Revelation 1:15-16

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:9-20

The introductory vision. This section is introductory, not merely to the epistles to the Churches, but to the whole book. In it the seer narrates how he received his commission; and with it should be compared Isaiah 6:1-13 ; Jeremiah 1:1-10 ; Ezekiel 1:1-3 ; Daniel 10:1-21 , especially Daniel 10:2 , Daniel 10:7 , where "I Daniel" is exactly parallel to "I John" here. The Revised Version is again much to be preferred to the Authorized Version. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:9-20

The vision of the Lord. That St. John should have been favoured with this glorious vision is but in keeping with what was often granted to the prophets of the Lord—to Moses, at the burning bush; to Isaiah, in the temple; to Jeremiah, at his consecration to his prophetic office, and likewise to Ezekiel; and to the three chief apostles, SS . Peter, James, and John, at the Transfiguration; St. John, at Patmos; and St. Paul, at Damascus and when caught up to heaven. All these visions were... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:9-20

The vision of the Son of man. The vision granted for the comfort of the suffering Church was made: 1 . To a "brother and partaker" in all "the tribulation and kingdom and patience," sharing at the very hour, "in the isle that is called Patmos," the consequences of faithfully proclaiming the Word of God and bearing his testimony to Jesus. 2 . He was in an exalted spiritual state: "in the Spirit"—under the control of the Spirit; sensitively alive to the teachings of the Spirit;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:10-17

Voices and visions from eternity. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day," etc. Concerning this vision, and, indeed, nearly all the visions recorded in this Apocalypse, there are three facts to be predicated at the outset. 1 . It is mental. What is here reported as heard and seen by John was not seen by his bodily eye or heard by his bodily ear. It was, I consider, a purely mental vision. It is one of the characteristic attributes and distinctions of man that he can see and hear... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:15

Fine brass . This may stand as a translation of χαλκολίβανος , a word which occurs here and in Revelation 2:18 only, and the second half of which has never been satisfactorily explained. It may have been a local technical term in use among the metalworkers of Ephesus ( Acts 19:24 ; 2 Timothy 4:14 ). The Rhemish Version renders it "latten." In what follows, the Revised Version is to be preferred: "as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:16

He holds the Churches in his hand as a precious possession, which he sustains as a glory to himself. These Churches are as planets, which shine, not with their own light, but that of the sun; which shine most brightly in the night of "tribulation," which (like him who holds them in his right hand) are a guide to the wanderer, and are ever moving, yet ever at rest. Out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword . This metaphor runs through both Old and New Testaments. It is frequent in this book ( ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 1:15

And his feet like unto fine brass - Compare Daniel 10:6, “And his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass.” See also Ezekiel 1:7, “and they” (the feet of the living creatures) “sparkled like the color of burnished brass.” The word used here - χαλκολιβάνω chalkolibanō - occurs in the New Testament only here and in Revelation 2:18. It is not found in the Septuagint. The word properly means “white brass” (probably compounded of χαλκός chalkos, brass, and λίβανος libanos, whiteness,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 1:16

And he had in his right hand seven stars - Emblematic of the angels of the seven churches. How he held them is not said. It may be that they seemed to rest on his open palm; or it may be that he seemed to hold them as if they were arranged in a certain order, and with some sort of attachment, so that they could be grasped. It is not improbable that, as in the case of the seven lamp-bearers (see the notes at Revelation 1:13), they were so arranged as to represent the relative position of the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Revelation 1:12-16

Revelation 1:12-16. And I turned to see the voice That is, to see him whose voice it was; and being turned, I saw It seems the vision presented itself gradually. First, he heard a voice, and upon looking behind him he saw the golden candlesticks, and then, in the midst of the candlesticks, which were placed in a circle, he saw one like the Son of man That is, one in a human form. As a man, likewise, our Lord doubtless appears in heaven; though not exactly in this symbolical manner,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:9-20

2:1-3:22 LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHESApart from occasional minor variations, the seven letters follow the same pattern. They begin with a greeting from the risen Christ (whose titles are mostly taken from the vision described in 1:12-16), followed in turn by a statement of praise and/or criticism concerning the current state of the church, a warning, an instruction and a promise. Although each church received the particular message for itself, it would also hear the messages for the other... read more

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