John’s vision of One like a Son of Man (Revelation 1)
Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 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. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The Word of Life (First John 1)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.
Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man (Daniel 7)
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven...
14 He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Small Group Questions:
Have you ever had a bizarre dream that was etched permanently into your mind? What made this dream bizarre? As we forget most of our dreams, what made that dream so memorable?
Have everyone in your small group close their eyes and have some read Revelation 1:9-19 aloud slowly. As it is read, think about the images in this passage. How do the images make you feel?
What did these images mean to the Apostle John?
If God’s plan is to “to conform us to the image of His Son,” then what role does having an accurate picture of the Living Christ play?
The theme of “seeing,” “looked at,” appeared,” “seen,” and “have seen” are recurring themes in John’s writing. Without actually seeing Jesus during his earthly ministry, how can we “see” Jesus in everyday life?