The Glorious Son of Man in Revelation 1
This article is part 3 in a series on Revelation. Part 1 addressed the interpretive approaches to the book. Part 2 covered its different genres. In this post, we’re going to consider John’s vision of the Son of Man in Revelation 1:9-20. It reads:
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
John’s Commission to Write
John begins by noting that the tribulation isn’t some far off event in the distant future. Rather, it’s something he and the churches were facing in the present. In fact, John specifically says he was persecuted for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ–the very “word of testimony” that believers will use to conquer Satan (Rev. 12:11). One result of John’s persecution is that he was exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea where he received this revelation.
Not only is John a brother and partner in the tribulation, he is also a partner in the kingdom of God–the kingdom that is only accessed through patient endurance. In fact, the whole thrust of this book is to exhort Christians to press on in the face of hardship.
John says he was “in the Spirit” which means John received a vision from the Spirit of God. John’s experience isn’t much different from Ezekiel’s, demonstrating he is on par with the OT prophets (Ezek. 2:2; 3:12). Additionally, John received this vision “on the Lord’s day.” This phrase must refer to Sunday, as that’s the day the Lord rose from the dead (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1). Jesus’ resurrection, therefore, led the church to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).
Suddenly, John heard a voice behind him that was loud “like a trumpet.” This imagery harkens back to Mount Sinai where the loud noise coming from the cloud was like “the sound of a trumpet” (Exod. 19:17-20). Next, this voice tells him to write what he sees on a scroll and send it to the seven churches in Asia. The order of the cities reflects the route a courier would take to deliver the scroll starting with Ephesus and circling all the way around to Laodicea.1
The symbolic significance of the number seven (the number of completion) indicates that these churches represent the global church.2
The Vision of the Son of Man
When John turns around, he sees seven lampstands. These lampstands represent the seven churches (Rev. 1:20). The lampstand, of course, was part of the temple furniture as it was located in the Holy Place (1 Kings 7:49). In many ways, Revelation indicates that the church is now a new temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17; Rev. 21:16). And as lampstands, the church is now to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16).
In the midst of the lampstands stood one like a son of man (Jesus’ favorite self-designation in the Gospels). This figure alludes back to the son of man in Daniel 7:13-14 who came on the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days (God the Father), and was given dominion and glory and an eternal kingdom over the entire earth. The son of man’s presence with the churches indicates that he is always with them and knows their situations.
The son of man, who is clearly Jesus, was clothed in the priestly garb of a long robe and a golden sash (Exod. 25:7; 28:4, 31, 39, 40; Lev. 8:7; 16:4; Zech. 3:4). That is to say, this royal figure is also a priest who atones for our sins. In the OT, priests tended the lamps and lampstands. Now Christ tends to them as the new high priest.
His hair was “white, like wool, like snow” which alludes back to the Ancient of Day’s hair which was “like pure wool” (Dan. 7:9). The white hair symbolically represents the wisdom and omniscience of the son of man, just like the Ancient of Days. And his eyes were like “a flame of fire” which refers to his perfect knowledge and discernment (Rev. 2:18).3 In other words, nothing escapes Christ–especially what’s going on in the life of the churches.
His feet were like “burnished bronze, refined like a furnace,” which seems to suggest Jesus’ moral purity. This could also refer to his ability to crush his enemies underfoot (Ps. 110:1). And his voice was like the “roar of many waters.” That is to say, it was thunderous (Ezek. 43:2; Dan. 10:6).
Moreover, John tells us that Christ holds the seven stars in his right hand. By holding them, he demonstrates his control and protection.
We also read that out of Christ’s mouth came a “sharp two-edged sword.” This image is another reminder of why we should not try to understand these symbols literally. The two-edge sword protruding from Jesus’ mouth symbolizes Christ’s words of judgment (Rev. 19:15; Isa. 49:2). Certainly, the reader thinks back to Hebrews 4:12 which notes that the Word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword.”
Finally, John says the son of man’s face shone like the sun “in full strength.” The shining face harkens back to Jesus’ shining face at the Mount of Transfiguration indicating the glory and majesty of Christ (Matt. 17:2).
The Son of Man’s Words
When John sees Jesus, he falls to the ground in fear. His response reminds us of Isaiah’s vision where he fell on the ground before the Lord and cried out that he was “a man with unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5). In other words, when a sinful human being enters into the presence of God, he cannot but help but be aware of his own sinfulness and finitude. Yet, Christ comforts the sinner.
Christ tells John that he’s “the first and the last”–the same designation God uses for himself (Isa. 41:4; 44:6). He also declares that he is the living one who came back to life. Of course, Jesus is referring here to his resurrection from the dead where he conquered death forever. He, therefore, holds the keys of Death and Hades–two words describing the realm of the dead (Rev. 6:8; 20:13).4 Holding the keys was a sign of authority (Matt. 16:19). Therefore, Christ rules even over death.5
Just like verse 11, Christ tells John to write down everything he sees in the visions–things that are taking place in the present as well as things that will happen in the future. Christ then interprets some of the symbols for John. He indicates that the seven stars represent the seven angels who guard the churches. Some think that the angels represent the pastors of the congregation. However, this interpretation doesn’t seem likely. After all, John uses the word angel(s) seventy-five times in Revelation, and in every other instance, it always refers to a heavenly being. Furthermore, the apocalyptic book of Zechariah mentions angel(s) twenty times, and in each instance there, it refers to a heavenly being.6 Finally, Jesus indicates that the seven lampstands symbolize the seven churches.
Conclusion
What should be our response to this vision? I believe our response should echo the response of John’s. We should fall on our faces in awe before the glorious son of man. We should see and behold the beauty of our great priest-king who atoned for our sins and conquered our greatest enemies of sin, Satan, and death. Furthermore, we should find comfort in the fact that Jesus is in the midst of his people, never distant nor aloof. And we should embrace his sovereignty, knowing that even though much of life doesn’t make sense at the moment, he reigns supreme and will bring his kingdom to its consumption.
The next post will look at the messages to the seven churches.
- Thomas Schreiner, “Revelation” in Hebrews-Revelation, 562.
- G. K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, 46.
- Thomas Schreiner, “Revelation” in Hebrews-Revelation, 564.
- Thomas Schreiner, “Revelation” in Hebrews-Revelation, 566.
- G. K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, 49.
- Thomas Schreiner, “Revelation” in Hebrews-Revelation, 567.
