And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters.
και οι ποδες αυτου ομοιοι χαλκολιβανω ως εν καμινω πεπυρωμενοι και η φωνη αυτου ως φωνη υδατων πολλων
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
God orders the human race in various ways toward the harmony of salvation. Therefore John says in the Apocalypse: "His voice was like the sound of many waters."
For the waters of the Spirit of God are truly many, because the Father is both rich and great.
And the Word, passing among men, brought benefit to all who obeyed Him without envy, inscribing for all creation a fitting and suitable law.
John is speaking of the Apostles, since, having been heated by suffering, they preached His word. Through them the preaching spreads, and they are deservedly called feet.
For this reason the prophet also anticipated it, saying: "Let us worship where His feet stood" (Ps 131:7).
For where they first stood and founded the Church, that is, Judea, there all the saints will gather and worship their God.
Apringius offers the same interpretation.
By the feet, Gregory Nazianzen understands the divine economy of God. His feet are the flesh by which the Godhead, having descended, accomplished our salvation.
The feet are also the Apostles, as the foundation of the Church. Physicians consider chalcolibanus to be fragrant incense, which they call strong and masculine.
Or again, chalk, copper, signifies human nature, and libanus, frankincense, the divine nature. Joined into one word, “chalcolibanus,” they signify the fragrance of faith and the unconfused union of the natures.
Again, chalk signifies the harmonious sound of Christ’s teaching, and libanus the conversion of the nations. For this reason the bride is commanded to come (Song 4:8).
Christ’s feet are the Apostles, made fiery in imitation of Christ in the furnace of temptations.
He rightly says that His voice is like a river of many waters, for it is one and the same in Him and in the Spirit. Through the Spirit, “rivers of living water flow from the belly of believers” (Jn 7:38) and clearly preach throughout the whole earth.
The feet here are the human nature abiding in Him, which He assumed for our salvation.
As copper in a furnace, reddening on the surface, is covered by no bubbles and no rust, so the purest and most perfect flesh of the assumed man is joined to the Godhead and preserved in the Godhead.
It is kept without damage to human nature and without ancestral guilt.
In John's words: "And His voice was like the sound of many waters." And rightly so.
For how would His voice have reached all the earth, and the proclamation concerning Him the ends of the world, if they had not been accessible to hearing?
This was not because of sensory loudness, but because of the power of the proclamation.
The heated feet should be referred to the Church of the last times, which is tested by flame and afflictions.
For chalkolibanon is copper that has acquired a golden color through very hot fire and coloring substances.
From another translation, which speaks of molten Lebanese copper, we may understand that in Judea, where Mount Lebanon is located, the Church will be persecuted, especially in the last times.
For the temple too is often called Lebanon: "Open your doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars" (Zech 11:1).
This took place on the Lord’s Day, the day of rest and repose, the day of stillness and peace. The voice speaking to John was the voice of the Son of God, whose word is heard to the ends of the universe.
The seven lamps signify the seven churches. In their midst stands the majestic Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, clothed in a long robe, the garment of the Jewish high priests and kings, and girded about the chest with a golden belt.
The whiteness of His head and hair signified holy wisdom. It expressed the simplicity and purity of His thoughts and the antiquity of His years.
His voice was like the sound of many waters, like an abundant river watering and filling every soul with truth and making it fruitful. By the seven stars, as is seen below, the Lord means the angels of the churches.
The sword coming from His mouth is the word of God, the spiritual sword that circumcises our inner man. His face shone with a brilliance not sensory, but spiritual.
This description clearly shows that the Lord Jesus appeared to John in His divine majesty, as the Almighty going forth to battle against all the powers of darkness and proclaiming victory.
The seven stars are in the hand of this mighty Man, and the seven lampstands are around Him. But does He guard only the seven churches named, abandoning those in Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, and His present faithful throughout the whole world?
Certainly not. He said to the apostles, and in them to all believers: “I will not leave you. I will be with you to the end of the age” (cf. Mt 28:20).
Without any doubt, our star too is in His hand, and our lampstand is among the lampstands surrounding Him. The awareness of this is joy and consolation.
Yet one must also recognize the responsibility. Look into yourself and consider whether this Man knows you, and whether it is you whom He guards.
"His feet were like chalkolibanon." Some think this was the name for flowing copper in its molten state.
For when chalkolibanon is described (Dan 10:6; Ezek 1:7, 27; Ezek 7:2), attention is always drawn to the extraordinary brilliance and brightness of the light emitted by this metal in its molten and heated state.
This symbol foretells this property of the Lord Jesus: as an incorruptible and unshakable Judge, He will one day appear in all the splendor of His majesty. Compare below, Rev 10:1.
"And His voice was like the voice of many waters." That is, the voice of this dread Judge strikes the troubled souls of the judged with trembling.
Turning toward the voice, John saw Christ standing in the midst of the seven lampstands. They served as the symbol of the whole Church, in whose midst Christ abides.
In Christ’s outward appearance the Apostle noticed a great change in comparison with Christ’s former appearance. Since through the Resurrection Christ received a glorified body, He now appears not as the Son of Man simply, but only as one like Him.
He wears the long high-priestly garment, ποδήρης; compare Ex 18:4. He also wears the golden belt of a king. It is not properly for girding oneself for work or travel, but only for adornment, since it is fastened on the chest.
Thus, by His clothing, He appears as both High Priest and King. As for His outward form, His hair was white and indicated in Him the Ancient of Days, the eternity of Christ.
His eyes burned like those of a young man and showed by their brilliance that their possessor is not a feeble, weak man, and that He sees all things.
Christ’s feet were like molten, flowing bronze, chalcolibanus, which indicated the purity and brilliance of Christ’s walk, or manner of action.
His voice was like the sound produced by immense masses of water in their flow, and therefore testified to His might.
In His hand He held seven stars, or, as explained below, the angels of the seven churches. By this He showed that the churches are under His protection.
From His mouth came a two-edged sword, an image of the word of God; compare Eph 6:17. His face was like the sun when it shines in full brilliance, unobscured by mist and clouds.
By this, of course, the highest holiness and the life-giving power of Jesus Christ were indicated.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS