"Every valley shall be lifted up, and mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places made smooth; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together..." Isaiah 40: 4, 5a
The revelation of God's glory has always been noted as a necessary part of redemption. At least, the language of the Bible seems to garner that image. Somehow, God's ultimate victory will not require one ounce of sweat from His brow.; He will merely "show up," i.e., be manifested, and it is all over. When his glory comes (Isaiah 40:4, 5), when His presence fills the whole earth (Isaiah 11:9), when it fills all of His people (Romans 8:18-21), and shines forth without measure, so that the earth becomes like a star, and all things are consumed into Him, that is redemption, i.e., God with us.
Christ is redemption, not only in action but also in very being, not only in the Cross but also in Immanuel. The presence of God is the presence of redemption, and Jesus is the revelation of God's presence and glory (John 1:14). When he comes again, it will be the same (there is a reason the Christian apocalypse is referred to as a "revelation"). The glory that Christ placed in those who believed will be revealed as He comes bringing the all consuming, crushing presence and glory of God, manifested "as He is" (I John 3:2). The effect will be the same as it was when he walked the dust of this earth:
"Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low," the humble shall find their honor, and the proud will crumble to the ground. Jesus once said that those who are "poor in spirit" and "meek" would overthrow the mighty and strong (Matthew 5:3-12), and that the religious elite where utterly abominable (Matthew 25:1-36). Revelation speaks of great and mighty men hiding in caves and crying that mountains collapse on them so that they may hide from the presence of God, and there is always that ominous law (written in both Testaments) that God will give grace to the humble but that He "opposes the proud" (I Peter 5:5).
"The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places made smooth," the "bent" of all things will be returned to their proper place, i.e., towards God. That is what Christ did for us (Romans 5:1-11); it is what he will do for the whole world. In addition, all that was once heart-breaking trials and sorrows can no longer cause us to fall. God's word has told us as much (Isaiah 43:2; Romans 8:31-39; II Corinthians 4:8-10).
These are not mere abstraction; "God with us" is not a mere philosophical theorem. It is an actuality, right now and soon to come. Christ has made (and will make) such things possible. It started with His Cross, it will end with His Coming in glory, but that ending will, in truth, only be the beginning. When the Fall is burned away from every residue of creation's being, the adventure and wonder that is redemption, that is the all-consuming fiery presence of God, will have just begun.
"May the Deeper Life to come
Consume this life of mine now.
May my life be a prelude
To Heaven on earth..."
-Jon Vowell
The revelation of God's glory has always been noted as a necessary part of redemption. At least, the language of the Bible seems to garner that image. Somehow, God's ultimate victory will not require one ounce of sweat from His brow.; He will merely "show up," i.e., be manifested, and it is all over. When his glory comes (Isaiah 40:4, 5), when His presence fills the whole earth (Isaiah 11:9), when it fills all of His people (Romans 8:18-21), and shines forth without measure, so that the earth becomes like a star, and all things are consumed into Him, that is redemption, i.e., God with us.
Christ is redemption, not only in action but also in very being, not only in the Cross but also in Immanuel. The presence of God is the presence of redemption, and Jesus is the revelation of God's presence and glory (John 1:14). When he comes again, it will be the same (there is a reason the Christian apocalypse is referred to as a "revelation"). The glory that Christ placed in those who believed will be revealed as He comes bringing the all consuming, crushing presence and glory of God, manifested "as He is" (I John 3:2). The effect will be the same as it was when he walked the dust of this earth:
"Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low," the humble shall find their honor, and the proud will crumble to the ground. Jesus once said that those who are "poor in spirit" and "meek" would overthrow the mighty and strong (Matthew 5:3-12), and that the religious elite where utterly abominable (Matthew 25:1-36). Revelation speaks of great and mighty men hiding in caves and crying that mountains collapse on them so that they may hide from the presence of God, and there is always that ominous law (written in both Testaments) that God will give grace to the humble but that He "opposes the proud" (I Peter 5:5).
"The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places made smooth," the "bent" of all things will be returned to their proper place, i.e., towards God. That is what Christ did for us (Romans 5:1-11); it is what he will do for the whole world. In addition, all that was once heart-breaking trials and sorrows can no longer cause us to fall. God's word has told us as much (Isaiah 43:2; Romans 8:31-39; II Corinthians 4:8-10).
These are not mere abstraction; "God with us" is not a mere philosophical theorem. It is an actuality, right now and soon to come. Christ has made (and will make) such things possible. It started with His Cross, it will end with His Coming in glory, but that ending will, in truth, only be the beginning. When the Fall is burned away from every residue of creation's being, the adventure and wonder that is redemption, that is the all-consuming fiery presence of God, will have just begun.
"May the Deeper Life to come
Consume this life of mine now.
May my life be a prelude
To Heaven on earth..."
-Jon Vowell
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