Page 384 - In Heavenly Places (1967)

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Glories of the Future World, December 25
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor
perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Isaiah 64:4
.
Many have longed to penetrate into the glories of the future world and
to have the secrets of eternal mysteries disclosed to them, but they knock
in vain. That which is revealed is for us and for our children.... The Great
Revealer hath opened to our intelligence many things that are essential in
order that we may understand the heavenly attractions and have respect to
the recompense of the reward....
The unfoldings of Jesus in reference to heavenly things are of a char-
acter that only the spiritual mind can appreciate. The imagination may
summon its utmost powers in order to picture the glories of heaven, but
“eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (
1
Corinthians 2:9
). The heavenly intelligences are all around us.... Angels
of light create a heavenly atmosphere about the soul, lifting us toward
the unseen and eternal. We cannot behold their forms with our natural
sight; only by the spiritual vision can we discern heavenly things. Our
human powers would be extinguished by the inexpressible glory of the
angels of light. The spiritual ear alone can distinguish the harmony of
heavenly voices. It is not Christ’s plan to excite the emotions by brilliant
descriptions.... He has with sufficient distinctness presented Himself, the
way, the truth, and the life, as the only means whereby salvation is to be
obtained. No more than this is really required.
He might bring the human soul to the threshold of heaven, and through
the open door show us its inner glory flooding the heavenly sanctuary and
shining out through its portals; but we must behold it by faith, not with the
natural eyes. He does not forget that we are His human agents, to work
the works of God in a world all seared and marred with the curse. It is
in this world, that is clothed with moral darkness like the pall of death,
where darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, that we
are to walk in the light of heaven.
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