Texts in Conversation
Revelation 19 draws on Daniel 10 by using the image of eyes like blazing fire, first used to describe a radiant heavenly figure. In Revelation, this detail is applied to Jesus as the figure leading the final battle.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Daniel 10:6
Septuagint
4 And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was on the bank of the great river, which is the Tigris. 5 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and look, a man clothed in fine linen, and his waist wrapped with fine linen, and from his midst a light. 6 And his body was like Tarshish, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like torches of fire, and his arms and his feet like flashing brass, and the voice of his speech like the sound of a tumult. 7 And I Daniel saw this great vision, and the men who were with me did not see this vision, and great fear fell upon them, and they ran away in haste. 8 And I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me; and look, a spirit turned upon me to destruction, and I did not prevail.
Date: 100–1 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Revelation 19:12
New Testament
10 So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11 Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war. 12 His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. 13 He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. 14 The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses.
Date: 92–96 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... 'Now his eyes were like a brilliant flame' ... The conjunction 'and, but, now,' occurs just seven times in Revelation (1:14; 2:5, 16, 24; 10:2; 9:12; 21:8). It is twice used for emphasis when the author begins a description of the appearance of the exalted Christ, here and in 1:14. In 21:8 it is used as an adversative particle to introduce the fate of various categories of sinner in contrast to those who are victorious. The phrase 'like a brilliant flame,' occurs in 1:14 and 2:18 as well as here in 19:12 and is an allusion to the Aramaic phrase from LXX / Theodotion Daniel 10:6, 'like flaming torches' where it is part of a more extensive description of a supernatural being, as in Revelation 19:12 ..."
David E. Aune, Word Biblical Commentary: Revelation 17-22 (Dallas: Word, 1998), 220–221.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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