Revelation chapter 1: 9 to chapter 2: 1 - 'One Like a Son of Man'

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12 I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.”

This first 'word image' within the Book of Revelation is invariably depicted with the Apostle John himself, fallen (as though dead), at the feet of one who is ‘like a son of man’. Unless the Apostle perceived himself as a part of that vision (perhaps not unlike an 'out of the body experience'), John is not strictly a part of it and yet is relevant to it. Since this is the case, I have also included him in this initial image, but in monochrome rather than full colour.

This first of the series of 'visions' is chiefly contained in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation. John sees a vision of one ‘like a son of man’ among the lampstands, (New International Version) or ‘in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the son of man.’ (Authorised Version)  Revelation1:13

In the first chapter there is no suggestion of movement and therefore the previous interpreters of this vision have provided us with images of a static figure, passive rather than active. And yet chapter two commences:

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. (chapter 2: 1).

By putting those two references together we are presented with the image of one who moves rather than one who is static as portrayed, for example, by Albrecht Durer.

The reference to, ‘one like a son of man’ (New International Version) or ‘like unto the son of man’ (Authorised Version) perhaps needs some explanation. Who is this figure that is like the son of man? Commentators are unanimous in their belief that the term ‘Son of Man’ can only be identified with Jesus Christ, this form of address, within the New Testament scriptures always being attributable to him.

The Bible commentator, William Milligan, in his book, 'The Book of Revelation', says of the New Testament title, ‘the son of man’:

‘It is the humanness of our Lord's person more than the person himself, or rather it is the person in his humanness, to which the words of the original direct us. Amidst all the glory that surrounds him we are to think of him as man; but what a man!’

A related, but alternative view is that ‘one like’ might infer that the Apostle was unsure about the identity of the one he observed amongst the lampstands, or that this was not a ‘singular’ Christ but, rather, a vision representing ‘the one body’ of believers who collectively form the ‘body of Christ’.

As the Apostle Paul wrote regarding ‘communion’ when writing to the Church in Corinth:

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 (Authorised Version)

… or again, when writing to the Church in Ephesus:

“He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”  Ephesians 4: 10-13

Chapters two and three of Revelation identify the ‘seven churches’ in the Province of Asia Minor to which it was sent. Numbers have great importance throughout the scriptures and the number seven is the most significant. In the Book of Revelation there are ‘seven seals’, ‘seven trumpets’ and ‘seven vials’ (AV) ‘seven bowls’ (NIV). In the twenty-fifth chapter of the book of Exodus, Moses is given instructions about the fixtures and fittings for the Tabernacle (the 'tent of meeting'), effectively the meeting place between God and his people. From verse thirty-one of Exodus chapter twenty-five, Moses is given instruction concerning the construction of that which has become subsequently known as the ‘seven-branched lampstand’ - or 'the menorah'.

‘Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out face and shaft; its flowerlike caps, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand - three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.

And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair: six branches in all. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand hammered out of pure gold. Then make it seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’  Exodus 25: 31 - 40

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, the seven-branched lampstand was five feet high and three and a half feet wide. He described it thus:

‘It terminated in seven heads all in one row... and these branches carried sevenheads all in one row ... and these branches carried seven lamps ... These lamps looked to the east and south.’

If we are to believe that the lampstands described in Revelation chapter one are an allusion to the seven-branched lampstand of Exodus, are we to believe that 'one like the son of man' wove his way in and out of the seven branches of the lampstand so described?

It is evident from the twentieth verse of chapter one of Revelation that the seven lampstands represent seven churches. William Milligan clearly sees the lampstands as alluding to the golden candlestick of the tabernacle, describing it as ". . . one of the gorgeous articles of furniture in God's holy place", seeing it as representing the church, the community of believers.

This view is shared by the Bible expositor John Thomas who, in volume one of his study, 'Eureka, An Exposition of The Apocalypse', suggests that the seven branched lampstand, ‘… with its bowl on the top and seven pipes projecting from it, and terminating in seven burners is … the organic manifestation …’ of the worldwide community of believers.

