November 19, 2004

THE BEAUTIFUL KING

"Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar" (Isaiah 33:17, NIV).

The prophet Isaiah describes with eloquence the infinite beauty of the promised land. He speaks of it as a land that flourishes with an abundance of good things, spiritual as well as material. It is a land of fertile fields and bountiful harvests (see Isaiah 30:23; 33:21), a land of unspoiled beauty and undisturbed tranquility, a land free from every trace of infirmity or pain (see verse 24). The metropolis of the New Earth is a city of matchless splendor and indescribable beauty (see Psalm 48:2).

Transcending all the beauty and perfection of the New Earth, however, is Isaiah's description of Jesus. With confidence, he assures the redeemed, "Your eyes will see the king in his beauty" (verse 17, NIV). The greatest joy of the coming new world will be the presence of our beautiful king. I will never forget the day when, as a youngster, I had the indescribable ecstasy of seeing Queen Elizabeth II from close range. The excitement was impossible to contain. That's all I could talk about to my friends for months thereafter.

How much more joyous it will be to see King Jesus face to face. After all, that's what heaven is all about--seeing our Saviour-King in all His glory and beauty. By His divine grace, one day soon, our "eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar" (verse 17, NIV). The faraway land will at last become a positive reality. That will be joy, but the greatest joy will be seeing our king in all His beauty. That will be the greatest privilege of all! "There, as children of the heavenly King, we shall ever dwell with the members of the royal family; there we shall see the King in His beauty, and behold His matchless charms."--In Heavenly Places, p. 365.

My Prayer Today: Lord, how I long for that day when my eyes will see the king in His beauty and I will dwell with Him in the promised land! Amen.