Revelation 1:13

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks - Standing among them, so as to be encircled with them. This shows that the representation could not have been like that of the vision of Zechariah Zec 4:2, where the prophet sees “a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon.” In the vision as it appeared to John, there was not one lampbearer, with seven lamps or branches, but there were seven lamp-bearers, so arranged that one in the likeness of the Son of man could stand in the midst of them.

One like unto the Son of man - This was evidently the Lord Jesus Christ himself, elsewhere so often called “the Son of man.” That it was the Saviour himself is apparent from Rev 1:18. The expression rendered “like unto the Son of man,” should have been “like unto a son of man”; that is, like a man, a human being, or in a human form. The reasons for so interpreting it are:

(a)That the Greek is without the article, and

(b)That, as it is rendered in our version, it seems to make the writer say that he was like himself, since the expression “the Son of man” is in the New Testament but another name for the Lord Jesus.

The phrase is often applied to him in the New Testament, and always, except in three instances Act 7:56; Rev 1:13; Rev 14:14, by the Saviour himself, evidently to denote his warm interest in man, or his relationship to man; to signify that he was a man, and wished to designate himself eminently as such. See the notes on Mat 8:20. In the use of this phrase in the New Testament, there is probably an allusion to Dan 7:13. The idea would seem to be, that he whom he saw resembled “the Son of man” - the Lord Jesus, as he had seen him in the days of his flesh though it would appear that he did not know that it was he until he was informed of it, Rev 1:18. Indeed, the costume in which he appeared was so unlike that in which John had been accustomed to see the Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh, that it cannot be well supposed that he would at once recognize him as the same.

Clothed with a garment down to the foot - A robe reaching down to the feet, or to the ankles, yet so as to leave the feet themselves visible. The allusion here, doubtless, is to a long, loose, flowing robe, such as was worn by kings. Compare the notes on Isa 6:1.

And girt about the paps - About the breast. It was common, and is still, in the East, to wear a girdle to confine the robe, as well as to form a beautiful ornament. This was commonly worn about the middle of the person, or “the loins,” but it would seem also that it was sometimes worn around the breast. See the notes on Mat 5:38-41.

With a golden girdle - Either wholly made of gold, or, more probably, richly ornamented with gold. This would naturally suggest the idea of one of rank, probably one of princely rank. The raiment here assumed was not that of a priest, but that of a king. It was very far from being that in which the Redeemer appeared when he dwelt upon the earth, and was rather designed to denote his royal state as he is exalted in heaven. He is not indeed represented with a crown and scepter here, and perhaps the leading idea is that of one of exalted rank, of unusual dignity, of one suited to inspire awe and respect. In other circumstances, in this book, this same Redeemer is represented as wearing a crown, and going forth to conquest. See Rev 19:12-16. Here the representation seems to have been designed to impress the mind with a sense of the greatness and glory of the personage who thus suddenly made his appearance.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Rev_1:13-20

In the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man

The Son of Man amid the candlesticks

I.

His wonderful position. In the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

1. This implies His presence with His people (Exo_33:14-15; Psa_132:13-14; Isa_43:1-2). He is in the midst of the golden candlesticks as the great High Priest, trimming, preparing, and lighting the lamps.

2. The symbol supposes communion and fellowship; He walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks.

3. The words imply Divine superintendence; His peculiar power and providence; His gracious inspection; His unceasing care.

4. The words are expressive of Divine operation. Jesus works while He walks; He is never idle.

(1) He works by His Spirit.

(2) He works by His providence.

(3) He works by His judgments, as well as by His mercy.

(4) The effects of Christs working are manifold and gracious.

The first effect is holiness. The next effect is happiness, everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. A third effect is glory: Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

5. His presence implies the stability of the Church. He is in the Church as the God of nature, providence, and grace; and no weapon formed against her shall prosper.

II. His Divine person.

1. The human nature of our Lord Jesus Christ--I saw one like unto the Son of Man.

(1) The likeness. There is the likeness of resemblance: God sent forth His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. He was not sinful flesh, but lie bare the likeness. There is the likeness of identity: He that was in the form of God was really God; He that was in the form of a servant was really a servant; and He that was made in the likeness of men, and was found in fashion as a man, was really a man. There is also the likeness of equality: He not only took the nature of man, but his frail, afflicted, mortal state. And there is here also the likeness of representation: in His low and afflicted condition on earth, we have an image of man as a mourner and a mortal; and in His glorified condition at the Fathers right hand, we have a representation of what the saints in heaven shall for ever be. As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

(2) The reality of His human nature. Although comparison is here employed, yet the reality is implied in the comparison. The incarnation of the Son was an important part of the counsels of eternity. This great doctrine was taught by types and symbols. All his appearances to the holy patriarchs were preludes and pledges of His coming in the flesh.

(3) The necessity of His human nature. As a Prophet, it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren; as a Priest, to be taken from amongst men; as a King, to be made of the house of David. Thus in the glorious description that follows, He appears in the likeness of the Son, and human members are ascribed to His Divine person.

2. The Divine nature of our blessed Lord.

(1) The likeness of the Son of God. There is here, as in His human nature, the likeness of resemblance--He resembles God; He resembles Him in everything; He is the perfect image of the invisible God.

(2) The reality of His Deity.

(3) The necessity of His Deity. It behoved Jesus to be God as well as man, that He might be the Daysman between both parties; that His Deity might impart infinite value to His obedience and suffering and atoning sacrifice; that He might be the object of faith, hope, and confidence; and that His Deity might impart power and dignity to His intercession and His government.

3. The wonderful union between the Divine and human natures in His one Divine person; as Immanuel, God with us. He is both God and man in two distinct natures, and one person for ever. This union is ineffable, unsearchable, mysterious, and Divine. It is the great mystery of godliness; God manifest in the flesh.

4. The effects of this union. (James Young.)

The Christ of Patmos

The Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Having neither beginning of days nor end of years, He is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. But the views which His people have of Him are extremely varied. According to our progress in grace will be the standpoint from which we view the Saviour; and according to the position from which we look at Him, will be what we see of Him.

I. The value of this vision to us.

1. It is a representation of the same Christ who suffered for our sins.

2. It represents to us what Christ is now.

3. It represents what He is to the Churches.

4. The effect it would have upon us if we really felt and understood it.

We should fall at His feet as dead. Blessed position! We are never so truly living as when the creature dies away in the presence of the all-glorious reigning King.

II. The meaning of the vision. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

St. Johns vision

Ordinarily, if we would enjoy the Divine presence and blessing, we must seek them in the ordinances of Divine appointment. But the case is different when our absence from the public means of grace is unavoidable. God is not, in the bestowment of spiritual good, confined even to the means which He Himself has instituted. The truth of this St. John realised.

I. Explain the vision which St. John beheld, and notice its effect upon him.

1. The personage described as in the midst of the seven candlesticks was a representation of Him who was accustomed, while upon earth, to designate Himself, The Son of Man.

2. St. John further describes His situation: He was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

(1) This exhibits the character and duty of the Churches of Christ. They are candlesticks. Having been themselves enlightened from above, it is the duty of Christians to diffuse light.

(2) The light which Christians are required to shed on the gloom of a sinful world is not their own, but a borrowed light. The light which they possess has been kindled within them by the Father of lights.

(3) The care which Christ manifests towards the Churches.

3. The glorious Person who appeared to John is also described in His habit. He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. The dress was sacerdotal. He is not only a prophet and a king but also an high priest.

4. In this representation of Christ He is more particularly described by the parts and members of His body.

(1) His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. A hoary head denotes age; and may not our adorable Saviour be thus set forth as the Ancient of Days?

(2) His eyes are described as a flame of fire, clearly to denote His piercing knowledge.

(3) His feet are described as like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. This is symbolical of the power of Christ, which nothing can resist. Whatever opposition may be made to the Divine plans and proceedings, it will utterly fail.

(4) His voice was as the sound of many waters. The same simile is employed by the prophet (Eze_43:2). The roar of waters is powerful, and is heard afar. And so Christ will command attention. By the representation before us, He probably intended to signify that, however His words had been disregarded by the fallen Churches, they could not drown His voice.

5. The glorious Personage whom the apostle beheld in the vision is also described as holding in His hand seven stars. Stars appear when the sun has withdrawn himself; so Christian ministers are the ambassadors of Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, praying men, in Christs stead, to be reconciled to God. Of what service are the stars to the mariner, as he sails over the trackless deep! The Christian is a mariner, voyaging over the sea of life, anxiously tending towards the haven of the skies, yet fearing lest he should make shipwreck of faith. The ministers of Christ are stars. Their peculiar office is to hold forth the light of Gods truth, and, by their course in the world, by their life and conversation, to be examples and guides to their flocks. Christian ministers are stars, and have, therefore, orbits assigned them in which to move. The Head of the Church plants each in His proper place within it.

6. The protection which Christ affords to His ministers is also strikingly set forth in this description. He holds them in His right hand. He holds the stars in His right hand, and every one of them is immortal till His work is done.

7. Of the glorious Personage whom St. John saw in the vision, he says that there went out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword. This sword manifestly denotes the word of truth which Christ has spoken. If it fail to cut the heart of the sinner with conviction, it will pierce and destroy him.

8. In the vision under our notice, we have Christ represented as with a countenance like the run shining in his strength. Oh, how changed from that visage which was so marred more than any man!

II. Deduce one or two suitable remarks from the subject before us.

1. The clearer the discoveries which Christ makes of HimseLf, the more humbled shall we be under a sense of our own vileness.

2. God vouchsafes special comfort and support to those who suffer for His sake.

3. What cause will the enemies of Christ have to tremble, when He appears, in the last day, to judge them! (W. Cardall, B. A.)

The first scene in the great revelation

I. The recipient of this glorious revelation. I John, etc.

II. The manner in which the first scene was ushered in.

1. The fulfilment of the vision is guaranteed. I am Alpha and Omega. God will ever live to carry on His work.

2. The permanency of the revelation is implied. What thou seest, write.

3. The universal reference of this revelation is expressed.

III. The real significance of the scene itself.

1. The Saviours relation to His Church.

(1) He occupies a central position, in the midst of the seven candlesticks. This was a position of authority and honour.

(2) He assumes a brothers form. This was intended for the comfort of the saints; for while the Saviour wore a brothers nature, He would retain a brothers heart.

(3) He performs the office of an intercessor. Long robes were worn by men of lofty station: but the girdle seems to refer to the priests official robe.

2. The Saviours relation to the opponents of His cause.

(1) His supreme authority. The white hair is intended to remind us of the knowledge, experience, and authority of age.

(2) His clearness of vision. Not a tear was ever shed, but the eye of Jesus saw it; not an act of cruelty or of crime was ever perpetrated, but the Saviour marked it in His book.

(3) His irresistible force. He can tread to dust His fiercest foes.

(4) His terrible majesty. Nothing is more majestic than the crash of the cataract. Those who have seen the Fall of Niagara never can forget the impression it made upon the mind.

3. The Saviours relation to Christian enterprise.

(1) The safety and guidance of His agents. He had in His right hand seven stars.

(2) The power of His word. And out of His mouth went a sharp, two-edged sword. The two edges show the manifold effects of Christian teaching.

(3) The unsullied glory of the Saviour. Whatever happens, the glory of Jesus will never pass behind a cloud. No greater comfort can the Christian find than this. (Evan Lewis, B. A.)

The introductory vision

I. John mentions the day on which this vision occurred: the Lords Day. The loss of the Sabbath was felt by John in Patmos. Our pleasures brighten as they take their flight. This is particularly the case with the experience of Christians in relation to the Sabbath.

II. The apostle alludes to his frame of mind at the time this vision was given him: I was in the Spirit. The blessing of God comes in the use of His appointed means; and supernatural communications begin where the highest effort of ordinary grace ends. God honoured His Sabbath, and He honoured the prayerful endeavours of His servant, by His revelations at that time. There is a spirit of the Sabbath which all believers should seek to attain, and which, when cultivated to the utmost, will bring them well nigh to the borders of inspiration, and to the gate of heaven.

III. We come to the first supernatural sign. And heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying, or as of a speaking-trumpet, the epithet saying agreeing not with the voice, but with the trumpet. Such an instrument was much in use amongst the ancients. It was employed by generals to give orders to their armies. The brazen lungs of Stentor, mentioned by Homer, in the wars of Troy, were probably of this kind. Hence the voice of a trumpet is used in Scripture for a loud and authoritative word of command.

IV. The language he hears. How important it is to note clown impressions as they occur! How needful, for correct preservation, to record them at once! Our memories are treacherous. New scenes arise to obscure the deepest impressions in our minds.

V. The vision he beholds. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. The true reason why natural beauty and tasteful proportions are disregarded in the image before us is, that it is solely of a hieroglyphical character. Hieroglyphics have no pretension to beauty. Symmetry is the last quality that is studied in their construction. In conformity with this method of instruction, we have the image assumed by Christ in vision to John, with this difference, that it is given only as a heiroglyphical representation, and not as a delineation of His real form. The value of hieroglyphics lies in their meaning, and their beauty in their design. What beauty could our first parents see in the imagery by which their restoration was promised, apart from the design? What beauty was there in the serpent of brass, in the altar of burnt offering, in the figures of the cherubim, in themselves considered? What glory is there in the Cross, apart from its design? What beauty in a Lamb as it had been slain, even in the midst of the throne? What is there to gratify the eye, the ear, or the taste, in the only relics of a symbolical ritual, in baptism and the Lords Supper? We have here the utmost simplicity of emblems combined with the highest grandeur of design. Visible signs are employed to lead to the contemplation of invisible realities. Under these impressions, we turn again to the vision before us. We expect now no external loveliness and attractions, and are prepared to look for its whole beauty in the moral sentiments it inspires. His appearance, as when known to John in the flesh, would have been equally incompatible with the purpose and the time. He assumes the very figure the occasion required. It was modelled by the revelations He came to unfold. It was not His natural dress, but His adornment for a particular interview; not His home attire, but His equipment for a special expedition. It is not the beau ideal of the Christians God, but the symbolical representation of the means by which His kingdom would be established in the whole earth. If the whole aspect had been mild and alluring, it would have given a false impression to John of what it was intended to prefigure and the purpose for which it was assumed. It revealed the combination of those perfections in Christ which would be required; the resources at His command, His unslumbering zeal, His terror in battle, the certainty of His conquest, the serenity of His government, and the glory of His reign. The high priests breast-plate is associated with the warriors coat of mail, the snow-white locks of age with the sparkling eye of youth, unconquerable prowess with melting pity, the awfulness of justice with the endearments of love, the thunder of His arm with the radiance of His smiles. (G. Rogers.)

The power of an objective faith

If we were asked to fix upon the most prominent want in the spiritual life of the present time, we might perhaps not untruly say that it is the want of objective faith. Visions pass before us, and we believe that in them is our life, but where is the entranced consciousness of their reality? Where is the fresh, warm faith which ever sees One like unto the Son of Man moving amid sacraments, and taking the shape of human symbols? Where is the rapturous conviction that pierces at once through the veil of visions, and sees the well-known features by a perpetual inspiration? And yet, this is undeniably the character of the faith which has drawn the soul to God at all times. If we consider the practical bearing of this great truth, we shall see its efficacy to be of the most momentous kind.

