What can you do for me now?” This is a question which deeply disturbs the aging heroes of this world. From the professional athlete to the skilled physician to the military genius–sooner or later each is marked by the same name, Ichabod, for the glory has departed. In a world that embraces current events but forgets past history, each earthly “star” fades as quickly as a shooting star and soon becomes a helpless, forgotten relic of history.
A common response of unbelief toward the Saviour is to forget His past benefits of grace and to wonder what He is doing now. In His blessed Word, however, He is delighted to reveal His current operations. He blesses His people with the insight that He is not only the past Saviour; He is the current, continuing, unfading Saviour and Friend!
Where is He now? What are His concerns now? What does He look like now? What is He doing now? An answer to each of these questions can be found in the first chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Where is He Now?
At last glance before the Rapture of the Church (hinted at in 4:1), John sees the mighty Saviour in the midst of seven lampstands which represent seven churches (1:13, 20). The only Person who can be wherever He wants to be is not seen in the general assembly of the United Nations. He is not seen seated in the Oval Office in Washington, nor in Moscow’s Red Square. He is not in any particular geographical location at all. The Head of the Church is where His heart is! He is central to the functioning of His Body, and will be with His Church on earth until He brings her to Himself in heaven.
What are His Concerns?
The places one frequents will often express a soul’s interests and concerns. This is true of such places as the bank, the ballpark, the tavern, the theater, the home, and the chapel. Unlike those with divided interests who move from place to place, the Lord Jesus never leaves His Church. He is unceasingly concerned for her welfare and will be until He finishes building her as His habitation and perfecting her as a Bride for Himself!
The question then must be asked: If Christ is so occupied with His beloved Church, will not the soul who loves Him grow to love those who comprise His beloved Bride even on earth while she is being groomed by Him for glory?
What does He Look Like Now?
When John turns to see who is speaking with such a voice among the lampstands, he sees the Son of Man in glory (1:13-16). Never again will God’s Son be seen as a Babe in the arms of a woman. No longer will Scripture allow the popular view of a long-haired, gentle-eyed, weak-bodied man. Neither will any see Him bleeding again, repeatedly experiencing the agonies of the cross, although He will be forever marked in glory as the One who was pierced for our transgressions.
Instead, we see Him blazing with glory. His head and hair are white with the expression of maturity and eternality. He is the Ancient of Days. Yet His eyes burn with the fire of discernment, penetrating to the depths of our thoughts and intentions. His feet are glowing with holy judgment, appearing as red-hot metal that has hardly been withdrawn from the flame. His every step among His people is designed to burn away the dross and make them holy as He is holy.
When He speaks, His voice now resonates much like the power of a roaring waterfall, the same terrifying sound with which He spoke long ago on Mount Sinai. One hand holds seven stars, and a sword with the potential to cut every which way is wielded from within His powerful jaws, from the jaws of the One who spoke the worlds into existence.
His face glows with the power of the noonday sun, only it is not millions of miles away but near enough to be distinctly observed by a man who knew Him previously when the Incarnation hid the unbridled light of His glory. The man, John, is now completely undone as he sees the exalted Christ. He falls down as if dead before Him! (Ought not we who acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour make our paths straight before Him with the awareness that He is seriously and gloriously moving among us now?)
What is He Doing Now?
As the high priest of old moved through an earthly tabernacle–setting in order, inspecting, and trimming the golden candelabra–so the Great High Priest, Christ Jesus, moves through His modern-day tabernacle, the Church. His desires are mirrored in the Old Testament picture. He is intensely active in inspecting His church, setting her in order (Rev. 2 & 3), and bringing forth light for Himself from her by the oil of the Spirit. This light goes up to God for His glory and out to a perishing world in witness.
The clothing of the Son of Man in Revelation 1:13 reminds us as well of the high priest on the vital day of Yom Kippur. John sees his exalted Lord in a long robe with a golden sash. On the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest entered the office of God (the Holy of Holies) to do business with Him for the sins of the nation for the entire year, he likewise wore a linen tunic with a linen sash (Lev. 16:4). Instead of the colorful apparel of blue, scarlet, purple, and gold, which normally made him the best-dressed man in Israel, the priest donned his work clothes and rolled up his sleeves for his greatest work of all.
Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ is currently dressed for work and functions continually as the Great High Priest in the lives of His people today. He daily applies the value of the blood of His once-for-all sacrifice according to the needs of His people in the throne room of heaven. How blessed are members of His Church who have a Saviour today to sustain them and maintain their salvation which began at Calvary. The Intercessor is interceding now. The Mediator is mediating now. The Advocate is advocating now. The All-In-All is functioning now in every way according to His great love with which He loves His Church!
The believer in Jesus Christ has a Champion who will never fade away. He is glorious in past history and desires that we constantly remember His loving us to death in the torture and triumph of the Cross. He will be glorious in the future when, with one exultant shout of joy, His Church will be called into His presence forever to marvel at His grace. In the between time, He is just as glorious in building, strengthening, and perfecting His Church, the focus of His love which continues from day to day to day.
William Howell serves the Lord with his wife, Karen, at Story Book Lodge in Minnesota.