Have You Seen Snow? Snow White and Eternity

The other day while studying God’s wonderful word in Revelation 1:14 (NASB95) it states, “His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” Today I’m going to be addressing “like snow” only. I immediately thought of snow white and eternity, hence the title. A little twist on words, but it started me thinking. In studying the scriptures, you always have to abide by the rule of interpreting scripture in the time it was written to obtain the proper meanings from the ancient language. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it’s taking place on an island called Patmos, part of Asia Minor in the Middle East. How often does it snow there? Not much, like maybe every two to five years, where there is an accumulation. The exception comes at higher elevations where it snows more often.

The scripture only references few occasions where it snowed. This crystallized substance of water and moisture laden air is chilled, forming a delicate flake which only appears in the northern lands of the Bible at the higher elevations – the mountains of Lebanon, Northern Syria and Turkey. It’s very rare in Jerusalem and the Transjordan area. In the NASB version, the Bible has only two references where snow was on the ground. Psalm 68:14, “When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.” In Job 24:19, “Drought and heat consume the snow waters, So does Sheol those who have sinned.” Now we know, according to scripture it didn’t snow much.

The other verses refer to snow. In Proverbs 25:13, “Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters.” Psalm 51:7, “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 147:16, “He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes.” Psalm 148:8, “Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word.” Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” That is a lot about a snow flake.

Snow represented the color white as a standard for illness in the scripture. Exodus 4:6, “The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.” Numbers 12:10, “But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.” 2 Kings 5:27, “Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.”

Snow was also recognized as a seasonal event in in all these scriptures. It meant the hand of God. Job 37:6, “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.'” Job 38:22, “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail.” Snow was representative of purity, as snow white. Lamentations 4:7, “Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli.”

From a scientific point what is snow? It is a form of precipitation of crystallized water and ice, creating snowflakes falling from the clouds. The flakes are granular in material, soft forming many sizes and shapes, but when subject to pressure it changes state and is fleeting. The snow crystals form from supercooled droplets of water from clouds which freezes, forming a unique ice lattice in the atmosphere combining with other lattices creating the snowflakes. The flake’s ice is clear, but the ray of light passing through the crystal lattices makes the light appear white depending on the angle. The lattices location can create amazing reflections, like the glimmer of a fresh blanket of snow. There is a lot more to this and it’s fascinating, but for our purposes we just need to know that this process creates unique individual structures of unlimited combinations.

I think you’re seeing my drift. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. Seeing a snow drift on the plains of the midwest while in a cozy warm car traveling on a safe comfortable road is an amazing sight, especially when the sun is catching those flakes, causing the effect of thousands of shimmering stars as we head to our destination. Amazing, unique and fleeting.

That is what I felt and visualized as I read Revelation 1:14, “His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” Like snow, it’s amazing, unique but not fleeting because the snow is representing the purity of our Lord Jesus Christ in His glorified state – the perfect God-man. In two words “like snow” our Lord’s vision to the Apostle John shows the divine will of God the Father’s plan and purpose. It’s a rare Greek word, the noun [G5510 chiôn] meaning “snow” signifies conversion, from one state to another. The historical Jesus becoming human through the virgin birth, the Lamb of God, while on earth representing perfectness, purity, no sin and willingly going to the cross, bore the sins for all mankind, dismissing His spirit, being resurrected and then seated at the right hand of the Father, becoming the first born, the God-man.

Christ did not resurrect Himself. Christ received the resurrection from God the Father through God the Holy Spirit, which is available to us. John 10:17-18, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” Acts 2:24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” Romans 6:4, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Ephesians 1:20, “which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.” Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Peter 1:21, “who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” Romans 1:4, “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”

Just as water droplets form from clouds at a precise temperature in a certain way, forming a unique crystalized snowflake amongst the snow drifts of life gives the ability for the light of God’s grace to shine. This divine shimmering love, grace and hope is available to all willing to go through the process of conversion by simply believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior through faith alone in Christ alone. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The difference between the believer in Jesus Christ and a snowflake is eternity. The believer becomes eternal in God’s plan and purpose while the snowflake melts away. The decision is yours as John 3:15-16 says, “so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” White like snow is the eternal nature of God through the finished work of Christ on the cross.