1. And first, it is the true sustaining power of the spiritual life.

2. Again, as objective faith is the sustenance of spiritual life, so is it the true antidote of one of the greatest dangers which beset the soul in times of strong religious excitement--that of morbid self-contemplation. Remorse, terror of conscience, growing scrupulousness, deepening awe at the sanctities of religion--all tend to fix the eye of the awakened soul on itself in a minutely introspective, anxious study, which tends to despondency and alarm, and, sadder still, depressing the souls energies, creates fresh hindrances to restoration and to peace. The remedy is to be found in an objective faith. Combine with the care of the soul a deeper care to realise the presence of Him in whom it lives. This vision of His love is the counteracting stay. The soul looks safely on itself, if it look still more earnestly on its God. The one vision is the true complement of the other.

3. Once more: the same truth holds good as to our progress in any single grace. We gain more by looking on what is perfect than by striving against what is imperfect. One of the strongest laws of our nature is the law of imitation. We grow into what we behold. St. Paul is only expressing this great law of assimilation in its highest reality, when he says that, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Objective faith is therefore the ordained process in the perfecting of the inner life. We subdue our pride not by mourning over it, but by feeding on the lowliness of Jesus. We learn how to give way to others by contemplating His self-sacrifice. Anger has no power over us, while He who was smitten on the cheek is vividly before our mind. We are stronger to bear pain while we look on the Crucifixion. In conclusion: The catholic principle of life is Christ revealed to the soul. His work in us is the impression of the look on which we feed. Our likeness to Him is the reproduction in us of the features of a Countenance towards which we are continually turned. We live by going out of ourselves; we become what we look upon. We live by faith; not by sight. We are what we believe. As some of the lower creatures change their colour according to the food on which they feed, so are we transformed by that which we have received within as the daily food of our souls communings. The realities in which we learn to live become our own real life. (Canon T. T. Carter.)

With a garment down to the foot, and … a golden girdle.--

The worlds great High Priest

I. That the Son of Man, who was on the earth, is the worlds High Priest.

1. The apostle saw the ascended Saviour as the High Priest of men.

2. The apostle saw in the High Priest of men the tokens of His human Incarnation.

II. That Christ is from the great eternity. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.

1. As from the great Eternity, Christ can give men counsel.

2. As from the great Eternity, Christ should win the reverence of men.

3. As from the great Eternity, Christ is the pattern of men.

III. That Christ is most penetrating in His scrutiny. And His eyes were as a flame of fire.

1. That Christ is most penetrating in His scrutiny of the creed, conduct, and activity of His Church.

2. He scrutinises with terrible wrath the conduct of the enemies of His Church.

IV. That Christ is most unwearied is His purposes. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.

1. Christ is unwearied in His purpose of love toward His Church and Gospel.

2. Christ is unwearied in His purpose of moral retribution toward the enemies of His Church.

V. That Christ is most sublime and effective in His utterances. His voice as the sound of many waters. Out of His mouth went a two-edged sword.

1. The voice of Christ is majestic. It is as the resounding of many waters.

2. The voice of Christ is diffusive. The sound of many waters can be heard at a great distance, in almost any direction.

3. The voice of Christ is piercing. It is like a two-edged sword.

VI. That Christ is supreme in His beneficent glory. And His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

1. Because of the glorious majesty that is in Him.

2. Because of the influence He exerts upon growth.

3. Because of the joy He inspires.

Lessons:

1. That Christ is the hope of His Church in time of persecution.

2. That soul-visions are given to men at times of holy communion with God.

3. That the world has a Divine High Priest. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)

The offices of Christ continued in heaven

1.The authority and warrantableness of our Lord Jesus Christs kingly and princely office, as that which followeth, doth of His prophetical office: hereby letting us know, that our Lord Jesuss being in heaven and in glory hath not made Him lay by His offices, or the executing of them; but He remains King and Priest for ever (Psa_110:1-7.): even in heaven He bears His offices to His Churches.

2. That our Lord Jesus Christ, not only bears these offices, but In an excellent and glorious manner. There is no such king, no such priest, no such prophet as He.

3. It holds out that our Lord Jesuss stateliness and glory doth not mar nor hinder Him in the application of His offices, and executing them for the good of His Church. Christs greatness and glory is so far from unfitting Him for the discharge of His offices, that He hath robes compacted, and Himself so fitted, as He may handsomely go about the discharge of them, being still girded, though the girdle be of gold. (James Durham.)

His head and His hairs were white.--

The exalted Saviour

1. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. There is here an allusion to Daniels vision of the Ancient of Days (Dan_7:9-13).

(1) His head of snow is the symbol of eternity. It implies the perpetual existence of His Godhead.

(2) His hoary head is the symbol of sovereignty.

(3) The hoary head is the symbol of wisdom. This is closely connected with His crown.

(4) His head, and His hairs of wool and snow were symbols of His essential holiness and immaculate purity. His beauty is the beauty of holiness, His crown is the crown of purity, His sceptre is the sceptre of righteousness. The best and fairest of the sons of men have their spots or stains; but He is pure, perfect, and unsullied.

(5) The head of snow is the symbol of glory. The word white, is shining or resplendent; it is silvery, glistening; shining like lightning, it is radiantly bright, pure, white, effulgent, expressive of the purest splendour.

2. His eyes were as a flame of fire (Dan_10:6). His eyes are the symbol of His Deity or omniscience. His knowledge is absolutely perfect and infinite.

(1) The words imply the splendour of His knowledge. He not only beholds all objects, and every object, but His eyes shed a splendour on everything He sees.

(2) The words imply the purity of His knowledge. He beholds holiness with infinite delight. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and He cannot look upon sin. He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

(3) The words imply the minuteness of His knowledge.

3. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. This is the symbol of the Deity of Christ, His Divine power, His glory and majesty, His eternity and immutability. It is the symbol of His gracious presence with His people.

4. And His voice as the sound of many waters. There is a twofold voice attributed to Christ--the voice of His mercy, and the voice of His majesty.

5. And He had in His right hand seven stars. Stars are symbols of rulers, who are of two classes--civil and sacred. We proceed to consider the next symbol mentioned, the right hand of Christ. The right hand is the symbol of wisdom. Gods hand and His counsel are synonymous terms: it is the symbol of power--Thy right hand is become glorious in power. It is the symbol of honour. It is the symbol of favour: The man of Gods right hand is the Son of His love. It is the symbol of comfort: In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. It is the symbol of security: The child was caught up to the throne of God, beyond the reach of every foe. It is the symbol of mercy: God saves by His right hand, and the arm of His strength.

6. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. There is, as we have seen, a twofold view of the voice of Christ: the voice of His majesty, and the voice of His mercy. It is the last of these that is here intended.

(1) Why is the Word compared to a sword? The Word is compared to a sword, to express its keen and penetrating power, its blessed properties and mighty operations. It has a moral power to touch the heart, to impress the image of the truth upon the mind, to lead the sinner to look with holy mourning on Him whom he hath pierced.

(2) The Word of God is called the sword of the Spirit, because it was indited by the Spirit; because it is employed by the Spirit; because it is blessed by the Spirit, in its sweet and gracious influences; because it is explained by the Spirit--He that inspired it is the best and the only infallible expositor; and, finally, because its gracious effects arise from His powerful operation on the soul.

(3) It proceeds out of Christs mouth, as the only-begotten Son of God came forth from the bosom of the Father to reveal Him.

