RACE AND
GOD (BLACK NOR WHITE)
PART 18:
GOD IS HEARD AND NOT SEEN?
In the name of Jehovah God, Master of the universe,
Ruler of the earth.
We thank God
Almighty for another day with the Lord. Thank you Jesus for your blood and for coming
to save all of humankind. Yes Jesus came to save all of humankind and not just
a few. However one is saved by choice and not by command. Will you accept Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior? Will you confess your love for God the Father
of all created? Will you allow the Holy Spirit to work miracles in you?
This is a good
day to be thankful to the Creator of all that exists. Father knows best that we
also could not survive as Christians without the Savior and the Holy Spirit.
Thus, we are very thankful and grateful for God's mercy. We know of these
things not because we sat and talked with God in person. We know of these
things because we have God through our hearing and from the sight of his Word.
To know God is not to see God (see in the literal sense) but to hear God.
Therefore we
pray that humankind will remove themselves from thoughts of how God the Father
the son Jesus Christ the Prophets and Apostles looked on paper on canvas and in
any image. We continue with our discussion of the 1st Chapter of Revelation and
verse 16.
Rev. 1:16.
"And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a
sharp two- edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength."
The right hand
of God is noted to be able to grasp the things named. These things will be
named in the 20th verse. But the thought is similar to the familiar saying that
"God holds all things in the hollow of His hand." We also refer you
to Hebrews 4:12.
Hebrews 4:12.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart."
The word
countenance in Rev. 1:16 means face. This face is compared to the shining sun.
The purpose of comparing this face with the sun is to show the penetrating
brilliance of the Lord's face. However, this face is not the face of man. Nor
can its total description apply to man. So the Godly do not get involved in human
characteristics but hear God and realize that to hear God is to see God. (Also
see Isaiah 49:2).
As we continue
with this thought, we go to the 18th verse in Revelation.
Rev. 1:18.
"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore,
Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
This verse
speaks further of the dignity and power of the person speaking to John. The
phrase "Liveth, and was dead identifies him as Christ since the Father was
never dead. The phrase "alive for
evermore" is additional proof that this is Christ because it relates to
Romans 6:9. "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him."
This passage
further reveals that the Lord has the power or control over the bodies and
souls of men. In Matthew 10:28 we see the following:
"And fear
not them which the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Man can take your
life physically. However he is limited and cannot go further. Thus, he has no
power over your soul. However God has
the power to cast us in hell or render us eternal life. Therefore we should
fear and respect God.
Rev. 1:19-20.
"Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the
things which shall be hereafter;"
"The
mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven
golden candlesticks, The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and
the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."
In the 19th
verse we see that John is instructed to write about the past, present and
future. As he records the past, he is only to reflect on what he has seen since
his exile in Patmos.
In verse 20 we
see that things that had previously been a mystery are not revealed. The seven
stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks represent
the churches. Angel in the Bible means messenger. However, often the word angel
has various other forms of application. How the word is applied rests on the
particular passage in question. Here angels are spoken of in singular number
for each church. The angels were not elders of the established churches for the
elders were always spoken of in the plural form. Therefore, these angels were
the persons responsible for getting the letters to the respective
congregations. Thus John was instructed to write the letters to these angels
and they would in turn be responsible for getting them to the proper
congregations. (Also see Malachi 2:7).
carl@freedomjournalpress.comcastbiz.net
