Saturday

Related Verses
Rev. 1:16
16 And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword; and His face shone as the sun shines in its power.

Heb. 4:12-16
12 For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13 And there is no creature that is not manifest before Him, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we are to give our account.
14 Having therefore a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all respects like us, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.

Matt. 17:1-2, 5
1 And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain privately.
2 And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as the light.
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!

Related Reading
Revelation 1:16 says, “He had in His right hand seven stars.” As verse 20 makes clear, “the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches.” The messengers are the spiritual ones in the churches bearing the responsibility of the testimony of Jesus. Like stars, they should be of the heavenly nature and in a heavenly position. 

In the dark night of the church’s degradation, the shining of both the collective churches and the individual messengers is needed. As Christ walks among the churches, He holds the leading ones in His right hand. How comforting this is! The leading ones must praise Him that they are in His hands and that He is holding them. 

In the book of Revelation there are no elders in the churches; rather, there are messengers. At the time this book was written, the church had become degraded. Hence, in Revelation, the Lord repudiates all formalities. Being an elder may be somewhat legal or formal. Do not aspire to be an elder; desire to be a shining star. (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 100-101) 

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In Revelation 1:16 we are told that “out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.”…This is His discerning, judging, and slaying word (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17). The words of grace are for His supply of grace to His favored ones, whereas the sharp two-edged sword is for His dealing with negative persons and things…Remember that the speaking Spirit today is just this Christ who speaks with a two-edged sword. There is judgment here, and we all have experienced this…Today all Christians need the judgment of the Lord by His word. Many times we have experienced this judgment because of our being mistaken and going astray from the Lord. Since we had wandered away from Him, He came to judge us. His speaking today is mainly a type of judgment. I can testify to you that if the Lord would speak to you, most of His words would be words of judgment. When He speaks, He judges. Every word out of His mouth in the churches today is like a sharp knife that judges us. The words that proceed out of the Lord’s mouth are sharp, piercing into our being, dividing our soul from our spirit, and discerning the intentions of our heart. This is the Christ we experience today in the church life. 

We are human and have many opinions. But, as we all can testify, every time an opinion rises up, the sword cuts it to pieces. The more you think about your opinion, the more you are cut. This is not doctrine—this is our experience. Whenever two brothers are close to fighting, the third party, the strongest party, appears, using the sharp sword to cut the opinions of both brothers…This third party is the very Christ, the Son of Man, who, as the High Priest, walks among the churches and cares for them in love. 

In Revelation 1:16 we are also told that “His face shone as the sun shines in its power.” In Song of Songs 5:10 and 13, Christ’s face appears lovely for His seeker’s appreciation of Him, and in the Epistles His face reflects God’s glory (2 Cor. 4:6) for the imparting of life into His believers. Here, however, His face shone as the sun shines in its power, as in Daniel 10:6; this shining is the judging enlightenment for bringing in the kingdom. When He was transfigured and His face shone like the sun, that was His coming in the kingdom (Matt. 16:28—17:2). When He comes to take over the earth for the kingdom, His face will be like the sun (Rev. 10:1). (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 101-103) 

Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building of the Church,” chs. 3, 5

Further Reading:
Further reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msg. 53

Hymn: #1184
1 In Revelation chapter one
God gives a vision of the Son,
Of Him who was and is to come;
Oh, let us to this One now come.

2 In spirit hear His trumpet voice;
We must be turned to see His choice—
The seven lampstands golden fair;
The Son of Man is walking there.

3 The great high priestly robe He wears,
For every church He fully cares:
He trims the lamp, the oil supplies;
He makes them burn, flames in His eyes.

4 A golden girdle on His breast—
His work is done, and from His rest
He unto all the churches pours
Himself in love, the treasure store.

5 His head, His hair is white as wool—
The ancient One with youth is full.
His face is shining as the sun
To burn and lighten every one.

6 Oh, when this living One we see,
We’ll fall as dead, we’ll finished be.
But then the Lord His comfort gives—
He once was dead, but now He lives.

7 Let every church just love Him more
His riches then He will outpour.
All other loves now lay aside;
Let’s take this Jesus, none beside.