Ever wondered what it would be like to see Jesus one day? Is it something you look forward to or have you not given it much thought yet? The Bible says that one day every eye will see Jesus and every knee will bow before Him, either willingly in worship or compulsory in fear and judgment. Isaiah 33 gives a small glimpse into that day.
Isaiah 33:17 (NLT) ”Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.”
When reading Isaiah 33, there is an immediate sense of a vision for the people of his time, but there is also another vision, one which concerns the judgment day of the Lord. Isaiah talks about the deliverance of Zion, which often refers to the true Church in the last days, so the double meaning becomes apparent.
First Isaiah warns those who plundered about how terrible God’s judgment is going to be. But amidst the warning in the first 9 verses, Isaiah makes mention of the prayer and praise of God’s people, which ushers in God’s judgment of fire in verses 10-24. Isaiah paints a fearful picture for those who are considered sinners, but also the glorious outcome for those who are considered saints.
The verse that stood out for me this morning is verse 17. Another translation says ”Your eyes will see the King in His beauty”. As much as God’s blessing over the saints means a place of defense and that their bread and water will not run out, their biggest blessing will be that they will see the King in His beauty. In the immediate sense this referred to Hezekiah, but ultimately this refers to our King and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 24:7-8 (NKJ) ”Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.”
Beyond all the material splendor and comfort of heaven, the greatest glory of heaven is to see the King in His beauty. Some people catch an occasional glimpse of King Jesus and describe some of the beauty they see. But the highest experience we could have now, is nothing compared to what we will experience when we see the King in His beauty, Paul described it somewhat in his letter to the Corinthians…
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT) ”Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”
Unlike mirrors today, in the ancient world, mirrors were made out of polished metal, and the image was always unclear and somewhat distorted. Similarly, we see Jesus now only in a dim and distorted way, often filtered through our lenses of our world view.
Heaven may be precious to us for many reasons. Some may want to be reunited with loved ones that passed away before us who are dearly missed. Some may want to be with other great men and women of God who passed away in the centuries past. Some may want to walk on the streets of gold and see the angels around the throne of God, worshiping day and night. But none of these things makes heaven really “heaven”. What really makes “Heaven” is the unrestricted and unhindered presence of our Lord and King and to see His beauty. This will be the greatest experience of your entire existence!
In conclusion, part of His beauty will be the scars He retained from His suffering for our sake on this earth. After Jesus rose from the dead in His glorified body, He uniquely retained the nail prints in His hands and the scar in His side.
John 20:27-29 (ESV) ”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Zechariah 12:10 (ESV) “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced“
Prophetically, Zechariah spoke about the day the Jews will turn to Jesus and see Him in His glory. They will finally believe and mourn because of the past. Zechariah 13:6 continues this thought, where they will ask Jesus about the scars on His back, and He will answer that is where He was wounded by His friends. Let’s look forward to the day when we meet Jesus face to face, and live with expectation that it will be the greatest day ever. Nothing we have experienced up to now will be able to compare. If you are not excited about that yet, ask God to give you a small glimpse, and wait expectantly. Be ready to praise and worship the King of Glory!
