Revelation for Beginners

WHY BRASS FEET? (Ch. 1:15A)

First of all, it doesn’t actually say His feet were brass, but that they were “like” fine brass. But the question remains, why this symbolism? Why are feet even mentioned? And what do they have to do with Revelation and the last days? Fair questions—I would suggest that they fit in very well with the theme we have been exploring regarding the blending of justice and mercy in Christ. But let’s check it out—do feet have any symbolic value in the Bible? For most of us, feet are what we stand on, run with, kick with, or we have “stinky feet” that need washing.

To start with, read 1 Corinthians 15:24-26: “Then comes the end when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” This expresses the idea that feet represent triumph over enemies. It brings to mind the picture of the safari hunter showing off his trophy kill by standing with his foot on a dead lion, demonstrating his conquest of the “enemy.” Psalm 91, especially written for God’s people under affliction, promises in verse 13: “You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.” Again, the idea of conquest over enemies, especially the devil and his forces, is portrayed. In Romans 16:20 it promises: “And the God of peace shall crush Satan under your feet shortly,” suggesting the ultimate conquest of Satan was coming. All this supports the justice perspective—but what about the mercy side? Can that be involved with feet also?

The quick answer is yes. Isaiah 52:7 proclaims: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” So feet can also represent carrying the message of salvation to all people.

Does this make the Bible contradictory? No, it simply points out that there are two sides to the coin—justice and mercy are blended in one person. And it is similar in some respects to a court trial. The judge may clear a defendant, for example, but that means the decision goes against the plaintiff—or vice versa. A decision for one (like mercy) automatically is against the other (like justice).

But there is one more issue raised in the phrase we are studying—it speaks of the “brass feet” as if “refined in a furnace.” What does that mean? I remember many years ago working in a foundry where printing plates were made. Molten lead was used in the process to back the printing plates. One of my jobs was to sweep the floor to gather up the shavings from routers which had eliminated the unnecessary metal in the plates. Then I put them into the lead pot, which of course contaminated the lead with floor dust, etc. By stirring in certain chemicals, the impurities could then be skimmed off the top, leaving a mirror-like surface. The lead had to be kept at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain its molten state.

As we walk the Christian pathway, we, too, pick up certain contaminants and need purifying so we come to reflect the character of Jesus more fully. But what about Jesus? Wasn’t He already perfect? Why would He need refining?

Now we know that Jesus did no sin (see 1 Peter 2:22), so it can’t be He was impure. Yet Hebrews 2:10 states: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” This doesn’t mean Jesus was somehow flawed. Perfect here means in the sense of completeness, maturity. He must develop character, which can only come through trials. You don’t know how strong something is till it is tested. Hebrews 5:8, 9 says: “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13 remind us that we shouldn’t be surprised when we go through similar trials: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” James 1:2-4 encourages us to even find joy in trials: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Jesus embodies all these concepts. He is both just and merciful. He has endured suffering and developed a character as a human being. He personifies the gospel and encourages its proclamation around the world. He has also defeated the devil personally and will ultimately destroy Him (Hebrews 2:14). Thus He is presented this way to us at the beginning of Revelation to let us know He can take care of all that is to come which is portrayed in the book.

Revelation outlines some rough times ahead of planet earth. But Jesus promises to never leave or forsake His people (Hebrews 13:5). Revelation shows us that Jesus has been through many trials Himself and He knows how to take care of us. Hebrews 2:18 reminds us that since “He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Matthew 28:20 encourages us that He is with us even to the end of the world. While Jesus didn’t save the three Hebrews from going into the fiery furnace or Daniel from going into the lion’s den, Jesus was there with them and saved them from the dire consequences. So it will be with God’s people in the end of the world.

If we sneak a peak at the end of this fascinating book, we can see the final wonderful outcome: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4. Better days are certainly coming!

A VOICE LIKE MANY WATERS, Rev. 1:15b

What are we to make of a voice that sounds like “many waters”? Is there any symbolism here? How would this fit in with the theme that we have been following so far—justice and mercy combined in Christ?

