“If one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow. ... We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. ... Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. ... They looked ... and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ... We have seen with our eyes ... we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. ... He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. ... We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. ... Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. ... We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory. ... Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of ... faith. ... And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him. ... They saw no man, save Jesus only. ... For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. ... And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. ... And they shall see His face. ... As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness. ... He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.”
“Look up, and lift up your heads” (Luke 21:28).
How sad it would be for the Christian, if our only view was around and back. But we can rejoice as we realize that, for the people of God, our look is upward and ahead — upward into the opened heavens to see, with the eye of faith, that lovely Man seated at the right hand of God. And onward to that moment when we will be there, to gaze on Him, no longer by faith, but face to face. What a hope! What a comfort!
What precious truth the preceding Scriptures bring before us in this regard, and it is the prayer of the writer that as we think about these portions of the Word of God in a very simple way, our hearts would be touched and our gaze directed to Christ. He is the One of whom His Father could say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). All God’s delight is centered in His only begotten Son, and we can find all our joy and delight in Him also. He alone can give strength and encouragement through the situations, trials and tests of life. David said in the sixty-first psalm and verse two, “I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”
When everything seems out of hand,
I on the firm foundation stand:
On Christ, the Rock, whose strength prevails,
Whose love and power never fails.
Refrain:
When overwhelmed my heart — I cry,
Lead to the Rock higher than I.
I’ve known His saving grace and power,
And I can trust Him every hour;
I’m sheltered safe within His hand;
His promises forever stand.
His blood has washed my sins away;
His grace preserves me every day:
He lives for me to supplicate —
My Great High Priest and Advocate.
There is a place where I can hide,
When troubles press on every side;
But oh how quickly I forget,
And in distress, struggle and fret.
And when I take my eyes from Thee,
And sink beneath the raging sea,
Recall my heart — and let me fly
Back to the Rock, higher than I.
Soon all the trials will be past,
And I shall reach the goal at last;
Beyond the tears and fears and grief,
Glorious departing, sweet relief.
Refrain:
Then I shall praise Him in the sky;
Jesus, the Rock, higher than I.
Let us, then, consider these portions of the Word of Life, and may they so speak to us that, as a result of our meditation, we would have a fresh glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ. And too, may we have an increased desire to press on for our Saviour’s glory the few moments left before He comes to call us to Himself.
Above all, may ...
We See Jesus.
Empty Without Jesus
“If one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow” (Isaiah 5:30).
This warning spoken by God to His people Israel, in the Old Testament, is very applicable to His people today.
Of course, for the lost who reject the Saviour of sinners and refuse God’s offer of eternal salvation, there is no hope. Sorrow and frustration follow them here in this life, and when they leave this sad world, they will have “the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). For them, we are plainly told: “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). It is a solemn thing to consider the fact that not only will hell be a place of sorrow and torment, but there will be no hope — no hope of release from its confinement and no hope of relief from its agony. Forever, no hope!
However, this Scripture is not only a warning to the lost, but also an admonition to those who belong to the Lord Jesus. There is a great deal in this sin-sick world to discourage and cast us down, plenty to distract us from following Christ, and plenty to occupy our minds, our hearts and our time. But there is nothing in this world to satisfy! We read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Is there not a danger, too, of looking around at our circumstances and forgetting the One who, in love, has ordered those circumstances? Wasn’t this the difficulty with the children of Israel when they were crossing the wilderness?
Let’s look up! Look up into the opened heavens — up at the One who is seated at the right hand of God — the place of exaltation and power. And remember ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing the Unseen
“We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
This is a day of ever-increasing materialism. The natural man places utmost importance on the present and on the tangible. What a disappointment it is when the things of this world and what he has trusted in pass away and leave him empty — not filling the longing of his weary soul.
As Christians we are given several exhortations in the Word as to lifting our eyes above the horizons of this earth and its hopes, goals, allurements and aspirations. Here are just a few:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).
