Jump Start # 967

Revelation 22:4 “They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads.”

John is writing about Heaven. The book of Revelation is much like a “picture book.” John has been shown many things. He has seen a door open in Heaven. He has seen angels holding the four corners. He has seen bowls of wrath being poured out. He has seen a multitude of righteous around the throne. He has seen the throne of God. But now, in the last chapter, he reveals that he is not the only one who is allowed a view into Heaven. Our verse states that “THEY,” the righteous in Heaven, will see His face. God’s face.

That is a bold statement. Throughout the Bible no one was allowed to see God’s face. Moses asked to see God and was told He could only see the back side. When Isaiah saw the vision of God he was terrified because “my eyes have seen the king.” That all changes with Heaven. The righteous will see God. They won’t just see God at a glimpse, from a distance. Years ago, I took a couple of my kids to see one of our Presidents give a speech. We could see him, but he was pretty far away. Seeing God’s face implies closeness. We will be next to God.

His name will be on our foreheads. That sounds odd. This implies ownership. We belong to God. It’s not a secret, it’s on our foreheads. Everyone can tell that we belong to God. There is a cost to that, and for those early Christians, it meant persecution and death. But that wasn’t their end, nor did it conquer the kingdom of God. There they are in the presence of God, seeing His face. Unlike Adam and Eve, they are not hiding from God. Unlike Jonah, they are not running from God. Standing with God. Standing before God. They are looking at God and to see His face, He is looking at them. They are not looking at the back of God’s head. They see His face.

Can you imagine? There are a few people that were allowed to see things with their own eyes that no one else has. Those few astronauts that got to walk on the moon, saw things that the rest of us never have. We’ve seen pictures of the moon, but those were only pictures. A few saw the sunken Titanic, lying on the ocean floor. Many have seen pictures of that, but only pictures. A heart surgeon may see a beating heart as he does surgery, many have seen sights such as the grand canyon or a sunset or a double rainbow, but the greatest of all has to be to see the face of God.

This week we have looked at the serious subject of death and grief. This is a painful subject that most of us must journey through sooner or later. It is something that cripples some and they never recover from. This subject is different for the Christian. There is a hope and even an expectation beyond death. Paul told the Philippians that he was torn between going to be with the Lord and staying to help them. To die, he said, is gain. He knew. He believed. He longed to pass through that door to get to the other room. He wanted to be with God.

To stand and see God’s face implies grace and forgiveness. It indicates rightness, approval and acceptance. It means Heaven. The journey can be long. There are many issues and battles along the way. Sometimes the fussing that people and churches go through are not worth it. Some things that seem so important at the moment, are not in the big picture of things. Heaven—that is where we belong. That is where God wants us to be.

Last weekend, we had a wonderful guest speaker (Tommy Peeler) who presented a powerful lesson on: “Do you know that God wants you in Heaven?” Many don’t know that. Their view of God is like the cop with the radar gun pointed at them. They  see God as the parent that is never pleased. They can never do enough to make God happy. Some live as if they believe God doesn’t want them, especially in Heaven. Not so. That’s not what the Bible teaches. The sending of Jesus showed that God would stop at nothing to get us to Heaven. He sent the best.

How does a person deal with a life threatening illness? God. What hope do you tell someone who is dying? God. What comfort is there when it seems all comfort is gone? God. For the righteous, they will see the face of God. Their pain will be gone. Their tiredness will be gone. There will be no pills to take. No medical tests to endure. No needles. No IV’s. Those things will all be over. They will be with God. Amazing.

Don’t you want that? Doesn’t that help you see what is really important? It makes us realize that we spend too much time worrying about stuff and stuff won’t be in Heaven. We will be.

Face to face with God. The passage doesn’t say this, and I wouldn’t hang my hat on this for sure, but I tend to expect that when our eyes connect with God’s eyes, He will be smiling. That’s how I see the prodigal’s father. Tears coming down his face and smiling. God smiling. God smiling at YOU. Amazing!

Roger