The above promise is by Jesus in Revelation 1:7. But Christian people hold divergent opinions about the manner of its intended fulfillment. Are we to understand from it that Jesus will be revealed to the literal sight of people in the earth, or that he will be “seen” in a figurative sense by mental perception?

STRONG’S DEFINITION

The Greek word represented by “see” in Revelation 1:7 is listed in Strong’s Concordance as 3700, optimai,1 which (for its grammatical use in this passage) is spelled opsetai. Strong defines it as “to gaze (i.e. with wide open eyes, as at something remarkable…);” and proceeds to distinguish its shade of meaning from other words listed as 991, 1492, 2300, 2334 and 4648. Since this definition does not explicitly include a figurative sense, one might suppose it required Jesus would be seen with literal sight. However, that would be an incorrect conclusion for two reasons.

(1) Before Strong’s definition, he says it is used as an “alternate of 3708,” horao 2,3 which he defines as “properly to stare at … (by implication) to discern (physically or mentally)…” (bold emphasis supplied). This augments the definition of optomai to include a figurative sense.

(2) For the five other words which Strong’s mentions, explaining their subtle contrast with optomai, he specifically includes a figurative sense in his definitions, yet he never stipulates this feature as a matter of contrast with optomai. Here is the remainder of Strong’s comments on optomai, followed by his definitions of the other five words:

“… thus differing from 991, which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from 1492, which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while 2300, and still more emphatically its intensive 2334, signifies an earnest but more continued inspection; and 4648 a watching from a distance”

991, blepo – “to look at (literally or figuratively)” 1492, eido -“properly to see (literally or figuratively)”
2300, theaomai – “to look closely at… to perceive (literally or figuratively)…”
2334, theoreo, – “to be a spectator of, i.e. discern (literally or figuratively)..:’
4648, skopeo – “to take aim at (spy), i.e. (fig.) regard”

Clearly Strong is correct in allowing a figurative sense to each of these, as shown by the following texts, which all require it.

991 – Luke 8:10; Ro 7:23; 2Co 7:8; Heb 2:9, 10:25

1492 – Acts 15:6, 28:26; 1Co 13:2

2300 – John 4:35

2334 – John 4:19, 12:19; Ac 17:22, 27:10; Heb 7:4

3708 – Acts 8:23; Jas 2:24

4648 – Luke 11:35; Ro 16:17; 2Co 4:18; Ga 6:1; Php 2:4, 3:17

THE FIGURATIVE USE OF “OPTOMAI”

The figurative sense of optomai is explicitly affirmed in Vine’s Expository Dictionary. “Optomai, to see (from ops, the eye; compare English optical, etc.)… (b) subjectively, with reference to an inward impression or a spiritual experience” (page 65, “appear;” item 6). This is particularly appropriate for optomai in Revelation 1:7. Its figurative sense is also used in the following texts. (The first two are specially close parallels to Revelation 1:7 )

• John 1:51 – “Hereafter ye shall see (opsesthe) heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man:” Surely Jesus did not intend that Nathaniel would literally see actual angels moving up and down between heaven and earth.
• Mark 14:61,62 – “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see (opsesthe) the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven:’ Jesus would not have meant that the hostile and unbelieving high priest to whom he spoke would literally see the glorified Jesus in heaven, exercising power and authority.
• Luke 3:6 – “And all flesh shall see (opsetczi) the salvation of God.” Salvation is something that is felt, experienced, and thus discerned mentally. Isaiah 40:3-5 is the source of this expression: “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see (opsetai in the Septuagint) it together..:”
• John 3:36 – “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see (opsetdi) life; but the wrath of God abideth on him:’ In the present time this life is discerned mentally, not visibly. It is the portion believers share now by faith, in contrast to the wrath of God which continues upon unbelievers.
• Acts 18:15 – “But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look (opsesthe) ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters:” Here it is used of a mental occupation, not of literal seeing.
• Matthew 27:4,24 – “What is that to us? See Copse) thou to that.” “I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see (opsesthe) ye to it.” The word “see” (like look, above) throws responsibility on others. Literal seeing is not implied.

1 Timothy 6:14-16

As in Bible study on all topics, each passage using “see” or “look” should be interpreted in harmony not only with its immediate context, but also in a way that does not conflict with other inspired testimony. 1 Timothy 6:14-16 bears on the intended meaning of Revelation 1:7. Whether it should be “his times” (about the manifestation of “our Lord Jesus Christ”) or “its times” (see Marshall Interlinear, the times of “the appearing”), that which will be shown and identified is the same:

“The blessed and only Potentate, the King of the [ones] reigning and Lord of the [ones] ruling4 the only [one] having immortality, inhabiting light unapproachable, whom no one of men saw nor can see;” is Jesus Christ our Lord. All the other kings reigning and lords ruling are human fleshly potentates or fictional dieties of human imagination, and thus all lacking eternal life. The Father is here excepted (otherwise the comparison implies that Jesus lacks immortality). Jesus is he of whom the Apostle affirms “no one of men … can see.” To interpret `:.. every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7) to mean literal sight would be in direct conflict with 1 Timothy 6:14-16 .

– Gilbert Rice

Jacob’s Dream.(Genesis 28:12, John 1:51)
“Ye shall see… the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” clearly means sight in a figurative sense.

1. Also listed in Strong under 3700 is optanomai. It appears only in Acts 1:3, where the spelling optanomenos serves its grammatical function. Strong’s says it is a “prol. form of the prim. (mid.);” which means a prolonged form of the primary verb, in middle voice. Young’s Concordance lists this single appearance on page 855, item 6. Vine’s considers its under the verb optano (page 65, “appear;” item 7), and optano is the only Greek word defined in New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon under 3700. The first of two 3700 heads in Englishman’s Greek Concordance has under it only Acts 1:3. Englishman’s Greek Concordance lists 57 words under its second 3700 entry, the same number of listings that appear in Strong’s Concordance, once Revelation 19:10 is properly credited as from 3708 (in that verse lexicons show its Greek hora is from horao).
2. An underscored “o” denotes the Greek letter omega (rather than omicron) throughout this article.
3. Vine’s Expository Dictionary (page 65, “appear;” item 6) says “Optomai is to be found in dictionaries under the word horao, to see; it supplies some forms that are lacking in that verb:’ Moulton’s 5th Edition, “Concordance to the Greek Testament;” T & T Clark, Scotland, lists all optomai words under N3708, horao. This is done also in the following lexicons: New Thayer’s, Liddell and Scott, and Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich. Their definitions under horao agree with Strong’s definition.
4. “Kings” and “lords” used in 1 Timothy 6:14-16 are words numbered differently, with different meanings, than those plurals used in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.

 

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