This appears to be confirmed by Christ's words to his disciples:

‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’  John 15: 5

Even so, the concept of a single, seven-branched, lampstand is argued against by Peter Watkins in his book 'Exploring the Apocalypse and the Future'. He suggests that important lessons concerning the status of Ecclesias (Gk. 'ekklesia' - assembly or church), can be learned from the letters to the churches. Each church, he says, is a separate lightstand whereas the Mosaic candlestick was all of one piece consisting of a central stem and six branches:

Appropriate to the ecclesial organisation of the Christian community there are seven separate lightstands. Some can be removed and others left - hence the warning to Ephesus: "I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Authorised Version)

His argument is that each individual church is represented by an individual candlestick or lampstand and therefore each church operates independently, being responsible for its own affairs. It is, in this regard, autonomous.

So which interpretation should one accept? Clearly there is no certain way of knowing. We have a choice; seven individual lampstands, a seven branched lampstand, or even seven, seven branched lampstands. The latter seems fundamentally unlikely. The former is not so appealing since its imagery would be unique to Revelation. Given the fact that so much of Revelation's imagery can clearly be identified with Judaic tradition, I have presented 'one like a son of man', (identifiable, I believe, with Jesus Christ), walking among the seven branches of a seven-branched lampstand.

Verses thirteen to sixteen of Revelation chapter one are heavy with descriptive narrative:

‘Dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’ Revelation1:13-16

The golden sash worn round the chest clearly identifies the 'one like a son of man' as having the role of a priest. References to the priestly garments, incuding the sash, are numerous in the Old Testament Books of Exodus and Leviticus. With regard to 'the sharp double-edged sword', from Genesis chapter three onwards, swords - when having a divine context - are always associated with justice and authority.

In the New Testament, they are clearly identified with 'the word of God':

‘Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ Ephesians 6: 17

‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.’ Hebrews 4: 12 - 13

This reference from the Letter to the Hebrews (Jewish converts to Christianity), concisely brings together the elements contained within the description, those of the ‘sharp, double-edged sword’ and ‘eyes like blazing fire.’

It is in the next verse that the link between judge and priest is made:

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.’  Hebrews 4: 15

Despite the judgmental nature of the sword and the flaming eyes, the reference to the head and hair being ‘… white like wool, as white as snow’, has an 'echo' in the Old Testament Prophecy of Isaiah, and also expresses the grace and forgiveness of the one who judges:

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1: 18

‘The sun shining in all its radiance’ is surely an surely illusion to that which is also conveyed in the first chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews, which, speaking of the one who is both Son of Man and Son of God, says:

‘The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.’  Hebrews 1: 3

Regarding the description of the feet, ‘… like bronze, glowing in a furnace’, the Greek word’ translated ‘bronze’, (Gk:‘chalcolibano’) is peculiar to Revelation (see also Revelation 2:18), as the word is found nowhere independent of Revelation. The ancient writer, Suidas (writing in Greek), says that ‘it is a form of amber, more precious than gold.’ Pliny described it as ‘… a natural alloy of gold and silver.’ Several references are presented elsewhere which refer to the feet of Christ. Of them, the Apostle Paul wrote:

‘For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.’  1 Corinthians 15: 25-26

The authority, further evidenced by the glowing feet, is given additional endorsement in a prophetic Psalm of David, which, containing reference to 'the son of man', states:

‘You made him ruler over the work of your hands; you put everything under his feet.’ 
Psalm 8: 6

Moving onto verse twenty of Revelation chapter one, the 'seven stars' in the right hand of the 'son of man' are identified as, ‘… the angels of the seven churches.’ It should be remembered that the vision was received by John on the island of Patmos, situated to the south of Asia Minor - modern-day Turkey. If it were possible to identify the seven cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Philadelphia and Laodicea from Patmos, they would loosely form a circle, hence their ideal strategic positions in forming the major Asia Minor postal circuit during the first century (CE).

This idea is supported by Professor W. M. Ramsay, who in his book, 'The Letters to the Seven Churches', eloquently describes the working of the ‘… Asian circuit of the Apocalypse, which would begin and end at the Port of Ephesus.’

The concept of 'the seven churches', geographically located on, or near to, the coast of Asia Minor, and themselves forming a circuit - a group of cities fitting onto or into the outstretched hand of Christ- is both theologically and aesthetically pleasing.

At the time of John's receiving of the 'visions', there were more than seven churches in Asia; notwithstanding, it would appear that the geographical location of these seven churches determined their pre-eminence.