Glimpses of Heaven

“Behold, you are beautiful, my Beloved, yea, pleasant. Also our bed is green.” (Song of Solomen 1:16)

This Scripture from the Song of Solomen, as has been discussed before is cannon, meaning that it’s accepted as inspired by the Holy Spirit and included in the books of the Bible. This poem which Solomen wrote about the love between a bride and bridegroom can be metaphorically interpreted as the love between the church and Jesus.

There are various popular songs that have been written about the beauty of Jesus. His love is unconditional. His mercy everlasting. His sacrifice so holy. He is worthy of all worship and praise. The Father has given all to Jesus. He is King over all. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:35) As the bridegroom He has courted us. He has given us His best and His all. He has given up His life for us. The redeemed know Him as beautiful.

We tend to think of Jesus as He’s been painted by different artists. And many who have described seeing Him, have seen Him as He has been painted. But in reality, Jesus does not look like that. And even if we had seen Him back when He walked the earth, He does not look like that anymore. What does Jesus look like?

When Jesus appeared to John, he recorded His appearance. “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like a flame of fire. And His feet were like burnished brass having been fired in a furnace. And His voice was like the sound of many waters.” (Revelation 1:14-15) Jesus doesn’t have brown or dark hair. His hair is white. There is an intensity in His gaze. John describes it as a flame of fire. Daniel also describes His eyes in the same way. “...then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man was clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like the beryl, and his face looked like lightning. And his eyes were like lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet in color were like polished bronze, and the voice of his words like the sound of a multitude.” (Daniel 10:5-6) They both describe His skin color. He is dark “like polished bronze” says Daniel and “like burnished brass” writes John. But even if He looks nothing like we picture Him, we will know Who He is. We will know it in the spirit.

Ezekiel had a similar vision. “And I saw Him looking like the color of polished bronze, looking like fire all around within it. From the likeness of His loins even upward, and from the likeness of His loins even downward, I saw Him, looking like fire, and it had brightness all around. As the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain looks, so the brightness all around looked. This was how the likeness of the glory of Jehovah looked. And I saw. And I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.” (Ezekiel 1:27-28) It makes me wonder how different heaven is from what I think it is. It is so different from earth. But we will be so comfortable and at peace there. We will be home.

The bride (the church) calls Him beautiful, Beloved and pleasant. “...yea pleasant...” means “and more over” delightful, enjoyable, pleasing, charming and agreeable. And such is the presence of Jesus in the church. When His manifest presence is evident, It is so pleasant, we don’t want Him to leave. It’s more than a feeling. It’s a kindred perception or discernment, much like when you have a love and he/she has to depart.  Of course, spiritually, Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit who indwells. But His manifest presence is perceived with our natural senses.

Solomon writes “...our bed is green...” The place of rest is with Jesus. Our love is like the green pasture that David wrote about. It’s a tender place, a soft pleasant place. It’s like our home in eternity where there is an eternal rest with Jesus. It’s a place of protection. In chapter 3, we find that Solomon’s poem is about him and the Shulamite bride. “Behold his bed, Solomon's! Sixty mighty men are around it, of Israel's mighty men.” (Song of Solomon 3:7) While the bride describes her moments with the bridegroom and their time together, we get a glimpse of the church in the presence of Jesus in eternity in eternal rest and protection, surrounded by ministering angels. “But to which of the angels, did He say at any time, "Sit on My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?" Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14)

There, in the eternal presence of Jesus, we will be complete and whole more that we think we are here on earth. We will not miss our earth bodies that held us bound to the gravity of earth. And like in a marriage there is a consummation of the couple’s love. In eternity there is a consummation of God’s plan. It is fulfilled and completed. God’s purposes are fulfilled, creation is restored, and His people are fully reconciled to Him. Jesus has restored all thing under His feet. “For He put all things under His feet. But when He says that all things have been put under His feet, it is plain that it excepts Him who has put all things under Him. But when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subject to Him who has subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all things in all.” (1Corinthians 15:27-28) And then Jesus will give the Father all things. There are so many questions about this. But like other things in the Bible, we accept these things we don’t understand. We will understand them in eternity.

In conclusion, we see how the Lord has provided us glimpses of heaven and of eternity through the prophetic in the writings of many and the poem Solomen wrote about his love and his marriage to the Shulamite bride. We get a glimpse at how different Jesus looks in His glory. The Lord has made it all known to us. He doesn’t keep anything from His children. We just have to ponder (meditate) on what He says in His Word.

Let us pray:

Father God, when I contemplate on the prophetic words of Solomen and other writers, help me to dwell there in my imagination. I know that what I imagine doesn’t even come close to the wonders You have prepared for me. I know that I cannot imagine the beauty, the complete peace and rest that is waiting there for me. Thank You Lord because You have prepared all things to receive Your children to their eternal home. And it is beautiful because You Lord are there. Your light shines brighter than any light on earth. Your love of which I only know in part exudes throughout eternity without any obstruction, without any hinderance of the world and of my flesh. Thank You my Lord for revealing Your kingdom through Your Word. You want me know about it. Help me to seek Your Word and to meditate on it so I can hear what You are telling me. Help me to find the treasures You have hid from the world in Your Word. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.