Christ's Eyes; His Crowns; His Name; and, His Robe

RV230-01

When the Lord Jesus Christ returned to heaven after 40 days of ministry following His resurrection, angelic messengers on the scene promised that He would one day return in a Second Coming. We have that recorded for us in Acts 1:9-11: "After He (Jesus) had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them (angel beings). They also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'"

That is an enormously important bit of information. Jesus Christ is going to come back to this earth a second time. Revelation 1:7 begins the book of the Revelation with the reiteration of this truth, where John says, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him (the Jews and all the tribes of the earth – the gentiles) will mourn over Him. Even so, Amen."

This must return of Jesus Christ back to this earth that the Bible speaks of is not to be viewed in a spiritual sense. This is not the return of Christ coming as when He comes to indwell a person when that person is born again. Colossians 1:27 refers to that: "To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It was a secret in Old Testament times that the second person of the Trinity would personally indwell a believer on a permanent basis. That was never done under the Jewish age. But it is true under the Christian age.

Therefore, this is an important thing to remember indeed – that Christ has come. Everywhere we go, He is with us, and everything we do, we do in His presence. He indwells us. But that is a spiritual relationship, and this is not the Second Coming. Some people have tried to pass off the Second Coming as simply a spiritual coming. But no, the angel messengers indicated that the return would be in just the same way, just as He departed, namely in a physical body.

Enoch

Over the centuries, since the ascension of Christ, the promise that Jesus is coming again has waxed and waned in the hearts of believers. To the extent that believers have been aware of this, and to the extent that believers have taken this seriously to be conscious of it, it has vitally affected their lives. It is important to realize that the coming of Christ was something that gradually became less and less significant in Christian circles until something like 250 years ago. Suddenly, there was a restoration and a return to the study of the Bible, including Bible study groups, like the Plymouth Brethren in England; and, suddenly, the great doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ exploded upon the minds of Christians again. And it became something that believers were suddenly conscious of. All of a sudden books were written: "Jesus is coming again." To us, it seems inconceivable that people would go to church, and they would fellowship around the Word of God, and one of the few things that would be significant to them was that Christ is coming again. We live today as knowledgeable Christians, practically in the moment-by-moment hope that that will happen. That is what the Bible calls the blessed hope. It is an imminent thing that is upon us at any moment.

So, when Christians have taken this seriously, the Second Coming of Christ is important because it does influence the life of a believer. 1 John 3:2-3 point this out: "Beloved, now we are the children of God. It has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure. "This is the deep, significant awareness that Christ is coming again. At any moment, whatever we've done in life, that's going to be it. Whatever we've amounted to in life spiritually, that's going to be it. Jesus is coming again. At that point we're going to face Him at the judgment seat.

So, when you take that seriously, it does affect how you live. As John points out, you begin to be conscious of a little more purity of living, and the seriousness of what we are doing with our lives; what our priorities are; and, how we're using up our lives.

The Rapture

This is recorded for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and it is a very comforting passage. In fact, it was written specifically that it would be a comfort. It is a passage which very often we take comfort in reading at a funeral service: "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (that is, Christians who have died;) that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who have fallen asleep;" that is, these Christians who are on this earth alive are not going to pop up to meet the Lord before those who are dead. The dead in Christ are going to be raised. Then we who are alive will join them to meet the Lord in the air:

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who were alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord."

This promise is what is behind the statement in John 14:2: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again (rapture event) and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." There, Jesus was giving them a preview of this phase of the coming of Christ. This is before the seven-year tribulation era on the earth. Please have that very clear.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Let's read that again. Revelation 19:11: "And I saw heaven open. Behold, a white horse, and He sat upon it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war." Here He is coming to the earth to wage war with the nations of the earth, climaxing on the field of Armageddon: "And His eyes are a flame of fire. Upon His head are many diadems. He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, we're following him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it, He may smite the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron, and He tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thighs, He has the name written: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

That is the Second Coming. That is a totally different picture from that which we read in 1 Thessalonians about our meeting him in the air.

