A Journey Into Heaven: God's Real Image
A Trip Into Heaven.
I was tired last night. It was early, 7 P.M. so I decided to take a shower, and go to bed. I guess the hard work of the week had caught up with me. For many days I had been thinking of doing an article on the title Jesus used so often for Himself, the "Son of man." When I awoke at 2 A.M, the subject was clear in my head.
The question I have concerning this commentary is, "What was Jesus's appearance in heaven before the creation?" I understand that God is spirit, and that the kingdom of heaven is spirit (invisible to the human eye) but, WHAT IF, we had been given a gift to see this spirit world? What would we see?
Daniel, Isaiah, John and others were given a glimpse of the Son of man in heaven, but only dimly. This image, though hazy, give us some idea of the Son's true appearance before the creation.
Take a hypothetical trip into heaven, before the creation. From bits and pieces taken from the Bible we can draw certain conclusions. Of course it will be a picture drawn in shades, where the brightness of heaven's true colors are dulled by our mortal eyes, and the glory and holiness cannot be seen or felt in all their splendor.
So up into heaven we go. The time? Before the creation of the heavens and earth.
What we see no man can describe even if given the full power of human words. Perfection, heavenly perfection lies before us, its own shapes and sizes, its appearance, its majesty touching our most inner soul and spirit. As mortals we can now better understand and feel our mortality. A fallen spirit and a feeling of unworthiness overwhelm us. We are without words to describe heaven's grandeur, taken in by the fullness of the beauty that stands before us.
Suddenly a Seraphem having a live coal in his hand touches our lips as to purge them of the foulness that would come forth from them.
We see many creatures: Seraphim, Cherubim, arch-angels, angels, creatures having two wings, some four, others six, others without.
One creature's appearance is that of burning coals of fire with four faces, and four wings. His feet were those of a calf, the color of his feet were of red hot brass. He has the hands of a man under his wings. The appearance of his four faces were, a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.
Our eyes look in amazement at the magnificent, dazzling structure of the temple. We understand and feel in the inner most depths of our body, soul ,and spirit, that nothing unholy can be found in this place. The walls are of gold, adorned by precious stones within, with gates about the walls. We see two courts with no walls separating them. Stairs are leading to the upper chambers. We proceed to the chambers and see the Holy place, the most Holy of Holies, God's throne.
Solomon's temple with all its glory and splendor was but a dull shadow cast by the heavenly temple. The magnificence of this heavenly temple is overwhelming in our sight.
From the most Holy of Holies, comes a brilliant light, thunderings, lightnings and the sound of many voices echoing forth. Its appearance is likened unto a brilliant sapphire.
Before the throne are 24 seats, on what appeared to be a sea of glass like crystal. Ministering above the throne are six winged creatures. Four beasts stand before the throne, beasts who were full of eyes. Each of the four was different. One was like a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had the face of a man, and the fourth was like an eagle. Each had six wings, were full of eyes within, and they singing and praised the One sitting on the throne. These cease not day or night, saying "Holy holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." This is the song of angels worshiping God.
Before the throne are the seven Spirits of God, appearing as lamps of fire, with seven eyes, having seven horns.
These visions shake us to the very soles of our feet, and to the most inner parts of our being. Our knees begin to tremble, our strength leaves our mortal bodies.
Upon the throne one sat, whose appearance was that of precious stones, jasper, sardine stone, with a rainbow round about, it shines as an emerald. He was called the Ancient of days. His garment was white as snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool. This is God the Father.
Beside this throne was another throne. Brightness was all about, radiating from within. The glory of the Son was shining as a brilliant light. His appearance was that of, "The Son of man." He was clothed with a garment down to his feet, girded on His chest was a golden band. His head and his hairs were white like wool, and His eyes were as a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass which burned in a furnace, and His voice was as the sound of great running waters. This was the Son of God, whose appearance was that of a man,
He was, Heb.1:3, "The brightness of His (the Father's) glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power." In all things He was as the Father, having all power and glory given Him.
Our description of our Lord's appearance as a man, can be read in Ezekiel 1:26-27. Dan.3:25, 7:13, Rev.1:13-14-15. Ezekiel's vision of the one sitting on the throne in heaven was that of a MAN, whose appearance was of fire. John's vision was similar. Not a man of flesh, but as the Son of God who is Spirit. He had a face, a mouth to speak, chest, arms, hands, belly, hips ,thighs, legs, and feet. This was the Son of God in heaven, in the fulness of His glory, before the creation.
