John's vision of the Son of Man
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John's vision of the Son of Man, also known as John’s Vision of Christ, is a
Account
Connection with the rest of the book
Some of the language used in
The Son of Man is portrayed as walking (
Connection with the Book of Daniel
This section possibly contains original research. (November 2020) |
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 |
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 – quoting Tractate Hullin 9lb – as the man being as large as the Tarshish Sea in Africa.[3] Rashi interprets Daniel's Son of Man to be the archangel Gabriel.[4]
In
Explanation and interpretation
This section possibly contains original research. (November 2020) |
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"[7]
|
White hair | Isaiah 1:18 "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[8] "Wisdom and the dignity of age"[8] |
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"[9] |
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[10] Trampling enemies[11] |
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"[10] |
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[7] in Job 38:31 Supreme political authority[7] "The right hand can be interpreted as a source of power and protection"[12] Astrological imagery: "The stars may be thought of as controlling human fate, but Jesus controls the stars"[13] |
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"[7] |
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[11] |
William Hendriksen 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."[9]
Significance of the seven stars
John tells us in
In the New Testament, the Greek word for
Several New Testament scholars believe that the angels are not human messengers. Isbon Beckwith says they represent the churches "ideal conception of its immanent spirit".[16] Henry Barclay Swete refers to the angels as the "prevailing spirit" of the church.[17]
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
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.[20]
See also
- Chronology of Revelation
- Resurrection appearances of Jesus
- Son of man (Christianity)
- Son of man (Judaism)
References
- Ancient of data
- ^ David L. Barr, “Apocalypse as Symbolic Transformation for the World,” Interpretation, 38 (1953), 39–50
- ^ Chabad Tanakh: Rashi's Commentary on Daniel 10:6
- ^ Chabad Tanakh: Rashi's Commentary on Daniel 11:1
- ^ "ANGELOLOGY – JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "Hebrews, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB". bible.usccb.org. Chapter 5:1–10. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ a b c d David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Dominion Press, 1987), pp. 73–76.
- ^ a b Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John (Tyndale, 1969), p. 53.
- ^ a b William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (Tyndale Press, 1962), p. 56.
- ^ a b Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (Eerdmans, 1977), p. 79.
- ^ a b John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible Archived 2013-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Baker, 2002), p. 97.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56338-152-2.
- ^ Unger, M., Unger's Bible Dictionary, (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1975) p. 52
- ^ Scofield, W. I., The Scofield Study Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996) p. 1331.
- ^ Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (NY: MacMillan Company, 1919; reprinted Wipf and Stock), p. 446, emphasis Beckwith’s.
- ^ Henry Barclay Swete, Commentary on Revelation: The Greek Text (1906, reprint Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1977), p. 22.
- ^ Brian W. Jones, The Emperor Domitian (Routledge, 1993), p. 36.
- ^ Ernest P. Janzen, "The Jesus of the Apocalypse Wears the Emperor's Clothes," SBL Seminar Papers 130 (1994): 645–647.
- ^ Austin Farrer, "Inspiration, Poetical and Divine," in Interpretation and Belief, p. 47.