Some “through the bible” thoughts from Revelation 1.
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1:12-15).
It’s interesting that this is one of the few physical descriptions of Jesus in the bible. Accounts of his transfiguration speak of sudden divine brightness (Matthew 17). Isaiah said there would be nothing special about his appearance, “no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). John says his crucifixion wounds were still visible after his resurrection (John 20).
When you picture Jesus, do you picture him as John describes him in Revelation 1? Probably not. The paintings and drawings of Jesus that come to mind probably aren’t accurate. We have no idea, other than what John writes here, which is overwhelming.
John’s Jesus has snow white hair. Long or short? Bearded? We don’t know. He’s got fiery eyes, kind of like the bright yellow eyes of ring tailed lemurs. Shiny gold-colored shoes (“Oh, Dem Golden Slippers”)?Maybe.
What do you think? Is it better to picture Jesus as an ordinary first-century Jewish man, or an awesome divine being you can’t look at because it’s like looking directly at the sun?
I suppose the answer is both. We should neither overlook his divinity nor his humanity. Jesus is so much the same and at the same time so much more than we are.
One day we’ll get to see him for ourselves (Job 19:26,27)!
Waite for it... 