The Risen Messiah Appears to John (Revelation 1:9-20)
John is in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (1:9-11)
- John is a fellow-sufferer in the kingdom on the isle of Patmos (1:9)
- “On the Lord’s Day” John “was in the Spirit” and heard a voice (1:10).
- The voice, which is the voice of Jesus (1:12), commands John to “write on a scroll what you see” and “send it to the seven churches” of Asia Minor (1:11).
John Sees the Risen, Exalted, and Enthroned Messiah (1:12-16)
- Jesus walks amid seven golden lampstands (1:12; Zechariah 4:2, 11) as the Son of Man (1:12-13; Daniel 7:13).
- He is dressed in a robe down to his feet and a golden sash around his chest (1:13; Daniel 10:5).
- The hair on his head was snow white like wool (1:14; cf. Daniel 7:9).
- His eyes were like blazing fire (1:14; cf. Daniel 10:6).
- His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace (1:15; Daniel 10:6).
- His voice was like the sound of rushing waters (1:15; Daniel 10:6).
- He holds seven stars in his right hand (1:16; Domitian’s coin).
- A double-edged sword was coming out of his mouth (1:16; Isaiah 11:4; 49:2).
- His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance (1:16; Daniel 10:6).
The Risen Messiah Speaks (1:17-20)
- Write! What you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
- The seven stars are the seven angels (ἄγγελοι) of the seven churches.
- The seven lampstands are the seven churches (ἐκκλησίαι).
A Domitian coin with seven stars depicts the deified infant son of Emperor Domitian, Flavius Caesar, seated on a globe surrounded by seven stars. Minted in Rome between 82 and 83 CE, the gold (aureus) and silver (denarius) coins feature the infant on the reverse. The Latin inscription reads “DIVVS CAESAR IMP DOMITIANI F,” meaning “The Divine Caesar, Son of the emperor Domitian”. On the reverse side is a picture of Domitia with the inscription “DOMITIA AVGVSTA IMP DOMIT,” meaning “Domitia Augusta, consort of Emperor Domitian.” The image is from the British Museum.
Domitian’s son sits on a globe surrounded by seven stars. This refers to the elevation of the son to the heavenly or divine realm. The stars represent the heavenly world. It is a cosmic statement–the son of Domitian is deified and sits among the gods ruling the world.
The Identity of Jesus the Messiah in Revelation 1-3
| Appearance of Jesus in Revelation 1 | The Seven Churches | Oracles in Revelation 2-3 |
| Holds seven stars in his right hand and of the seven golden lampstands (1:19) | Ephesus | Holds seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands (2:1, 5) |
| I am the First and the Last (1:17) | Smyrna | The First and the Last who died and came to life again (2:8) |
| Has a sharp, double-edged sword (1:16) | Pergamum | Has the sharp, double-edged sword (2:12. 16) |
| His eyes were like blazing fire (1:14) | Thyatira | The Son of God with eyes like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze (2:18) |
| The seven spirits before his throne (1:4) and holds seven stars (1:19) | Sardis | Words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars (3:1) |
| I hold the keys of death and Hades (1:18) | Philadelphia | Holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open (3:7) |
| Faithful witness and ruler of the kings of the earth (1:5) | Laodicea | The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation (3:14) |