(4) It must be used and improved by every child of God.

(5) What are some of its wonderful effects? There is a twofold effect of the Word of God--one of mercy, and one of judgment.

7. His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

(1) There is majesty in the symbol.

(2) There is might in the symbol.

(3) There is mercy in the symbol. What a blessing to creation is the influence of the sun! What a blessing to the universe is the Sun of Righteousness, arising with healing and salvation in His wings!

(4) There is beauty in the symbol. The sun is the loveliest object in creation. And who can express the beauty of the Saviour?

(5) It is also the symbol of His favour and His love. When the face is mild, placid, and serene, like the sun without a cloud, it is the index or emblem of favour and affection.

(6) It is the symbol of anger as well as of love: The face of God is set against them that do wickedly.

(7) It is the symbol, in a word, of knowledge, of holiness, and happiness. Thus the Sun of Righteousness shines upon the saint, and pours the marvellous light of His glory, in incomprehensible sweetness and majesty, upon the weary pilgrim in passing through the wilderness. (James Young.)

The white hair of Jesus

I will tell you of the sorrow, the beauty, and the antiquity of Jesus.

1. There is nothing that so soon changes the colour of the hair as trouble. Well, surely, Jesus, my Lord, had enough suffering to whiten His hair.

2. My text sets forth the beauty of Christ. Whimsical fashion changes its mind very often as to which is the best colour for the hair. The Romans sprinkled theirs with silver and gold. Our ancestors powdered theirs white. Human custom decides this and declares that; but God declares that He likes frost colour best when He says: The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness.

3. The antiquity of the Jesus. It is no new Christ that has come. He saw the first star beam on the darkness, the first wave swing to its place, and He heard the first rock jar down to its place in the mountain-socket. His hair is white as the wool, as white as the snow--an aged Christ. Ah, that gives me so much confidence! It is the same Jesus that heard Davids prayer--the same Jesus on whose breast John laid. You cannot bring Him a new ease. He has had ten thousand cases just like it before. He is an aged Christ. There are times when we want chiefly the young and the gay about us; but when I am in deep trouble give me a fatherly old man or a motherly old woman. More than once in the black night of sorrow have I hailed the grey dawn of an old mans hair. When I want courage for life I love to think of Christ as young and ardent; but when I feel the need of sympathy and condolence I bring before me the picture of an old Jesus: His hairs as white as the wool, as white as the snow. Is there not a balm in this for the aged? (T. De Witt Talmage.)

His eyes were as a flame of fire.--

Christ the Truth

Fire is the element used to consume; and when we think of our Masters character in the light of that fiery vision, what do we see? Well, putting it into the plain language of every-day life, what St. John must have remembered, and what you and I must remember, is not so much the actual authority of the Judge as the innate sincerity of Christ. Christ was true. He never flinched from the entirety of truth. He met philosopher and Pharisee and Sadducee as He met all others, with perfect calmness and decision; but with firmness and without relenting He dragged out their contemptible baseness of thought and purpose, and set it out in the sunshine before the eyes of all, and said to them all, Oh, ye hypocrites! And when He met those who talk about the religion of impulsiveness and not the religion of principle--with the men whose religion varied with every breath of public opinion, who held no truth long, who grasped this thing as being very useful to-day, and flung it to the winds this day week--with this sort of people He dealt, to their intense and surprised mortification, in order to wound their consciences and teach them that religion requires permanent self-denial. And when He met the soul which was at least approximately near to Him, the soul that felt and acknowledged its sin, and did not play a part, or put on airs, or have a stately gait or philosophic mind--to that soul He was tenderer than a woman, kinder than the truest friend, bringing to that soul the bright lights of hope and the stars of eternity; no trace of scorn then, no anger. And so He went through the world; dragging out the defects of the unreal, condemning the falsehood of His friends, and this at the risk of all His popularity. Christ never flattered, never bowed down to human opinion; knowing what was in the mind He was ever true and sincere. I want you to meditate upon that example, to meditate upon His force of sincerity as it touches us. Now apply that truth and sincerity to the judgment. Christ is coming, Christ shall judge us. Apply that character to the judgment. The last judgment, so Scripture tells us, will be the unfailing, true, righteous judgment of God. Gods judgment--the judgment of the coming Christ--is discriminating with fine accuracy; it deals with facts, and not with professions of heart, as we shall know in that last hour. Christ shall save us because He is true. His eyes are as a flame of fire. And then remember that it shall be a judgment when He shall show whether our confession was true. (Canon Knox Little.)

And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.--

The administration of Christ

By our feet we move from one place to another, that we may execute the purposes which we have formed. The feet of Christ, then, are descriptive of His execution of His designs by the dispensations of His grace and providence--more especially of the signal manifestations of His glory in seasons of difficulty and danger.

1. This symbol exhibits to us the stability of the kingdom of Christ, and the energy of His government. The great cause of the stability of Christs kingdom amidst all attempts to shake and subvert it, is the invincible energy of His administration. His feet are like fine brass. He has fixed His plan of government with infinite wisdom, and He carries it into full effect. No circumstances can occur to thwart or disappoint Him.

2. The absolute purity of the administration of Christ. His feet are like fine, or polished, brass, burning, purified, in a furnace. Men, indeed, have attempted to defile His purity and to sully His spotless character. They have clothed Him with the most detestable attributes. They have accused His administration of folly and injustice. They have invoked His sacred name to prosper plans of iniquity, and to sanction the most unhallowed usurpations. No; still His feet are pure and bright like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.

3. The administration of Christ abounds with splendid and stupendous displays of His glory. His reign suffers no interruption, and with perfect wisdom and righteousness He invariably administers His great kingdom. His enemies, however, sometimes think that He has abandoned the reins of government, and is indifferent how things are conducted. They feel and act as if they were without superintendence and control (Psa_94:5-7). The ungodly rejoice. The neglected and suffering saints become fearful and despondent. But there are seasons in which the King of Zion gloriously appears, fulfilling promises and executing threatenings, working salvation for His Church, and easing Himself of His adversaries.

4. Christ is continually making progress in accomplishing His wise and holy purposes. He is ever carrying forward His great plan of mercy and of judgment.

5. Let us make the administration of Christ the subject of our devout study. The knowledge which we shall thus acquire of His character, the confirmation which we shall thus receive to our faith, will amply reward all our pains. (James Stark.)

His voice as the sound of many waters.--

The voice of Christ

Many have supposed that there is here an allusion to the sound of cataract. The reference, however, appears to be, not to the roar of a waterfall, but to the motion of the tides. The voice of the Son of God speaking in the gospel may, for various reasons, be compared to the sound of many waters.

I. It is never altogether silent. How many are employed, in almost every quarter of the globe, in proclaiming the message of mercy! As the noise of the seas is created by a multitude of separate waves, so the glad tidings of great joy are announced by a multitude of individual heralds.

II. The voice of Christ is addressed to all the ends of the earth. As we stand upon the beach, we may have something like a community of feeling with the inhabitants of the most distant climes; for the waters of the same great deep wash the shores of all the continents of the globe, and speak in the same tones of mystery and magnificence to all the sons and daughters of Adam. It may be said of the ebbing and flowing tides, as of the other works of creation and of Providence (Psa_19:3-4). And the love of Christ is expansive as the broad ocean; for He sends forth His invitations of mercy to every kindred and people and nation. The inhabitants of the various countries of the globe cannot understand each others speech, as every province has its own tongue or dialect; but the noise of the seas is a universal language, proclaiming to all the power and the majesty of the ever-living Jehovah. And how delightful to anticipate the period when the harmony of the heralds of salvation will be as the sound of many waters, when the same truths will be echoed from shore to shore, and when the uniform reverberation of the tides will be emblematic of the one gospel preached among all nations! (Isa_52:8).

