A Divine Contrast

     If you are like me (hopefully, you are not), you probably never cease to be amazed at just how easy it is, even though you are staring directly at the obvious, to miss it and to, thereby, miss some of the most panoramic and glorious pictures the Scriptures provide. I do not know whether it has to do with my tunnel vision, my myopia, my presbyopia, or my hyperopia; all I know is this: I miss more than I see, even when what I am missing is more obvious than the nose on your face.
     For example, I have been studying the Scriptures for more years than I care to mention; however, until this morning, I had never connected the contrasting messages of Isaiah 53 and Revelation 1. Yes, I know that you probably made this connection long ago but not me. Who knows why? I am just very thankful that the Holy Spirit opened my eyes (did that new fangled surgery—LASIK, I think it is called) and allowed me to see clearly what I had missed!
     Listen to these words: For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before it shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. (Isaiah 53:2-8a).
     Now listen to these words: Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “ Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw the seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire: and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feel as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Revelation 1:7-18).
     You see, on the one hand we see this Suffering Servant, who comes as a tender shoot (as a root) out of the parched ground, who comes presenting Himself as one having no stately form or majesty, one so unattractive that we turn our face from Him, having no desire to take even a second look at Him—stricken, smitten, pierced-through, despised, forsaken, grief-stricken, crushed, scourged, oppressed, afflicted—a man of sorrows; albeit, one in whose hand the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper. When Israel saw Him, she despised Him and rejected Him—completely forsaking Him.
     On the other hand, we see this Alpha and Omega, who comes with the clouds, who comes in such a manner that every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. He comes presenting Himself as a son of man, centered amongst seven golden lampstands and holding seven stars in His right hand; as one whose hair is white like white wool, like snow; as one whose eyes are like a flame of fire; as one whose feet are like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace; as one whose voice is like the sound of many waters; and as one whose face shines like the sun shining in its strength! When John saw Him, he fell at His feet as a dead man in act of worship that has never before or since been equaled.
     In these two contrasting pictures, I sense the aroma of the two contrasting covenants—The Old Covenant and The New Covenant. Sadly, most believers have yet to realize that this guarantee of Jesus’ return for His Bride is our guarantee that the covenant of grace supersedes the covenant of law. He is no longer the stricken, smitten, pierced-through, despised, forsaken, grief-stricken, crushed, scourged, oppressed, afflicted, man of sorrows; instead, He is the reigning King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who has finished His work and sat down at the right hand of His Father, waiting on His signal to return and take His Bride Home. There is no wonder that, when John say Him, he fell as His feet as a dead man! But how thankful I am for the grand finale: He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of hell (Revelation 1:17b-18).     

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities;
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle
(Psalm 103:1-5).

     Just thought I would try to show you what I think He showed me, and I really do hope you can see it!