It’s possible this is simply an attempt by the writer to use as descriptive a word as possible to explain the sound of Jesus’ voice, i.e. it sounds sort of like a babbling brook or a waterfall perhaps. In fact, Ezekiel 43:2 uses the same phrase to describe the voice of God. In addition, Ezekiel 1:24 expands on the idea when it describes the sound of the wings of the “living creatures” as being “like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army.” Revelation repeats the phrase in chapter 14:2 where a voice from heaven is heard “like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder.” In Revelation’s sister book, Daniel, chapter 10:6 again refers to “the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.”

So what’s the point, you may be thinking. The exact sound of the voice may not be as critical as the fact that He is speaking. A person’s voice may arouse either joy or fear. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus is portrayed as knocking at our door. He says if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and have dinner with that person. That presumably would be a welcome voice. On the other hand, note in Genesis 3:10 Adam’s reaction after eating the forbidden fruit: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Had God changed? No, but Adam had. It’s sort of like a child who gets into trouble during the day and his mother says, “Wait till your father gets home!” What is his reaction when he hears his father’s voice as he enters the house? Fear, likely, perhaps fear of punishment ( a judgment of sorts). On the other hand, suppose he dearly loves and misses his father who is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. If the father should make a surprise visit home, (like you may have seen on TV), the child is overjoyed to hear his father’s voice.

Jesus uses an illustration from a common occurrence in His day. In John 10:4, 5 He says the sheep follow him, “for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

One more thought on this topic: In Revelation 17:15 it mentions that waters represent “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” So if Jesus’ voice sounds like many waters, it might also suggest that He speaks in behalf of those multitudes, including those perhaps whose voices had been silenced by persecution or death, but had been His faithful followers. That could be the mercy side of the issue. But when He stands up for His people, it is an act of judgment against their oppressors. Some look to the judgment fearfully, even as God’s people. But note in Daniel 7, the chapter with a fascinating judgment scene, verse 22 says that “judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High”—that means they “win” and the judgment goes automatically against their prosecutors and oppressors.

Revelation has this final invitation: “the Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come!’….And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” The important thing is not so much how His voice sounds, but that we respond positively to His voice calling to us.

SEVEN STARS (Ch. 1:16a)

This symbol is easier to understand because it is explained in verse 20—the 7 stars represent the 7 “angels” (literally “messengers”) of the 7 churches to be described in chapters 2 and 3. There is a representative for each of these 7 congregations and they are portrayed as in His right hand.

On the justice side, Exodus 15:6 speaks of His right hand as follows: “Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemies in pieces.” But if it is administering justice on the enemies, it means deliverance (mercy) to His people. Note also Jesus’ words in John 10:28, 29: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

There is an interesting text in Job 38:31 where God asks Job, “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades (literally “the 7 stars”)…? It implies God as the only one who can control and guide the 7 stars. So in Revelation, as long as God’s messengers/teachers/leaders/people choose to remain in those positions, no one can force them to abandon God against their will, no one can take them from His protecting care—He is too powerful. It also ensures that His messages will survive and accomplish their purpose through all the turmoil and trouble to come.

A SWORD FROM HIS MOUTH ( Ch. 1:16b)

When we think of a sword in a mouth, perhaps we would typically think of a circus sword-swallower. But in that instance a sword is going into a mouth, whereas in this text a sword is protruding out of His mouth. It seems too bizarre to be literal, so what does it symbolize here?

An obvious observation is that a sword is used as a weapon, both offensive and defensive. But what would that imply here? War between nations? Personal combat? Spiritual combat? And how would that fit in with our themes of justice and mercy combined in each symbol of Christ in Revelation 1? And how does this harmonize with the description elsewhere in Scripture of Jesus as ”Prince of Peace”?

Perhaps the sword as an executioner of justice is easiest to find. In Revelation 19:15 we see the same portrayal of Christ with the sword from His mouth as He rides a white horse at the head of the heavenly armies to execute justice on the earth at the end of time, and a terrible slaughter results. But where is mercy in this picture: Consider the fact that Jesus is also coming to rescue His people, so His use of the “sword” on the wicked is an act of mercy to the saved. When the wicked attempt to physically exterminate God’s people, Jesus intervenes to physically rescue them.