There is no condition which must yet be established for the rapture phase of the return of Christ. There is nothing that must yet take place so that the rapture can take place. That makes the rapture imminent. That means that it can happen at any moment. Were Christ to return, even in the midst of this service, this auditorium would certainly be emptied of all believers. If there is an unbeliever in our midst, he would be in for a big shock, because suddenly everybody would be gone, and that person would be left behind.

That is history. That is a preview of history. That is history to come, and that is for real. This is the Word of God. However, for the Second Coming of Christ, there are conditions which are necessary before that event can take place. There must come into place a world government. There must come into place world apostasy from the Bible as the authority of God. There must be a trend toward worldwide occult practices and idolatry. And there must be a condition where government dominates the lives of the people, and people are dependent upon government for their care. These conditions are just a few of others which must take place before the Second Coming can happen.

So, there's a big difference between the imminency (the immediate) rapture phase of the return of Christ and the Second Coming phase.

In the book of the Revelation, the church body is removed at the end of chapter 3. This is just to give you a perspective once more on the progress of the book itself. At the end of chapter 3, we have completed the seven letters to the seven churches, and John has described that as the things that are. Then, beginning with chapter 4, and all the way through this chapter 19 that we are now in, we have recorded for us events which are to take place during the tribulation era. That is that seven-year period, the worst period that human history has ever experienced. During that time, the things that are taking place are recorded in Revelation chapters 4 through 19.

At the end of chapter 19, the tribulation is over, and it moves into eternity and the things of the eternal future. At the end of chapter 19, which is where we are now studying, we have the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Finally, the event toward which all of human history is moving takes place, the Second Advent of the Creator, and thereby fulfilling the prayer with which John closes the book of the Revelation. Revelation 22:20: "He who testifies to these things, says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.'" And with the Second Coming, that prayer is fulfilled.

Well, in this chapter, we have learned that John sees heaven suddenly thrown wide open to his view, as D-Day has arrived – the departure day of Jesus Christ from heaven back to the earth. Jesus Christ is seen as the commander-in-chief, riding a white horse, leading His heavenly army of angels and saints. The general Jesus Christ is characterized as the faithful one, because He keeps His promises: His promise to save believers; His promise to judge unbelievers in the lake of fire; and, His promise to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant, eventuating in the Davidic Kingdom on this earth. Christ is also called the true one because He is reliable in what He says, which we have recorded in Scripture. He does not lie, as is the custom with political leaders today. The judgments against sinners, we're told, are governed by the absolute righteousness of Christ. So, the very integrity of God is behind his punishment of evil.

When Christ wages war at the Second Coming battle of Armageddon, Christ is governed by this absolute righteousness in dealing with the antichrist; with the false prophet; and, with rebellious humanity. God is never unfair, and He must deal on the basis of His own integrity.

His Eyes are a Flame of Fire

In Hebrews 4:13, we read, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight. But all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." When you deal with God, you're dealing with omniscience. This is conveyed here in these flaming eyes of Jesus Christ, which can just burn right through into what is in a person, and get right to the truth. Nothing is hidden. The eyes of Christ express His divine wrath against His enemies who cannot hide from him the truth about themselves. Before the all-knowing gaze of Christ the king, all His enemies cower in fear, because He is looking into their hearts. The eyes of Jesus Christ strip away all human hypocrisy which men use to hide their evil in order to deceive others. The flaming eyes of Christ have discerned how the political rulers on earth have violated the divine institutions of government, and now they're going to pay the price.

It is very important to realize that God holds as sacred what politicians do with authority over the lives of other people in human government. This was used as a means for power, as was the custom that Nimrod began. That was His purpose – creating government to dominate people, and to make people dependent upon government. I hope that you have learned that much about the institution of human government. When government becomes the person; the individual; or, the thing upon which you depend for caring for you in various needs of your life, you have stepped out of God's plan for the divine institution of government. And those who promote socialism and government dependency are standing up and shaking their fist in the face of God. This is a very serious sin.

