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The Glories of the Heavenly World, November 20
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 character
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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