Yet in a sense this is but the final conclusion of an ongoing spiritual battle through the centuries. Ephesians 6:11-18 reveals a serious spiritual warfare between good and evil, with spiritual weapons being used, including the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Hebrews 4:12 talks about the Word being sharper than a two-edged sword, capable of discerning even the thoughts and intents of the heart. On the one hand it exposes the true condition of the heart, which is in actuality an act of mercy to lead us to repentance and salvation. At the same time it is also our weapon of choice against spiritual foes. Compare how Jesus used the Word as a weapon to defeat the devil in His confrontation with him in the wilderness (see Matthew 4 and Luke 4).

But how does this fit the picture of Jesus as “Prince of Peace”? He once said “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34. Jesus came as the Truth, to demonstrate what the truth was all about, but truth is not popular amid a culture of deception. Consequently it aroused antagonism and persecution. In the end of the salvation story, there will be eternal peace, but getting there involves pain and suffering, and yes, battles, spiritual ones which sometimes have physical consequences. Often we feel this battle raging within ourselves, but Jesus stands ready to give us victory even now.

Ultimately Jesus executes justice and recovers the earth from the grasp of Satan and his follower, while God’s children inherit a re-created world of peace without sin and sinners, where they will spend eternity with their merciful Savior. Meanwhile, while still in this world of sin and suffering, they can have spiritual peace as they rest in the love and care of their Lord and Savior, trusting Him fully.

REVELATION AND THE OIL SPILL

As I write this, the BP Gulf Oil Spill catastrophe has passed 60 days and counting. It has been described as the worst one in history and it is still growing. Recently P. J. Hahn, Director of coastal zone management for Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish commented, “In Revelation it says the water will turn to blood. That’s what it looks like out here—like the Gulf is bleeding. This is going to choke the life out of everything.” Someone else flying over the Gulf commented that looking down it appeared reddish. Some have indeed wondered, is this the second plague mentioned in Revelation 16?

While it may seem like a plague of sorts—it certainly seems nightmarish in some respects—it is likely not the one referred to in Revelation 16 for several reasons, though it may be a foretaste of things to come. The context of this passage suggests the “7 last plagues” are events immediately preceding and leading up to the 2nd coming of Jesus. Chapter 14 concludes with that event after its sequence, and chapters 18/19 do likewise. Also, we don’t seem to have seen the first plague taking place yet, in spite of notable widespread illnesses at times in the past. Another thought to ponder is that since these judgments of God don’t produce any repentance (chapter 16 says “they repented not”), it is likely that these occur after probation for mankind (time allotted for man to repent and turn to Christ before He finishes His work and returns to get His children living and resurrect His children who have previously died) (see also Revelation 22:11). In other words, everyone would then have made their final decision for or against God, so the plagues result in no changed hearts. At this point we believe the doors of grace are still open and inviting.

Are these plagues real or symbolic, some may ask. Since Revelation borrows heavily from the Old Testament, the original story of plagues devastating a nation is found in Exodus 7-12. While there may have been symbolic meaning involved in these plagues (such as making a mockery of Egyptian gods supposed to prosper and protect them) they were also very real and disastrous in nature. It is probable that these 7 last plagues outlined in Revelation will be similar in nature. While they are apparently the awfulest scourges known to man, they won’t be totally global in scope or mankind would be exterminated and no one would be alive to see Jesus come.

Many of the problems we see today we bring on ourselves via our own mistakes or pollution or mismanagement, etc. (note the Gulf oil spill as an example). The plagues of Egypt were a direct intervention by God. It seems we should expect no less in the end time. But whether you believe them to be simply man-made or God ordained, or some combination of both, the real concern is in verse 15 of Revelation 16—are we taking care of our “protective clothing”, the spiritual covering of Christ’s righteousness, the gift of His perfect character. Are we walking with Him and learning to depend on Him and submit to His will. If we are right with God, then on a personal basis it matters not what happens—our destiny is secure.