Now, Christ, in His righteous wrath (with His flaming eyes) brings all the political structures down that the tyrants of the ages have put together.

In 2 Thessalonians 1, we are taught that Jesus Christ Himself will be revealed from heaven in flaming fire when He comes to inflict His vengeance on the wicked. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10: "And to give relief to you who are afflicted, and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire; dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Did you get that? That retribution is eternal suffering in the lake of fire. He is coming as a flame of divine vengeance, and He's going to exercise the wrath of God like a flaming holocaust. These are words that are very difficult to understand, and to conceive of.

During World War II, one group of people who could have a sense of understanding the wrath of flame and the furor of flame were those when the allies decided to make a major air bombardment of Dresden. Dresden was one of the major cities of Germany, and one of the major production centers. This was one of the most devastating air raids of the war. Dresden was turned into a firestorm. And as it burned, it created a huge suction on the ground. People who walked on the street found themselves grabbed and screamingly pulled into the flames. Something like maybe 120,000 people died that night in the firestorm that surged around them in the Dresden raid. They had no place to go. They could not run. It was like a huge suction funneling people into this flame.

God is a god of justice. He does what is right and fair. He is a god of righteousness. He is true to His own character, and sin is dealt with, and God is trying to convey to us just how devastating that dealing will be. So, those who do not know God are going to be the lake of fire. And those who have refused to obey the gospel are going to be in the lake of fire. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction: "Away from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." What could be so terrible as to spend eternity away from the God who made you, and the God who has put that longing vacuum in all of our hearts, without which we have no satisfaction until we latch on to Him, until He connects us to Himself, and fulfills that vacuum? These people will be out of touch with God for all eternity in the lake of fire. They will look over, and they'll see Satan there with them in all the agonies they're suffering. And they will wonder to themselves: whatever possessed them to be loyal to him, and to follow him, and to reject the person of Christ?

Verse 10 says, "When He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day (the Second Coming) and to be marveled at among those who have believed – for our testimony to you as believed." For those who have believed the gospel (trusted in Christ), His return is going to be a very great and happy day.

So, in Revelation 19:12, we read, "His eyes are a flame of fire." He is discerning entirely what we deserve, He will base His actions on that.

Many Diadems

So, when John sees that Jesus has on His head these diadems, it is a signal that He now bears great imperial authority. He is no longer the poor, meek Lamb of God who is being spit upon and struck down by human hatred. Jesus Christ, in His humanity, holds the imperial authority over every nation on earth when He returns a second time. That's why He has many diadems. Christ's victory over Satan on the cross removed Satan's control over the nations which he had gained when he defeated Adam. Originally, Adam wore the diadem. Originally, Adam was in charge of everything. Satan came along, and through his wife, blindsided him into spiritual error. The result was that Satan took over Adam's crown.

Hebrews 2:14, says, "Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He himself (Christ) likewise also took partook of the same (He took on a human body); that through death, He might render powerless Him who had the power;" that is, the devil. That was the devil's trump card. He always could put people to death. He controlled the destinies (the terrible power of death). Christ broke that power so that Satan no longer wears that deadly authority over mankind.

In Matthew 28:18, before He left, Jesus said to His disciples, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." So, when Christ returns, there is no nation which will be able to resist Him. And He is Lord of all national sovereignties, and He wears those royal crowns as evidence of that.

In the ancient world, it was actually the custom of conquering kings to add the crown of the defeated king to his own. That's the background of what we're reading. They would simply conquer a king, and then they would add to their glory by taking that king's crown, and putting it on their own head. That would signify the total subjugation of that conquered king.

We have an example of David doing this to the Ammonites in 2 Samuel 12:30: "Then he (David) took the crown of their king (the Ammonites) from his head, and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head, and he brought out the spoils of the city in great amounts." David put this crown of the Ammonite king, that he had just conquered, on his head, signifying his total imperial authority over the Ammonites.

