His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow.
This verse describes the angel’s glorious appearance as a manifestation of heavenly light and divine power. His appearance, “like lightning,” symbolizes the brightness of God’s presence, which at the same time inspires fear in evil and brings peace to the believer. The white clothing, “like snow,” is a symbol of purity, righteousness, and the light of the resurrection; it testifies that an unblemished light has broken into the darkness of death. The angel’s appearance reveals that the resurrection is not the work of human hands, but the work of heaven’s glory, where light conquers darkness. That place, which yesterday was a place of darkness and sorrow, has now become the center of the manifestation of God’s glory.