‘And he had in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was as the sun shines in its strength.'
The idea of the seven stars held in the right hand may have in mind in the background the seven then known planets, the holding in the hand intending to signify the universal rule of Christ over the cosmos, or more likely the seven stars of Pleiades which, with Orion, are especially mentioned as God's workmanship and are linked with God turning deep darkness into morning, making the day dark with night, pouring the waters of the sea on the face of the earth, and bringing sudden destruction on the strong (Amos 5:8). Thus they are connected with His creative and controlling power. Compare Job 38:31 which mentions ‘the sweet influences of the Pleiades', thus suggesting heavenly power. These ideas could well immediately spring to the minds of his readers.
But this is immediately applied to the seven angels of the seven churches to whom the letters will be sent (Revelation 1:20). They are the seven stars and the ruler of the cosmos holds the seven angels in His right hand. This would confirm that we are to see in the seven churches the universal church. The fact that they are held in His right hand, His most powerful hand, demonstrates that they are both under His supreme control and under His protection.
The sharp two-edged sword (rompheia here in Revelation) is mentioned in Hebrews 4:12 where the word of God is sharper than a two-edged Sword (machaira), dividing soul and spirit and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. Compare Ephesians 6:17 where the sword (machaira) of the Spirit is the word of God. The different words for sword could be used interchangeably but demonstrate that if this idea is in mind we are dealing here with an idea common in the churches and not with a direct reference to those verses. Interestingly the ‘two-edged sword' of vengeance in the Old Testament is also both romphaia and machaira in LXX (Psalms 149:6; Proverbs 5:4).
The suggestion is that the word of God proceeds from His mouth, defending and guiding the righteous and cutting through the defences of the wicked. Compare Isaiah 49:2 where the mouth of the coming Servant of God is made ‘like a sharp sword' (LXX macheira) and Isaiah 11:4 where the coming King will ‘smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will slay the wicked'. (For general references to the sword (rompheia) as connected with the mouth see Psalms 57:4; Psalms 64:3. In both cases the idea is of sharp words).
We may also compare Isaiah 66:16 where ‘by fire will the Lord plead, and by His sword (LXX rompheia), with all flesh, for the slain of the Lord will be many', tying in with the eyes of fire and the sword from the mouth and stressing judgment. The lightning in Genesis 3:24 was also like a flaming sword (LXX rompheia), again symbolising judgment but including the protection of God's holy place. But in Psalms 17:13; Psalms 35:3 LXX the psalmist looks to the sword (rompheia) of the Lord to deliver him from the wicked. So the sword delivers the righteous and judges the undeserving.
‘And his face was as the sun shines in its strength.' This compares with the Transfiguration where Matthew says ‘His face did shine as the sun' (Matthew 17:2). The shining of the sun is used as an indication of righteousness in Matthew 13:43. Thus it refers not only to glory but to supreme righteousness. So John draws on many sources, which are clearly known to him, to bring out the glory and divinity of this ‘son of man'.
The vision is vivid. Face shining like the sun, eyes as a flame of fire, hair of the purest whiteness, feet of burning brass, the word of God like a sharp two-edged sword issuing from His mouth, seven shining stars in His right hand, and a voice like the sound of many waters.