‘And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.'
The seven lampstands are reminiscent of the sevenfold golden lampstand in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-32; Exodus 25:37; Hebrews 9:2) and in the Temple (2 Chronicles 4:7), which was filled with oil and gave light in the tabernacle. It represented God as Israel's light (compare John 8:12) and Israel as God's light to the world (compare Matthew 5:14-16).
But just as Israel was supposed to be a light to the world, this task is now placed on the churches. This representation of the church in connection with the sevenfold lampstand of Israel confirms that John and Christ see them as the new Israel. Here however the lampstands are separate, because they represent seven individual churches.
Yet there can be little doubt that we are to see these seven churches as representative of the church as a whole, for the number seven would be seen as the number of divine perfection and completeness. Thus there is diversity in unity, and unity in diversity. The messages are to individual churches, but these seven churches also represent the whole church.
We can also compare with this the sevenfold lampstand connected to the two ‘sons of oil', the anointed servants of God, in Zechariah 4. There too the two anointed servants of God were to further the purposes of God and, in their case, to build a Temple of God as a witness to the nations in the face of great difficulties and opposition. Here the idea is that the churches, as the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 2:21), should be a witness to the nations.
‘And in the middle of the lampstands.' This stresses that the imminently returning Christ is in a real sense already with His people. Thus later we are told He walks among the lampstands (Revelation 2:1). He stands and walks among them in what they have to endure, loving, empowering, ever watchful, in readiness to bring this age to its conclusion. As He says elsewhere, ‘Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age' (Matthew 28:20).
‘One like a son of man.' The reference here is to the heavenly figure mentioned in Daniel 7:13. This is one who comes out of a background of suffering at the end of a long period of tribulation to receive the kingdom and the glory and the dominion. While on earth Jesus constantly referred to Himself as this figure in His use of the term ‘the Son of Man', but He always referred His ‘glorious appearing' to the world as in the future. Now by the Spirit John is carried forward to that glorious moment, to witness Christ in readiness for that glorious appearing.
So John is indicating that what he is describing is Jesus in readiness for His appearing as directly connected with the events outlined in Daniel. The ‘one like a son of man', having received dominion, power and authority on behalf of His suffering people at the resurrection and ascension (Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:33; Acts 2:36; Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25; Ephesians 1:20-22; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2-3; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 17:14), and having established the Kingly Rule of God over His people, is now about to introduce the everlasting kingdom. In vision John, carried forward into the future, sees the day of Christ, ‘the Lord's day', as having arrived. (This applies only to this vision. It does not necessarily attach to future visions). This is John's vision. And he has to declare it to the churches.
The people to whom he will write are aware that in ‘the end days' the people of God would endure great suffering, but that eventually, through their representative, they would achieve final triumph (Daniel 7:27 with Daniel 7:13). So the presentation of a vision of Jesus as having entered the presence of the Ancient of Days, and as being in readiness to bring in the everlasting kingdom, having received everlasting dominion, great glory and a kingdom which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:14), will bolster them up in the suffering they are to face. For while His people may suffer while here on earth, they can then be sure that the Victor stands among them to enable them in their witness (compare Matthew 28:18-19) and to finally bring them to Himself to be with Him where He is (John 14:2-3), sharing His everlasting rule.
But these churches are not told that theirs is the end of ‘the last days' which have already begun (Acts 2:16; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 1 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:1-2). What is promised is imminence not immediacy. Like Christians of every age they are to live in expectation. Thus this vision of Christ is applicable in every age, and acts constantly as a strengthening and encouragement in whatever God's people have to face. He, as it were, still stands there like this ready to come.
The garment down to the foot (Revelation 1:13) parallels the description of the High Priestly garment in the Old Testament (Exodus 28:4; Exodus 28:39 LXX). Jesus is here depicted as the great High Priest Who acts on behalf of His people. Additionally the girdle ‘of gold' stresses His kingship. Thus He is the royal priest, Who represents the churches before God, ever living to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25). And now, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, and having been in the Holy Place on behalf of His people, He is appearing to those who wait for Him, a second time, apart from sin, unto salvation (Hebrews 9:28).
The description that follows is partly based on Ezekiel 43:2 and Daniel 7:9; Daniel 10:6 but we are not to assume that this means that they are representative of the same person. Indeed it is clear that that is not the case. The phraseology is utilised by John because he finds it highly descriptive and fitting to describe the indescribable. (Jesus Christ would not have needed Michael's help against the ‘prince of Persia' (Daniel 10:13). The opposite was the case (Jude 1:9)).