When God created man, He created him in His image and likeness. Gen.1:26.
Jesus uses the phrase, "Son of man," many times in the N.T., concerning Himself.
John 17:5, Jesus said to His Father, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
Jesus was the Christ, a man of flesh, yet God. He prays the Father to glorify Him again as He was BEFORE His descent to the earth.
As the Son of man He came from heaven, and as the Son of man He ascends once more back into heaven.
John 3:13, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
As the Son of man, Jesus said,
1. Matt.9:6, "the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." He was God, we understand that only God can forgive sin.
2. Matt.12:8, "The Son of man is Lord" For He is Lord of lords.
Spoken of Christ as the Supreme Lord and sovereign of the universe, usually in Sept. and Heb. "Jehovah." With the definite article, "The Lord," Without the definite article, "Lord." He is also called, "the Almighty." With the adjuncts, without the article, as Matt.4:7-10, "the Lord thy God." Matt.22:37. Luke 1:16. Sept. "the LORD God," Isa.25:8. Ez.4:14. Rom.9:29, "Lord of Sabbath." James 5:4. Sept. and Heb. "LORD of Hosts," 1 Sam.15:2. Isa.1:9. 2 Cor.6:18, "the Lord Almighty." and, "Lord God Almighty," Rev.4:8, 11:17. Sept. 2 Sam.7:8. Nah.2:13.
"Lord of lords," 1 Tim.6:15, comp. in, "Acts 17:24, "Lord of heaven and earth," and so applied also to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Matt.11:25, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Luke 10:21. Comp. Heb. "LORD God of heaven," Sept. 2 Chro.36:23. Ezra 1:2. Neh.1:5.
3. Matt.12:8, "The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day." He who created the Sabbath is Lord of the Sabbath, therefore the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.
4. Matt.13:37, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man."
5. Matt.16:13, "Jesus -- saying, But whom say that I the Son of man am?" Some of His apostles had beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father.
6. Matt.16:27-28, "For the Son of man shall come in (the) glory of His Father with His angels."
7. Matt.16:28, "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom." Not yet resurrected to glory, He showed His glory on the Mt of transfiguration, as the Son of man who came down from heaven.
8. Matt.24:27, "As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
9. Matt.24:30, "Then shall appear the sigh of the Son of man in heaven."
10. Matt.26:64, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." "Glorify thou me -- with the glory which I had with thee BEFORE THE WORLD WAS."
11. Mark 10:45, "the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." From heaven He came forth to minister the saving grace of God to all mankind.
12. Mark 13:26, "then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Returning again to the earth with all power and glory.
13. Mark 13:34, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man His work, and commanded the porter to watch." From whence He came, only to return again.
14. Mark 14:62, "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds." Announcing the Son of man to be the great, "I Am."
15. Luke 9:56, "The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." As the Son of man, He came to seek and to save the lost.
16. Luke 17:30, "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Revealed in all His glory.
17. Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
20. Luke 21:36, "To stand before the Son of man." We shall all stand before the Son of man.
21. John 3:13, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
22. John 6:62, Jesus said, "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was BEFORE?"
23. Acts 7:56, "He (Stephen) said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Standing to receive His own.
24. Rev.1:13, "In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man."
25. Rev.14:14, "I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown."
His origin is from above. He is not of the earth (earthly.) He is from heaven, The Only Begotton Son of the Father. His human flesh form was only one aspect of his true identity.
He walked in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Me-shach, and A-bed-ne-go. King Nebuchadnezzar rose in astonishment and said, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He -- said, Lo, I see four MEN loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
What Nebuchadnezzar saw in the furnace was a forth MAN from whom a brightness shown that made the flames of the fire appear to be small flickers of flame. This truly was the Son of God.
In Gen.3:8, We read that God was "walking in the garden in the cool of the day." Adam and Eve heard the voice of the God, and they hid themselves from His presence.
You may draw your own conclusions. I enjoyed gathering the information for this study. I believe that the image of our Lord in heaven, before the creation was that of a man. As all spirit creatures have an image, so also did our Creator. Upon His descent from heaven, He veiled His true nature with the flesh of man. In so doing, He revealed His spirit form, with His true character, power and glory showing forth.
As for man, his real being, his soul and spirit, are veiled by the external flesh. The flesh shall return to the dust of the ground, but our soul and spirit shall be with the Lord. Then shall we be raised unto glory. Then shall our vile bodies take on immortality. Then shall we be with the Lord forever. Man created in the image and likeness of the Son of man from heaven, this to the glory of the Father.
Thank you,
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com