THE DEITY OF THE PERSON BEFORE HIM

The Deity of the Person Before Him

13 "And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle."14  "His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;"15  "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters."16  "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."
The great emphasis is here upon the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what men have refused to believe. They have been willing to believe that He is man, but that He is God incarnate in human flesh they have generally refused to believe. Someday, men must confess that He is Lord. For the encouragement of the Church through the long night vigil and long pilgramage, this picture is given.

Here is a picture that words alone can draw. An ancient artist left us a canvas which is in one of the museums of Europe. On it he attempted to portray Christ in heaven according to the description here in Revelation. The result is not a masterpiece. One does not need to look on the canvas to see how out of keeping with reality is a portrait of a man with hair as white as snow, with face shining like the sun, with flames coming from the eye sockets, with a sword coming out of his mouth, with feet of burnished metal, and with seven stars in his right hand. Such a picture is indeed absurd and the very incongruity should teach us that the understanding of this passage must lie in another direction.

To understand this passage as a literal picture of Christ has led unbelievers to ridicule the Bible. D.H. Lawrence, an English novelist who died recently, left a manuscript that was published posthumously under the title "Apocalypse." In it he vents his hatred of the Bible and his regret that it was read to him every day as a child. He thinks that the Jesus of Revelation is Satan's counterfeit, slipped in before the Bible was finished, to counteract the meek and lowly Jesus of the Gospels. But Mr. Lawrence did not want to think that he must face Jesus as herein pictured, just as the enemies of Jesus during his day did not want to face the same thing.

But this is how all men must face him someday. To those who bow before him in repentance, contrition, and faith, now there will be only longing for his coming and this beautific vision. But for those who rebelliously refuse to bow the knee, they must face him before the white throne of judgment unrelieved by any token of mercy.

In this description of His Deity, we shall note fourfold description of attributes.
1.   Attributes of personality. 13b-14a "clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle."
14 "His head and his hairs were white like wool,"
2.   Attributes of potentiality. 14b-15 "as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;"15 "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters."
3.   Attributes of prerogatives. 16a "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword:"
4.   Attributes of preeminence. 16b "and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."