Context
In our previous post began looking at the vision of ‘seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man.’ We quickly saw that this depicted Jesus in the midst of His Church. In this post we’ll continue looking at the description given of this ‘son of man.’
‘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’ (Rev. 1:14b-16).
More About This Son of Man
‘His eyes were like a flame of fire,’ refers to His role as judge, seeing evil with an eye to destroy it. Throughout the Bible, fire is associated with God’s vengeance, who, it says in Hebrews, is an all-consuming fire. Now, Jesus ‘is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead’ (Acts 10:42).
‘His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace.’ His feet were bare like the priests of the Old Testament. ‘Bronze’ depicts strength, while ‘refined in a furnace’ depicts Jesus having walked a hard road and having been baptized in the fire of God’s judgement on our behalf.
‘His voice was like the roar of many waters’ is another way of describing the volume in sound and weight of speech that came from Him. He, being the Word, and God, spoke God’s word most perfectly.
‘In his right hand he held seven stars.’ The ‘seven stars’ get interpreted a few verses later as the seven angels of the seven churches, which are messengers to the churches. Once again we see the use of numerology to depict meaning. ‘Here, ‘seven,’ a number associated with God’s qualitative fullness, is being used in association with Jesus to depict Jesus’ own divinity. Being ‘in his right hand’ depicts that they have His authority. Of note is that, just as the angels do the bidding of the Father, they are under Jesus’ authority too.
‘From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword’ speaks of the word of God that precedes from His mouth. Hebrews declares, ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.’ Coming from the mouth is most suited to Jesus, who said that He doesn’t speak of His own accord, but whatever the Father tells Him to speak.
‘And his face was like the sun shining in full strength’ clearly represents Jesus of whom it says in Hebrews, ‘He is the radiance of the glory of God.’ He was similarly depicted by the prophet Malachi, who wrote, ‘But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness (note: ‘sun’ not son) shall rise with healing in its wings.’ The sun is the image of the greatest light, being the source of life giving light and warmth, unlike the moon that only reflects the glory of the sun. Jesus doesn’t merely reflect the glory of God; being God, He fully embodies it.
Rob Morley
Restore the Word 