Through resting in the enjoyment of Christ's riches in life, we are transformed. Verse 12 says, "His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." This signifies transformation by the rich life of Christ. When we are transformed in this way, our appearance is changed. Those who suffer from famine have a gray color around their eyes. Because they lack adequate nourishment, they are short of the blood supply to their eyes. But we, the kingdom people who enjoy Christ, are never undernourished. On the contrary, we are so fully nourished that our eyes become red. This indicates that we have been transformed from death to life. If my face were gray, you would be very concerned about my health, probably expecting that I would not live very long. But my face is not gray. My complexion is very healthy because I eat nourishing meals. Hallelujah, I have been transformed from death to life! According to verse 12, the eyes are red with wine. This redness does not come from outward coloring or painting, but from the inward, energizing wine.
Verse 12 also speaks of teeth that are white with milk. Our teeth have two functions. The first is to eat, to receive food into the mouth; the second is to help our utterance. The whiteness of the teeth here indicates the sound, healthy function of the teeth. Because I have received the proper nourishment, I have healthy, white teeth to take in God's Word as food and to utter His Word that others may be nourished. In order to take in the Word of God as our nourishment and to utter it for others' nourishment, we must have healthy teeth. Not many Christians are able to take in God's Word in a proper way or utter it in a strong way. But every sound, healthy Christian must be one who receives God's Word properly and who utters it richly.
We in the church life are ceasing from our labor, resting in Christ, and enjoying the riches of Christ's life as grape wine and as grape juice. We are also soaking our behavior in this rich enjoyment. Eventually, we shall have the fragrance of Christ. Then our entire being will be fully transformed and full of life, and we shall be able to take in God's Word as our nourishment and to speak it to others for their nourishment. This is the enjoyment and rest in the victorious Christ. Therefore, in verses 8 through 12 three significant seeds are sown: the seed of Christ's victory, the seed of Christ's kingdom, and the seed of our enjoyment and rest in Christ. These seeds, requiring the Old and the New Testaments for their development, are the real glad tidings, the true gospel. These glad tidings were proclaimed by Jacob in his prophecy with blessing concerning Judah.