And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Revelation 5:6, NKJV)
It is a marvelous thing to have two eyes. We can scan the environment and see its beauty, although we can also see its brutality. We can see expressions of joy and of sorrow. However, the apostle John in vision sees a Lamb with seven eyes. Why seven? Seven is symbolic of completeness, fullness or perfection. The seven eyes represent complete sight.
John sees Jesus as the Lamb before the throne of God. He had been slain, sacrificed for the sin of the world (John 1:29). But notice the Lamb is standing. He lives! He died, but rose and ascended to the right hand of God. The scene is that of Jesus’ inauguration as our High Priest after his ascension. It was then, at Pentecost, that Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to all the Earth. The Spirit is represented as seven Spirits, denoting His full ministry to the world.
With only two eyes we are blind to the recesses of the heart and mind. But it is with seven eyes that God scans to and fro through the whole earth (Zechariah 4:10). He sees into the nock and cranny of every heart. The Apostle Paul writes about the eyes of understanding (Ephesians 1:18). Our great High Priest not only sees, but He understands. He knows the struggles we are going through.
He feels the despair of the drug addict, the pain caused by molestation, the despair of a battered wife, the parent’s grief who has lost a child, etc. Jesus was abandoned, beaten, mocked, rejected, tortured, reviled, betrayed, denied and more. “He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). On the cross, His sinless heart was ruptured by the weight of our sin and guilt. He bore it all to save us. But his pain didn’t stop at the cross. As long as suffering, tears and death remain; God will suffer along with us. “In all their affliction he was afflicted” (Isaiah 63:9). The good news is that we have a High Priest who can sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15). We only have two eyes. This makes us quick to judge others! But Jesus sees with seven eyes. He is quick to sympathize and slow to judge.
There was a contest many years ago that sought the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old boy who consoled his neighbor whose wife had recently died. The aged man was sitting in his yard when the lad darted to him, climbing up on his lap. The mother watched from a distance with astonishment. When the boy returned to her, she asked her four–year-old what he said to the grieving widower. “Nothing,” said the boy, “I just helped him cry.” Such empathy radiates from God’s throne.
How God’s heart must sorrow over the afflictions of mankind. By faith, let’s climb up on His lap and dry some of his tears. How? By loving others. By sympathizing with them in their struggles. Pray for the Spirit. Pray that you can see through His eyes.
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