“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 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.” (Rev. 1:12–13).
John has heard a loud voice, a voice like a trumpet. He turns to see who is speaking, and the speaker is obliquely identified as the Lord Jesus. The first thing John saw was the collection of lampstands. These lampstands are identified just a few verses down as the seven church of Asia to which John is writing (v. 20). This vision of the Lord includes a number of vivid descriptions that run into the next verses, which we will get to shortly, but for now it should simply be said that the one who spoke, telling John to write to the seven churches, was the Lord Himself. He is identified as one “like a son of man,” which is how the Messiah is described in Daniel 7:13 when He was presented before the Ancient of Days and was given universal dominion (Dan. 7:14).
The thing that should be emphasized here is that the seven lampstands are the seven churches, and the Lord was standing in the midst of the churches. He identifies with them, He stands with them, and as we shall see, He holds their pastors in His right hand (v. 16). He walks among them.
But what of the “paps?”
“the Lord was standing in the midst of the churches. He identifies with them, He stands with them, and as we shall see, He holds their pastors in His right hand (v. 16). He walks among them.”
All this and He keeps an eye on all those sparrows as well!
Talk about multi-tasking! ; – )