GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 22~ ~ Revelation 22:4 ~ ~ “They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”

From the book, “We Shall See God” containing sermons by the Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon, with comments by Randy Alcorn.

C.H. Spurgeon:

Seeing the Face of Jesus, part 1:

The most astonishing sight we can anticipate in Heaven is not streets of gold or pearly gates or loved ones who have died before us.  It will be coming face-to-face with our Savior.

The text says they shall “see His face,” by which I understand two things.  FIRST: that they shall literally and physically, with their risen bodies, actually look into the face of Jesus.

SECOND:  that spiritually their mental faculties shall be enlarged so that they shall be enabled to look into the very heart and soul and character of Christ, so as to understand Him, His work, His love, His all in all, as they never understood Him before!

They shall literally, I say, see His face, for Christ is no phantom. In heaven, though divine, He is still a man, and therefore material like ourselves.  The very flesh and blood that suffered upon Calvary is in heaven.  The hand that was pierced with the nail now, at this moment grasps the scepter of all worlds.  That very head which was bowed down with anguish is now crowned with a royal crown.  And the face that was so marred is the very face which beams brilliantly amid the thrones of Heaven.  Into that selfsame face we shall be permitted to gaze.  OH, what a sight!

We shall see and know even as we are known, and among the great things that we shall know will be this greatest of all, that WE SHALL KNOW CHRIST.  We shall know the heights and depths and lengths and breadths of the love of Christ that exceeds knowledge.

In the blessed vision the saints see Jesus, and they see Him clearly.  We may also remark that they see Him always, for when the text says they shall “see His face,” it implies that they never at any time are without the sight!!!  Never for a moment do they unlock their arm from the arm of their Beloved!

They are not as we are—sometimes near the throne, sometimes far away; sometimes hot with love, sometimes cold with indifference, sometimes bright as angels, sometimes dull as clods.  Rather, forever and ever they are in closest association with the Master, for they shall “see His face.”

They surely see His face the more clearly because all the clouds of care are gone from them.  Some of you while sitting here today have been trying to lift up your minds to heavenly contemplation, but you cannot.  The business has gone so wrong this week; the children have annoyed you so much; sickness has been in the house so severely.  You feel in your body quite out of order for devotion—these enemies break your peace.

God’s people are bothered by none of these things in heaven, and therefore they can see their Master’s face.  They are not burdened with Martha’s cares; they still occupy Mary’s place at his feet. (Luke 10:38-42).  When you and I have laid aside the farm and the merchandise and the marrying and burying, which come so fast upon each other’s heels, and when we will be forever with the Lord, then:

FAR FROM THE WORLD OF GRIEF AND SIN, WITH GOD ETERNALLY SHUT IN.

Furthermore, the glorified see God’s face more clearly because there are no idols to stand between Him and them.  Our idolatrous love of worldly things is a chief cause of our knowing so little of spiritual things.  One cannot fill his life cup from the pools of earth and yet have room in it for the crystal streams of heaven.  But they have no idols there in heaven—nothing to occupy the heart, no rival for the Lord Jesus.  He reigns supreme within their spirits, and therefore they see His face.

(more about this tomorrow)

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