The Seven Lampstands and the Son of Man
“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand, he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Revelation 1:12-16).
John describes himself as turning around to see who was speaking to him. As one cannot actually see a voice, John is referencing the person to whom the voice belongs. Just as John had to turn in order to identify the voice that was speaking, we, as believers in Christ, should pay close attention to the voices that we listen to. Many voices are preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and prophesying lies in the name of God and religion. Yet, if we have a personal relationship with the Lord, He will never allow us to be deceived or led astray. The Bible says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). To know the voice of God, one must spend time with God and respond accordingly.
The Meaning of the Seven Lampstands
According to most biblical scholars, the number seven, or sheba (שֶׁבַע) in Hebrew, means completion, totality, divine order, and perfection.[1] The use of this number has been greatly aligned with God finishing all creation in six days, calling it good, and having a complete rest day on the seventh. It was not because He was tired that He rested, but to set the example for man to follow. The Bible says: “The heavens and the earth and all who live in them were completed. On the sixth day, God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day, God rested from all the work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creation” (Genesis 2:1-3). Therefore, it was not by happenstance that the number seven was included in John’s vision, but had significant meaning regarding God’s divine prophetic message and plan.
The seven lampstands in John’s vision represented the seven churches in Asia (modern-day Turkey) to whom John was instructed to write. These churches were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodecia. Although the seven lampstands represented actual churches to whom spiritual instructions were written, as we will discuss later in Chapter 2, their symbolism is vital for believers today. Thus, considering that our lights are never to go out or grow dim, all who have accepted Jesus have been made complete and come into His fullness. The Bible says: “All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body. And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:9-10). Yet, the Lord had a timeless message, not limited to just those churches, but included words of rebuke, correction, encouragement, and commendation.
John proceeded to describe the lampstands as being made of gold. What was the gold’s significance? God held gold as being precious and of the highest regard. After all, He’s the One who made it. During the time of Moses, God instructed him to give the laws written by His own finger to the Children of Israel as a covenant between He and them. They were to obey them with all their heart, soul, and mind. God told Moses to make the Ark of the Covenant, where the 10 Commandments would be placed. They would then be kept inside the Holy of Holies within the sanctuary. This ark was to be made of acacia wood and covered in gold. Such were many of the other consecrated items that were to be placed inside the Tabernacle and later the temple that God had King Solomon build. The priestly attire that Aaron, Moses’ brother, was to wear also had gold on its breastplate . The Bible says: “Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord. (Exodus 28:36).
Gold represented the holy things that had been tried in the fire as part of the purification process. The Bible says: “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1Peter 1:7). In today’s time, gold can go through various purification processes, but the original process involved a refinement in the fire to separate the impurities (zinc, iron, copper, and silver).[2] Therefore, the seven lampstands representing the seven churches were to be holy unto the Lord, symbolized by the description of gold.
Description of the Son of Man
Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of man during His 3 ½ years of earthly ministry. Despite what many false teachers teach and believe regarding God not having a son or being equal to the Father, as they are One, Jesus contradicted these false ideologies by describing who He was and still is. The Bible says: “’But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home’ ” (Matthew 9:6). Jesus left His place in Heaven to come down to earth to save mankind from their sins. He was both the Son of God and the Son of man, due to him being divine without genealogy but born through the implementation of the Holy Spirit inside of Mary’s womb. The prophet Daniel also described Him as such. The Bible says: “In my vision, at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence” (Daniel 7:13). Jesus never lost His deity even while on earth wrapped in flesh; therefore, He was and shall forever be the Son of the Living God.
Jesus’ Garments
Everything that Jesus does has a purpose, even down to the garments that He wore. The Bible says: “I surely rejoice in the Lord; my heart is joyful because of my God, because he has clothed me with clothes of victory, wrapped me in a robe of righteousness like a bridegroom in a priestly crown, and like a bride adorned in jewelry” (Isaiah 61:10). John described Jesus as wearing a long robe down to his feet. Jesus’ attire represents all that He is and forever will be, the Garment of Salvation and Righteousness.
The prophet Daniel described Jesus very similar to John’s detailed account in a vision that was shown to him. The Bible says: “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude” (Daniel 10:5-6). Here we find Jesus wearing a belt of gold or a sash as described by John, which can be used interchangeably around Him. Again, we see gold being used to symbolize the Holiness of God, and the belt/sash represents truth and righteousness. The Bible says: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14). No sin can stand in the presence of a Righteous and Holy God. Therefore, Jesus’ outward attire represents His characteristics of what is holy and righteous. Even His hair embodies who He is, as it was described as white, like wool and snow.
White in the Bible represents cleanliness and purity. The Bible says: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalms 51:7). The psalmist, David, was asking God to cleanse him of all his sins and imperfections. This was not in the natural sense but in the spiritual. Jesus’ white hair represents His purity, for no sin was ever committed by Him. The Bible says: “He committed no sin, nor did he ever speak in ways meant to deceive. When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the One who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22-23).
To be continued next week...
[1] Bible Hub Editorial Staff, "Strong's Hebrew: 7651. שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba or Shibah) -- Seven," Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages, accessed February 19, 2025, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7651.htm.
[2] Britannica Editorial Staff, "Refining," Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified July 26, 1999, https://www.britannica.com/technology/gold-processing/Refining.
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