Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:13-16 is about four appearances of Jesus in His glory as follows.
ad. 4. The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 1:16
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Jesus appears in His glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom with these signs.
We will discuss about the first sign.
The special meaning of the star is the pastor.
Revelation 1:20
1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Generally, the star refers to someone who serves and ministers to God and is used by Him to be priests and kings.
Jesus holds the stars with His right hand, so that they will not fall or perish.
There are three things that cause the fall of the star as follows.
The requirements so that the stars do not fall are as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 1:13-16 is about four appearances of Jesus in His glory as follows.
- [verse 13] The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The High Priest.
- [verse 14] The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The King of all kings.
- [verse 15] The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The Just Judge.
- [verse 16] The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The Heavenly Bridegroom.
ad. 4. The appearance of Jesus in His glory as The Heavenly Bridegroom.
Revelation 1:16
1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Jesus appears in His glory as the Heavenly Bridegroom with these signs.
- He had in His right hand seven stars.
- Out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword.
- His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
We will discuss about the first sign.
The special meaning of the star is the pastor.
Revelation 1:20
1:20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Generally, the star refers to someone who serves and ministers to God and is used by Him to be priests and kings.
Jesus holds the stars with His right hand, so that they will not fall or perish.
There are three things that cause the fall of the star as follows.
- Not enduring when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
Revelation 6:13
6:13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
The mighty wind refers to temptations. For example, Judas Iscariot became the fallen star because he could not endure the temptation about money.
John 12:4-6
12:4Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
12:5 "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"
12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
He stole the possession of God, namely the tithes and offerings. Consequently, he left God, hang himself, fell headlong, burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. He perished forever. - Bitterness of heart.
Revelation 8:10-11
8:10Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
8:11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
It means envy, jealousy, revenge, and so on.
For example, Cain as the first son had the firstborn right, but he became a murderer because of the bitterness of heart.
Genesis 4:4-5, 8
4:4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
4:5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
4:8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Cain envied Abel because Abel’s service and ministry were signified with the firstborn and received by God while Cain’s was not. Cain did not prioritize God, so His offering was rejected by God.
The other example is in Matthew 20:1-16 about the workers in the vineyard.
Matthew 20:9-15
20:9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
20:10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
20:11 "And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
20:12 "saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
20:13 "But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
20:14 ‘Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
20:15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evilbecause I am good?’
They had envy because of replacing the denarius or the spiritual wage with dollar or rupiah, referring to the physical one. The denarius refers to the mercy of God.
The envy happens because of not appreciating the blessing of God or His use.
Matthew 20:16
20:16 "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."
Consequently, there is spiritual dryness.
Revelation 12:17
12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The envy, hatred, and anger will increase in the last days to become the rage of the antichrist and hatred without any cause.
Therefore, all envy, revenge, hatred, hurt heart, and dislike must be pulled out, beginning from the marriage, shepherding, and inter shepherding, so that we will not become the same as the antichrist. - The tail of the dragon draws a third of the stars in heaven and throws them to the earth.
Revelation 12:3-4
12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Isaiah 9:15
9:15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
The tail of the dragon refers to the false teachings, including the lying spirit.
The forms of the false teachings are as follows.- The service to God in paganism system.
Deuteronomy 12:29-30
12:29 " When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
12:30 "take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.'
Do not ask, compare with, or do other teachings. - Performing the sign of physical miracle.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
13:1. "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
13:2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods' -- which you have not known -- 'and let us serve them,'
13:3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
It also invites people to follow other teachings that are not in line to the Bible. - Using the fleshy family in order to turn the faith to other teachings.
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
13:6."If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers,
13:7 "of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,
13:8 "you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him;
13:9 "but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
Do not be reluctant to avoid them, but we must be firm. - Corrupt men.
Deuteronomy 13:12-15
13:12. " If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying,
13:13 'Corrupt menhave gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods" ' -- which you have not known --
13:14 "then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you,
13:15 "you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword -- utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
John 6:60, 66
6:60. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"
6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
They come from among us, but reject the hard true teaching Word. They entice others to receive other teachings.
In the last days, there will be many people who reject the true teaching Word although they keep on serving to God. Actually, they walk with Jesus no more, but follow the fleshy will and false teachings.
- The service to God in paganism system.
The requirements so that the stars do not fall are as follows.
- Being the shining stars.
Philippians 2:12-15
2:12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
The meanings of the shining stars are as follows.- Being faithful and responsible in doing the service and ministry to God.
- Serving and ministering to God without murmuring, disputing, bitterness, envy, and so on, but thanksgiving and worship to God.
- Being faithful and responsible in doing the service and ministry to God.
- Holding fast the word of life and obeying it.
Philippians 2:16
2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Holding fast the true teaching Word that has become our life experience. Do not mix with other teachings. We have to obey the true teaching Word, regardless any risk we have to face.
It means that we lift up our two hands to God and He will stretch out His right hand to hold the shining stars. The results are as follows.- We are delivered from the bondage.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8
7:7 "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;
7:8 "but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
We are set free from the bondage of sin, so that we can live in righteousness. We are also set free from the bondage of the flesh, so that we can be obedient. Moreover, we are delivered from the world, so that we can be faithful.
It means that we are set free from the weariness and heavy burden to get peaceful, easy, and light life. - The right hand of God gives us victory.
Psalm 118:15
118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
The right hand of God is able to solve all problems, even the impossible one. - The right hand of God exalts us.
Psalm 118:16
118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
The right hand of God exalts us from failure to success and beauty in time of need.
The right hand of God uses our life in the ministry for building the perfect body of Christ.
The right hand of God sanctifies and renews us until we are as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We become His bride.
- We are delivered from the bondage.
God blesses you.