Yes, He still walks in the midst of the churches. The churches, however, are on the earth, whereas the One walking is not the earthly Jesus. His walking is in the atmosphere of the heavens. His garments indicate this. Suppose a uniformed policeman walked into the room while we are meeting. We would all become aware of his presence and take note of him. Of course, if he came in ordinary clothing instead of his uniform, we would not notice him. In uniform, however, he brings a police atmosphere. The same principle would apply if the queen of England came amongst us wearing her royal garments. She would bring with her a regal atmosphere.
What garment is Christ wearing as He walks among the churches? He is “clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle” (Rev. 1:13). He is wearing the priestly robe (cf. Exo. 28:33-35), but He is girded not at the loins but at the breast with a golden girdle. The gold indicates that He is divine, bringing the divine administration. The girdle at the breasts indicates love. The atmosphere He brings is not that of a policeman, but a divine atmosphere filled with love.
Watch out for His eyes though! They will terrify you. They are “as a flame of fire” (v. 14). In fact, in Revelation He has seven eyes (5:6). Think how frightened you would be if I were here before you with seven eyes! Keep your gaze fixed on His breast, which is full of the divine love for us. How tender is His concern for the church in New York, in Philadelphia, in Washington, D.C.!
His feet are terrifying too. They are “like shining brass, as having been fired in a furnace” (v. 15). The Lord is visiting the churches. He goes from church to church-from Washington to Raleigh to Goldsboro, then down to Miami, then over to Atlanta, and then on to Houston and Austin. The Lord with His shining brass feet is walking through the churches. Surely many times you have sensed this. Because of the golden girdle at His breast, you have been aware of His loving care. How tender is His love for the church! Yet at the same time you dare not look at His face. You want to kneel before Him, cover your head, bow lower and lower, and weep. “Too poor! Too poor!” you groan. If the Lord Jesus were not walking through the church, watching you with His seven eyes, you would not feel you were too poor. You would feel that your church was the best.
As you sense under His gaze how poor is the church, you begin also to realize how poor and unworthy you yourself are. His shining feet cause you to notice your own dirty, muddy feet. How weak, how earthly, how dusty you are! You become fearful and trembling.
Many times such humbling experiences have come to us. This is a strong sign that the Lord is walking through the churches. How much His loving accomplishes! I may give one message after another, but the Lord Jesus simply walks through and looks at us, without saying much. Just a glance at His feet and the elders and all the service groups are judged and humbled. Such is our experience in the churches time and again. In the denominations we rarely if ever felt humbled and fearful of the Lord’s moving. We had no inclination to weep and confess our failure. Why do we so often feel humbled and repentant in the churches? It is because the Lord is walking in the midst, caring for us.
Such experiences, which happen to us again and again, are an indication that our High Priest is walking through, loving us and also judging us. His tender care and the judging fire are to purify us. We may have the sense day after day that we are poor, unclean, and desperately in need of His mercy. On the one hand it is good for us to realize our condition, but on the other hand we also need to see that in His eyes the church in our locality is a pure, shining, golden lampstand.
Home | First | Prev | Next