Eyes Like Flames of Fire

“His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.” (Revelation‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬)

The Greek word for “flame” is phloz, which describes swirling, whirling, flickering flames that bend, twist, turn, and arch upward. The word translated “fire” is puros, the Greek word for a burning fire. Thus, the phrase “flame of fire” depicts a brightly burning fire with flames swirling, whirling, flickering, twisting, turning, and arching upward toward the sky.

So this is not a depiction of heat but of the character of fire. Like the flickering flames of a fire, those eyes drew John closer and captivated him completely. John must have been drawn by the warmth and love pouring forth from Jesus’ eyes. Yet that wasn’t all John saw, for Jesus’ eyes also burned with a searching gaze, looking intently into the seven churches in the book of Revelation to see and address their specific needs and problems.

Fire is an important symbol in scripture and frequently represents purification and judgment. Which effect of divine fire we experience depends wholly on our response to the Lord. If we as individuals, or as the church at large, submit to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit and “hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches,” we will experience the first type of fire, a holy fire intended to purify and to make us more like Jesus!

The first fire is unavoidable for a person or church that is submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the dealings of the Holy Spirit; however, cooperating with this fire does not result in severe discipline.

On the other hand, if we resist the pleadings of the Holy Spirit and stubbornly continue to act in ways that are contrary to Jesus’ character, there is a second type of fire that burns up chaff and consumes everything that stands opposed to Him!

Of course, Jesus is merciful, and even this kind of fire is an act of His mercy and love. Consuming everything that is wrong and displeasing to Him, this fire clears the way for genuine repentance so individuals or churches can rebuild with proper disciplines and behaviors that are compatible with Jesus’ nature.