Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
Imagine
Several years ago Steve Akers preached a sermon called “Longing for Heaven”, in which he invited the audience to “imagine” the different aspects of heaven. For the Christian, there is no more encouraging exercise than to contemplate eternity in the presence of our loving Creator. There is also no more challenging exercise than this. How can finite men and women contemplate the infinite and eternal in a meaningful way?
The lyrics of a recently popular song well describe this challenge: “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing ‘Hallelujah’? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.”
The Bible itself provides answers, yet, because of the grandeur and incomprehensibility of that day, it does not tell all. In answering skeptics, Paul explained of the resurrection, “It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body ... flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15.42ff, 50). Things will be different; how they will be different is beyond our ability to fully conceive.
The apostle also addresses the divine glory of that day saying, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8.18). He goes on to explain, “that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (v 21). To Christians who were suffering because of their faith, Paul paints the glory of Christ in the boldest strokes. These saints would witness the Lord Jesus “revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire” and “the glory of his power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1.7, 9f). The Lord Christ will himself be the focal point of that marvelous day, but we will participate in that awesome glory.
This day of glory will also be a day of joy. The prophets anticipated Messiah’s coming as a day of joy. When the Lord would gather his remnant from afar, Jeremiah promised, “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord” (Jeremiah 31.12). If the first coming of the Savior would elicit this response, how much greater will be the joy of his second coming? Jude reminds his readers of God’s power that will “make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24). Our standing in Christ is the basis of a joyous future hope: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we exult in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5.1f). Similarly, if the healing of the lame by Christ and his apostles brought joy and leaping (Jeremiah 31.7ff; Mark 2.1-12; Acts 3.1-10), how will we respond in that place where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death, there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21.4)? What joy will we know when “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God,” and when we experience “the redemption of our body” (Romans 8.21, 23b)?
Yet this joy will be mingled with the absolute awe of standing before the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth. When he saw but a vision of the heavenly glory of God, Isaiah was filled with dread (Isaiah 6.1-5). Peter fell to his knees when he realized he was standing before the Lord of the seas (Luke 5.1-11). John, upon seeing the glorified Son of Man, “fell at His feet like a dead man” (Revelation 1.12-17). In John’s vision, the host of mysterious creatures and servants in the heavenly throne room fall prostrate before the enthroned Lord (Revelation 4.8-11; 5.7f, 14). What is all the more amazing is that “day and night they do not cease” their worship of God (4.8), yet they continue in awe of his holiness.
It is the same holy, glorious, and awesome Lord who nonetheless invites us to enter and share in his glory. As awesome as he is, our fear should not drive us from him, but draw us to him. As John bowed before him, the Lord “placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1.17b). There is much we simply cannot know about that great day. Even John concedes, “Beloved, now we are children of god, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as he is.” (1 John 3:2) The greatness of his return, however, is reserved for those who are not only awaiting his return, but also preparing for it. John continues (v 3), “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” What will that day bring? Whatever it brings, it will be far beyond our wildest vision (Ephesians 3:20f). Until then, we can only imagine!
