Walking through fire
Jesus has eyes of fire (Revelation 1:14). Eyes are organs of judgment, and to get near Jesus you have to pass through the fire.
In the next phrase, Jesus is said to have feet like bronze, glowing as if “fired in a furnace” (v. 15). He has walked through the fire. As Farrer puts it ( The Revelation of St. John Divine ), “he has undergone the judgement of which he is master” (67).
We can’t get to Jesus without walking through the fire. But He’s already walked that path, and shown that the fire doesn’t consume but glorifies. The fire that fired the feet of Jesus transforms us into fire, makes us glorious with the glory of God.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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