Lamprey: Lamp of the King

 

As my husband and I walked along the beach, we spotted a man standing by the waves, staring down into his cupped hands.

Our approach evidently interrupted his deep meditation, as he looked up and asked, “Are you folks from around here?”

“Well, we spend a lot of time here,” my husband answered. “How can we help you?”

He again peered into his hands, directing our attention to a tiny creature swimming in his palm. It was about 1 inch long, and narrow like a worm, silvery and translucent. It had two eyes, each placed laterally on either side of its head, and seven black dots on each side of the body in a straight line behind the eye.

“Any idea what this is?” he asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sadly, we hadn’t either, so we weren’t able to shed much light on the matter.

“One of God’s creatures,” my husband said. The man smiled. We continued our brisk morning walk and turned around a short while later to head back to the condo, but the man had disappeared, and we did not see him again during our stay.

After returning to our home a few days later, I picked up a magazine at random from an untouched pile of mail. It fell open to a picture of exactly what we had seen – a lamprey, apparently newly hatched given its small size. I believe that with God, there are no coincidences, so I resolved to investigate the matter further.

The article in which the photo appeared was from a creation science magazine, citing the lamprey as an example of a jawless fish (Agnatha). The seven gill slits, corresponding to the seven dots visible behind the eye, are separated from each other internally by cartilaginous arches, which are uniquely hinged and engineered skeletal features allowing the gills to pull in oxygenated water so that the lamprey can “breathe.”

There are no transitional forms linking the lamprey to jawed fishes or to armored jawless fish, and all three types of fishes are equally complex, supporting intelligent design of all three types at the same time and arguing against evolution. As is the case so often in nature, whether in a vast galaxy or a diminutive sea creature, God’s creation declares His glory, wisdom and creativity (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20).

So what might God be saying to me through this little lamprey, revealed to us by divine appointment?  I learned that the etymology of “lamprey” is obscure, but it may derive from the old French words meaning “lick rock,” referring to the raspy tongue of this parasite that allows it to attach to and feed off other fishes. So this worm-like parasite seems ignoble at best, much like man (Job 17:14; 25:6) in his unregenerated, sin-cursed state (Romans 3:10-23) before he is saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

When Christ died to pay our sin debt, the Holy, sinless Lamb of God took on the whole weight of all of mankind’s sin, past, present and future (Hebrews 9:28; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He was so disfigured by this putrid burden that all were revolted by His appearance (Isaiah 53:2-12), and even His Holy Father could not bear to look at Him (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). The King of Kings, Lord of Heaven became as a lowly worm (Job 25:6; Psalm 22:6), just to save us from the penalty of sin while we were yet His enemies (Romans 3:25; 5:6-11).

Before I researched the etymology of “lamprey,” which turns out to be unclear anyway, the word brought to mind a combination of two words: the English word “lamp,” and “rey,” the Spanish word for “king.” God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105), and the Lord Himself is our lamp, lighting the darkness (2 Samuel 22:29). God’s commandment is a lamp, showing us the way we should go (Proverbs 6:23). His salvation is likened to a burning lamp (Isaiah 62:1). The prophet Daniel’s vision of Jesus Christ revealed His eyes to be like lamps of fire (Daniel 10:6).

So “lamprey” reminded me of the Lamp (Word, commandment, law) of the King, Who is our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He will reign over His coming kingdom with perfect righteousness, justice and peace (2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 1:11, Revelation 1:5, 11:15, 12:10).

And yet, born-again believers (John 3:3-8) could also be considered to be lamps of the King, for Jesus said that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). He is the true Light (John 1:9), and once we are saved, His light shines through us and is reflected from us.

The same morning that I spotted the magazine article, one of our daily devotional readings was about the need to keep our lamps filled with oil and burning brightly as we await the return of Our Lord and King. Like the wise virgins whose lamps were prepared (Matthew 25:1-13), believers should be filled with the Holy Spirit, ready for Christ’s imminent return for His Bride, or the Church, at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

That same afternoon I listened to a prophecy TV broadcast, which “just happened” to compare the Rapture to the Galilean wedding tradition. Like the betrothed Hebrew bride, we do not know the day nor the hour when Our Lord will return for us (Matthew 24:36), flying us up to His Father’s house for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).

The number seven in Scripture is God’s perfect number of completion, preceding the number eight, which marks new beginnings (much like the seven notes of the musical scale, with the eighth marking the beginning of a new octave). The seven gill slits of the lamprey, appearing as seven dots behind the eye, is a reminder of God’s perfection, with the eight “dot” surrounded by the silvery orb of the eye suggesting the new beginning we have in Christ.

