Answer: It means that the Lord, by His mighty work of atonement, has met every claim of God’s throne, and was victorious over every enemy (Col. 1:1313Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)), annulling him that held us captive, and delivering us from our captivity to sin and death and Satan’s power in which we were held as children of men.
Answer: The seven candlesticks made of gold, represent the seven churches mentioned in verse 11.
The Son of Man is the Lord as Judge—to Him all judgment is committed (John 5:22, 2722For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (John 5:27); Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)). “Clothed with a garment down to the foot,” is priestly discrimination (Lev. 13:2,2When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: (Leviticus 13:2) etc.; also Luke 17:1414And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:14)).
“Girt about the breast with a golden girdle,” —His affections can only flow out in divine righteousness: the breast, the place of affection; the gold, divine righteousness.
“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow,” this is the Ancient of Days, “the Great I Am” (Dan. 7:13, 2213I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (Daniel 7:13)
22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:22)).
“His eyes were as a flame of fire,” from which nothing can be hid, searching out and uncovering all sin and iniquity.
“His feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace,” —His ability to judge everything according to divine righteousness.
“His voice as the sound of many waters,” —irresistible power and majesty.
“He had in His right hand seven stars,” —the authority belongs to Him. The stars are subordinate authority.
“Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,” —He judges by the Word of God.
“His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength,” —supreme power and authority.
Answer: Please read carefully Matthew 16:27, 28; 17:1-927For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:27‑28)
1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. (Matthew 17:1‑9); Mark 8:38; 9:1-838Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)
1And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. 3And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. 4And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 6For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. 7And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 8And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. (Mark 9:1‑8); Luke 9:26-3626For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. 28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. (Luke 9:26‑36); 2 Peter 1:16-1816For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (2 Peter 1:16‑18). Ask the Lord to help you to understand them.
When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He proved Himself to be “Emmanuel,” “God with us,” by His words and His works, yet the leaders of Israel rejected Him, because He came in lowly guise. “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isa. 53). In Matthew 16:21,21From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (Matthew 16:21) “From that time forth He began to show unto His disciples,” his sufferings, death and resurrection. Peter opposed Him, not understanding why. The Lord shows them how solemn and important it was to own Him—it meant eternal salvation or eternal loss.
From that time He speaks of Himself as Son of Man. This title is higher and greater than King of Israel. He is both in the future. Psalm 2, is Christ the King of Israel. Psalm 8, He is Son of Man, (compare John 1:4949Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:49) with verse 51). He is the Lord of heaven and earth (1 Cor. 15:2727For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. (1 Corinthians 15:27); Heb. 2:88Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:8)), and all things are out under His feet as Son of Man, and He will come in the glory of His Father with His angels to reward every man according to His works.
The coming of the Lord for His saints is before that, for they also come with Him.
Then in Matthew 16:28,28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:28) the Lord said that some of them standing there, would not taste of death, till they saw the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. This was to confirm their faith, as we see in 2 Peter 1:16-19,16For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (2 Peter 1:16‑19) and in their minds made the word of prophecy more sure, for no one could say to Peter, James, or John that Jesus was not the King of Israel and Son of Man. They could say, We saw Him, and heard the voice on the holy mount. We were eye-witnesses of His majesty.
This, the transfiguration of Christ, is a beautiful sample of the Kingdom come in power. In Moses we see the dead saints raised; in Elias we see the living saints caught up, and all glorified together. These are the heavenly part of the Kingdom, and in Peter, James, and John, we have the saints on earth—the earthly part of the Kingdom, and the glory of the person of Christ lights up the whole Kingdom. And when Peter wants the Kingdom to continue, and puts Moses and Elias as equal with Christ, the voice out of the bright cloud said:
“This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him,” then the disciples fell on their faces and were sore afraid, till Jesus touched them, and said, “Arise, be not afraid,” then they lifted up their eyes and saw no man, save Jesus only.
In Luke 9, Moses and Elias talked with the Lord about His death which was to take place at Jerusalem, and here He charged His disciples to tell no man, till the Son of Man was risen from the dead.
The Lord could not set up His Kingdom in sin. He must die to make atonement for sin. He will set up His Kingdom on earth, as is foretold in the prophets, but now He is gathering together His heavenly bride who will be in the Father’s house with Him on high, and share the Kingdom. When He reigns, we, the Church, will reign with Him. (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)).
Question: Would like to know something about God in Scripture? Are three persons distinct from each other spoken of? T. E.
Answer: Yes, God is revealed to us in the Scriptures called the Holy Bible, and nowhere else. It becomes us to approach this subject with deepest reverence. We can only give you a little help in a few remarks to lead you to read your Bible with earnest prayer to God to teach you by His Holy Spirit who dwells in every one who has rested on the finished work of Christ, His Son.
In Genesis 11 God created. “Let us” (verse 26) is the counsel of the Godhead in creating man. Lord God is His covenant name with mankind (Chapter 2:3).
Abraham knew Him as the Almighty God (Ex. 6:2, 32And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: 3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:2‑3)), and He is revealed to Israel as “I AM THAT I AM” (chap. 3:14) the ever existing One, Jehovah, the God of Israel.
In the New Testament we get as far as a finite being can understand the Infinite (see 1 Tim. 6:15, 1615Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15‑16))—God revealed to Christians (who have received eyes to see divine things) as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:1919Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19); 2 Cor. 13:1414The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.>> (2 Corinthians 13:14)) three persons with one mind and purpose in everything; acting in Creation and redemption. The Father’s will is carried out by the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.
As you examine the Scriptures you will find that the personal pronoun is used of each, and that each possesses a will—here are examples: “Lo, I come to do Thy Will,” —there it is the Father’s will (Heb. 10:77Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:7)). “Not My will but Thine be done,” —there it is the Son’s will (Luke 22:4242Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)). “The selfsame Spirit; dividing to every man severally as He will,” —there it is the will of the Holy Spirit. The Father loves, the Son loves, the Holy Spirit loves (John 15:9, 109As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:9‑10); Rom. 15:3030Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; (Romans 15:30)).
Then in the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole Godhead dwells bodily. All are seen in Him (John 1:14, 18; 14:9, 10, 1114And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)
9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:9‑11); Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19) and 2:9). May the Lord guide you in your meditations, on this all-important subject.