Eyes Like a Flame of Fire, Part 1
This first post is dedicated to my friend and brother.
Here are two descriptions of the Lord's eyes:
His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. (Daniel 10:2)
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. (Revelation 1:13)
How are his eyes like "fire"?
First, eyes are a representation of knowledge, intelligence, and the ability to see things as they really are (Jacob 3:4, Teachings and Commandments 74:4). Christ, the most intelligent of us all, sees all things clearly. There is no speck in his eye that he would misjudge or misvalue any situation (Matthew 3:41). We can hide nothing good nor bad from his sight (Psalm 90:2).
Second, fire has several physical and spiritual applications, including providing light and testing the strength of objects. Light is generally understood to mean something that manifests or uncovers what was previously dark, obscure, or unknown. The following is a definition of 'light' in Greek:
From an obsolete phao (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare phaino, phemi); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative) -- fire, light. (Strong's Concordance, 5457 phṓs)
Fire tests or rather tempts the strength of an object (think of tempering metal or temperance as a virtue). 'Tempt' is, of course, the root word of 'temptation'. In English, we usually think of temptation as exclusively being something that entices us to evil. However, in Hebrew, the word for temptation is 'nasah', which means to try, prove, or test. In other words, fire or temptation is used as a word of inspection to see if something can reach a certain standard for usefulness. (more on this here).
The Lord's eyes are like fire or light because, under his omniscient inspection, the quality of our every thought, word, and deed—whether good or evil—is made manifest. He knows our every intention, desire, and reason for doing what we do.
". . . and the fire shall try every man's work — of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. (1 Corinthians 1:11)
The word temptation takes on a.whole new meaning for me now. Look forward to more cups of water from the joyful Wells.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. There are tons of examples in all volumes of scripture, but here's a few from the NT:
DeleteWherefore, as the holy ghost says, Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tested me, proved me, and saw my works forty years, wherefore, I was grieved with that generation and said, They do always err in their heart and they have not known my ways, so I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into many afflictions, knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience; but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
Blessed is the man that resists temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
[...] though now for a season, if need be, you are afflicted through various temptations, that the trial of your faith (being much more precious than of gold that perishes though it is tried with fire) might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom (having not seen) you love, in whom (though now you see him not, yet believing) you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the object of your faith
And when the Devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
The Lord's eyes are like fire, in part, because he has suffered through the fire himself. He knows how to teach, comfort, succor, and guide all of us because of his own great suffering.