We have been working through a series on the book of Revelation. This book of the Bible can be difficult to understand for a variety of reasons, so we are taking it slow and studying it bit by bit together.

In Chapter 1, John, the author, turns around to see who was speaking to him and it was none other than Jesus! We know from verse 1 that the book of Revelation is, “the revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.” John is told to write down what he sees so that the servants of God, (that is us), would know what is going to occur. We covered this portion of Revelation deeper in a prior post.

John knew Jesus, he had spent years ministering alongside of Him, had seen the transfiguration of Jesus and witnessed many miracles. Yet the Jesus that John describes for us is the risen Jesus. This is the Jesus Who stands before our Father in heaven right now pleading for us, (Romans 8:34). Jesus is our Protector and King, the Lord of Lords and the Head of the global Church.

In verse 14, John writes, “The hair on his head was 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.”

Throughout Revelation, it is helpful to keep in mind that John was being shown things that he did not always have words to describe, so he references things that the reader of that time would have known. John describes Jesus as having hair like wool, eyes like fire and a voice that sounded like rushing waters.

The wool of lambs would have been a common sight to the readers of John’s letter as Jewish people were regularly bringing spotless or white lambs to be sacrificed to God. In the Bible, white hair is a blessing, an honor, and a sign of wisdom (Proverbs 16:31 and 20:29). The description of white hair like wool would have also been familiar to Jewish scholars of the time. Like John, Daniel the prophet and author of the book of Daniel, was shown visions of heaven. We read similar Scriptures in Daniel chapter 7 verse 9, describing God, the Ancient of Days.

“As I looked, thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
    the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire . . .”

Not only did John and Daniel use similar words to describe Jesus’ hair, their overall visions of Jesus are incredibly similar. Daniel, chapter 10 verse 5, says, “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”

The eyes of Jesus are like flames of fire, which represent His judgment. His eyes see into the human heart (1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 21:2, Psalm 44:21, Acts 1:24, Romans 8:27). The feet of Jesus appear like burnished bronze to both John and Daniel. Bronze that has been burnished in a fire is strong and gleams like gold, it is not easily broken or destroyed. Jesus’ feet will not falter or fail wherever He places them.

Finally, both John and Daniel describe that when Jesus speaks, his voice sounds like rushing waters – full of power and might. When He speaks, all creation responds. It is only by His Word that our hearts continue to beat, and our lungs fill with air. With one Word, Jesus gives life and can take it, for all things were made through Him, (John 1:3).

How might your prayer time look different if you pictured the risen Jesus? What if we envisioned Jesus with His eyes blazing with fire and a voice like the sound of rushing waters?

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the wisdom that we have in the Bible. Lord, help us to apply Your Word in our everyday lives. Lord, help us to study Revelation and give us understanding. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.