Beholding Christ in All His Glory

 “For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “I despise their evil works and their thoughts,” says YAHWEH. “The time is coming for me to gather people together from all over the world, and they will come and gaze on my radiance.”  The works, thoughts and imagination of fallen humanity can be compared to the “mark (character) of the beast” on the hands (works) and the foreheads (thoughts, mind-sets) of people. As John the beloved disciple saw of the beast and the fallen humanity, “It performed great miracle-signs, even publicly causing fire to fall out of heaven to the earth. And through these startling miracles that he performed on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the world, telling the people to erect a statue in the image of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. The beast from the earth was empowered to breathe life into the image of the first beast so that it could speak and kill those who refused to worship its image. It also caused everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and bound, to be marked on the right hand or on the forehead. This meant no one could buy or sell unless they had the mark; that is, the name of the beast or its number. This will require wisdom to understand: Let the one with insight interpret the number of the wild beast, for it is humanity’s number —666.”  We thank our God for Pentecost and the birth of the Church, the community of God’s chosen from every nation and tongue, whose focus is the risen Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.  Let’s keep beholding at the radiance and glory of our Lord Jesus.  Amen!

The Glorious Treasure Within Believers in Christ

 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul’s revelation, “For God, Who said, “Let brilliant Light shine out of darkness,” is the One Who has cascaded His Light into us—the brilliant dawning Light of the glorious knowledge of God as we gaze into the face of Jesus Christ.” Paul helps us understand that “light” is both literal and a metaphor for spiritual revelation, and shows that the creation narrative provides us with an allegory pointing to the experience of the new birth in Christ when we come in the face-to-face Presence of Christ.  That’s how Isaiah prophesied, “Those who walked in darkness have seen a radiant Light shining upon them. They once lived in the shadows of death, but now a glorious Light has dawned!”  We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious Treasure within, so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours.” Paul says that we are common clay jars, created from dust, yet we possess the brilliant light of God’s glory, Jesus Christ, and carry Him as Treasure in our being.  The outward vessel is not as important as the glorious Treasure within.  Let’s know our identity in Christ through our new birth, and know that God’s glory is in us.  Amen!