12.4-6; 14.29-32.)
1:13.1
In the midst of the seven lampstands I
saw One [resembling a son of Adam].
The local unions of spirits are related
to the universal spiritual joining of bodies. Through this joining, the life that is in
Christ Jesus sustains spiritual life in bodies that are dead through sin. Rom 8.10,2; 12.1.
1:13.2 His garment reached to his feet. He had a golden band around His chest. The
garment is that of a priest. It largely covers the flesh of sin, which still
characterizes the bodies of believers.
See Heb 13.15; Gen 3.21; Rom 13.12,14. The band about the chest is akin to the
breastplate of righteousness. See Rom 5.1,17; Eph 6.14. (The lack of symbols of other elements of the
full armor shows that even uninstructed babes in Christ are in view.)
1:14.1 The hairs of His head were as white as white
wool, as white as snow. The white hair is a great symbol of the purity
and wisdom of the Head of the Body, that is, Christ.
1:14.2 His eyes shone like a fiery flame. The omniscience
of, and judgment by, the Head are in view here.
1:15.1 His feet resembled furnace fired burnished
brass. These are the feet of the Messenger. Evangelism is in view. See Isa 52.7; Eph 6.15; Col 3.5.
1:15.2 His voice resembled the sound of many waters. God
gave this entire revelation to the Body as well as to the Head. The members of the Body, in spiritual union
with the Head, sound forth a part of this revelation. See Rev 1:1.1,.2 at http://j.mp/cRev1v1to3
1:16.1 He had in His right hand seven stars. The
souls of the believers in the seven communities are in view. They sit in
heavenly places, at the feet of the Soul of the Head. See Eph 2.6; Luke 10.39; Mark 14:8-9.
1:16.2 A sharp, two-edged sword proceeded out of His
mouth. Heb 4.12 indicates that the living word of God
is in view. This word is living in that
it is fully inspired by the God of prophecy with every reading and hearing and
remembering in mind. See also Eph 6.17; Luke 2.35.
1:16.3 His face was shining and resembled the sun at
its brightest. Like the
souls of believers, the Soul of the Head is in the heavens. The face is used by the soul for
communication, both facial expression and speech. The brightness reminds us of Moses' face
requiring a veil. See 2 Cor 3.7,13, also
John 1.4.
I2C C 141101aa C Rev1v12to16 aa docx | I2C |
141119 2235 | C Rev1v12to16 Joined in spirit, soul, and body
