Verse 13 says that Christ is “clothed with a garment reaching to the feet.” This garment is the priestly robe (Exo. 28:33-35) signifying the fullness of Christ’s divine virtues and human attributes (cf. Isa. 6:1, 3). Although the word priest is not mentioned here, we know by His garment that Christ is depicted here as the High Priest. Today, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, who is walking in the midst of the churches, is a Priest. Among the three offices of priest, prophet, and king, the most dear, intimate, precious, and lovely office is that of the priest. The priest is so dear and lovely because he takes care of the people. As Christ walks among the churches, He takes care of them.
Verse 13 also says that Christ, the Son of Man, was “girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.” Have you ever seen someone girded about at the breasts with a girdle? This is quite meaningful. The priests in the Old Testament were girded at the loins for their ministry (Exo. 28:4). In Daniel 10:5 Christ is also girded with fine gold at His loins. But here Christ as our High Priest is “girded about at the breasts.” The breasts signify love. To be girded at the loins is to be strengthened for work, whereas to be “girded about at the breasts” signifies care in love. Christ’s work in producing the churches has been accomplished. Now He no longer needs to be girded at His loins for work. What He is doing now in the midst of the churches is to care for them in love. This requires Him to be “girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.” This “golden girdle” signifies divine strength. Christ is now exercising a divine care over the churches, moving among them in His humanity and caring for them with His divine strength. What a loving care He exercises over His churches today!
Verse 14 says that “His head and hair were white as white wool, as snow.” White hair signifies great age (Job 15:10). The black hair with which the Lord is depicted in Song of Songs 5:11 signifies His unfading and everlasting strength, but the white hair with which He is depicted here signifies His ancientness.
Although Christ is ancient, He is not old. In this chapter we see that His head and His hair were white as wool and as snow. White wool issues from the nature of life, and white snow comes down from the sky, from heaven. Wool is not made white; it is born white, and its whiteness comes out of its nature. White wool is the color of Christ’s nature. His ancientness is of His nature. Snow is white because it comes from heaven and contains no earthly dirt or stain. Hence, white wool, both here and in Daniel 7:9, signifies that the ancientness of Christ is of His nature, not of His becoming old, while white snow signifies that His ancientness is heavenly, not earthly.
In verse 14, we see that His eyes are as a flame of fire. In Song of Songs 5:12 the eyes of Christ are like doves. That is for the expression of His love. Here “His eyes” are “as a flame of fire.” This is for Him to observe and search in His judging by enlightening. In this book His eyes are not two but seven (5:6). Seven is the number of completion in God’s move. Hence, His eyes in this book are for God’s operation. These seven eyes of His are the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (4:5; cf. Dan. 10:6). The “fire burning” equals the “flame of fire” and is for observing and searching. The seven Spirits of God which are sent forth into all the earth are also for God’s move upon the earth. Thus, the eyes of Christ in this book are the seven Spirits of God for God’s move and operation on earth today.
Christ’s eyes are for watching, observing, searching, judging by enlightening, and infusing. We must experience all these different aspects of His eyes, especially the aspect of infusing. His eyes infuse us with all that He is. His infusing eyes are a flame of fire which is continually burning. This can be proved by our experience. Do not exercise your mind to understand this, but check with your experience. Since the day we were saved, Christ’s eyes have been like a burning fire enlightening and infusing us. His eyes also stir us up to be hot. After Christ has looked at us, we can never be cold as we once were. By looking at us, He burns us and stirs us up in the Lord. Many times the Lord comes to us with His piercing eyes. Perhaps when we are trying to hide something from our wives, the Lord comes with seven shining eyes piercing into our being and exposing our true condition. I have had this kind of experience hundreds of times. When I was arguing with others, especially with my intimate ones, the shining eyes of Christ were upon me, and I could not go on speaking. His shining stopped my mouth.
The book of Revelation is a book with a judging nature. Fire is for divine judgment (1 Cor. 3:13; Heb. 6:8; 10:27). “Our God is also a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). His throne is like the fiery flame and its wheels as burning fire, and a fiery stream issues and comes forth from before Him (Dan. 7:9-10). All this is for judgment. The main significance of the Lord’s eyes being as a flame of fire is for His judgment (2:18-23; 19:11-12). When He comes to take possession of the earth by exercising judgment over it, even His feet will be like pillars of fire (10:1).