As we continue in John’s description of the glorified Christ, he tells us that Jesus’ hair was like wool and as white as snow, while his eyes were like flames of fire (Revelation 1:14). Jesus’ white hair is an emblem of wisdom (Job 12:12), and, since Daniel 7:9 describes God with hair as white as wool, and Jesus’ description is similar, it seems John is describing a human who is like God in wisdom. Moreover, John says the eyes of Jesus were as a flame of fire. The eyes are illustrative of the mind which brings light or understanding to the whole body (cf. Matthew 6:22), so John is expressing the mind of Christ in symbolic form.
The fire can symbolize God’s protection (Numbers 9:16; Zechariah 2:5), his word (Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29) or his judgment (cf. Jeremiah 48:45; Lamentation 1:13; Ezekiel 39:6). Here, in Revelation 1:14 it seems that Jesus’ eyes of fire refer to his coming in judgment (Revelation 19:12-16), yet, in a larger context, it can also mean his coming to save or protect his church, which is persecuted by the one he comes to judge in Revelation 19:12-16. Additionally, Jesus’ eyes of fire also remind us of Daniel 7:9-10 where the throne of God was as a flame of fire, and a fiery flame went out from before him, as the judgment was prepared and the books were opened. So, once more, John describes Jesus in a manner in which points to the authority of God.
In Revelation 1:15 John describers Jesus’ feet and voice (cf. Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 1:24; 43:2; Revelation 14:2; 19:6). The manuscripts use a word for “brass” that is uncertain in our modern times,[1] but it is likely that was understood in John’s day, especially by folks in towns like Ephesus, which consisted of many metalworkers. The Greek word chalkalibanon (G5474) seems to be a compound of chalkos (G5475), meaning brass, and the Hebrew laban (H3835) meaning white. Brass, itself, is an alloy of two principle metals, and John uses a word that combines two other words to give the appearance of Jesus’ feet a bright luster.
One may be reminded, here, of the brazen altar in the Temple, where God judged the sins of men through the sacrifice and burning of animals thereon. Brass was strong enough to endure the fire of the constant burning of daily animal sacrifices. In fact, brass is often used in the Old Testament as a symbol of judgment (Judges 16:21; 2Kings 25:7; Isaiah 45:2), but it can also be used as a symbol of protection (1Samuel 17:38; 2Chronicles 12:10; cf. Isaiah 45:2). In Revelation 1:15 John reveals Jesus as both the Judge and Savior. He is the Judge of believers’ enemies, and the Savior of his people who trust in him.
In Ezekiel 1:24 we are told that the sound of God’s voice is like the sound of the sea (many waters). Here, in Revelation 1:15 the text says that Jesus’ voice is like the voice of God, so again we find that the person of Jesus, or the heavenly Being in human form, is in every way the express image of God (Hebrews 1:1-3).
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[1] It is used only here and in Revelation 2:18.
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