III. The voice of Christ is fitted to inspire us with awe and reverence. There is something in the very aspect of the ocean which expands and elevates the mind. Almost every one is constrained to be serious as he stands solitary on the strand, and looks abroad upon the world of waters before him, and listens to the ceaseless agitation of the far-resounding surge. The shoreless sea is the mirror of infinite duration; and as the floods lift up their voice, we feel as if they were repeating their commission from the High and the Holy One who inhabiteth eternity (Psa_29:3-4). It is thus, too, with the gospel (Psa_119:161). The truth as it is in Jesus has a self-evidencing power--it commends itself to the conscience--it carries with it a conviction that it is a communication from heaven.

IV. The voice of Christ is by many disregarded. How few, as they pass along the beach, ever think of listening to the dashing of the waves! Some may mark their various murmurs, and their magnificent echoes, and, ascending in thought to Him who formed the seas, and who sendeth the wind out of His treasuries, may contemplate with adoring wonder the glory of Jehovah; but upon the mass of individuals the noise of the many waters makes no impression. And it is thus, too, with the gospel. How many make light of the great salvation! How many listen to the joyful sound as to a matter in which they have no interest--even as to the noise of many waters! (W. D. Killen, D. D.)

He had in His right hand seven stars.--

Lessons from the Christ of Patmos

I. The position of instrumentality in reference to our Lord Jesus. He had in His right hand seven stars. God has ordained that there shall be men anointed of His Spirit, who shall, beyond others, be the means of conversion and edification, and these are as stars in the sky of the Church.

1. Note well, that instrumentality is of temporary use, and is intended for the time of darkness. The Lord will use instruments till He Himself appears, but even those whom He calls stars are only the transient apparatus of a passing night.

2. This should make us think very humbly of ourselves; for this illustrates our weakness. Were we lights of the first magnitude, the darkness would no longer remain.

3. Still, instrumentality is honourably spoken of by Him whose judgment is supremely wise, The Lord Jesus does not despise the agency which He employs.

4. Stars are guides, and so are the Lords true ministers. Some stars in yonder sky have done measureless service to wanderers over the trackless deep, and to those who have lost themselves in the labyrinths of the forest.

5. A certain star, the morning star, is also the herald of the day. Happy messenger of God, who has the sound of his Masters feet behind him.

6. It is an honourable comparison that the instruments of Gods good pleasure have put upon them in being compared to stars; for the stars are the comfort and solace of the night. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings!

7. Instrumentality is honourably placed; for we see the stars in the right hand of Him who is the First and the Last. They may be despised by those who oppose the Word, but they need not be ashamed; for while the right hand of God is their position, they are more honourable than the princes and kings of the earth.

8. See, also, how true instrumentality is graciously sustained. The chosen servants of the Lord are under special protection; for they shine in Christs right hand.

II. The place of real power. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Not out of the stars, but out of our Lords mouth goes the strength which wins the day.

1. The true power of the Church lies in Christ personally. The power of a Church in the presence of her Lord. He has not deposited power in men; He retains it in Himself, and from Himself we must seek it. Behold the infinite resources of the Church; all power is in Jesus, and Jesus is with His people.

2. The power lies in Christs word: Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. The power is not in the stars, but in the word which made the stars.

3. It is not only His word, but it is His word as He Himself speaks it. It is not the letter of the word which Jesus spake eighteen hundred years ago which works wonders; but it is that same word as He now delivers it into our ear and heart by His own living, loving, heart-subduing voice.

4. The word is in itself adapted to the Divine end, for it is sharp and two-edged; and when it is spoken by the Lord, its adaptation is seen. The gospel is very sharp when the Spirit of God lays it home. No doctrine of men has such piercing power.

III. The source of true glory.

1. To the saints the glory of Christ lies in Himself: His own countenance is the centre of glory.

2. The favour of Christ, if it be enjoyed by a Church, is effectual for all purposes.

3. The brightness of our Lord cannot be measured, neither could His glory be endured of mortal men if once it were fully revealed. His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. John therefore could not gaze upon that countenance, but fell at his Lords feet as dead. And if the Lord Jesus were to manifest Himself to us as He really is, in all His unveiled majesty, we should die with excess of joy.

4. If Christs face be so bright, then we know where to trace all the light and all the glory that we have ever seen or known. Is there any beauty in the landscape? It is the sun that makes it beautiful. Is there any brightness in any object round about us? It is the sun that makes it bright. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.--

Christs countenance compared to the sun

1.Because of the glorious majesty that is in it (Son_5:15). There is an excellency and beauty in it that dazzles and obscures all the excellency and beauty of the world, even as the light of the sun obscures the stars.

2. Because of the lightsomeness of it; for Christ is to believers as the sun is to the world (Joh_1:9).

3. His countenance is as the sun shining in his strength, for the refreshingness of it (Psa_4:6-7). His countenance maketh the heart more glad than corn and wine and worldly comforts whatsoever.

4. His countenance is so compared from the effectual influence ii hath on believers growth (Mal_4:1-6.). (James Durham.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:13 the Son of Man (or a son of man.): Son of Man is a title Jesus used for himself (see Dan 7:13; Matt 8:20; 9:6; 16:13; Mark 2:28; 9:9; 14:41; John 1:51; 3:13; 5:27). • The long robe and gold sash give Christ an authoritative appearance (see Rev 19:13-16; Dan 10:5). The robe was a priestly garment symbolizing purity and holiness.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rev 1:13. Ποδήρη) מעיל, Septuagint ποδήρης, of the garments of Aaron.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev_1:13. The entire appearance of Christ expresses essentially what has been said of him in Rev_1:5-6,[746] and is likewise as highly significant as that declaration, as to the entire contents of the book. Hence each of the seven epistles is introduced by a sketch of his form,[747] as the majesty of Christ here presented, who holds his people in his hand,[748] is the real foundation and support of the apocalyptic hope.[749]

[746] Cf. Rev_1:17-18.

[747] Herder.

[748] Cf. Rev_1:20.

[749] 1Ti_1:1; 1Th_1:3.

Christ appears in the midst of the seven candlesticks, not walking,[750] but rather, if any thing dare be imagined, standing. He is not named, but is infallibly designated already by the ὅμοιον υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου.[751] The ὅμοιον is incorrectly urged by those who wish to infer thence that not Christ, the Son of man himself, but an angel representing Christ,[752] is meant. In this expression the dogmatic thought is not present, that Christ is essentially more than a mere son of man;[753] but John had to write ὅμοιον, which does not correspond to the simple כְּ, Dan_7:13 (LXX., ὡς),[754] as the type of the form of the Son of man was to be recognized in the divine majesty of the entire manifestation.[755]

The Lord, who makes his people priests and kings (Rev_1:5), appears clad in the sublime splendor of the high priest and of kings. He wears the robe of the high priest, reaching down to his feet,[756] which, according to Wis_18:24,[757] was a symbol of the world; yet God himself also appears, as he is royally enthroned, in a similar long robe.[758] To this is added the entirely golden girdle.[759] The girdle of the high priest was only adorned with gold.[760] That Christ wears the girdle πρὸς τοῖς μαζοῖς,[761] not about the loins,[762] is in no way to be urged in the sense of Ebrard: The twofold nature of the unglorified body, in the nobly endowed upper part of the body, and in the lower part of the body serving the purposes of reproduction, nourishment, and discharge, vanishes in that higher girding, as it is first correctly marked by the girding above the loins. For, is Dan_10:5 to be understood of an unglorified body? Cf., besides, Josephus, Antiqq., iii. 7, 2, as to why the priests bind their girdles κατὰ στέρνον.

