Rev.1:12-14 – Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

John’s encounter with Jesus reminds me of Isaiah’s vision in the temple and Paul’s encounter with the Lord on the Damascus Road. Isaiah’s encounter was life changing empowering him to write one of the most important prophetic book in the scriptures. Similarly, Paul’s encounter prepared Paul for his calling to preach the gospel to the gentiles and also equipped him to establish through his letters most of the doctrine that has been the foundation of the church for 2000 years. Similarly, John’s encounter prepared him to write the book of Revelation which we see being fulfilled in our lifetime two millennia later. Here is how Barclay describes this part of John’s encounter.

“This, taken from the description of the Ancient One in Daniel 7:9, is symbolic of two things. (1) It stands for great age; and it speaks to us of the eternal existence of Jesus Christ. (2) It speaks to us of divine purity. The snow and the white wool are the emblems of stainless purity. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet,’ said Isaiah, ‘they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool’ (Isaiah 1:18). Here we have the symbols of the pre-existence and the sinlessness of Christ.”

I love this insight from Barclay on the message seen in the white hair of Jesus. He said it speaks to us of His eternal nature, He is the Ancient of Days. Just as John had said in his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word is God”. He is the eternal One and He rules the ages. Barclay also said that His white speaks of His divine purity. This purity is what He demands for us to walk with Him. This is why He came, to wash away our sin and make us whiter than snow. So John saw the One he had loved and the One he had preached and written about, now he will begin to write again of the things to come.