In 1 Peter 1:4 we are reminded that we have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven.”
What a sad commentary we have concerning Lot, for we read, “Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. ... Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan” (Genesis 13:10-11).
Poor Lot lived to see the day when all that he chose and all that he worked for came under the judgment of God, as He rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. All that we build for down here in this world is going to be left behind. This globe is “reserved unto fire.” Indeed, the “elements shall melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:7,10).
Grant me grace, Lord Jesus,
Just to rest in Thee;
Fix my heart and mind and soul
Steadfastly on Thee.
We have been blessed “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). All is in Him, through Him, and by Him!
We See Jesus.
Saved, Sustained and Restored
“Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).
Salvation for the believer in this dispensation is presented in at least three different aspects in the New Testament. There is, of course, first of all, the salvation of the soul. That is the result of putting our trust in the Lord Jesus and resting fully on the finished work of the cross. “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).
For Israel in the wilderness there was the serpent of brass on the pole. “Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:9).
For us it is “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
However, there is also the day-to-day preservation needed as we live in this world. The very next verse in Romans 5 tells us, “We shall be saved by His life.” This is His present intercession for us now as a living man in the glory.
Our High Priest:
This is his work to keep us in the path, and to meet our present needs in that path.
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). “We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).
Not only does our Saviour know our every need, but He also fully enters into what each of His own feels as they pass through the circumstances of life. And not only so, but He is also fully able to meet each need. “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus As Our Advocate:
This is His work for our restoration when we fail.
“If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Lastly, salvation is taken up in another way, spoken of in Romans 13:11. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” This is the salvation of our bodies. “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Like Thee, Saviour, in a moment,
Changed as on the cloud we meet;
Jesus, written on my forehead,
Precious name, divine and sweet.
So whether it is for our salvation as to being sheltered from judgment, or His care and keeping us in the pathway, or that which is yet future at His coming for us — it is all Christ Himself. Thus may ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing the Prize Ahead
“They looked ... and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared” (Exodus 16:10).
How often the children of Israel looked back to Egypt from which they had been delivered. “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5). The result was always murmuring, complaining, faultfinding and discouragement.
But in Exodus 16:10, they look ahead over the wilderness. As a result, Jehovah was pleased, in some way, to reveal Himself in the cloud. With this vision of glory they could continue on to the promised land.
There is a timely word for us in Philippians 3:13-14. Here Paul says, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
What is the prize in the Christian life? CHRIST!
May He alone be our object here, and may we ever have the end in view — the Glory!
Cause my heart, Lord Jesus,
With fresh desire to burn;
Keep the hope before me
Of Thy soon return.
To look back and around will only discourage and dishearten. We can be encouraged and strengthened only as ...
We See Jesus.
The Father Revealed in the Son
“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ... We have seen with our eyes. ... We have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. ... He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father” (John 1:14; 1 John 1:1; John 14:9).
How do we know God the Father? In Christ!
“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18).
We have the full revelation of the Father and the Father’s heart manifested in the Son. The Son, and the Son only, could say, “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).
The Apostle John had the privilege of seeing the Lord and walking with Him when He was here on the earth. “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true” (John 21:24).
Now we have the written Word revealing the Incarnate Word —Jesus Christ. “Search the Scriptures; for ... they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). “He that saw it bear record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe” (John 19:35).
As we read the Holy Scriptures, may we see Christ in every line — Christ, the Sent One of the Father — Christ, the One who has fully shown to us all that the Father is in Himself. And may it rejoice our hearts as ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing Jesus Seated in Heaven
“We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9).
As the above verse is the theme of this book, we will make very little comment here.
What a precious thought:
“Christ Jesus ... took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5,7-8).
And what is the result?
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
Four times in the Book of Hebrews we have the Lord Jesus seated at the right hand of God:
1. Having Made Full Atonement
“Who being the effulgence of His glory and the expression of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, having made by Himself the purification of sins, set Himself down on the right hand of the greatness on high” (Hebrews 1:3 JND).
