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The Revelation of Jesus Christ .. Now let us look again at the picture. The inspired writer describes it in unmistakable words: "I turned to see the voice t:hat spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one I ike unto the Son of man'• (verses 12, 13). Before we look closely at the description of our glorified Lord, the most complete in all the Word of God, let us con sider His relationship to His church. The Holy Spirit records the vision in this order; and having seen the truth presented in -v-erses 12 and 13, we shall better understand the description ,vhich follows. portraying our Great High Priest in the glory, ministering to His own. We have seen that the seven golden candlesticks repre sent the church. They were not like the seven-branched candlestick in the Jewish tabernacle and Solomon's temple, ,vhich was beaten out of one piece of pure gold. Those in t:he vision which God gave to John were individual lamp s tands, arranged in a circle, "in the midst" of which stood the Son of God. What a true picture of the relationship of Christ to His church! "Where two or three are gathered together in my name," He said to His disciples, "there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18: 20). Have you sometimes wondered what our Lord is doing in b eaven now? He has been there as the risen Son of Man for a bout eighteen centuries. What is He doing there? What does He look like as He appears in the presence of the Father? ~hat is His ministry? You have here in this first chapter of Revelation the answer to all these questions, a portrait of the Son of God as He is now in glory. And what a min istry He is rendering there! Standing in the midst of the candlesticks, which represent the local churches, He is watch ing them shine, even as He makes possible their light in a sin-darkened world. And the church-what is ·her ministry? The mission of the church in this world· has been outlined by the Son of God: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works. and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5: 16). That is the reason why the candle s tick is such an apt symbol of the church. When the lord Jesus wa_s upon earth, He said, "I am the light of the world"
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