I Can Only Imagine
The song "I Can Only Imagine" by the group Mercy Me has really gotten a grip on me. I haven’t found another song on the CD that has done this for me, as it is not my normal genre of music. However, I am wearing out that track and burning up the player in my pickup truck. I wish I could sing it half as well as they do so that I could make it a part of my ministry when I preach at various churches though some of them might throw me out before I get to preach because of the beat of that song.
For those who have not heard the song the singer is imagining what he will see and what he will do when he actually stands before the glorified Lord. He wonders if he will dance or be still in awe. Will he stand or fall to his knees? Will he sing alleluia or will he be able to speak at all. It is a gripping concept for we will also someday stand before Him. What we will see or do? Some folks have done this already and their experiences are recorded for us in Scripture. I want to look at a few.
Isa 6:1-8
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (KJV)
For those who might question if this was Jesus that Isaiah saw, I point you to John 12:38-41. This is one of many of Jesus’ pre-incarnate appearances known as a theophany. It is obvious that the presence and glory of Christ in this vision is enough to provoke Isaiah to confess which then prepares him for his voluntary cry of "Send me!" Sadly, most Christians must have been exposed to the military adage of "Never volunteer!" Either that or they have a lot of confessing they need to do to get the clean lips that cry out for opportunities for service. May we all get such a vision and cleansing before we meet Him and there is no longer any time to serve Him here.
John 20:14-17
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (KJV)
Women were last at the Cross and first at the tomb. Mary saw Him in His resurrected and yet not glorified state since He had not yet ascended to the Father and sat down on His throne. She did not recognize Him at first. This may have been in part to it still being before sunrise plus looking through eyes puffed from crying and tears still running, but I also think there may have been a physical change. His voice was a bit different for she did not immediately recognize it, but when He said her name in the way that He had always said it she knew and rejoiced falling at His feet in worship not wanting to let go of Him. We all need to pray for that kind of love that clings to Him and rejoices in His presence so that when we see Him face to face we may have that same confidence to run and hug Him or even touch His feet. (I John 2:28)
Rev 1:10-18
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (KJV)
Now, we come to John’s vision of the resurrected and glorified Christ. This is quite an image. John was the disciple that Jesus loved and yet John could only fall as one dead in worship of His Lord. Now, this is not the slaying in the Spirit that the Pentecostals speak of, but rather a description of John being overwhelmed in awe. He fell like a dead man in speed to Jesus’ feet to worship. Remember Isaiah thought he was a dead man when He saw the Lord high and lifted up? John’s account is a much closer encounter with Jesus. All strength went from him. What else could he do but fall?
The only comparison I can give you is when a Drill Sgt. yells, "Drop and give me 50!" to his recruit. The speed is something similar and there is certainly fear or reverence. Yet, that is a very weak comparison for though Old Sarge may be the god of Boot Camp, he can’t come close to the God of the Universe.
I believe that even those that are the closest to Christ in this life will still fall like John. For now we see through a glass darkly. We cannot see all His glory in our eyes of faith, but then we shall be face to face. The awe of Him and the perfect realization of the sinners that we are and the grace that saved us will hit us like an M60 round. We too shall fall down like one dead and worship Him!
Acts 9:1-6
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (KJV)
Here we see an enemy of Christ seeing Him in His glory! Saul was out to waste any Christian he could find in the name of God or so he thought. Then He saw the one he was persecuting. One can only wonder what names Saul called Jesus before this point, but here he called him Lord. The light blinded his eyes, but brought sight to his soul! He still goes to Damascus, but his purpose is different. It is not to slay and imprison Christians, but rather to find the will of His Lord! This is why we are to point people to Christ and not ourselves or our church. It is the risen Lord that brings light, salvation and power to the unsaved. We are only messengers and only the message is important.
Was it not a wonderful day when we met Jesus on our Damascus road? Why do we not desire to bring others down that road so that Jesus will meet them as well? Oh, He will meet everyone someday, but He wants us to bring them to Him here so they can be saved rather than meet them at death as their Judge. We need to remember the day we met our Lord and seek to do His will and be freed from the blindness of self and the things of this world!!
2 Cor 5:8-11
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. (KJV)
We too shall stand before that Judgment Seat (Bema), but praise His name for rewards not to see if our names are written in the Book of Life. They were written in when we were saved. Yet, we have lost much of our fear of the Lord. Paul said that knowing the terror or fear of the Lord we persuade men. We have forgotten what judgment we were saved from and indeed fear of that judgment may be what made us flee to the Cross. Because of this we forget what judgment faces those who do not know Him. We are to convince men to be saved because of that terror. What will we say at the Judgement Seat if we neglect to bring others to Him? Imagine that discussion.
1 Cor 3:11-15
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (KJV)
Verse 15 is where I believe that most modern Christians will stand in that day or at least the ones in countries where there is no persecution. We have laid the foundation, but we have been lax in our building and have used inferior materials. Imagine what we will feel when we give our building to the Lord for His inspection by fire and it turns to ashes before our eyes. Mercifully and graciously saved, but suffering loss nonetheless. Yet, that is better than meeting Him lost.
Rev 6:15-17
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (KJV)
Isaiah saw the Lord and confessed. John and Mary saw Him and worshipped. Saul saw the Lord and he repented and called Him Lord. These men saw Him and tried to hide from His wrath and could not. They knew that they could not stand before Him in judgment. They did not want to see His face and thought that death by avalanche could spare them. They saw but were grieved and not relieved. How many of these people had heard the Gospel and rejected it either in the Church Age or as it was preached by the 144,000 virgin male Jewish evangelists during the Tribulation and sealed their fate? We do not know, but we know that Christ is not willing that any should perish so they have no one to blame but themselves.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (KJV)
And herein is their fate. Eternity in Hell without Christ because they rejected the gift of His love. Friend, if you are reading this and are not saved then why not do it now? You cannot imagine the agonies of Hell anymore than I can imagine the glory of Heaven. It is easy to imagine which is the best place to spend eternity. Tell Jesus that you have sinned against Him and that you accept the sacrifice He made on the Cross as the payment for your sins. Ask Him to keep you from sin and to lead you into His will. Then thank Him and get into a Bible believing church to learn more of Him.
My brothers and sisters in Christ were any of the examples I gave of people who met Christ the one you imagined for yourself? Was it a good one or does ashes seem to fit you better. He can make beauty out of ashes. Come to Him and admit your coldness and ask Him to set your heart on fire. Walk with Him now so that you can have a better imagination of what it will be like to see Him and walk by His side. Look at the promise below and walk as if you are on the way to Heaven forsaking the world and all its folly. Do it and have peace now and when we behold Him as He is. Indeed, we can only imagine! Maranatha!
Rev 21:3-5
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold; I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (KJV)
