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.
The general meaning is the priests or servants of God whom He uses to glorify Him.
1 Peter 1:18
1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
Revelation 1:5-6
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Gentiles have been redeemed and bought by God with the precious blood which is without any blemish. The Gentiles who have no value as the dogs and swine can be justified and lifted up as the priests and kings, even perfected by Jesus’ blood that is without blemish, so that we can be God’s bride whom He holds in His right hand and nothing or no one can charge against us.
Thus, God places the stars or heavenly bride through the purchase that is paid by the precious blood without any blemish, not by any force. It is a lesson for us that whatever we do for God in our service, ministry, and offering must not with force but thanksgiving, or else we despise the sacrifice of Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
6:20 For you were boughtat a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The Gentiles have been bought by the precious blood, so our whole life is God’s. We have to do our duty to God, namely serving and ministering to Him to glorify Him and please His heart.
Isaiah 49:3-4
49:3 "And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’
49:4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.’"
If we do our duty to serve and minister to God until we can glorify Him, our reward and work are in God’s right hand, both for our present life and eternal one. Our whole life in His right hand cannot be charged against by anything. God never fools us.
Thus, Jesus appears in the glory as Heavenly Bridegroom with seven stars in His right hand in order to show His full right over His bride.
There are three kinds of His right that cannot be charged against by anything 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.
The general meaning is the priests or servants of God whom He uses to glorify Him.
1 Peter 1:18
1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
Revelation 1:5-6
1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Gentiles have been redeemed and bought by God with the precious blood which is without any blemish. The Gentiles who have no value as the dogs and swine can be justified and lifted up as the priests and kings, even perfected by Jesus’ blood that is without blemish, so that we can be God’s bride whom He holds in His right hand and nothing or no one can charge against us.
Thus, God places the stars or heavenly bride through the purchase that is paid by the precious blood without any blemish, not by any force. It is a lesson for us that whatever we do for God in our service, ministry, and offering must not with force but thanksgiving, or else we despise the sacrifice of Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
6:20 For you were boughtat a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The Gentiles have been bought by the precious blood, so our whole life is God’s. We have to do our duty to God, namely serving and ministering to Him to glorify Him and please His heart.
Isaiah 49:3-4
49:3 "And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’
49:4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.’"
If we do our duty to serve and minister to God until we can glorify Him, our reward and work are in God’s right hand, both for our present life and eternal one. Our whole life in His right hand cannot be charged against by anything. God never fools us.
Thus, Jesus appears in the glory as Heavenly Bridegroom with seven stars in His right hand in order to show His full right over His bride.
There are three kinds of His right that cannot be charged against by anything as follows.
- Tithes and offerings.
Malachi 3:8-12
3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
3:9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
3:11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;
3:12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.
The tithes and offerings are God’s right that cannot be charged against by anyone. The servant or son of God who steals the tithes will get the curse, suffering, sorrow, tears, and perdition forever.
Revelation 9:20-21
9:20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
9:21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The sin of theft attaches to the life of the servants or sons of God because their hearts attach to the love of money. Consequently, it is difficult for them to repent, even they do not want to repent until they cannot repent like Satan.
The tithes relate to the blessings of God. It means our confession that we have been blessed by God and the base is the truth as follows.- The amount is one over ten multiplied to the blessings we have received from God.
- It comes from the right blessings or income that is according to the Word of God.
The tithes relate to the food in the house of the Lord or shepherding pen, namely spiritual food or shepherding Word. It is the true teaching Word that is trusted by God to a pastor to preach faithfully, repetitively, continually, and in order to build the spirituality of the congregation to become the perfect body of Christ.
Luke 12:41-44
12:41 Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"
12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
12:43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
12:44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
To whom do we return the tithes? God trusts the tithes to the pastor who faithfully feeds the congregation with the Shepherding Word. Therefore, a pastor must keep the trust very well.
Formerly, Judas stole the possession of God and he perished. Now, if the congregation steals the trust of God to the pastor until there is no food in the house of the Lord, they will be dry in the spirituality until they perish forever.
The tithes also relate to the food, namely our life comes from the tithes we return to God. It means that we live from the Shepherding Word like Israel who lived by God through manna, namely one omer or one tenth of an ephah in the desert where they could not sow or reap. The world in these last days is like that, but God preserves our life through the tithes we return to Him.
The cycle of the tithes is as follows.
The tithes -->the food or Shepherding Word -->obedience or doing the Word -->the heavens are opened to pour the blessings, protection, and joy -->the tithes.
Someday, we will be lifted up to enter heavenly kingdom when Jesus comes a second time, and we get eternal life.
Offerings are our thanksgiving that God has blessed us. The base is our willing heart, not force. Giving the offerings because of being forced means despising the sacrifice of Christ.