[750] Ebrard, according to Rev_2:1; cf. on that passage.

[751] Dan_7:13; cf. Dan_10:16; cf. Dan_10:18.

[752] N. de Lyra, Bossuet, Grot., Marek.

[753] De Wette, Hengstenb.

[754] Ebrard.

[755] Cf. Rev_13:2.

[756] ποδήρης, sc. χιτων.

[757] Cf. Grimm on the passage.

[758] Isa_6:1.

[759] Not girdle-buckle, which, according to 1Ma_10:89, was peculiar to kings; Hengstenb.

[760] Exo_28:8; Exo_39:5.

[761] Cf. Rev_15:6.

[762] Dan_10:5.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev 1:13 . The churches are inseparable from their head and centre Jesus, who moves among the cressets of his temple with the dignity and authority of a high priest. The anarthrous ὑ . ἀ . is the human appearance of the celestial messiah, as in En. xlvi. 1 6 (where the Son of man accompanies God, who, as the Head of Days, had a head “white as wool”) and Asc. Isa. xi. 1. The difficult ὅμοιον is to be explained (with Vit. ii. 127, 223, 227) as = ὡς (Rev 2:18 , Rev 6:14 , Rev 9:7-8 ; Rev 9:11 ) or οἶον , “something like,” a loose reproduction of the Heb. (“un être semblable à nous, un homme”). The whole passage illustrates the writer’s habit of describing an object or person by heaping up qualities without strict regard to natural or grammatical collocation. ποδήρης (sc. χιτὼν or ἐσθής ), a long robe reaching to the feet, was an oriental mark of dignity ( cf. on Rev 1:7 , and Eze 9:2 ; Eze 9:11 , LXX), denoting high rank or office such as that of Parthian kings or of the Jewish high priest who wore a purple one. High girding (with a belt?) was another mark of lofty position, usually reserved for Jewish priests, though the Iranians frequently appealed to their deities as “high-girt” ( i.e. , ready for action = cf. Yasht 15:54, 57, “Vaya of the golden girdle, high-up girded, swift moving, as powerful in sovereignty as any absolute sovereign in the world”). The golden buckle or πόρπη was part of the insignia of royalty and its φίλοι ( 1Ma 10:8-9 ; 1Ma 11:58 ). The author thus mixes royal and sacerdotal colours on his palette to heighten the majesty of Christ’s appearance. New, golden (as in Iranian eschatology), shining, white are the usual adjectives which he employs throughout the book for the transcendent bliss of the life beyond and its heavenly tenants; “golden” had been used already in Greek as a synonym for precious, excellent, divine.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His glorified form as man could be recognized by John, who had seen it at the Transfiguration.

in the midst--implying Christ's continual presence and ceaseless activity in the midst of His people on earth. In Rev 4:1-3, when He appears in heaven, His insignia undergo a corresponding change yet even there the rainbow reminds us of His everlasting covenant with them.

seven--omitted in two of the oldest manuscripts, but supported by one.

Son of man--The form which John had seen enduring the agony of Gethsemane, and the shame and anguish of Calvary, he now sees glorified. His glory (as Son of man, not merely Son of God) is the result of His humiliation as Son of man.

down to the foot--a mark of high rank. The garment and girdle seem to be emblems of His priesthood. Compare Exo 28:2, Exo 28:4, Exo 28:31; Septuagint. Aaron's robe and girdle were "for glory and beauty," and combined the insignia of royalty and priesthood, the characteristics of Christ's antitypical priesthood "after the order of Melchisedec." His being in the midst of the candlesticks (only seen in the temple), shows that it is as a king-priest He is so attired. This priesthood He has exercised ever since His ascension; and, therefore He here wears its emblems. As Aaron wore these insignia when He came forth from the sanctuary to bless the people (Lev 16:4, Lev 16:23-24, the chetoneth, or holy linen coat), so when Christ shall come again, He shall appear in the similar attire of "beauty and glory" (Isa 4:2, Margin). The angels are attired somewhat like their Lord (Rev 15:6). The ordinary girding for one actively engaged, was at the loins; but JOSEPHUS [Antiquities,3.7.2], expressly tells us that the Levitical priests were girt higher up, about the breasts or paps, appropriate to calm, majestic movement. The girdle bracing the frame together, symbolizes collected powers. Righteousness and faithfulness are Christ's girdle. The high priest's girdle was only interwoven with gold, but Christ's is all of gold; the antitype exceeds the type.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. Like unto the Son of man] This seems a reference to Da 7:13. This was our blessed Lord himself, Re 1:18.

Clothed with a garment down to the foot] This is a description of the high priest, in his sacerdotal robes. See these described at large in the notes on Ex 28:4, &c., Jesus is our high priest, even in heaven. He is still discharging the sacerdotal functions before the throne of God.

Golden girdle.] The emblem both of regal and sacerdotal dignity.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) In the midst of the seven candlesticks (the word “seven” is omitted in some of the best MSS.) one like unto the Son of man.—“He who kindled the light to be a witness of Himself and of His own presence with men was indeed present.” He was present the same as He had been known on earth, yet different—the same, for He is seen as Son of Man; the same as He had been seen on the Resurrection evening; the same as He appeared to Stephen; the same Jesus, caring for, helping and counselling His people: yet different, for He is arrayed in the apparel of kingly and priestly dignity. He is robed to the foot with the long garment of the high priest. St. John uses the same word which is used in the LXX. version of Exo_28:31, to describe the robe of the Ephod. (Comp. Zec_3:4.) It has been understood by some, however, to indicate the “ample robe of judicial and kingly power.” There is in the vision a combination of both thoughts. He is the King-Priest who is seen by the Evangelist, the Melchisedec whom the Epistle to the Hebrews had so gloriously set forth (Heb_5:9-10; Heb_6:20; especially Heb_7:1-17). He is girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. The girdle is not around the loins, as though ready for action and toil (Luk_12:35), but it is worn as by one who rests from toil in the “repose of sovereignty.” So, according to Josephus (Ant. iii. 7, § 2), the Levitical priests were girdled. The girdle is of gold; not interwoven with gold, as was the high priest’s girdle (Exo_28:8), but pure gold, the emblem of a royal presence. (Comp. Isa_11:5; Dan_10:5; Eph_6:14.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. one like unto the Son of man] There is no article with either noun, while in the title of our Lord “the Son of Man” in the Gospels and in Act_7:56 it is expressed with both. The inference is, not that our Lord is not intended, but that the title is taken, not from His own use of it, but direct from the Greek of Dan_7:13—where also the art. is absent. Whether we should translate “a son of man” is a question rather of taste than of grammar: the words of themselves mean no more than “I saw a human figure,” but their associations make it plain to anyone acquainted with the Book of Daniel, that it was a superhuman Being in human form; and to a Christian, of St John’s days as of our own, Who that Being was.

a garment down to the foot] Certainly a garment of dignity (as Sir_27:8; Dan_10:5; Eze_9:2; Eze_9:11): probably in particular of priestly dignity, as Exo_28:31 (where the next verse suggests comparison with Joh_19:23). The same word as here is used in the so-called Epistle of Barnabas (c. 7) of the scarlet robe in which the Lord will appear when coming to judgement: some suppose that the writer had in his mind this passage, and perhaps Rev_19:13.

