Earthling
David Henson
Highlights from the book of Revelation Chapter 1
Revelation 1:5 - What Jesus' having washed us in his own blood actually means is that he gave his life for us, and according to the Bible there is no greater love than that. (John 15:13) Part of the reason the skeptic sees the sacrifice of blood as barbaric is due to their lack of understanding. The Bible teaches that the soul is in the blood of any living creature. The soul, which is life, is sacred. (Leviticus 17:11 Leviticus 17:14) Jehovah is the source of life and so man himself can't replace the life which he takes. So, when God gave man permission to eat meat it was with the stipulation that the blood be poured back on the ground, representing that the soul - the life, belonged to God. (Psalm 36:9 / Ezekiel 18:4 / Genesis 9:5-6 / Deuteronomy 12:15-16)
Since the soul and life were sacred the blood of a murdered person defiled the earth, and only by spilling the blood of the murderer could the defilement be cleansed. (Numbers 35:19-21, Numbers 35:31-33) When a body was found murdered and it wasn't known who the murderer was the city nearest to the site was bloodguilty, and a sacrifice must be made to remove the bloodguilt. (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)
The temporary sin removing feature of the Law covenant, which was validated by the blood of animals, was only a foreshadow of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, because, only through the perfect sinless sacrifice of Christ could the perfect state of life before the sin of Adam be had. (Hebrews 9:13-14)
Revelation 1:7 - If his coming with the clouds is meant to be taken literally how could those which had pierced him, now long dead, literally see him coming along with the rest of those living at that time? Jesus spoke of his presence in these times as being evident through signs (Matthew 24:30) and as theologian R. Govett, in 1864 put it: "This seems to me very decisive. The giving a sign of the Presence shows that it is secret. We need no signal to make known to us the presence of what we see." The storm clouds of the time of his presence is like in the days of Noah. A warning to those who are paying attention and though seen by all, ignored by most.
It wouldn't be possible for everyone to see Jesus descend from the sky on a flat earth, either. Not for those who were more than a short distance away, or on the other side of mountains or trees or in houses. The Greek word parousia literally means "being alongside," rather than a simple arrival. Josephus used the Greek parousia to indicate God's invisible presence signified by lightning and thunder (Jewish Antiquities, III, 80 (v.2)) and Paul used the related term pareimi (present) to indicate his presence in spirit though not in body. (1 Corinthians 5:3) The Bible writers didn't believe the earth was flat (Isaiah 40:22, where the Hebrew word chugh, meaning "circle," or "sphere" is used) though that wouldn't matter anyway. The presence of Christ isn't a literal or physical coming to earth in human form.
Revelation 1:13 - The Book being symbolic, gives Jesus with white hair, which of course, represents wisdom. (Proverbs 16:31) Eyes of fire represent a searching. If dark eyes meant an inability to see then eyes of fire would likely symbolize an alertness, keen sight and the ability to perceive and so judge. (Romans 11:10) The sword reference is later explained in Revelation 19:15: "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
Jesus, as the Word (or representative) of Jehovah, who will pronounce judgments upon the nations; of the wicked; the sword, then, protruding from his mouth is a fitting symbol.
The brass mentioned in the KJV reads copper in most modern translations because the modern day brass alloy of copper and zinc wasn't known in Bible times so the "brass" in the KJV refers to any copper alloy aside from zinc. Copper and tin for example, being bronze, is common in ancient findings with a 2 to 18 percent tin. The Bible typically represents the divine with gold and the human with copper. The foot typically figuratively represented the path that one took, if it was good or bad. (Psalm 119:59 / Romans 3:15) and when walking upon holy ground one was to remove their sandals. (Exodus 3:5) So the brass feet of Jesus in Revelation 1:15 says a great deal about what is going on. Jesus walking upon holy ground as a tested human judge for the sake of bringing righteousness to mankind in the name of Jehovah.
Revelation 1:16 - The meaning of the seven stars is explained in verse 20. "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."
