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In Revelation 1:13-18 Christ is presented as the Son of Man. Christ as the Son of Man, in all that He is and does, is for our experience and enjoyment. In Revelation, Christ — the all-inclusive, excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful One — is unveiled as the Son of Man in chapter 1 and the Son of God in chapter 2. In Revelation 1:13 Christ not only is depicted here as the High Priest, as shown by His garment, but also is unveiled as being like the Son of Man. He is both divine and human. As our High Priest, He is caring for the churches in His humanity.
Christ as the Son of Man is not only for the accomplishing of redemption but also for the church life, because the church is composed of human beings. That the Lord is still the Son of Man after His ascension indicates that He has not put off His human nature after resurrection. His dealings here with the churches are based on His humanity. In His humanity He was altogether victorious and successful in bearing the testimony of God. The churches also, being in humanity, surely can be victorious and successful in bearing the testimony of God.
Throughout the centuries some so-called Christians have taught that Christ was not the Son of God. Even today there are some so-called Christians who do not believe that Christ is the Son of God. To deny that Christ is the Son of God is heretical. Such a teaching is devilish and comes from Hades, and we must uncompromisingly stand against it. Some Christians, on the contrary, do not believe that Christ today is still the Son of Man. According to their view, Christ became a man by incarnation, but in His resurrection He put off His humanity. They think that Christ is no longer the Son of Man but only the Son of God. We believe, however, that according to the pure Word, today our Christ is both the Son of God with divinity and the Son of Man with humanity. He has two natures, divinity and humanity, and in Him we have true divinity and proper humanity.
According to verse 13, “One like the Son of Man” is “in the midst of the lampstands,” which signify the churches (v. 20). In the Bible the lampstand is always related to God’s building. The first time the lampstand was mentioned was in Exodus 25:31-40, when the tabernacle was built. The second instance was in regard to the building of the temple in 1 Kings 7:49. The third instance was closely related to the rebuilding of God’s temple in Zechariah 4:2-10. In Revelation the lampstand is related to the building of the churches. In Exodus 25 the emphasis is on Christ being the lampstand as the divine light, shining as seven lamps with the Spirit (the oil). In Zechariah 4 the emphasis is on the Spirit (v. 6) as seven lamps shining, these seven lamps being the seven eyes of God (vv. 2, 10). The seven eyes of God are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 5:6) for God’s intensified move. This indicates that the lampstand in Zechariah is the reality of the lampstand in Exodus, and that the lampstands in Revelation are the reproduction of the lampstand in Zechariah. Christ is realized as the Spirit, and the Spirit is expressed as the churches. The shining Spirit is the reality of the shining Christ, and the shining churches are the reproduction and expression of the shining Spirit to accomplish God’s eternal purpose that the New Jerusalem as the shining city may be consummated. Christ, the Spirit, and the churches are all of the same divine nature.
The churches, signified by the seven golden lampstands, are the testimony of Jesus (1:2, 9) in the divine nature, shining in the dark night locally yet collectively. The churches should be of the divine nature — golden. They should be the stands, even the lampstands, that bear the lamp with the oil (Christ as the life-giving Spirit) and shine in the darkness individually and collectively. They are individual lampstands locally, yet at the same time they are a group, a collection, of lampstands universally. They not only are shining locally but also are bearing universally the same testimony both to the localities and to the universe. They are of the same nature and in the same shape. They bear the same lamp for the same purpose and are fully identified with one another, not having any individual distinctiveness. The differences among the seven churches recorded in chapters 2 and 3 are all of a negative nature, not a positive one. Negatively, in their failures, the churches are different and separate from one another; but positively, in their nature, shape, and purpose, they are absolutely identical and are connected to one another.
Christ as the Son of Man today is “in the midst of” the lampstands, the churches. On the one hand, as the High Priest, He is interceding in the heavens for the churches (Heb. 9:24; 7:25-26; Rom. 8:34), and on the other hand, He is moving in the churches to care for them. The churches with Christ as their one center are the focus in the divine administration for the accomplishing of God’s eternal purpose. If we would participate in His move and enjoy His care, we must be in the churches.
Revelation 4 and 5 unveil the Christ in heaven, whereas the first three chapters of Revelation unveil the Christ in the midst of the churches. The Christ in the midst of the churches is the Christ in heaven. Today the Christ on the earth is in the midst of His churches. Therefore, on the one hand, Christ is in heaven, and on the other hand, Christ is on earth, walking among His churches.
Today Christ is the glorious man walking in the midst of the golden lampstands, the local churches. If we want Him to walk in our midst, we must be in the local churches. If we are in the denominations, we are still in captivity. It is not a small thing to be in the local churches. Where the local churches are, there Christ is walking in the midst. To have Christ as the glorified man walking in our midst is the greatest reward for us in the local churches. To have Christ walking in our midst is inexpressibly glorious.
