Revelation 1:15 kjv

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Revelation 1:15 nkjv

His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

Revelation 1:15 niv

His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

Revelation 1:15 esv

his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

Revelation 1:15 nlt

His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.

Revelation 1 verses

Revelation 1 15 Meaning

Revelation 1:15 portrays a multifaceted aspect of the glorified Christ, emphasizing His stability, purity, authority, and power. His feet, depicted like highly purified bronze, symbolize His unwavering foundation, the judicial nature of His earthly walk, and His refined holiness. His voice, roaring like the sound of mighty waters, signifies overwhelming power, absolute authority, and the irresistibility of His declarations and judgments. Together, these images convey Christ's awe-inspiring majesty and His imminent work as Judge and Ruler.

Revelation 1 15 Context

Revelation 1:15 is part of John's opening vision of the glorified Jesus Christ. This vision (Rev 1:12-16) serves to introduce the book's authoritative source – not John himself, but the exalted Lord. The various majestic features described are drawn from Old Testament theophanies, particularly those in Daniel and Ezekiel, applying divine characteristics specifically to Christ. This imagery was deeply impactful for John's original audience, Jewish Christians facing Roman imperial persecution, as it asserted Christ's ultimate sovereignty and judgment over earthly powers. Each element of His appearance communicates a specific attribute or role, preparing the reader for the prophetic messages and ultimate triumph presented in the rest of Revelation.

Revelation 1 15 Word analysis

• His feet (ποδες, podes): Literally the extremities upon which one stands and moves. Symbolically, feet represent one's walk, pathway, stability, dominion, and readiness for action or judgment. In this context, they denote Christ's presence, authority, and ultimate ability to tread down His enemies (Rom 16:20) and stand firmly in judgment.
• were like (ως, hōs): A comparative particle, introducing a simile. It signifies that the description is symbolic and analogous rather than a literal material composition.
• fine brass (χαλκολιβανω, chalkolibano): This unique compound word is not found elsewhere in the Septuagint or classical Greek. Scholars propose various meanings, most commonly "burnished bronze," "gleaming copper alloy," or even "bronze-incense" (less likely). Given Old Testament parallels, "burnished bronze" is the most accepted. Bronze was often used in the tabernacle/temple for items associated with judgment, sacrifice, and purification (e.g., altar of burnt offering, laver for washing). It conveys durability, strength, and often purity that has undergone intense processing. The gleaming nature signifies dazzling purity and formidable authority. In a polemic sense, this metal, processed by divine fire, would stand in stark contrast to pagan metals and idolatrous statues.
• as if refined (πεπυρωμενω, pepyrōmenō): Perfect passive participle of pyroo, meaning "to burn," "to be tried by fire," or "to be inflamed." The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with continuing results. This implies an intense and purifying heat, leading to ultimate purity and brilliance, removing all impurities (dross). It speaks of absolute holiness, unflawed perfection, and Christ's victorious endurance of testing, culminating in His glorification.
• in a furnace (εν καμινω, en kaminō): Refers to a literal smelting oven, a place of intense, transformative heat used to purify metals. This specifies the process of refinement, emphasizing its thoroughness. It connects Christ's holiness to a fiery purification process, similar to how God refines His people.
• and His voice (και η φωνη αυτου, kai hē phōnē autou): The vehicle for communication, command, and expression of will. In this divine context, the voice is an instrument of immense power and authority.
• as the sound (ως φωνη, hōs phōnē): Again, a simile comparing the quality of the voice.
• of many waters (υδατων πολλων, hydatōn pollōn): This powerful image evokes the roaring, surging sound of a mighty waterfall, crashing waves, or a great deluge. It symbolizes overwhelming, irresistible power, a thunderous divine declaration that commands awe and attention. It is loud, dominant, majestic, and incapable of being ignored. This echoes descriptions of God's voice in the Old Testament, denoting absolute sovereignty and divine presence (e.g., Ps 29, Ezek 1:24, 43:2). It also stands in contrast to the quiet whispers of pagan oracles or human pronouncements, declaring Christ's undeniable authority over all creation.

Revelation 1 15 Bonus section

The depiction of Christ's feet suggests not only His unblemished character but also His historical walk and His authority over the very ground upon which humanity exists. It brings to mind God "treading on the high places of the earth" (Mic 1:3). The image of the "furnace" further carries the connotation of suffering or testing that perfects, reflecting Christ's crucifixion and resurrection as the ultimate refinement through trial. The voice like "many waters" is an antidote to the prevalent pagan cults that sought to find divine meaning in small, localized voices or oracles. This thundering voice asserts Christ's universal and supreme dominion, echoing the chaos-taming power of God over the primeval waters (Gen 1:2, Ps 29). It signifies that no human or demonic authority can withstand His ultimate word.

Revelation 1 15 Commentary

Revelation 1:15 offers a potent symbolic portrait of Jesus Christ in His resurrected glory. The imagery of His "feet like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace" speaks to His foundational authority and purity. His "feet" grounding Him on the cosmic stage, prepared for the ultimate walk of judgment and establishment of His kingdom. The "brass" or bronze, a common material in the Old Testament sanctuary, consistently appears in contexts related to sacrifice, judgment, and purification, signifying a refined strength that can withstand intense scrutiny. The additional qualifier, "as if refined in a furnace," further accentuates His absolute purity and enduring power, implying that His holiness has been tested and proven without flaw. This visual prepares the reader for Christ's just judgments throughout the book.

Coupled with this, "His voice as the sound of many waters" projects overwhelming power and indisputable authority. This is not a human whisper or mere teaching, but the irresistible roar of a deity. Just as a mighty cascade or ocean surge dominates its environment with its sound, so does Christ's voice carry unchallengeable weight, whether it pronounces blessing, command, or judgment. It is the creative word that spoke worlds into existence and the judgmental word that will call all things into account. This awe-inspiring depiction is meant to establish the immense stature of the One who dictates the Revelation, instilling both reverence and sober apprehension of His impending work in human history.