The seven dots also suggest Christ’s warnings and encouragement to the seven churches, depicted in Revelation as seven lamps, or candlesticks He holds in His right hand (Revelation 1:20; 4:5). Those exhortations include not forgetting our first love, Who is Christ; rejecting false doctrine; seeking spiritual rather than material blessings; and being on fire for Christ with zeal rather than indifference (Revelation 2-3).

God prescribed that His tabernacle should be lit with seven gold lamps (Exodus 25:37; 37:23), to be filled continually with olive oil (Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2-4), which is a foreshadowing of how Jesus would be crushed for our sins like an olive put through the press to extract the life-giving oil. At the Garden of Gethsemane, which means “olive press,” He agonized so fervently in prayer over His imminent work on the cross that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44).

It is amazing how God speaks to His children through His creation, and through divine appointments. May we always be attuned to His still, small voice! (1 Kings 19:12). May we follow His Word and law and keep our lamps burning brightly, radiating His Holy Spirit as we await the return of our Bridegroom and King!

© 2021 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

The "Convention"

Photo by Laurie Collett 2023

 On our usual beach stroll my husband Richard and I were at first delighted by the privacy and solitude. But then we were a little disappointed that not only were there no people, but there were no birds! This seemed odd given the beautiful weather, calm seas, wide expanse of beach, and a variety of species seen on our previous visit.

But then, about 300 feet away, we spotted what Richard referred to as “the convention.” Droves of winged creatures of so many kinds – sandpipers darting to and fro; shy fawn-colored plovers on spindly legs; stodgy terns in a variety of colors and patterns. Snowy-white cranes spread their delicate wings; oystercatchers with tufted heads and long yellow bills stood on one large, yellow webbed foot; tall blue herons and black and white osprey all lined the beach, intermingling with one another.

Even the pelicans were well-represented. It is not unusual to see these prehistoric-looking creatures on air patrol as they fly over the beach in squadron formation, or floating alone or in small groups as they ride the ocean waves. But this was the first time we had seen pelicans sitting on the beach, as if conversing with their peers!

Despite the varied composition of the group, it was a cohesive unit, moving together on the shore, where they all stood facing toward or away from the surf, or wading in the shallow water as they hunted for small fish, crabs or coquinas.

The different songs of each variety were distinguishable – the mournful cry of the osprey, the tern’s shrill call, and the excited chatter of the sandpipers. But together the sounds blended into a harmonious symphony.

As we approached, they took to the air, again in unison, swirling around us in a flurry of excitement, offering stunning views of outstretched wings and tails changing color with every spread of their feathers.

“Hope it’s not going to turn into a Hitchcock movie,” Richard joked.

But far from being frightened, I was delighted to be in the center of this avian display of power, grace and movement. It brought back childhood memories of winter vacations on Florida’s east coast, when my grandmother would toss chunks of dry bread into the air for the seagulls to devour and sometimes even to greedily snatch them from our outstretched hands.

As we marveled at this shoreline “convention,” it reminded me of what can be accomplished when God’s people gather together and follow His will. Abraham took the first step of faith by following God on the journey to the Promised Land, accompanied by thousands of Israelites who would take forty years to reach their destination (Genesis 12:1-5).

Moses, obeying God’s instructions delivered from the burning bush, returned to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews from slavery and captivity under Pharaoh (Exodus 3). As they fled together, God demonstrated His amazing power by parting the Red Sea for them to pass through safely, then releasing the waters to destroy the Egyptians who pursued them (Exodus 14).

When thousands gathered on a hillside to hear Jesus preach and see Him heal the sick, He honored their devotion by feeding them not only with the daily bread of His Word, but with abundant loaves and fishes He miraculously produced from a small boy’s lunch! (Matthew 14:13-21).

When Jesus’ followers, and many who had not yet trusted in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15::1-4) as the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), gathered to hear Peter preach, thousands were saved and added to the church, as a previous gathering of the disciples at Pentecost had resulted in the Holy Spirit lighting upon each of them like flames of fire (Acts 2).

Yet gatherings of men apart from God’s direction can cause great chaos. In millennia past, men motivated by their own ambition and rebellion against God acted together to build a tower reaching to the sky in their own vain attempt to become divine. God punished this by giving each group a separate language, preventing their collaboration (Genesis 11:1-9).

In modern times, we have witnessed human conventions motivated either by good or by evil. Scripture orders Christians to gather together regularly to worship God, hear His Word, bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and encourage one another, even more so as the signs of the times herald Jesus’ imminent return for His children (Hebrews 10:25).

Members of the church, or body of Christ, come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, with different gifts and talents (Romans 12:5-8). Yet whether Jews or Gentiles, male or female, free or slave, we are all one in Him (Galatians 3:28). The Billy Graham revivals and similar Christian conventions have led to salvation of multitudes of the lost and rededication of the lives of many followers to Christ’s service.

Yet contemporary gatherings of world economic and political powers seem to be ushering in a one-world government, economy, and false religion, all foretold in Bible prophecy as facilitating the rule of Antichrist during the Great Tribulation (Daniel 2; 7; Revelation 17:12-13).

Thankfully, we Christians will not be here to see that, for we will have already gathered in that great convention in the clouds when Jesus calls all His children home at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:52). But then we will return to earth, united as His great army to watch Him defeat Satan’s army of all nations rallying to attack Israel (Revelation 19:11-21).

Throughout eternity thereafter, the church, or body of Christ, will have the great privilege of worshiping Him on His throne, people of all kindred, tongues, and nations synchronously lifting their voices and hearts to honor the King! (Revelation 7:9-10).

How glorious that will be, even more so than the “convention” of birds of all different species we saw unified on the ground, in the air, and in their song, reminding us of God’s infinite creativity, majesty and power deserving of praise from all His creation!   

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Photo by Laurie Collett 2023

Revelation of Christ: Triplets of Power

 

Who is Jesus? The Revelation of Jesus Christ paints a dramatic portrait of our Judge, Warrior and King as we will know Him throughout eternity. In contrast to the helpless Babe in the manger (Luke 2:7,12,16), the humble Servant (John 13:5), and the meek, sacrificial Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36) portrayed in the Gospels, Christ shows Himself in Revelation in triplets of Divine power.

This unveiling of Christ to the apostle John was given by God, sent by His angel, and signified by His angel (Revelation 1:1; 17:1). As John was caught up in the Spirit in a prophetic vision (Revelation 1:10), he faithfully recorded God’s Word, the testimony of Christ Himself, which is the Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10) and everything that he saw (Revelation 1:2). Jesus told John to record His Words regarding the past history of the seven churches, His present observations for these churches, and His prophecies of future events (Revelation 1:19).

John makes it clear that his vision came from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who is, and was, and is to come, reflecting His present Priesthood, His eternal past, and His eternal future (Revelation 1:4,8). Jesus describes His own everlasting nature as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last (Revelation 1:8,11,17).

John refers to Christ by three of His titles: the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. In other words, Christ is the Prophet, Priest and King. John praises Him for three of His noble deeds: He loved us; He washed us from our sins in his own blood; and He made us kings and priests in His Name (Revelation 1:5-6). His triumphal return will be a monumental event seen by all, realized by those who crucified Him, and causing great dismay to all remaining on earth (Revelation 1:7)

John hears the powerful words of Christ as a great voice, as of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10), and as the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:15). Christ wields three symbols of power and holiness: seven golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-13) surrounding Him, representing the seven churches (Revelation 1:16,20); seven stars in His right hand, representing the seven angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:16,20); and a sharp two-edged sword, representing His Word, proceeding out of His mouth  (Revelation 1:16).

Jesus Christ radiates brilliant light, for He is light (1 John 1:5): His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet like fine brass, as if burned in a furnace; and His face shining like the sun (Revelation 1:14-16). He makes three pronouncements about His power over life and death: in His incarnation He rose from the dead; He lives forever in His resurrected, glorified body; and He has the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18). Through faith in His death, burial and resurrection, He promises eternal life to all who trust Him (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 3:16).

Christ is adorned in attire suitable for a Priest, Judge, and Ruler. His full-length robe reflects His holiness, authority and majesty, and His golden girdle circling His chest is like the priest’s ephod, breastplate of a mighty warrior, or royal banner. His snow-white hair, like wool, resembles the wigs worn by magistrates to reflect their wisdom, age, and authority (Revelation 1:13-14).

Unlike any other book in the Bible, Revelation carries a special blessing for those who read it, those who hear it, and those who keep it; meaning for those who carry the promises of this book in their heart, mind and soul to influence their thoughts, words, and behavior (Revelation 1:3). Knowing that Christ will soon come again in judgment, power, and glory, should we not live every moment following His Word, seeking His will, and doing His work?

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives and edited

Lamprey: Lamp of the King

As my husband and I walked along the beach, we spotted a man standing by the waves, staring down into his cupped hands.

Our approach evidently interrupted his deep meditation, as he looked up and asked, “Are you folks from around here?”

“Well, we spend a lot of time here,” my husband answered. “How can we help you?”

He again peered into his hands, directing our attention to a tiny creature swimming in his palm. It was about 1 inch long, and narrow like a worm, silvery and translucent. It had two eyes, each placed laterally on either side of its head, and seven black dots on each side of the body in a straight line behind the eye.

“Any idea what this is?” he asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sadly, we hadn’t either, so we weren’t able to shed much light on the matter.

“One of God’s creatures,” my husband said. The man smiled. We continued our brisk morning walk and turned around a short while later to head back to the condo, but the man had disappeared, and we did not see him again during our stay.

