July 15, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“‘See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven facets on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.’” (Zechariah 3.9)

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” (Revelation 5.6)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

The first thing that comes to my mind is that phrase “The ‘ayes’ have it.” Of course, that phrase means that those in the affirmative on a resolution outnumber those in the negative and the proposition put forward passes. In both Zechariah and Revelation, “The ‘eyes’ have it.” The testimony observed in Zechariah and given by “the Stone,” or in the case of The Revelation According to John– “the Lamb,” is in the affirmative. That means the proposition which God puts forward will be enacted.

We can certainly assign a variety of characters, concepts or ideas to the identity or representation of “the seven eyes.” Such examples could be “the seven deadly sins,” “the seven days in a week,” “the seven churches of Asia Minor,” “the seven spirits who go out into the world and bring back a testimony of what they have found” and others with less than biblical meanings and representations. What is not up for debate is the singularity of where the “seven eyes” are found. In Zechariah, it is a singular stone. In most translations “the eyes” refers to facets as the sides of a gemstone expertly cut. Such would not be the case for “the Lamb” with seven horns and seven eyes. In that instance, the horns represent the leadership of a nation or ethnic group and the eyes more likely their ambassadors who represent them to other nations. I will avoid speculation although there are applications in our history and geography which could give us cause to reflect such as a singular continent “in the beginning” which then broke off into what we now observe as seven. Perhaps even a singular city built upon seven hills as we would find in a description in Revelation of that city set against God, God’s people and God’s purpose.

What I would give pause to reflect upon in this moment is what we “see” in Zechariah. We have already been introduced to “the Man in the Myrtles” who sent out riders across the expanse of “the kingdom” to determine the state of the union. That man, I believe is the Christ-element in history who was, is and is to be. Just as “the Lamb” in Revelation is the Christ-figure, so then would be the “stone.” We can hear echoes of this in the Old and New Testament teachings of “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief stone.” Regardless of whether the chief stone is the cornerstone or the capstone is immaterial. The ultimate identity is that it is the “chief” stone. In some semblance we might be able to read that transitional application of Joshua as “chief” high priest who then is to be subject to, “listen to,” the Branch. Easily enough, we know that the number “seven” signifies holy, complete and without flaw. A gemstone perfectly cut will refract and reflect light. Such refraction is prismatic and shows what our eyes see as “white” light to actually be seven colors as those we see in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. [Let the reader be alerted to the “rainbow” image which the LBGTQ+ community touts. This is not similar. The original “rainbow” which was designed to represent this group of people had eight colors in it. However, in the printing of material to propagandize their identity it was impossible to duplicate it without some colors becoming muddled. So, too, I daresay, their argument for validity in their identity. Yes, we are called to love them but not into a state of entitlement but with the hope of redemption and reconciliation. Today’s “rainbow” has only six colors in it. Regardless of eight or six colors, it is not God’s rainbow of seven which bring us into a “white,” not ethnically speaking, light. It is
white (bright) as opposed to black (dark). White showing a reflection and black showing an amalgamation or consumption of light. Make your own assertions at this point as to the “one world, one people” identity being sought by the globalists of today’s world.]

I would simply speak to “the Stone” as the rock of truth by which we shall all be judged. It sees perfectly as it is perfectly seen. It stands for faith and righteousness and is thus the “rock on which we stand” in faith and righteousness. I cannot but continue to marvel at the perfection of Jesus’ reflection to those Jewish leaders who confronted Him in the marketplace with a women they “knew” as an adulteress. They came ready to judge with stones already in their hands. They desired Jesus to validate their authority in dispensing such judgment and bring Him into their fold. Jesus did validate their authority but not as they expected. Instead, He asked “Let those without sin be the first to cast stones.” The result was clear. All stones were dropped to the ground. And Jesus brought the lost woman into His sheepfold. He would have gladly received the accusers as well if they had truly repented instead of merely relented. Jesus’ intent is to remove sin and the accusation of sinners (the accusation being brought, if you remember, by Satan the accuser of us all.) Jesus loves the sinner but hates the sin. This is the bedrock of our salvation. While we deserve to be “stoned” because we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s “glory,” Jesus becomes the “stone which the builders (the temple rulers) rejected” and builds upon the foundation of faith which we espouse that He alone is the Christ. In Him alone are we saved and have life eternal and abundant. Truly, “the I (plural) have it,” that is, “I AM the bread of life,” “I AM the door of the sheep,” “I AM the resurrection and the life,” “I AM who you say I AM,” “I AM the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end,” “I AM the way, the truth and the life and through no other can the Father’s presence be entered into.”

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.