That Christ is walking in the midst of the lampstands (1:13; 2:1) is a sign, indicating that the place in which Christ can walk is the churches. If there were no churches on the earth, there would be no place for Christ to walk. Walking implies appearing to people. The place where John saw Jesus was in the midst of the churches. Many of us can testify that before we came into the churches, we knew of Jesus, but we did not see much of Him. In the churches we not only know of Jesus or hear of Him but also see Him and meet with Him. What the Lord truly desires to gain is the local churches.
When Christ comes to deal with us in the churches, He does so not only in His divinity but also in His humanity. When we are defeated, we may excuse ourselves, thinking that we are merely pitiful sons of man but that the Lord is quite capable and can overcome because He is the Son of God. When He comes to us as the Son of Man, however, we have no such excuse. He also was a man and overcame as a man, not only as the Son of God. We should not make any excuses for ourselves. If we are defeated and fail in the church life, we should not sympathize with ourselves, saying that our defeat is excusable because we are only human beings. Human beings are the right material for the church life. Thus, in the midst of the churches, Christ is walking as the Son of Man. In Daniel 3 we are told that the Son of God was walking in the fire (v. 25), but in Revelation 1 we see that the Son of Man is walking in the midst of the churches.
We must worship the Lord as the Son of Man. Because He is both human and divine, He is such a wonderful One. Because He is both divine and human, He knows God and man, heaven and earth. In Him we have divinity and humanity, and in Him we are both in the heavens and on the earth. Today the Lord is both in the heavens and on the earth, walking in His humanity in the midst of the local churches.
The Lord is with the church, but we cannot substantiate this with our eyes or our hands. In Matthew 28 the Lord clearly promised that even though He would ascend to heaven, He would still be with the disciples (v. 20). He promised that He would be with them not only temporarily but for all the days until the consummation of the age, until the time that He comes back. Therefore, the Lord’s being with His disciples after His ascension is from the time of His ascension until His second coming. He will surely fulfill the promise that He personally gave to the disciples at His ascension. The situation of the church over the past two thousand years testifies that the ascended Lord has never left the church. He has been with the church the entire time.
If we spend time to enjoy Christ in His humanity, all the local churches will be bright and shining. In Revelation 1, Christ is unveiled as the Son of Man. This indicates that the Son of Man is for the local churches. All the local churches need the humanity of Jesus. We must take Him as our food, enjoy Him, and even eat Him in His humanity (John 6:57). We need to be nourished with His humanity, and this nourishing will swallow up all our weaknesses. The humanity of Jesus will make us spiritually healthy.
We need to see the difference between Hebrews chapter 1 and chapter 2. Chapter 1 unveils that Christ is the Son of God; it indicates that He is even God Himself (v. 8). Chapter 1 reveals His divinity, whereas chapter 2 reveals His humanity. It is at the end of chapter 2 that we find the succor, aid, support, help, and supply (v. 18). This comes not so much from Jesus as the Son of God but from the humanity of Jesus. The man Jesus is the succoring One, the aiding One, the supporting One, and the supplying One. Our help and support come mainly from His humanity. In order to succor and supply us, He must have His humanity. If we would enjoy His succoring, we must feed upon His humanity.
John 19:5 records Pilate’s words regarding the Lord Jesus, “Behold, the man!” When Pilate spoke these words, Christ was crowned with thorns, but today He is crowned with glory (Heb. 2:7). He wore a purple garment, but now He wears a priestly garment (John 19:5; Rev. 1:13). He is crowned with glory and clothed with the priestly garment to care for all the local churches. We all need to see this man, for this man is our aid, our help, our support, our supply, and our all. This man is our food for the priesthood.
Revelation 1:13 says that Christ, the Son of Man, is “clothed with a garment reaching to the feet” as a priest. This long garment is the priestly robe, the garment of a high priest (Exo. 28:33-35), signifying the fullness of Christ’s divine attributes and human virtues (cf. Isa. 6:1, 3). Although the word priest is not mentioned in Revelation 1:13, we know by His garment that Christ is depicted here as the High Priest. Today the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, is walking in the midst of the churches, caring for them as a Priest. Among the three offices of priest, prophet, and king, the most dear, intimate, precious, and lovely office is that of the priest. The priest is so dear and lovely because he takes care of the people. In God’s administration today, Christ is a Priest in the midst of the churches, taking care of them as lampstands for the shining of God.
