John's vision of the Son of Man
John's vision of the Son of Man is described in the scriptural Revelation -. John sees a vision of the risen, ascended and glorified Jesus Christ, whom he describes as one "like the Son of Man". Jesus is portrayed in this vision as having a robe with a golden sash, white hair, eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze and a voice like rushing waters. He holds seven stars in his right hand and has a double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. The vision is also notable for being the only identifiable physical description of Jesus in any form in the Biblical canon.
Background
, the author of Revelation, was exiled to the island of Patmos, possibly during the reign of the emperor Domitian. He says that on the Lord's Day he was "in the Spirit", and heard a loud voice "like a trumpet". When he turned around, he saw this Son of Man figure. In, the figure whom John sees identifies himself as "the First and the Last," who "was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever" — a reference to Jesus' resurrection.Connection with the rest of the book
Some of the language used in Revelation 1 is also used in Revelation 19 to describe the Rider on the White Horse. In both places he has a sword coming out of his mouth and has "eyes like blazing fire".The Son of Man in this passage is portrayed as walking among seven lampstands, which represent seven churches. Chapters 2 and 3 report letters written to the seven churches by John as it was revealed to him by the Son of Man. In, he says, "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches," while throughout the letters he is identified in terms of the vision, such as "him who has the sharp, double-edged sword".
Connection with the Book of Daniel
There is a striking resemblance between John's and Daniel's visions of a son of man. In John's vision the Son of Man has white hair, a sword, and lampstands. In Daniel's vision the Son of Man has a body resembling tarshish, which Rabbi Rashi explains as - quoting Tractate Hullin 9lb - the man being as large as the Tarshish Sea in Africa. Rashi interprets Daniel's Son of Man to be the archangel Gabriel.| Revelation 1 | Daniel 10 |
| 1:13 one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest | 10:5 a man dressed in linen with a belt of fine gold around his waist |
| 1:14 his eyes were like a fiery flame | 10:6 his eyes were like fiery torches |
| 1:15 His feet were like polished brass refined in a furnace | 10:6 his arms and feet looked like burnished bronze |
| 1:15 his voice was like the sound of rushing water | 10:6 the sound of his voice was like the roar of a multitude |
| 1:16 his face shone like the sun at its brightest | 10:6 his face shone like lightning |
In Jewish mysticism, the angels are the heavenly priests of God who serve in his heavenly temple in his heavenly Jerusalem; hence Gabriel wearing priestly robe and sash. Jesus is similarly depicted because, according to the New Testament, he is the eternal high priest of mankind.
Explanation and interpretation
suggests that the whole of the vision "is symbolical of Christ, the Holy One, coming to purge His churches," and to "punish those who are persecuting His elect."| Element | Biblical reference | Suggested meaning |
| Seven gold lampstands | Zechariah 4:11, 14 "What are...the lampstand?...These are...the Lord of all the earth." | The menorah used in the tabernacle and in the temple |
| Robe and golden sash | Exodus 28:4 "These are the vestments they shall make:...a robe,...and a sash. In making these sacred vestments which your brother Aaron and his sons are to wear in serving as my priests." | "Reminders of the official dress of the High Priest" |
| White hair | "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool." | Like that of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7 "Wisdom and the dignity of age" |
| Eyes like blazing fire | Psalm 139:12 "Even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You." | They "read every heart and penetrate every hidden corner" |
| Feet like bronze | Ezekiel 1:27 "...and from what looked like the waist down, I saw something like the appearance of fire and brilliant light surrounding him." | Strength and stability Trampling enemies |
| Voice like rushing waters | Ezekiel 1:24 "Then I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring of mighty waters, like the voice of the Almighty." | "The awe-inspiring power of a great waterfall" |
| Holding seven stars in his right hand | Deuteronomy 1:10 "The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky." | Pleiades in Job 38:31 Supreme political authority "The right hand can be interpreted as a source of power and protection" Astrological imagery: "The stars may be thought of as controlling human fate, but Jesus controls the stars" |
| Double-edged sword coming out of his mouth | Ephesians 6:17 "And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." | "His Word that works to save and to destroy" |
| Face like the sun | Isaiah 60:19 "No longer shall the sun be your light by day,...Rather, the LORD will be your light forever." | As at the Transfiguration |
Significance of the seven stars
One aspect of the vision is the portrayal of Jesus holding seven stars in his right hand. Such a motif is also found on coins of the emperor Domitian. Sometime between 77 and 81, Domitian's infant son died. He was subsequently deified, and is portrayed on coins of Domitian, with seven stars. Ernest Janzen argues that the globe on which the infant stands represents world dominion and power, while the stars indicate his divine nature; he is depicted as "the son of god" and "conqueror of the world." Austin Farrer, on the other hand, takes them to be the seven classical planets, and interprets the vision as representing Christ's lordship over time.Although Domitian's son cannot be said to be holding the stars, some scholars have drawn parallels between the numismatic and biblical evidences. Frederick Murphy notes that "Revelation's image of Jesus with seven stars in his hand may be an allusion to that coin and an implicit critique of it. It is not the Roman imperial family that has cosmic significance, but Jesus."
John tells us in that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches In commenting on this verse, C.I. Scofield states: The natural explanation of the "messengers" is that they were men sent by the seven churches to ascertain the state of the aged apostle... but they figure any who bear God's messages to a church. In the New Testament, the Greek word for angels is not only used for heavenly angels, but also used for human messengers, such as John the Baptist. Merrill Unger is of the opinion that human messengers is the meaning of the stars.