In Revelation 12:3, we have seen that Satan wears seven diadems: "And another sign appeared in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon (Satan), having seven heads and ten horns, and on his head were seven diadems" (seven imperial ruling crowns). These represent the fact that Satan has been the king over the seven world empires that have existed. Satan, therefore, wears these seven imperial crowns because he is the one who has been the ruler of these empires.

The antichrist, we have read, has ten diagrams that he wears, because he is the ruler over the ten kings of the confederacy that he forms.

Interestingly enough, the Pope today wears a triple crown. If you look closely, when the pope has his crown on, you will see three markings. That indicates that he holds a diagram over heaven; over earth, and, over hell. This is the triple authority that the Pope claims.

Therefore, when a king in ancient days accumulated diadems, it increased his imperial authority. It showed what a conquering significant person he was in human society. And the many items here on Jesus Christ, that John sees, indicate that He is the unchallenged ruler of all the nations in the millennium. And that's what He is coming to do. Yes, Jesus is coming again. He is coming in that Second Coming phase in order to take over this world as its political authority. He is going to be the unchallenged ruler of all the nations of the world. Their diadems will become His.

It is interesting that when men mocked Christ, just before they crucified Him, they made a crown for Him from thorns, and they pressed this into His scalp. Thorns, as you know, are a symbol of God's curse upon the ground because of man's sin in Eden – the sin for which Christ came to pay the penalty of death. And Jesus indeed bore this curse of sin (the penalty of death) upon Himself. He paid death for all mankind in order to satisfy the justice of God. In Galatians 3:13, we read, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone hangs on a tree.'" To hang on a piece of wood, among the Jews, was a sign that a person was under the judgment of God. For Christ to hang on the cross, the Jews viewed Him as being indeed under the judgment of God, which He was, but He was that in our behalf.

Here's something interesting in the passage that describes their putting this crown on Jesus in Matthew 27:29: "After weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand, and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews.'" In the Greek language, here in Matthew, describing the crown of thorns, it uses the word "stephanos," meaning a victor's crown. How ironic! As they press that crown of thorns, symbolizing the curse of God against sin as he cursed the earth that man had to work with, they put this crown on Him; they made fun of Him; and, they hailed Him as the King of the Jews, not knowing that the crown they pressed upon His head was the crown of victory. That was part of the shedding of His blood; that was part of His suffering; and, that was part of the payment for the sins of the world.

Without doctrine, the world is a fool. People of the world do not understand what they are doing. They are indeed blinded to the truth. The soldiers thought that they had been very clever when they put this crime on Him. But the Holy Spirit said, "It is a crown of victory." How ironic – the victory over sin and death!

We also read, in Revelation 19:12, that along with these many diadems, Christ has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. The name is recorded somewhere – perhaps on his diadems. And this name is one that nobody can read, and nobody can understand. Here in the Greek languages, it is in the perfect tense, which tells us that this was written in eternity passed, and it continues to the present. It was something prepared by God the Father, and no one knows what this special name is.

A name, as you know, in Scripture was designed to convey a person's character or a person's personality. It said something about that person. This is very much like Indian names are: "Little Antelope who Runs Swiftly through the Forest." That's a nice name to call your newborn. Well, there was something about the child that made people think, "Boy, this kid is fast. We're going to give him a name that describes that he's a mover and a goer.

Well, the names are significant. Here with Christ is the special, secret name, but like all names, it conveys something particular. It conveys the majesty and the greatness of the Son of God – the magnificence of who and what He is. It conveys the honor that He bear. It conveys the full mystery of the person of Christ that we cannot imagine. We human beings simply do not have the capacity to grasp, and to enter into. Who Jesus Christ is, we know in a very superficial way, really. Who He really is as the Son of God is hidden in this name. Only He Himself, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, comprehends it. The reality of the God-man Jesus Christ transcends all human understanding. So, the spiritually blind of Satan's world dismiss Him as irrelevant.