2. As Our High Priest
“We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).
3. Having Offered Himself As the Perfect Sacrifice
“This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).
4. As the Object for Faith
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of ... faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
He has ascended — God is satisfied
With His dear Son, who now is at His side;
God has exalted — given Him a name,
Above all who before or after came.
Are we looking up? Do ...
We See Jesus?
With the Eye of Faith
“Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:7-8).
We do not see our Saviour and Lord with the natural eye, as His followers did when He was here on earth. We read in Acts 1:9, “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
However, we see Him with the eye of faith. As we fix our gaze steadfastly on Him, we can rest in His love, trust Him for every situation, and experience joy that this world cannot give or know. “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).
Do We Have a Single Eye?
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).
Only as we walk in the path of obedience with Christ as our object can we have true joy and happiness in our life here in this world. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17).
The Master calls, and can I stay
When He is beckoning me
To follow, serve Him every day,
And His disciple be?
Oh path of joy, oh sweet employ,
It is, my soul, for thee.
It is not always what I’d choose;
The way is often steep;
But if I choose, I can but lose,
And even sorrow reap;
He knoweth best; in this I rest,
And follow as His sheep.
Yes, His “Well done” in that bright day
Will make it all worthwhile;
All thought of loss will fade away,
Forgotten every trial;
He’ll call me home, no more to roam,
Will welcome with His smile.
Until that day, by faith ...
We See Jesus.
Looking on Unveiled Glory
“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
As we walk in fellowship with our Lord, there will be a Christ-likeness exhibited to those around us. When Moses was in the presence of Jehovah on the mount, his face shone—although Moses, himself, “wist not that the skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:29). It was the unconscious result of being in the company of the Lord.
The expression “as in a glass” should be left out. Notice the JND translation. “We all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory.”
For Moses there was a veil; for us the veil has been removed. We behold His glory. And as we behold His glory, a transformation will take place so that Christ will be seen in us. It is searching to realize that all that this world is going to see of Christ is what is manifested in your life and mine, especially in a day when men have turned away from the light of God’s Word and closed its pages.
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
Others will see Christ in us as ...
We See Jesus.
Looking on the Object of Faith
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of ... faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
Here, and here alone, is the perfect object! He was the only One who walked through this world in perfection — the only One who lived a perfect life and never, for a moment, digressed from the will of His Father and the path set before Him. He was always the delight of the Father; He always did that which pleased the Father; He had one supreme motive — the Father’s will. “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38).
Now, having begun and completed that path in perfection, He is seated on high as the object for faith. God has a path of faith for each one of us through this world, and faith always needs an object. There is no such thing as blind faith, and faith is not a leap in the dark. If Christ in glory is our object, we will never be disappointed, and we will be preserved in the way of His choosing.
“He is altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).
The path is before us! His grace is sufficient! He is the object!
We See Jesus.
We Worship Him
“When they saw Him, they worshipped Him” (Matthew 28:17).
Worship springs from a heart overflowing with an appreciation of the person and work of Christ. This God desires from each of His own. “The Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23).
May our hearts be so full of Himself that there would be that outflow and overflow. He is so worthy!
Truly our hearts are bowed in worship as ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing Jesus Only
“They saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).
How good if we can learn to see no man. If we look to man, we are always going to be disillusioned and disappointed. David said in the Psalms, “I have seen an end of all perfection” (Psalm 119:96).
To see Jesus, and Jesus only, is a blessed portion. To look away from man, great as he may appear to be and dear as he may be to our heart — this is true joy — this brings true contentment.
Can we say in truth ...
We See Jesus?
Clearly Seeing Jesus
“Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
What a glad and glorious day it will be when “that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10). No longer will we “see through a glass, darkly,” or “through a dim window obscurely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 JND). All that now hinders our full enjoyment of Himself will be removed forever. There in the glory we will experience uninterrupted fellowship, joy and rest — nothing to mar our sublime repose. And we will enjoy in a deeper and fuller way the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).
