Visions of Jesus: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 1:12-16)

Can you imagine being suddenly confronted with a vision of the risen Jesus? Does he still do that? Will he really appear to someone today? He certainly can and he has appeared to Paul and others have claimed to see him even into modern times.

John’s experience of the risen Jesus is, to say the least, extraordinary.

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.  (Revelation 1:12-16 ESV)

Seven golden lampstands form the arena for this extraordinary appearance of Jesus. Are they meant to evoke the lampstand of the tabernacle/temple, or an ordinary lampstand that gives light?  Regardless, Jesus is in the midst of them.  This is the place where he operates. It feels like a holy place.

“One like a son of man” evokes Daniel 7, only now he appears more like Yahweh in that vision, something that neither John nor his readers would have missed or failed to interpret as Jesus bearing divine nature.

The long robe speaks of dignity and the gold sash of majesty, as does his white hair.  The flaming eyes and feet evoke fiery judgment as does the sound of his voice.

He holds seven stars which are unexplained, but the sharp sword coming from his mouth and the brilliance of his face also speaks of judgment.

It also could not have escaped the readers that Daniel 7 speaks of the beast who wars against God’s people until He comes and destroys his power and gives the kingdom to His people.  Jesus is here to do just that.

This vision is not meant to tell us how Jesus actually looks all the time now.  It is an enhanced experience He gives to John to communicate to us His divine nature and role of judge.  We will see this explained in some more detail in chapter 5.  We may assume that Jesus’ normal appearance is how he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.  He still bears the nail holes and spear slice in his now glorified body.

Jesus is the mediator of divine judgment. No one is more qualified to accomplish this. It is notable that this very thing was predicted in Daniel 7, a revelation Daniel received some five hundred years before. Who can discern God’s timing? Why would it surprise us that it has now been 2,000 years since God gave this revelation to John? As Peter told us, scoffers will question why God has not fulfilled His promise yet, but that with the Lord a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day (2 Peter 3).