The word "chiefest" in the original language means "lifted up as a banner" or "banner-carrier." This means that Christ is the uplifted banner among tens of thousands of people. He is the One on whom all eyes are set. Christ is our banner, and we look to Him. He is also like a banner-carrier. This means that He is the crucified Lord. "When the adversary comes like a flood,/The Spirit of Jehovah will lift up a standard against him" (Isa. 59:19). The standard refers to the cross. Hence, the Lord Jesus' being the banner-carrier refers to His being the slain Lamb. Wherever He goes, tens of thousands follow Him, and He is beyond comparison. After the maiden covers the general descriptions, she goes on to meticulously describe the revelations and impressions she has received of the Lord.

Verse 11 says, "His head is as the most fine gold; his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." The "most fine gold" refers to His divinity. He possesses God's life and God's glory. "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). God has established this Christ as our Head. Everything that is of God is in Him. Nothing that is of God is absent from Him. Hence, if we are "holding the Head," we can grow "with the growth of God" (v. 19).

"His locks are bushy, and black as a raven." To be black as a raven signifies His eternal power. When He manifests Himself as the Ancient of Days, He displays His white hair (Rev. 1:14). But what is portrayed here is His eternal and unfading power; therefore, His hair is black. When the Bible describes a man's condition as being degenerating and fading, it speaks of his gray hairs (Hosea 7:9). But our Lord does not have any gray hair. He is "the same yesterday and today, yes, even forever" (Heb. 13:8).

Verse 12 says, "His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set." The eyes express the sentiments, and these sentiments are intimate sentiments. Man's words and letters can express sentiments that can be felt from a distance. But the sentiments of the eyes cannot be felt unless a person is very close. The most beautiful thing about doves is their eyes. "By the rivers of waters" speaks of their wetness, "washed with milk" speaks of their whiteness, and "fitly set" speaks of their orderliness. The Lord's eyes express His sentiments toward us, and to the believers these eyes are as beautiful as doves' eyes. They are full of vigor. They are not dry, they are like those by the rivers of waters. They are distinct and clear, as if washed with milk. They are fitly set and have a healthy vision; they never make a mistake through faltering eyesight.

Verse 13 says, "His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh." His two cheeks once suffered man's smiting (Isa. 50:6) and were reviled by men (Matt. 27:30). It is no wonder that the believers consider His cheeks as a bed of spices and as sweet flowers, beautiful as well as fragrant.

"Lips" denotes the words that come from His mouth. How pure are these words, and they are as fragrant as the droppings of myrrh. "Grace is poured upon Your lips" (Psa. 45:2). It is no wonder that men praised Him and marveled at the words of grace that came from His mouth (Luke 4:22). The droppings of myrrh do not mean just grace; they are related to His death. This denotes the grace that issues forth from His death. His lips drop myrrh; every word of grace that comes out of His mouth is based on His death. Whether it is, "Your sins are forgiven...Go in peace" (7:48-50), "He who believes has eternal life" (John 6:47), or "Rise and take up your mat and walk" (Mark 2:9), all these words are based on His death.