The Written Word and the Living Word

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

His name is called The Word of God.  Let’s read a few verses around that verse to get some context in our minds.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

John is exiled on Patmos Island and God lets John see many future events and has John write them down for us.  By chapter 19 the tribulation is over and Jesus is coming to make things right and setup His 1000 year reign on the throne of David.  He is not coming this time as a lamb to the slaughter, this time He is coming as Lord.  He is not coming in humility and as a servant like the first time, this time He is coming in power and as judge and king.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Jesus is coming back in the clouds and then 7 years later He is coming back to the earth.  He is coming back to faithfully fulfill all the prophecies in the Bible.

In the middle of this declaration of Jesus coming back in power and authority and as judge and king and Lord.  In the middle of it is the statement, and his name is called The Word of God.

Interesting.  The Bible is called the Word of God and here Jesus is called the Word of God.  God is making a statement here.  God is making a connection between the Bible and Jesus by giving them both the same name.

We often refer to this by saying there is the written word and there is the living word. The written word is the Bible and the Living Word is Jesus.

This connection is also made in the book of John.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus is referred to as the Word.  The Word of God.  There is the living word and the written word and they are connected in a special way.

Both are the expression of the mind of God.  2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Bible was actually written by His Spirit.  The 3 in 1 God. Jesus came to teach and to show us God.  Jesus taught that if you have seen me then you have seen the father.  Jesus came to do the work and the will of the Father.

Both the written word and the living word partake of the human and the divine.  Jesus the living Word left heaven and became man to go to the cross.  And the Written word is inspired by God but human instruments penned it.

When Jesus was on the earth He said using the present tense that He was in heaven.  Both places at once.  About the Bible we are told in Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.  The written Word is also on earth and in Heaven at the same time.

Both the written word and the living Word have an eternal existence.  Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Both are likened in the Bible to the light.  Both came as God’s message to bless a lost world

Both are despised and rejected of men.

And both will judge us at the last.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

One of the books is the Written Word of God.  It declares what sin is.  It declares how men are saved.  On those truths men will be judged before God.

And we are judged by the Living Word.

Psalm 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

There is parallel after parallel between the written word of God and the Living Word of God.  The Bible and Jesus are connected is a special way.

And God makes us take notice of this by calling Jesus the Word of God.

The Bible is His book.  It was written by Him and it is all about Him.  Jesus is the central theme of the entire book.  Even the parts where it is describing the horrible sin of man.  Those parts are showing how much man needs Jesus.  And show how great the love and forgiveness and mercy of God is.

His name is the Word of God.  If we get a glimpse of the fact that the written Word is His book, it changes things.  It means we will not mess with it or correct it.   It means that we will love it like we love Him.  And we will want to spend time with it just like we want to spend time with Him.

And the reality of it is, when we do spend time in His precious book, we are spending time with Him.  It is often thru His written Word that He speaks to us.  Yes I know He also speaks to us in that still small voice of the Holy Spirit when we are not reading our Bible, but even that is often connected to spending time with Him in His Word.

His name is the Word of God.

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