Christ is wearing a long garment down to His feet, a perfect robe of the High Priest. In the Bible the garment signifies what a person is and what he does (Isa. 64:6; Rev. 19:8). Christ’s long robe signifies His splendor in His virtues, which is expressed mainly in and through His humanity (Isa. 6:1). In the Old Testament a priest was not to be exposed in any part (Exo. 20:26); all parts of his body had to be clothed. Suppose the Lord’s priestly garment was short, exposing His feet and legs. This would indicate that He lacked some virtues. However, Christ’s wearing a perfect garment indicates that He is perfect. His long robe signifies that He is short of nothing and that this God-man has human virtues that are sufficient to cover His whole being. He has all the virtues with no shortage whatsoever. With Him, nothing is short, lacking, or needed. He is fully qualified to be a priest. He is walking in the midst of the churches as the High Priest in a perfect robe to bring the local churches into the priesthood.
Revelation 1:13 also says that Christ, the Son of Man, is “girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.” The priests in the Old Testament were girded at the loins for their ministry (Exo. 28:4). In Daniel 10:5 Christ also is girded at His loins, with fine gold. But in Revelation 1:13 Christ as our High Priest is girded about at the breasts. The breasts signify love and refer to His loving care and concern. To be girded at the loins is to be strengthened for work, whereas to be girded about at the breasts signifies care in love. Christ’s work in producing the churches has been accomplished. He no longer needs to be girded at His loins for work. What He is doing now in the midst of the churches is to care for them in love. With respect to the work of producing the churches, the time of His labor is over. Now is the time of His loving care for the churches. This requires that He be girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle. This golden girdle signifies the divine strength. Christ is now exercising a divine care over the churches, moving among them in His humanity and caring for them with His divine strength. He is concerned for His beloved churches. What a loving care He exercises over His churches today!
Christ is wearing a golden girdle on His breasts. This girdle is a long piece of gold. The girdle and the gold are not two separate things. The girdle is the gold. The golden girdle is one piece of gold to become a belt. The Son of Man is in His humanity, and the golden girdle signifies His divinity becoming His energy. Christ’s energy is totally His divinity. A piece of gold is now a girdle. The totality of Christ in His divinity has become a girdle. The golden girdle signifies Christ’s divinity becoming His energy, and the breasts signify that this golden energy is exercised and motivated by His love. His divine energy is exercised by and with His love to nourish the churches.
Christ still walks in the midst of the churches. The churches are on the earth, whereas the One walking is not the earthly Jesus but the heavenly High Priest. His walking is in the atmosphere of the heavens. This is suggested by His garments. He is wearing a priestly robe and is girded at the breasts with a golden girdle. Golden indicates that He is divine, bearing the divine administration, whereas the girdle at the breasts indicates love. The atmosphere He brings is a divine atmosphere filled with love. We would be terrified if we saw the Lord’s seven eyes, which are like a flame of fire. Therefore, we need to keep our gaze fixed on His breast, which is full of the divine love for us. How tender is His concern for all the churches! He even rebukes and chastises us in love. He is the loving Priest caring for His churches today.
Revelation 1:14 says, “His head and hair were as white as white wool, as snow.” White hair signifies great age (Job 15:10). The black hair with which the Lord is depicted in Song of Songs 5:11 signifies His unfading and everlasting strength, but the white hair with which He is depicted in Revelation 1:14 signifies His ancientness.
Although Christ is exceedingly ancient, He is not old. His head and His hair were white as wool and as snow. White wool issues from the nature of life, and white snow comes down from the sky, from heaven. Wool is not made white; it is born white, and its whiteness comes out of its nature. White wool is the color of Christ’s nature. His ancientness is of His nature. Snow is white because it comes from heaven and contains no earthly dirt or stain. Hence, white wool, both in Revelation 1:14 and in Daniel 7:9, signifies that the ancientness of Christ is of His nature, not of His becoming old, while white snow signifies that His ancientness is heavenly, not earthly.
The Son of Man is ancient, but He is not old. He is eternally ancient. He is the One in the beginning without a beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:1, 14). Christ was in the beginning that did not have a beginning. Jesus, the man of Nazareth, is ancient because He is God Himself. He is the God-man, the mingling of divinity with humanity. In the Bible God is called the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9, 13, 22). Christ is the Son of Man, yet He is unveiled as the eternal God.
Although Christ is ancient, He is “living” (Rev. 1:18). Christ is the most ancient One, yet He is the most living One. He is living forever and ever. The church, the Body of Christ, must be the same as Christ, the Head of the Body. The more mature we are, the more living we must be. As a local church matures, it should become increasingly living.