That is to say that in the seven congregations Jesus has full control and direction. The body of elders have his favor in each of the congregations. Also see Revelation 2:1. Jesus is the head of the congregation, and they shine as candles in a dark world. Stars are used metaphorically throughout the Bible. For example, the righteous shine like stars (Daniel 12:3) and the falling or dimming of stars and the sun and moon represents a dark period. (Isaiah 13:10 / Ezekiel 32:7)
Revelation 1:18 - Jesus having the keys to hell (from the Greek haides, meaning the unseen resting place of the dead) and death itself represents that he will take away death and raise the dead. (John 5:24-29)
Revelation 1:5 - What Jesus' having washed us in his own blood actually means is that he gave his life for us, and according to the Bible there is no greater love than that. (John 15:13) Part of the reason the skeptic sees the sacrifice of blood as barbaric is due to their lack of understanding. The Bible teaches that the soul is in the blood of any living creature. The soul, which is life, is sacred. (Leviticus 17:11 Leviticus 17:14) Jehovah is the source of life and so man himself can't replace the life which he takes. So, when God gave man permission to eat meat it was with the stipulation that the blood be poured back on the ground, representing that the soul - the life, belonged to God. (Psalm 36:9 / Ezekiel 18:4 / Genesis 9:5-6 / Deuteronomy 12:15-16)
Since the soul and life were sacred the blood of a murdered person defiled the earth, and only by spilling the blood of the murderer could the defilement be cleansed. (Numbers 35:19-21, Numbers 35:31-33) When a body was found murdered and it wasn't known who the murderer was the city nearest to the site was bloodguilty, and a sacrifice must be made to remove the bloodguilt. (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)
The temporary sin removing feature of the Law covenant, which was validated by the blood of animals, was only a foreshadow of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, because, only through the perfect sinless sacrifice of Christ could the perfect state of life before the sin of Adam be had. (Hebrews 9:13-14)
Revelation 1:7 - If his coming with the clouds is meant to be taken literally how could those which had pierced him, now long dead, literally see him coming along with the rest of those living at that time? Jesus spoke of his presence in these times as being evident through signs (Matthew 24:30) and as theologian R. Govett, in 1864 put it: "This seems to me very decisive. The giving a sign of the Presence shows that it is secret. We need no signal to make known to us the presence of what we see." The storm clouds of the time of his presence is like in the days of Noah. A warning to those who are paying attention and though seen by all, ignored by most.
It wouldn't be possible for everyone to see Jesus descend from the sky on a flat earth, either. Not for those who were more than a short distance away, or on the other side of mountains or trees or in houses. The Greek word parousia literally means "being alongside," rather than a simple arrival. Josephus used the Greek parousia to indicate God's invisible presence signified by lightning and thunder (Jewish Antiquities, III, 80 (v.2)) and Paul used the related term pareimi (present) to indicate his presence in spirit though not in body. (1 Corinthians 5:3) The Bible writers didn't believe the earth was flat (Isaiah 40:22, where the Hebrew word chugh, meaning "circle," or "sphere" is used) though that wouldn't matter anyway. The presence of Christ isn't a literal or physical coming to earth in human form.
Revelation 1:13 - The Book being symbolic, gives Jesus with white hair, which of course, represents wisdom. (Proverbs 16:31) Eyes of fire represent a searching. If dark eyes meant an inability to see then eyes of fire would likely symbolize an alertness, keen sight and the ability to perceive and so judge. (Romans 11:10) The sword reference is later explained in Revelation 19:15: "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
Jesus, as the Word (or representative) of Jehovah, who will pronounce judgments upon the nations; of the wicked; the sword, then, protruding from his mouth is a fitting symbol.
The brass mentioned in the KJV reads copper in most modern translations because the modern day brass alloy of copper and zinc wasn't known in Bible times so the "brass" in the KJV refers to any copper alloy aside from zinc. Copper and tin for example, being bronze, is common in ancient findings with a 2 to 18 percent tin. The Bible typically represents the divine with gold and the human with copper. The foot typically figuratively represented the path that one took, if it was good or bad. (Psalm 119:59 / Romans 3:15) and when walking upon holy ground one was to remove their sandals. (Exodus 3:5) So the brass feet of Jesus in Revelation 1:15 says a great deal about what is going on. Jesus walking upon holy ground as a tested human judge for the sake of bringing righteousness to mankind in the name of Jehovah.
Revelation 1:16 - The meaning of the seven stars is explained in verse 20. "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."
That is to say that in the seven congregations Jesus has full control and direction. The body of elders have his favor in each of the congregations. Also see Revelation 2:1. Jesus is the head of the congregation, and they shine as candles in a dark world. Stars are used metaphorically throughout the Bible. For example, the righteous shine like stars (Daniel 12:3) and the falling or dimming of stars and the sun and moon represents a dark period. (Isaiah 13:10 / Ezekiel 32:7)
Revelation 1:18 - Jesus having the keys to hell (from the Greek haides, meaning the unseen resting place of the dead) and death itself represents that he will take away death and raise the dead. (John 5:24-29)