After returning to our home a few days later, I picked up a magazine at random from an untouched pile of mail. It fell open to a picture of exactly what we had seen – a lamprey, apparently newly hatched given its small size. I believe that with God, there are no coincidences, so I resolved to investigate the matter further.

The article in which the photo appeared was from a creation science magazine, citing the lamprey as an example of a jawless fish (Agnatha). The seven gill slits, corresponding to the seven dots visible behind the eye, are separated from each other internally by cartilaginous arches, which are uniquely hinged and engineered skeletal features allowing the gills to pull in oxygenated water so that the lamprey can “breathe.”

There are no transitional forms linking the lamprey to jawed fishes or to armored jawless fish, and all three types of fishes are equally complex, supporting intelligent design of all three types at the same time and arguing against evolution. As is the case so often in nature, whether in a vast galaxy or a diminutive sea creature, God’s creation declares His glory, wisdom and creativity (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20).

So what might God be saying to me through this little lamprey, revealed to us by divine appointment?  I learned that the etymology of “lamprey” is obscure, but it may derive from the old French words meaning “lick rock,” referring to the raspy tongue of this parasite that allows it to attach to and feed off other fishes. So this worm-like parasite seems ignoble at best, much like man (Job 17:14; 25:6) in his unregenerated, sin-cursed state (Romans 3:10-23) before he is saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

When Christ died to pay our sin debt, the Holy, sinless Lamb of God took on the whole weight of all of mankind’s sin, past, present and future (Hebrews 9:28; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He was so disfigured by this putrid burden that all were revolted by His appearance (Isaiah 53:2-12), and even His Holy Father could not bear to look at Him (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). The King of Kings, Lord of Heaven became as a lowly worm (Job 25:6; Psalm 22:6), just to save us from the penalty of sin while we were yet His enemies (Romans 3:25; 5:6-11).

Before I researched the etymology of “lamprey,” which turns out to be unclear anyway, the word brought to mind a combination of two words: the English word “lamp,” and “rey,” the Spanish word for “king.” God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105), and the Lord Himself is our lamp, lighting the darkness (2 Samuel 22:29). God’s commandment is a lamp, showing us the way we should go (Proverbs 6:23). His salvation is likened to a burning lamp (Isaiah 62:1). The prophet Daniel’s vision of Jesus Christ revealed His eyes to be like lamps of fire (Daniel 10:6).

So “lamprey” reminded me of the Lamp (Word, commandment, law) of the King, Who is our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He will reign over His coming kingdom with perfect righteousness, justice and peace (2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 1:11, Revelation 1:5, 11:15, 12:10).

And yet, born-again believers (John 3:3-8) could also be considered to be lamps of the King, for Jesus said that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). He is the true Light (John 1:9), and once we are saved, His light shines through us and is reflected from us.

The same morning that I spotted the magazine article, one of our daily devotional readings was about the need to keep our lamps filled with oil and burning brightly as we await the return of Our Lord and King. Like the wise virgins whose lamps were prepared (Matthew 25:1-13), believers should be filled with the Holy Spirit, ready for Christ’s imminent return for His Bride, or the Church, at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

That same afternoon I listened to a prophecy TV broadcast, which “just happened” to compare the Rapture to the Galilean wedding tradition. Like the betrothed Hebrew bride, we do not know the day nor the hour when Our Lord will return for us (Matthew 24:36), flying us up to His Father’s house for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9).

The number seven in Scripture is God’s perfect number of completion, preceding the number eight, which marks new beginnings (much like the seven notes of the musical scale, with the eighth marking the beginning of a new octave). The seven gill slits of the lamprey, appearing as seven dots behind the eye, is a reminder of God’s perfection, with the eight “dot” surrounded by the silvery orb of the eye suggesting the new beginning we have in Christ.

The seven dots also suggest Christ’s warnings and encouragement to the seven churches, depicted in Revelation as seven lamps, or candlesticks He holds in His right hand (Revelation 1:20; 4:5). Those exhortations include not forgetting our first love, Who is Christ; rejecting false doctrine; seeking spiritual rather than material blessings; and being on fire for Christ with zeal rather than indifference (Revelation 2-3).

God prescribed that His tabernacle should be lit with seven gold lamps (Exodus 25:37; 37:23), to be filled continually with olive oil (Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2-4), which is a foreshadowing of how Jesus would be crushed for our sins like an olive put through the press to extract the life-giving oil. At the Garden of Gethsemane, which means “olive press,” He agonized so fervently in prayer over His imminent work on the cross that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44).

It is amazing how God speaks to His children through His creation, and through divine appointments. May we always be attuned to His still, small voice! (1 Kings 19:12). May we follow His Word and law and keep our lamps burning brightly, radiating His Holy Spirit as we await the return of our Bridegroom and King!

© 2021 Laurie Collett