girt about the paps] So Rev_15:6, of angels. We therefore can hardly press the distinction of this from Dan_10:5 (and Eze_9:2, LXX.), where the angels wear the girdles of gold or gems, as men would, on the loins.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the son of man,.... By whom is meant not an angel, for he speaks of himself as a divine Person, as the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, phrases not applicable to any created beings; and of himself also as having been dead, which angels are not capable of, and of living again, and of living for evermore, and having power over death and the grave, which no creature has; yea, he calls himself expressly the Son of God, Rev 1:11; so that Christ is manifestly designed, who, as a divine Person, appeared in a form like that individual human nature which was at his Father's right hand; for that human nature of his, or he as the son of man, was not in the midst of these candlesticks, or churches, but he the Son of God was in a form like to his human nature in heaven; so before his incarnation, he is said to be like unto the son of man, in Dan 7:13; to which there is a reference here, and not only in this, but in some other parts of the description; so after his ascension, he in a visionary way appears, not in that real human nature he assumed, but in a form like unto it, that being in heaven; but when he was here on earth he is called the son of man, and not like to one; though even such a phrase may express the truth and reality of his humanity, for who more like to the son of man than he who is so? see Joh 1:14; now Christ was seen by John in the midst of the candlesticks or churches, and among whom he walked, as in Rev 2:1; which is expressive of his presence in his churches, and which he has promised unto the end of the world; and of the gracious visits he makes them, and the sweet communion and conversation he indulges them with, to their joy and comfort; as well as the walks he takes among them for his own delight and pleasure; and where he is, abides and takes his turns, particularly as a priest, in which form he now appeared, as the antitype of Aaron the high priest, to him the lamps or candles in the candlesticks, to cause them to burn more brightly and clearly:

clothed with a garment down to the foot; which some understand of the righteousness of Christ; this is called a garment, a wedding garment, the best or first robe, the robe of righteousness; and is fitly compared to one, it being unto, and upon believers, put upon them, and which covers their persons, keeps them warm and comfortable, and beautifies and adorns them; and is a very beautiful, pure, and spotless robe; and reaches to the feet, covers all the members of Christ's mystical body, the meanest and lowest, as well as the more excellent; the weakest believer as well, and as much, as the strongest: but not Christ mystical, but personal, is here represented; others therefore think that this long garment is a sign of gravity and wisdom, it being usual for men of power and authority, and learning, as the Jewish sanhedrim, Scribes and Pharisees, to wear long garments; but it seems rather to design a priestly robe; the robe of the ephod wore by the high priest is called by this name in the Septuagint version of Exo 28:4; and so it is by Josephus (i), who speaking of the hyacinthine tunic, or robe of blue, says, this is "a garment down to the foot", which in our language is called "Meeir"; rather it should be "Meil", which is its Hebrew name; and so this robe is expressed by the same word here, used by Philo the Jew (k), and by Jerom (l); so Maimonides (m) says, the length of his garment was to the top of his heel: and in the habit of a priest did Christ now appear; and so he is described in his priestly office, in the midst of his churches, having made atonement for their sins by the sacrifice of himself; and now as their high priest had entered into the holiest of all with his own blood and righteousness; bore their names on his breastplate, appeared in the presence of God on their account, and ever lived to make intercession for them:

and girt about the paps with a golden girdle; as the high priest was with the girdle of the ephod, which was made of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, Exo 28:8; and with which the priests were girt about the paps, or breast, as Christ is here described: it is said of the priests in Eze 44:18, "they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat"; which some render "in sweating places": and so some Jewish writers interpret it, which will serve to illustrate the present place,

"says R. Abai (n), (upon citing Eze 44:18) they do not gird themselves in the place in which they sweat; according to the tradition, when they gird themselves they do not gird neither below their loins, nor above their arm holes, but over against their arm holes;

the gloss says, upon their ribs, against their arm pit, that is, about their breast, or paps; and which is still more plainly expressed by the Targum on the above place, which paraphrases it thus,

"they shall not gird about their loins, but they shall gird , "about their heart".

So Josephus (o) says, the high priest's garment was girt about the breast, a little below the arm holes. Christ's girdle, as a King, is the girdle of faithfulness and righteousness, which is about his loins; and his girdle, as a prophet, is the girdle of truth; but, as a priest, it is the girdle of love; it is that which has constrained him to put himself in the room and stead of his people, to assume their nature, give himself a sacrifice for them, and intercede on their behalf: this is like a girdle, round from everlasting to everlasting; is said to be "golden", because of the excellency, purity, glory, and duration of it; and because it is very strong, affectionate, and hearty, it is hid to be a girdle about the paps, near where is the heart, the seat of love; and this may also denote the power, strength, and readiness of Christ to assist and help his churches in every time of need,

(i) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 4. (k) De Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 671. (l) Ad Fabiolam. fol. 19. H. (m) Cele Hamikash, c. 8. sect. 17. (n) T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 18. 2. & 19. 1. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 74. 2. Vid. Jarchi & Kimchi in Ezek. xliv. 18. (o) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Ver. 13. And in the midst] Christ is in the holy assemblies, in the beauties of holiness; he walketh in his garden, Son 6:1, he comes in to see his guests, Mat 22:11. The face of God is seen in Sion, Psa 84:7.

A garment down to the feet] As a counsellor, Isa 9:6.

And girt] It implies readiness, nimbleness, handiness, and handsomeness. We also must gird ourselves, and serve the Lord Christ, Luk 17:8.

About the paps] This implies his entire love, seated in the heart.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, i.e. walking among the candlesticks, like unto Christ, as he many times called himself the Son of man, and at other times told the Jews he was the Son, the only begotten Son of God. By this walking among the candlesticks is signified his providential care over all the particular Churches, which make up one Catholic Church. --- With a long garment,[4] and a golden girdle, with a resemblance to the habit of the priests. (Witham) --- Jesus Christ is in the midst of his Church to enlighten it, to defend and sanctify it, the true model of pastors, who should reside in the midst of their flock, be clothed with sanctity and justice, and girt with the golden girdle, i.e. with singular purity, always ready for combat and labour, by their charity and zeal.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

See Exodus xxviii. 51.; Daniel x. 5.

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George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks; that is, of the churches, resembled by the golden candlesticks.

One like unto the Son of man: we say, no like is the same; but Christ, who was the Son of man, and who ordinarily calls himself so throughout the gospel, is undoubtedly here meant, as appeareth by Rev 1:17,18, which description can agree to him alone. He is said to have come in the likeness of sinful flesh, though he came in true human flesh; and Phi 2:7, he was made in the likeness of men. John saw one who appeared to him as a man in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, which was Christ in the midst of his churches; placed in the midst, partly to let us know his observation of them all, and partly to let us know his being at hand to them all, to help, protect, and defend them.

Clothed with a garment down to the foot; podhrh the word signifieth a long garment reaching to the feet, whether of linen or woollen, or what other material, is not expressed; so as it seemeth to me hard to determine, whether it was to signify his priestly or kingly office, or neither. It is a habit of gravity.

And girt about the paps with a golden girdle; nor dare I determine the significancy of the golden girdle about his loins. It was a habit like that in Daniel’s vision, Dan 10:5. They were both symbols of majesty, authority, and dignity, and the appearance agreed very well to him, who was both a High Priest and a King.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. In the midst—The candlesticks were so arranged that this One could be, and (Rev_2:1) could walk, in their midst. That would seem to imply that they stood in two rows, of three and of four, as the seven cities somewhat irregularly did, as seen upon our map.

Like… man—So Dan_7:13, with which compare Joh_5:27. John recognises, even in this his glorification, his identity with the man of his humiliation. So our own resurrection bodies, in all their glorified changes, will manifest their identity with our present selves. See note, 1Co_15:44. In the sublime description of the Christophanic person that follows, Hengstenberg, and still more Trench, are extreme in finding out symbols of wrath and destruction. Their points we shall notice in the progress of our notes. But surely there was no reason why the Lord, in his interview with the beloved apostle and visitation of his circle of Churches, should put on the tokens of vengeance. Nor is such St. John’s idea. His description presents the intense dazzling glory of the Lord’s celestial body, too transcendent for mortal eye to bear; but that glory, though dread, is serene and merciful.

