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Revalation 1:16
“And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” Rev. 1: 16
“And He had in His right hand seven stars . . . the angels of the seven churches.” In Genesis 1:14-18 we discover a precedent for the stars as lesser lights that are guides in the darkness. The spiritual darkness that pervades our planet is no different than the dark of night. Ephesians 6: 12 defines Satan’s work in this way: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The lies of Satan have corrupted the image of God in this world and we know not our own Father. The falsehoods of the Devil have obscured the truth of God so that the world gropes about in the dark being led about seemingly by the prevailing winds. Yet God does not allow us to be lost in the dark. Jesus is the “light shining in the darkness.” He is the great and “true Light that lighteth everyone that comes into the world.” David (Ps 18:28/ 2Sam 22:29) says of God, “For Thou art my lamp, O lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.”
As Jesus is the true Light, then all other light proceeds forth from His hand even as all of earth’s history is revealed through His sovereign presence. The lesser lights are under His control, held tight in His dominance and under His direction. These angels, these messengers to the world, help guide us in the darkness, even as the stars of heaven have their purpose. These angels, seven in number, represent the light given to the whole church throughout the Christian dispensation, a true comfort for us under the control of Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament God’s church was the nation of Israel, also represented by similar symbols as noted by Joseph to his brothers. “Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” Gen. 37:9
Israel was to give God’s light to this planet, which they indeed did through the prophets and scriptures, despite the failure of the nation as a whole. Similarly, God gives His light to the New Testament world through His church, even despite its failings. There will follow in the next two chapters, the light given to these churches through their messengers: a light to dispel the darkness that enshrouds each church and the guidance and truths necessary for each one.
That light is present in the word of God (Heb 4: 12) which is “quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” It is God’s word that reveals to us all truth; it is the definer of all righteousness. As God speaks, all is brought into the light of His holiness and the revelation of His omniscience. All history known by Him and for Him as this book reveals. Home | About Us | Bible Study | Billerica Blog | Bible Commentary | Devotional | Online Giving | Ministries | Prayer | Media | Bookstore | News | Calendar | Contact Us | Sermons
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