What does it mean that Jesus’ voice was like the sound of rushing waters (Revelation 1:15)?

Response

The book of Revelation is filled with symbols and figurative language, as shown in Revelation 1:15 where John uses two similes: “His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” In this verse, we encounter a vivid depiction of Jesus’ voice resembling the sound of rushing waters. John, who was already acquainted with the incarnate Jesus, was deeply moved by this remarkable vision of Christ, to the point where he fell down at Jesus’ feet «And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: », (Revelation 1:17).

John’s description of Jesus’ voice as similar to the “sound of rushing waters” mirrors the portrayal of God in the Old Testament, underscoring the divinity of the Son of God. An illustrative instance is Ezekiel 43:2, where the prophet proclaims: “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” The imagery of rushing water conveys a sense of power, resonance, and an unmistakable call for attention. The sound of rushing waters can be overwhelming—imagine a large waterfall or the thunderous crash of the ocean against a rocky shore. God’s voice carries an inherent authority that demands our undivided attention. As Jesus is God, His voice also carries authority.

From the very first chapter in Revelation, we are presented with the divinity of Jesus and His authoritative character. In modern culture, some may prefer to view Jesus solely as a rabbi, a prophet, or a healer, but not as Lord. Nevertheless, the testimony of Scripture, which provides the earliest account of Jesus’ life, confirms that Jesus is more than a mere man. We cannot reject the fact that the deity of Christ is a foundational truth.

Set of Christian doctrine.

The authority of the Son is further corroborated in other sections of Scripture, including Ephesians 1:22, which states that “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.” Jesus’ audience was amazed at the authority in His words (Matthew 7:28-29;Mark 1:22), and Jesus Himself asserted His authority (Matthew 28:18;John 10:18). Jesus’ voice is what calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee when He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” «And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. », (Mark 4:39). The voice like rushing waters stilled the rushing waters.

Reflecting on Jesus and His claims, C. S. Lewis popularized what has become known as the liar-lord-lunatic trilemma in his book Mere Christianity:

I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open t.

“He did not mean to offend us. He did not intend to.” (Macmillan, 1952, p. 55–56)