Trench, also, acutely draws a contrast between the Grecian representations and the Oriental; to the latter of which this and other of St. John’s pictures belong. The former is predominantly aesthetic; presenting beautiful models for the artist. The latter are deeply significant, often a collection of expressive but crudely adjusted symbols, incapable of being wrought into agreeable picture. The many-breasted Diana was a personation made of symbols, and so, disagreeable to sight. And so this present figure, wrought into painting, would be unsightly. There is great truth in Trench’s distinction; but not, we think, in its application to the present description. The personation could not be painted, for the very object is to image forth a supernatural splendour and glory. The splendour consists largely of an intensity of colouring to which the materials of art are inadequate. An artist could form a distinct and splendid conception of the figure, but would at once say that it was beyond and above reducing to picture. But we hold that, viewed as a work of descriptive art, this piece is congruous and aesthetically magnificent.

Clothed… to the foot—John first discerns the main person, almost completely enveloped in a priestly-royal robe flowing to the feet.

A golden girdle—Again implying highest nobility, binding— not the loins, as if engaged in a task of labour—but the breasts, uniting the robe in a composed dignity, as he walked or stood.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the midst of the candlesticks. "For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them". (Mat_18:20; comp. 2Co_6:16) Like unto the Son of man. Here and in Rev_14:14 we have simply uiopou , as also in Joh_5:27 and Dan_7:13; not o uiopou , as in Act_7:56 and everywhere else in all four Gospels. It is not certain that the absence of the articles forbids us to render the phrase, "the Son of man;" but it is safer to render, "a son of man." The glorified Messiah still wears that human form by which the beloved disciple had known him before the Ascension. (Joh_21:7) With the exception of Act_7:56, the full form, "the Son of man," is used only by the Christ of himself. A garment down to the feet. The word podhrhv , sc. citwn (vestis talaris), though frequent in the LXX, (Eze_9:2, Eze_9:3, 11 Zec_3:4, etc.) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The robe is an official one. The Rhemish renders it "a priestly garment down to the foote." Compare Joseph"s "coat of many colours," which literally means a "coat reaching to the extremities." In Exo_28:31 "the robe of the ephod" of the high priest is upoduthv podhrhv . The angel in Dan_10:5, 6 is described in similar language: "whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz". (comp. Isa_22:21, "I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand "Enough is said to indicate that the Son of man claims and fulfils the office which was assigned to the children of Aaron; that he blesses the people in God"s Name; that he stands as their Representative before his Father" (F.D. Maurice).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. “Clothed with a garment down to the foot and girded about the waist with a golden girdle.” This is a description of His priestly regalia, as our Savior is Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, He teaches us; as Priest, He atones for all our sins; as King, He rules over us forever. During His earthly mission, He served mankind as Prophet, and was a most indefatigable preacher. He is now exercising His priestly office at the Father’s right hand in heaven. He will soon come down with His mighty angels and transfigured saints to set up His kingdom on the earth and reign forever.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. And in the midst. It is a beautiful thought that he who said “I will be with you always” is represented as moving in the midst of the church. Like unto the Son of man. A term used in Dan. 7:13 and applied by the Savior to Himself, but never applied to him by the New Testament writers except here, Rev. 14:14 and Acts 7:56. A garment down to the foot. The long robe of a high priest girt about with the golden girdle of a king.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

13. ὅμοιον υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου. It might be better with Tischendorf and Westcott and Hort to read ὅμοιον υἱὸν here and at Rev 14:14; if so the writer makes juxtaposition do the work of construction, as sup. 16, see n. In the title of our Lord in the Gospels (except Joh 5:27) and in Act 7:56 both words have the article. The absence of the article here proves not that our Lord is not intended, but that the title is taken not from His own use of it but direct from the Greek of Dan 7:13, where also both words are without the article. There the human figure which succeeds the bestial shapes symbolizes the kingdom of the saints of the Most High more certainly than the personal King, the Head of the mystical Body. Here it is a question of taste rather than of grammar whether we are to translate “a son of man”: the words themselves mean no more than “I saw a human figure,” but their associations would make it plain to all readers of the Book of Daniel that it was a superhuman Being in human form; and to a Christian of St John’s day as of our own, Who that Being was.

ποδήοη. Certainly a garment of dignity (as Sir 27:8; Dan 10:5, LXX. where Theodotion gives the Hebrew in Greek letters βαδδιν; Eze 9:2; Eze 9:11), probably especially of priestly dignity, as Exo 25:6; Exo 28:4; Exo 28:31 (where the next verse suggests comparison with Joh 19:23). The same word is used in the so-called Epistle of Barnabas (c. 7) of the scarlet robe in which the Lord will appear when coming to judgement; some suppose that the writer had in his mind this passage and perhaps Rev 19:13.

πρὸς τοῖς μασθοῖς. So Rev 15:6 of angels. In Dan 10:5 and Eze 9:2 (LXX.) angels wear the girdles of gold or gems in the ordinary human way, on their loins. The Seer like the Prophets draws his images from earthly pomp which in his days had grown more splendid. The girdle is probably crossed upon the breast, as in the figure of Darius in the great mosaic of the Museo Borbonico and in statues of the kings of Greek tragedy: anyway it visibly serves not to brace the wearer for labour but simply to keep his stately robe duly arranged.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13.] and in the midst of the [seven] candlesticks one like to the Son of Man (i. e. to Christ: see Joh 5:27. I will not deny that the anarthrous use of this title may mark out less sharply our Lord himself than the use with the articles; but in N. T. Greek we should be no more justified in rendering υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου in such a connexion as this, “a son of man,” than πνεῦμα θεοῦ, “a spirit of God.” That meaning would doubtless have been here expressed by τοις υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. The same remarks apply to ref. Dan.), clothed in a garment reaching to the feet (see the reff. in Dan. and Ezek., which the description and even the diction closely resemble. The χιτὼν ποδήρης, vestis talaris, was a sign of high rank or office: “sunt enim vestes pendulæ et laxæ, apud Persas imprimis, regum nobilium et sacerdotum insigne, cf. Eph 6:1, Eze 10:2:” Ewald. Arethas, in the catena, supposes the dress to be that of the Melchisedek-priesthood (see also Andreas and Vitr.); but without reason, as De W. shews.

Cf. ref. Sir., ἐὰν διώκῃς τὸ δίκαιον, καταλήψῃ καὶ ἐνδύσῃ αὐτὸ ὡς ποδήρη δόξης), and girt round at the breasts with a golden girdle (in ref. Dan., Gabriel has his loins girt with gold of Uphaz. Bengel, and after him Züllig and De Wette, suppose a distinction—the girding round the loins betokening activity, while that round the breast is a sign of repose. But Hengst. well observes that this would hardly apply: for Christ is here in fulness of energy as ruler and orderer of His Church. Ebrard seems nearer the truth in regarding the higher girding as a sign of majesty. But perhaps after all the point is not to be pressed; for the angels in ch. 15:6 are also girt περὶ τὰ στήθη. Nor is the golden girdle distinctive of regal majesty: for this they also bear, ibid. In 1 Macc. 10:89, 11:58, the πόρπη χρυσῆ is the privilege of the συγγενεῖς, or φίλοι τῶν βασιλέων, not, as is commonly cited, of kings themselves):

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.