“We know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10).
When He comes, I shall behold Him,
Face to face, no longer sight dim;
Nor in part — I’ll fully know Him;
Know as now I’m known.
So now we have a present enjoyment, by the Spirit: “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), and we look forward to the day when all will be made plain and every question will be answered in the light of His presence. “The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed” (Isaiah 40:4-5). Everything then will be “clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11).
In the meantime ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing Jesus in Heaven
“I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6).
A company innumerable,
Arrayed in spotless white,
Will praise the Lamb, before the throne,
In yonder courts of light.
And I a part of that vast throng —
By sovereign grace and love —
Will join in the eternal song,
With all the saints above.
Wonderful moment, when in the Father’s house ...
We See Jesus.
Seeing Jesus in Glory
“They shall see His face” (Revelation 22:4).
Precious promise to those who have followed Him here! Precious promise to those who have loved Him here, though unseen to the physical eye! What an encouragement this is to every saint of God. Perhaps today! He has declared: “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself” (John 14:3). And also, “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:7).
There in that home, forever to enjoy
Himself unhindered, nothing to annoy;
No cloud to hide; all, all is heavenly light;
Nothing to mar or spoil or dim our sight.
Our occupation through eternal days,
That blessed Person upon whom we’ll gaze;
Our eyes forever fixed upon His face,
Our hearts know fully all His love and grace.
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). What will it be when in glory ...
We See Jesus?
Satisfied with Seeing Jesus
“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).
Not merely content, but satisfied. All the desires and longings of the heart and soul fully and forever met — to see Him, to be with Him, to be like Him. “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Is this hope a glad reality in our lives as we go about our day-to- day duties and responsibilities? When we rise in the morning, is it with the realization that before another night we may be completely satisfied and at rest in His presence? When we lie down to sleep at the close of the day, is it with the thought that, before another sun rises, we may hear that shout calling us to Himself on the cloud?
Perhaps today, perhaps this hour,
We’ll leave this scene of care;
What joy, what peace, what rest awaits,
In regions bright and fair.
“Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). Is the response of our hearts, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20)?
Are we “looking for that blessed hope” (Titus 2:13)? “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Luke 12:37).
Satisfied will be His heart,
And satisfied we’ll be as well;
For we shall never from Him part,
But with the Lord forever dwell;
What songs of joy, what notes of praise,
Will sound through heaven for endless days.
Satisfied. Blessed thought! Satisfied, when ...
We See Jesus.
Jesus Satisfied
“He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11).
Not only will each of the redeemed be satisfied, but when He sees that vast company, His heart will be satisfied as well. Infinite joy and delight will be His as we are gathered around Himself in heaven. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us, “He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.”
This will be a mutual feeling of satisfaction — unparalleled. We — satisfied as we look into His glorious face. He — satisfied as He looks into ours.
His heart will ne’er be satisfied,
Until He has us there;
With Him, like Him, in robes of white,
In regions bright and fair.
He’ll see the travail of His soul,
Triumphantly declare,
That we’ll forever with Him reign,
In regions bright and fair.
Unspeakable glory when ...
We See Jesus.
Conclusion
Only the Lord can preserve and keep us. “Kept by the power of God” is the reminder of 1 Peter 1:5.
Nevertheless, there ought to be an exercise of soul and energy of faith with each believer and the spirit of dependence like God’s people in the days of Jehoshaphat: “Our eyes are upon Thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
We often sing a little prayer:
Oh fix our earnest gaze
So wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That, with Thy beauty occupied,
We elsewhere none may see.
Hymn #174, Little Flock Hymnbook
May the sincere and fervent prayer of our hearts be: “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1). If we look to Him, and to Him only, He can and will keep us for His glory until He comes to take us home to Himself.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Hymn #375, Echoes of Grace Hymnbook
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).
May we have a fresh glimpse of the Man in the glory, and may these scriptures encourage us to look up, so that ...
We See Jesus.