Hebrews 9:27, “…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
Short Thoughts:
Shining like the dawn (or blazing like a furnace) on the horizon of ever human life is an inevitable, unavoidable, impending and ever approaching encounter with the living Jesus Christ.
Long Thoughts:
Once again, this morning’s picture sprang from a passage that is different from the one that I posted with it. This whole concept actually derives from Revelation 11:17-18….Here’s the thoughts from my journal,
Revelation 11:17-18, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants…and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
One thing to note here is that the familiar formula, “who is and who was and who is to come…” (1:8, 4:8, etc.) is shortened to only, “who is and who was…” Where is the “is to come” in verse 11? I think that section is dropped off because—in this text—the Lord has already come, come in the power of His kingdom, come in wrath and judgment (v.17).
It seems that the “is to come” portion of that formula anticipates His coming in power and wrath and judgment, His coming to apply the conquering work of Christ within time and space so that “the kingdom of the world [will become] the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (11:15). And part of this coming will be the judgment.
It is a well known concept, but just consider that phrase, “and the time for the dead to be judged.” That is a reality. The dead—all of them—will stand before the judgment seat of Christ…..no one escapes this…in that sense, God in Christ is the one who “is to come,” for everyone of us individually. He will come in perfect judgment in the future of every human existence….yes, shining like the dawn (or blazing like a furnace) on the horizon of ever human life is an inevitable, unavoidable, impending and ever approaching encounter with the living Jesus Christ.
And who are those who survive this encounter? Who are those for whom this encounter is life and light and joy? Those who “fear [His] name” (v.17). And what is it to fear His name? Is it not first to recognize and receive His name in the Beloved Son at the cross (John 3:14-18, John 17:6, 11, 26)? Is it not first to behold in the crucified Christ the glory of our God (2 Cor.4:6)? Is it not first to look upon the risen crucified One and say, HE is the Name of God incarnate…..and knowing God’s name in the Son, to reverence, to tremble, to cherish, to treasure, to hope in, to cling to that Name….to be conformed to that Name by grace. Which is to say, to love YHWH with all and to love neighbor as self. Or, again, which is to say, to receive the crucified and risen Jesus as our life and walk as He walked—is not this to fear His Name and so know joy at the judgment?