In Revelation 1:14 we see that Christ’s eyes are like a flame of fire. In Song of Songs 5:12 the eyes of Christ are like doves. That is for the expression of His love. In Revelation 1:14 His eyes are “like a flame of fire.” This is for Him to observe and search that He may exercise judgment by enlightening. His eyes are like a flame of fire to look into us in order to test us and refine us. In Revelation His eyes are not two but seven (5:6). Seven is the number of completion in God’s move. Hence, His eyes in this book are for God’s operation. These seven eyes of His are the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God (4:5; cf. Dan. 10:6). The “fire burning” equals the “flame of fire” and is for observing and searching. The seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth are also for God’s move on the earth. Thus, the eyes of Christ in this book are the seven Spirits of God for God’s move and operation on earth today.
Christ’s eyes are for watching, observing, searching, judging by enlightening, and infusing. We should experience all these different aspects of His eyes, especially the aspect of infusing. His eyes infuse us with all that He is. His infusing eyes are a flame of fire which is continually burning. This can be proved by our experience. Since the day we were saved, Christ’s eyes have been like a burning fire enlightening and infusing us. His eyes also stir us up to be hot. After Christ has looked at us, we can never be cold as we once were. By looking at us, the Lord burns us and stirs us up. Many times the Lord comes to us with His piercing eyes. Perhaps when we are trying to hide something from others, the Lord comes with seven shining eyes piercing into our being and exposing our true condition. When we are arguing with others, especially with our intimate ones, the shining eyes of Christ are upon us, and we cannot go on speaking. His shining stops our mouth. As the Lord watches us with His seven eyes, we sense under His gaze how poor and unworthy we are. As a result, we feel humbled, judged, and repentant, and we confess our failures. Through His tender care and judging fire that purifies us, day after day we may have the sense that we are poor, unclean, and desperately in need of His mercy.
The book of Revelation is a book with a judging nature. Fire is for divine judgment (1 Cor. 3:13; Heb. 6:8; 10:27). “Our God is also a consuming fire” (12:29). His throne is like the fiery flame and its wheels are burning fire, and a fiery stream issues and comes forth from before Him (Dan. 7:9-10). All this is for judgment. The main significance of the Lord’s eyes being as a flame of fire is for His judgment (Rev. 2:18-23; 19:11-12). When He comes to take possession of the earth by exercising judgment over it, even His feet will be like pillars of fire (10:1).
Christ is the lamp, and the church is the lampstand. The church is the expression of Christ, but this expression must be completely purified. It must be entirely of pure gold without any mixture or alloy. Gold is purified by fire. Therefore, Revelation is a book of purging and purifying fire. The first vision in this book is a revelation of Christ as the One whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like shining bronze, as having been fired in a furnace (1:14-15). When He looks at people, He burns them in order to purge away everything that does not correspond to the nature of God. This purging and burning is His judgment, and His judgment begins with the church (1 Pet. 4:17; 1 Tim. 3:15).
In the first of the three sections of Revelation (chs. 1—3), there is the judgment of the divine burning in the church, and in the second section (chs. 4—20) there is the judgment of the divine burning in the world. The last section (chs. 21—22) reveals the issue, the result, of the judgment by burning. Anything that does not match the nature of God is purged away by this burning fire and is cast into the lake of fire. After all of the judgments by burning, everything in the new heaven and the new earth with the New Jerusalem is purified.
We should not think that the Lord’s shining today is only to give us grace. Even in the present age of grace, He is observing us and judging us. Even in the church, the manifestation of the Lord Jesus is for the carrying out of His judgment. His eyes are like a flame of fire. In Revelation He is not the dear and lovely Lord; rather, He is the awesome and dreadful Lord. He is here shining, examining, and judging to execute God’s will. This is His administration.
Nothing of the flesh, of the world, or of sin can stand the shining of the seven Spirits as the seven lamps before the throne and as the seven eyes of the Lamb. This shining is a burning. Whatever He shines on, whatever He searches, is judged and burned by Him. Even today the indwelling Spirit in us is sometimes this kind of shining, searching, judging Spirit. On the one hand, this indwelling Spirit is the Spirit of life, the Spirit of sonship, the building Spirit, the transforming Spirit, the Spirit for our living, and the Spirit of the Body, all of which are aspects on the sweet side. On the other hand, He is the judging Spirit, the administrating Spirit, who is in us and among us, shining over us, searching us, judging us, and burning us. We need the grace-giving Spirit, and we also need the judging Spirit. We need the Spirit as the living water flowing in us, but we also need the Spirit as fire shining, searching, judging, and burning in us.
Christ’s eyes, which are like a flame of fire, indicate that He is burning. In the local churches there should be no coldness or lukewarmness, for Christ is the burning One. Since He is burning, we all must be burning. All the believers in the churches must be burning. If we allow the Lord’s seven eyes to look upon us as we read the Word prayerfully, we will not remain cold but instead will be burned and even burning.