I think that's why this is called to our attention here. He has a name that describes the magnificence, the full depth of the mystery of the person of the God-man, Jesus Christ. The world knows nothing about this. The world laughs at the Bible that He had written. The world pokes fun at what He calls an abomination before God. They promote those abominations, and they seek those abomination. They break the laws of God. They pursue evil with a vengeance, and delight in bringing others into it.

One of the cabinet members of President Clinton is a woman who is exercising authority over men contrary to the laws of God. I think it's the Health and Human Services Department. That department has sent agents of the government to all groups that deal with retirement homes and care for the elderly. Some of these are religious groups. She has discovered that these religious groups have religious symbols in institutions caring for these elderly people that are getting money from the government, or these providers get money from the government. She actually put out the order that if there's a cross on your wall, you must take it down. You must change your advertising. Your logos must not convey any religious symbol that indicates that you are acting in this work of mercy from a Christian frame of reference.

Now, where in the Constitution has the federal government ever been told, and ever been authorized, to run around, wiping out all evidences of a Christian frame of reference in even such a thing as physical care of people who, in their older years, need that care in such a desperate way, and need it in the tender understanding context of a Christian viewpoint? This is the madness that comes when you thumb your nose at Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about: "Who is He? Oh yeah. I know Him. I used His name in a curse word. Who is He to exercise authority over us? Who is He to tell us what to do? I don't care what His book says. We are enlightened people." And we call that "human viewpoint," and it dominates the unbeliever, and it dominates all those who know not Christ, and who are untaught. What a terrible awakening is in store for these people.

Nowhere is that more evident than in verse 13, where John looks closely at the robe which Christ on the horse is wearing, and he notices something significant. It is dipped in blood. The robe of Jesus Christ is sprinkled with blood. This is the blood not of Him. This is not His blood which was shed in behalf of our sins. This is the blood of the enemies of Christ which He has slaughtered in war – from warfare from times past. During the reign of the various world empires, Jesus Christ has moved in on mankind, and He has exercised war against them.

The Angel of the Lord

Here is this huge camp. Here is this fearful, fearful Assyrian infantry. These are the men who invented the early stage which eventuated into crucifixion as a means of executing people. Their means was to put people on a sharpened stake, and ram the individual down on that stake so that he squirmed and died in great agony. But over the centuries, that became too quick. So, they extended it into the crucifixion-on-the-cross technique. But it was the Assyrians who came up with that idea. And suddenly they were going to conquer Jerusalem (and they could have done it). In comes the Lord God in the form of the pre-incarnate Christ – This person whom all the world holds with such disdain and indifference today.

The result was that 185,000 Assyrians woke up dead that morning. And they woke up in Hades, in the agonies of a section where they are in a holding tank ready to be emptied into the lake of fire. From such an event as that, Christ's robes are sprinkled with the blood of His enemies.

There is also the preview of the slaughter which is going to take place at Armageddon. We have this in Isaiah 63:1-6. Clearly, this is one of the places that a great deal of this blood will be sprinkled on the robe of the God-man, Jesus Christ (the general, commander-in-chief): "Who is this who comes from Edom with garments of glowing colors from Basra; this one who is majestic in his apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." This is describing Christ, the Messiah, at His Second Coming.

Verse 2: Why is your apparel red, and your garments like the one who treads in the winepress?" He says, "You look like you've been treading grapes, and the red grapes have splashed all over the bottom of your robe."

Verse 3: "I have trodden the wine trough alone. And from the peoples, there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger, and trampled them in My wrath, and their life blood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. Jesus Christ is going to walk out on that field of Armageddon where the armies of the nations of the world gathered to oppose Him. It will be like one huge wine vat, where the person gets in barefooted; pulls up his robe; straps them down; and, starts stomping on the grapes to squeeze the juice out. And the juice comes flowing out of the spigot as fast as it can as they stomp on the grapes. In the process, their robes get red-colored. Christ says, "Those men on that battlefield will be the grapes upon which I stomp. It is their blood which will be on My garment."