The facts found in giving the offerings are as follows.- Giving for the spiritual ministry activities or the work of God in the church for the building or Lempin-El bible school and fellowship service.
- Giving for the love ministry, namely for other people who need.
25:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
25:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.
The purpose of the offering is for building the perfect body of Christ or heavenly bride, so that we will not enter the building of Babylon or the perfect evil and uncleanness. - The amount is one over ten multiplied to the blessings we have received from God.
- The house of God, namely the service, ministry, and worship to Him.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spiritwho is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Our body or life has been bought by the blood of Jesus to become the house of God or the dwelling place of Holy Spirit, not the spirit of uncleanness, evil, and envy. We become God’s possession that cannot be charged against.
Mark 11:17
11:17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayerfor all nations’?But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’"
The function of the house of God is as the house of prayer or the place to serve, minister, and worship God. Thus, the service, ministry, and worship are the right of God over us that cannot be charged against. They are also our absolute duty to God. The Gentiles must prioritize the service, ministry, and worship to God. Do not do them because of being forced, but with thanksgiving to Him.
If we neglect the service, ministry, and worship to God. We will owe the blood to God that cannot be paid by anything.
Exodus 20:4-5
20:4 " You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
20:5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
About the service, ministry, and worship, God shows Himself as the jealous God, namely when we are not faithful in doing the service, ministry, and worship to Him, even we do not do them.
Song of Solomon 8:6
8:6 THE SHULAMITE TO HER BELOVED Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.
The jealousy of God is as the flame of hell fire.
Let us use the time we have in one day for God, at least one hour.
The time we spend uselessly must be accounted for before the jealous God. It is not a strange thing if the marriage, job, and other things are as if being in the hell because one does not provide the time to serve, minister, and worship God, until someday he will be in the hell for sure.
On the contrary, the love of God towards us is as strong as the death. Jesus willingly died on the cross for us. If we faithfully and correctly serve, minister, and worship God, we will have the stamp of the promise between us and God. We are sealed in His bosom and arms as John who leaned on Jesus’ bosom or a baby in the embrace of God’s mighty hands. We are joyful in the world now until we get the eternal life. - God’s bride.
John 3:29
3:29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 7:4
7:4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
The bride is the authority of the heavenly bridegroom that cannot be charged against.
The process to become the heavenly bride is through the sanctification. We learn from Esther. Esther means a star. Then, she was exalted as the queen or bride.
Esther 2:7,3
2:7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
2:3 "and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.
Esther was a fatherless and motherless girl. She refers to life that is powerless and without any hope. Nevertheless, she was lovely and beautiful. It refers to the righteous life in spiritual meaning.
After we live in righteousness, we can dwell in the women’s quarter, referring to the shepherding pen or the Holy Place. Only righteous people can dwell in the right shepherding pen.
Proverbs 12:26
12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
There are three kinds of equipment inside the Holy Place that refer to the perseverance in doing three main services as follows.- Golden Candlestick or the perseverance in doing General Service.
- Table of Showbread or the perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense or the perseverance in doing Prayer Service.
Be careful! A pastor can be the hand of Satan if he does not feed the sheep, there is no revelation of the Word, or he gives the false teachings.
Esther 2:15
2:15 Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
We are sanctified intensively inside the shepherding pen as follows.- Sanctification from all flesh wills and self will until we can obey God.
- Sanctification from self-truth.
Esther 4:14-16,10-11
4:14 "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
4:15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
4:16 "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
4:10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
4:11 "All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
Although something is right according our logic, it is a self-truth that must be sanctified if it is not in line to the Word. - Sanctification from self-interest or egoism.
5:1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.
5:2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepterthat was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
The last effort to become the bride is getting the golden scepter as our absolute need. It means the mercy and grace of God that are great. We have done many efforts, but they are useless and go towards perdition if we are outside the mercy of God.
Only those who experience the sanctification from the flesh will, self-truth, and self-interest can surrender to God. We can say "Abba, Father". As a result, the King will stretch His golden scepter. It means that we live in the right hand of God that is mighty and full of mercy and grace as follows.- The right hand of God is able to preserve our life.
- The right hand of God is able to lift upour life and give us beautiful successful future life right in His time.
The right hand of God uses our life in the revival for building the perfect body of Christ. - The right hand of God sanctifies and changesour life continually until we are as perfect as Him. We become the bride of heaven to be lifted up on the glorious clouds when He comes a second time. We enter the marriage supper of the Lamb, the future paradise, and New Jerusalem forever.
Revelation 21:15
21:15 And he who talked with me had a gold reedto measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
- Golden Candlestick or the perseverance in doing General Service.
God blesses you.