FRCC Harp & Bowl Ministry — Revelation 1: The Beauty of Jesus
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REVELATION 1:15a
His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace…
Revelation 1:15a
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RESOURCES
 marks material included in following notes
 John Lee’s Notes on Revelation 1
 Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), BY GRANT R. OSBOURNE
(Book unavailable online)
 Revelation 1-7: An Exegetical Commentary, BY ROBERT L. THOMAS
— Notes written by John Lee —
Nine-fold Glory of The Son of Man
5. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace
In the Bible, bronze signifies judgment, the punishment of sins and transgressions, since the bronze altar is the
place to offer sin and guilt sacrifices. "His feet like bronze made to glow in a furnace,” means that Jesus will
judge the sins and transgressions of the earth in the full strength of His anger.
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Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the
wine trough alone… I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath… (Isaiah 63:3)
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You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on that day… (Malachi 4:3)
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The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. (Romans 16:20)
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And threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the
city… (Revelation 14:19~20)
— Excerpts from Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) —

BRONZE FEET
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His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace… (Rev. 1:15a)
o
This image in 1:15 is closely related to Christ’s blazing eyes in both Dan. 10:6 (“his arms and legs like the
gleam of burnished bronze”) and Rev. 2:18 (“whose feet are like burnished bronze”); note also Ezek. 1:7
(cherubim whose feet “gleamed like burnished bronze”).
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His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the
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FRCC Harp & Bowl Ministry — Revelation 1: The Beauty of Jesus
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REVELATION 1:15a
gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. (Dan. 10:6)
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To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like
blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. (Rev. 2:18)
o
The Greek, however is very difficult to interpret. The description of the feet, “like bronze,” is problematic
because the noun occurs only in Rev. 1:15 and 2:18 in all of extant ancient Greek literature. Even ancient
writers were uncertain of its true meaning. There are four suggested aspects of the term: the OT passages (esp.
Dan. 10:6) point to a shining metal it had to be understandable to the original readers, thus it possibly points
to the bronze guild of Thyatira (cf. Rev. 2:18); the relationship of Rev. 1:15 and 2:18 to Dan. 10:6 had
relevance for the local situation; philologically, the term must be understood as a metal alloy of copper,
bronze, or brass.

Many theologians conclude that this was a brass alloy of copper and zinc, used for military purposes
(Thyatira was a Roman garrison town or military headquarters) and in coinage. This is as close as we
can get to the meaning of the term.
o
This image of “polished bronze” emphasizes the glory and strength of Christ.
o
It is further clarified by “refined by fire as in a furnace.” This is another difficult phrase. The picture is
probably that of a kiln in which the metal was brought to white-hot heat in order to refine or purify it. Thus
the imagery of “gleaming” or “burnished” metal pictures the molten state, with the metal glowing in all its
purity.
o
Since feet in the ancient world portrayed the direction of one’s life, the image here depicts Christ’s life in both
its strength or stability and its absolute purity.
o
With the influence of Rev. 2:18, which utilizes this image in the context of judgment upon the cult followers
of Jezebel, it is also possible that this strength and purity are part of divine justice on the ungodly and
apostate. This would fit the military imagery behind this symbol. It signifies not only glory and strength but
warns of potential judgment.
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are
like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your
service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have
this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she
misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her
time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will
make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike
her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will
repay each of you according to your deeds. (Rev. 2:18-23)
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