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Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
- 1 John 3.2
For if the eminence of the Divine Essence surpasses the purest power of angelic contemplation, how will the happiness of human nature be able to contemplate the Divine Essence?
- Eriugena, Periphyseon, Irish, 9th century
The Apostle Paul said that the glory of God may be known in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4.6). How can we have access to this Divine Essence, the face of Jesus Christ?
There are descriptions in the Scriptures, notably in Revelation 1, but those are strictly second-hand (but significant). We cannot see the actual face of Jesus now, because we could not bear to see it. The beauty, grandeur, power, and brilliance of the glory-filled face of Jesus would wilt us, so sinful are we in so many ways.
But a day is coming, John reminds us, when we will see Him as He is, behold the Divine Essence directly, see Him face to face, and not have to fear annihilation because we shall be like Him.
We cannot bear to look on Him now because He is too glorious, but a day is coming when we shall be like Him, perfectly and wholly refracting His glory according to own unique essences, and then we may look on Him without fear.
Indeed, in that day He will be the light of all creation, and we will dwell forever in that light, full of joy and praise.
So, although we may not look upon Him now, let it suffice for us to turn the eye of faith on our exalted Lord and King, being guided by His Word to as true a contemplation as we can know in this life, one which will prepare us with great joy and anticipation for our face-to-face meeting with Jesus one day soon.
Kingdom-come, fullness of joy awaits us in the face of our exalted King, basking in the Divine Essence and glory.
Oh, friends, make time for such joy, won’t you?
Psalm 17.15 (Park Street: “All You Who Fear Jehovah’s Name”)
But as for me, Lord, save and bless! Let me behold Your righteousness.
Your face in glory I would see, and thus forever blessèd be,
And thus forever blessèd be!
Teach me how, O Lord, to look upon You with the eye of faith. Make me willing to take the time and make the effort to see you now, and to long for the day when I will see you perfectly.
Three - OK, Four - Opportunities for You
Here are three - and possibly four - opportunities for you, the members of The Ailbe Community, to begin looking on the face of Jesus as part of your daily walk with Him. First, we are offering the free PDF download, Glorious Vision: 28 Days in the Throne Room of the Lord, for the asking. Here are 28 days of deep meditation on Psalm 45 and the hymn, "Fairest Lord Jesus." All you have to do is write me and request it. Second, we will release in November latest book, The Landscape of Unseen Things. These 24 studies into the breadth and scope of the unseen realm will take you through Scripture in ways you've never been before, "seeing" things you've known before, but now seeing them more clearly. Free for your gift of any amount to The Fellowship of Ailbe (use the donate button here or at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452). Finally, you an order a copy of Be Thou My Vision. This 28-day series of meditations includes today's Crosfigell and others like designed to help you begin focusing more clearly and consistently on the vision of Jesus Christ. Fourth: Many of you have already requested and begun using Glorious Vision. These meditations end with seven questions designed to bring your focus together more sharply on the unseen things of Christ. We'd like to convene an online Gathering of The Ailbe Community to talk about these questions and our experience seeking the face of Jesus. We're looking at the third week of November, so if you're interested and think you might attend, please send me an email. I'll put you on the list. We only have 25 spaces in our online room, and attendance is free, so if you want to come, let me know.
T. M. Moore, Principal
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