* Seeing the Face of the Lord *
"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." (Revelation 22:4)
This is the last reference in the Bible to the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a glorious promise it is, with its assurance that all His servants will finally see Him face to face!
Although they give us no specific description of His physical appearance.
The only description of His appearance is in Revelation-
"and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." (Revelation 1:13-16)
The gospel writers do frequently mention His face.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw how his face did shine like the sun-
"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:2)
As He spoke of His forthcoming death. Shortly after this, "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51) to meet His death.
A few days after His entrance into Jerusalem, He was delivered into the hands of wicked men who took delight in desecrating that face which, in loving grief, had just wept over the city and its indifference to God.
But first, in the garden just before His arrest, He "fell with his face" in agonizing prayer.
"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)
Then the Roman soldiers began to-
"Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him." (Mark 14:65)
"They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?" (Luke 22:64)
In fact, they abused Him so severely that-
"Just as there were many who were appalled at him- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness" (Isaiah 52:14)
But when He comes again, the Christ-rejecting world will cry out to the mountains to
"They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! . . . Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them." (Revelation 6:16; 20:11)
All the redeemed, on the other hand, will rejoice forever-
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." (Revelation 22:4)
This is the last reference in the Bible to the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a glorious promise it is, with its assurance that all His servants will finally see Him face to face!
Although they give us no specific description of His physical appearance.
The only description of His appearance is in Revelation-
"and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." (Revelation 1:13-16)
The gospel writers do frequently mention His face.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw how his face did shine like the sun-
"There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:2)
As He spoke of His forthcoming death. Shortly after this, "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51) to meet His death.
A few days after His entrance into Jerusalem, He was delivered into the hands of wicked men who took delight in desecrating that face which, in loving grief, had just wept over the city and its indifference to God.
But first, in the garden just before His arrest, He "fell with his face" in agonizing prayer.
"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)
Then the Roman soldiers began to-
"Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him." (Mark 14:65)
"They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?" (Luke 22:64)
In fact, they abused Him so severely that-
"Just as there were many who were appalled at him- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness" (Isaiah 52:14)
But when He comes again, the Christ-rejecting world will cry out to the mountains to
"They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! . . . Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them." (Revelation 6:16; 20:11)
All the redeemed, on the other hand, will rejoice forever-
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Passages of Scripture are from the New International Version Bible (NIV).........................
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