SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/1/2015 2:23 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-3 The Return of the Conqueror
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation 19:11-13
Message of the verses: "11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."
We want to begin this SD by looking at the phrase "His eyes are a flame of fire" and I want to go back to what we looked at January 12, 2015 when we looked at Revelation 1:14 as we saw something similar in that verse. "Next we see His eyes like flaming fire which means that He can penetrate all things in the church to see how the church is living up to the things they are suppose to be doing for the cause of Christ. "for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known (Matthew 10:26b)." "12 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. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12-13)." These eyes speak of Christ’s all knowing and all seeing which is a part of His attributes." John MacArthur adds to this by writing "Those eyes had reflected tenderness and joy as He gathered little children to Himself. They had reflected compassion when He observed distressed and dispirited people, wandering aimlessly through life like sheep without a shepherd. And they had reflected forgiveness when He restored Peter, who had been crushed by guilt over his shocking denial of his Master. They eyes that wept over the fate of unrepentant Jerusalem and over the sorrow, suffering, and death in this sin-cursed world, John see flashing with the fire of judgment."
Next we want to look at the phrase "On His head Christ wore many diadems," and MacArthur says that this word is a translation of the Greek word diadema which refers to a ruler’s crown rank and regal authority. Now since He has many this speaks of His collection of all the rulers’ crowns as this was a custom in earlier times when a king would conquer another nation he would put on the conquered king’s crown. Jesus Christ alone is sovereign since we read that He is King of kings, and Lord of lords in verse 16.
Now next we have something that is a mystery that we need not try to understand because John did not understand it and that is the name given to Him that no one knows except Himself. God does not tell us everything about Himself, and further more He certainly is not obligated to do so. One of my very favorite verses is Deuteronomy 29:29 which says ""The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions (NLT)." God has told us what He wants us to know and we are suppose to do what He tells us to do in His revealed Word, but there are things that He has not told us and we need not be concerned with those. Perhaps even in heaven we will not fully know the Lord, but we will know Him better than we do now. This phrase kind of reminds me of something that happened earlier in Revelation when the seven peals of thunder spoke and John was about to write down what they said, but was told not to. The difference is that John knew what they said, and he does not know this name that was on Jesus Christ.
We will finish this SD and this sub-point with a rather long quote from John MacArthur who writes "Describing the final element of Christ’s appearance, John writes that ‘He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood.’ The blood is not representative of that which He shed on the cross; this is a picture of judgment, not redemption. The blood is the blood of His slaughtered enemies. The imagery of this passage is similar to that of Isaiah 63:1-6. "1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. 4 "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come. 5 "I looked, and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. 6 "I trod down the peoples in My anger And made them drunk in My wrath, And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.’’
"The question arises as to why His garments are blood spattered before the battle has begun. But this is not His first battle; it is His last battle. He has fought for His people throughout redemptive history, and His war clothes bear the stains of many previous slaughters. At that day, they will be stained as never before when He ‘treads the wind press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty’ (V. 15).
"That the Rider’s ‘name is called The Word of God’ identifies Him unmistakably as the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1). The second person of the Trinity, the incarnate Son of God is called ‘The Word of God’ because He is the revelation of God. He is the full expression of the mind, will, and purpose of God, ‘the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature’ (Heb. 1:3)."
Going along with this thought I want to look at another passage from John’s gospel "John 14:8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." John 14:9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ’Show us the Father’?"
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As long as I am willing to get to know the Lord Jesus Christ better and better I will know the Father as He says in this verse.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Php 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: "Psalms."
Today’s Bible question: "How long did it take to build the temple?"
Answer in our next SD.
10/1/2015 2:59 PM
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