Verse 4: "For the day of vengeance was within My heart, and My year of redemption has come. And I looked, and there was no one to help. And I was astonished, and there was no one to uphold. So, My own arm brought salvation to Me, and My wrath upheld Me. And I trod down the peoples in My anger, and made them drunk in My wrath. And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

This is Christ, the Prince of Peace, who brings the judgment of death upon the nations and the people who have rebelled against Him. When He does this at Armageddon, this will be done in a great valley which will act as a staging area for these armies. When he gets through, as we have already read in Revelation 14:20, the blood will rise to the height of the horse's bridle in that valley: "And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the winepress up to the horse's bridles for a distance of 200 miles. Jesus Christ rides triumphantly from this valley from Edom on the south (Isaiah 63:1 that we just read) to Jerusalem in the north, onto the field of Armageddon (which was described in Isaiah 63:2). And the blood sprinkles up on Him.

Jude 14-15 (that we have previously read and referred to) previews the Second Coming and the destruction that Christ will exercise upon the ungodly enemies.

So, Jesus Christ is going to totally devastate the military forces of all nations. He's going to overwhelm the seventh world empire under the antichrist (the revived Roman Empire phase). And Christ will descend victorious to the Mount of Olives, and no one will be able to oppose Him.

Zechariah 14:4 tells us what's going to happen when He returns to that Mount: "And in that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (that's where He ascended to heaven from, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east). The Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south.

Also in Malachi 3:2, the Second Coming is in view: "But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when he appears? For He free is like the refiner's fire, and like the launderer's soap. He is going to wash out His enemies, and they will not be able to stand against Him.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, the apostle Paul previews this Second Coming devastation: "To give relief to you who are afflicted, and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels and flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ." He has a name, but no one knows.

He also has a name (Revelation 19:13 tells us) that is extremely significant. He has a name that is the Word of God. Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, became incarnate in John 1:1-3, where He is so introduced. John says, "In the beginning was the Word." That is referring to Christ: "The word was with God." He was part of the Godhead: "And the word was God." Christ who came was also deity. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him. Jesus is the one who created everything. Apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. He is the eternal Word of God, and He became incarnate. It is His Word, we're told, that created the whole universe.

In Psalm 33:6, the psalmist praises God for this fact of the work of the Messiah Christ: "By the Word of the Lord, the heavens were made. And by the breath of His mouth, all their hosts." God created it, and He created by simply speaking it into being.

He will therefore also be the last word that mankind is ever going to be given. He is the Word of God. John 1:14 says, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we behold his glory – glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He who was deity in eternity past has taken on human form, and we have seen Him as the God-man.

In Revelation 21:3-6, John says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them. They shall be as people, and God Himself should be among them. And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall no longer be any death. There shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things have passed away.' And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.' He said to me, 'It is done. I am alpha; (I'm the first word.) I am omega (I am the last word to mankind – the beginning and the end). I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.'"

So, what mankind needs comes from this one, the Creator, who will stand in judgment as the Word of God. What a significant title for Him! He is called the Word of God. God's spoken word, which is recorded in the Bible, is alive and active, and it is our lifeline to eternal life, and to holy living. There is nothing more important than the Word of God. You could not have done anything wiser with your life, at this particular point in time, that for the time that you have invested today in the presence and the sound of the Word of God: "For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and the spirit of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Bible Doctrine

It is one thing to say, "Yes, you must come into the Word of God." But how will you do that? There are so many false ways that Satan has set up, and says to you, "I'm giving you the Word of God." There are so many things that you've run off to and say, "Here's something special. They're going to teach me the Word of God." And you get nothing but straw. You reach for your TV channel, and you say, "Here's the Word of God coming to me." And it's not anything but empty, hollow, shallow nonsense. What deception Satan can play! The Word of God, and the significance of that title of Christ, we shall look at next time.

Dr. John E. Danish, 1993

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