Day 20

“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I SAW SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS; ¹³ AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAMPSTANDS I SAW ONE LIKE A SON OF MAN, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash.” Rev.1:12-13 NASB

John sees Jesus among seven golden lampstands, which represent the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev.1:20). Jesus is portrayed as walking among the lampstands, ministering to the churches. The background to this idea is the Old Testament covenant: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Lev.26:12, NIV). 

One of the best things about the covenant concept is that God is not arbitrary. He subjects Himself to the covenant (agreement or contract between two parties.) “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deut.7:9, NIV). God is not like the ancient pagan gods who couldn’t be trusted. The Hebrew God approaches His people in a consistent fashion, obeying His own rules. This is a tremendous source of security and stability for our spiritual life. We know what to expect from Him. 

The good news of the gospel is that God in Christ has already met the obligations of the covenant at the cross and the resurrection. (Acts.13:32-33; 2Cor.1:20). For those in a relationship with Jesus, the covenant contains nothing we need to fear. The promises of God are all freely available in Christ. We can have security in our relationship with Him. 

Many Christians are insecure. They don’t know if they have done enough or if they are right with God. To them, Jesus says, “I am here among you.” Are these churches perfect? Have they done all the right things? No. It’s very clear that they are fallible, make mistakes, and, in some ways, are even turning away from Jesus. Yet He continues to walk among those lampstands as the faithful God of the covenant Who is there for His people.