The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

Visions are not realities
In addition to the words, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," the Apostle was
instructed by the voice to write down or make a record of what he saw, and of what he
was to see, and to send the same to the seven Churches of Asia. St. John immediately
turned to see from whom the voice proceeded and beheld . . .
"Seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the
Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a
golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His
eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;
and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and
out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength."--Verses 12-16.
Most commentators have understood that the vision was an actual appearance of Christ
Himself; in other words, that Christ actually appeared to St. John on the Isle of Patmos,
instead of its being a vision of Christ. A vision is not a reality, but something which is
designed to picture, to symbolize, to represent the reality. The thought has been very ably
expressed thus:
"Visions are not realities, though they symbolically represent them. This is true, whether
the visions come, as Daniel describes his, as 'visions of my head upon my bed,' or whether
they come in broad daylight, as with the transfiguration scene, which our Lord declared
was a vision. (Matt. 17:9.)"
"We are not to regard the word picture of verses 13-16 as a portrait of our Lord in glory;
for it is merely symbolical. When we shall see Him in glory He will not look as here
described. Nevertheless this symbolical picture has precious lessons for us, more valuable
than an attempt to describe to our minds the appearance of our Lord as a spirit being,
'dwelling in light which no man can approach unto,' and which we cannot appreciate until
we shall be changed to 'be like Him and to see Him as He is.'--1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:50-53."
The principal and most important symbols of this vision are interpreted by the "voice" that
St. John heard. These important symbols are those of the "seven golden candlesticks"
(lampstands) in the midst of which the One like unto a Son of Man was standing, and the
"seven stars" which were held in His right hand. The explanation was made that "the
seven stars are the angels [messengers] of the seven Churches; and the seven candlesticks
[lampstands] are the seven Churches." This Divine explanation assists us to grasp the
meaning of some of the other symbols; and other Scriptures where similar symbols are
employed enable us to understand others of the vision.
The appellation "Son of Man" is used by the Prophet Daniel (Dan. 7) and is appropriated
by Christ to Himself, as we learn from frequent references to the same in the Gospels. This
alone would be sufficient to prove that the personage of the vision symbolized Christ.
Thus the description that . . .