Today, Thursday January 27
Jesus is the Light of Life Revelation 1:12-14 “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 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. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.”
When John turns to see the “voice” that spoke to him he saw seven golden lampstands and the Lord Jesus Christ in their midst, with the garments of those of the Great High Priest that we read about in Exodus 28:2-4. We know that the seven golden lampstand represent the seven churches in Asia that John is told to write a book to. As John is given his first vision I think it is interesting to note that he saw Jesus in the midst of His church! Jesus is the Light of Life!
Yesterday we talked about the ministry of Jesus to the seven churches. Jesus today in heaven, has the ministry of intercession (Hebrews 7:25). He is praying for us right now!!!! Jesus has the ministry of intervention. He is our advocate pleading our case before our Father (1 John 1 & 2). And Jesus also has the ministry of inspection. Let’s look at this ministry a little more today.
Remember the Old Testament tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness at Sinai. It was divided into two rooms. The front room was 15’ wide and 30’ long and was called the Holy Place. Right behind it was the Most Holy Place, which was a cube room that was 15’ by 15’ by 15’. The whole tabernacle was 15’ wide and 45’ long and 15’ high. The lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40) was placed in the Holy Place and was the only light there. The Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat on it, was in the Most Holy Place and there was no need for a light there because that’s where God dwelt in His own Holy Light between the Cherubim on the Mercy Seat.
The high priest had the sole oversight of the lampstand. He was the one who lighted the lamps. He poured in the oil and trimmed the wicks. If one of the lamps began to smoke and did not give a good clear light, he was the one who snuffed it out. The Lord Jesus is walking in the midst of the lampstands today. He is in the midst of His church, made up of individual believers.
Jesus is doing several things today. He trims the wicks. Remember in John 15 we are told that Jesus prunes the branches of believers so that they might bring forth fruit. Jesus is the vine, He is the life of the branch! One of the reasons He lets us go through certain trials on earth is so that He might get some fruit off our branches or that He might make our light burn more brightly. Jesus is the One who pours in the oil, which represents the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants light, and He is the One who pours in the Holy Spirit to get that light. If there is any light coming from our lives, it comes from the Holy Spirit. He is the source. No light originates in us!
Jesus sometimes uses a snuffer. If a lamp won't give good light and it keeps smoking up the place, the Lord Jesus snuffs it out. Maybe this is what John meant when he said that there is a sin unto death (see 1John 5:16). You and I can be set aside. The Apostle Paul was concerned about this: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Oh, what a sad thing to be set aside because of our willful sin and disobedience. Jesus is walking in the midst of the lampstands, and He wants them to produce light. He wants us to let His light shine through our lives to a dark world that desperately needs direction and help in their darkness! (Matthew 5:13-16)
God bless!
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