Revelation 1:13-15

Ministry Archive Registry Entry

==Revelation 1:13-15== <p> And in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across his breast with a golden girdle.&nbsp; And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire;&nbsp; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. (NASB) </p> <p>1 . Many theologians have noticed the similarities between this description of Christ in Revelation, and the description of the “ancient of Days” (i.e., God) in Daniel 7:9 and Ezekiel 43:2.&nbsp; Thus, based on the similarities between the two descriptions, these verses are used to support the Trinity.&nbsp; One of the reasons that more Trinitarians do not advance these verses in Revelation as a “proof” of the Trinity is that most Christians are unprepared to really understand the argument.&nbsp; That God appeared in the form of a human being is very new information for most people, and quite a few are unwilling to accept it.&nbsp; Nevertheless, the Trinitarian argument goes like this: God appeared in the Old Testament with a certain physical description.&nbsp; Christ has much the same description; therefore Christ must be God. </p> <p>Most Christians have not been shown from Scripture that God appeared in a form resembling a person.&nbsp; They have always heard that “no one has seen God at any time” and that God is invisible.&nbsp; A thorough explanation of God's appearing in the form of a man is given in the notes on Genesis 18:1 and 2. </p> <p>2 . When God became visible to Daniel, He had hair “white like wool” (7:9), and from Ezekiel we learn that His voice “was like the sound of many waters” (43:2).&nbsp; This description is the same for Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:13-15, and thus the two are compared.&nbsp; Although we realize that these descriptions are similar, we would note that many things that are similar are not identical.&nbsp; Police are very aware of this.&nbsp; If you went to the police with the description of a man and said, “He has white hair and a deep voice,” that would be helpful, but more would be needed to establish identity, since that description can fit more than one person. </p> <p>To see if Christ is the same as, or identical with, God, we must study the records, and indeed, the entire scope of Scripture.&nbsp; Daniel, Chapter 7 is about the succession of empires through time.&nbsp; By the time we get to verse 9, Daniel described a vision he had of something that is still future to us.&nbsp; He described God preparing for the Judgment.&nbsp; Daniel also foresaw Jesus Christ taking the kingdom from his God, the Ancient of Days. </p> <p>Daniel 7:13 and 14&nbsp; (NASB) <br> (13) I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. <br> (14) And to him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve him.&nbsp; His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” </p> <p>It is clear from Revelation 1:13-15&nbsp; that both Christ and God are present, although only God is described.&nbsp; In the Book of Revelation, God and Christ are both present.&nbsp; Chapter 4 and the opening of Chapter 5 describe God on a throne with a scroll in His right hand.&nbsp; Then Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, “came and he took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” [i.e., God] (5:7).&nbsp; Again, there are clearly two present: God and Christ.&nbsp; Nothing in the context indicates in any way that these two are somehow “one.”&nbsp; There is no reason to assume that.&nbsp; Two is two.&nbsp; Furthermore, why is it so amazing that the risen Christ has an appearance similar to the one that God chooses to take on when He appears to us?&nbsp; Since God can take on any form He wants, why would He not take on a form that he knew would be similar to His Son?&nbsp;&nbsp; This similarity does not prove identity in any way, but it does show the functional equality of Jesus Christ and God. </p> [[Category:Bible Topic]]