High and lifted up

High and lifted up

We see many pictures in the Scripture showing our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as the exalted One. He alone is worthy of our praises and deserves all glory. Glory we receive is from Him, bestowed in mercy and grace. These specific visions are particularly wonderful. This is a sketchy outline of some of them, with some personal thoughts. We lift high our Lord Jesus, since he alone deserves all our praise.

Vision 1

“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.”

Isaiah 6:1

This vision of the Lord Jesus is very, very striking. He is high and lifted up and fills the area of the whole temple. The Lamb that was since slain, is now the exalted one, and fills heaven in every way. He is heavens king and the creator of the ends of the earth. The king Uzziah, who was a good king and loved God, had just died, but Isaiah receives a vision that blesses him. He sees the Lord. He sees who the Lord is in the vision and understands that no matter what happens, God is in control.

“One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”

Isaiah 6:3-7

Isaiah and his words are purified by God from the altar of God. Isaiah is made aware of his sinfulness, and this is a common outcome from visions. When we see the glory of God, and the holiness that attend Him, we can overcome with the sense of our sinfulness and unworthiness. No one can stand before the Holy God… God lifts Isaiah up and gives him a message. Once purified, Isaiah is able to speak the words of God to others. this is always the way. The vessel must be purified before the message is given and given out. Isaiah as so afraid, yet glad his sin was forgiven. This is what gives us confidence before God.

Vision 2

“God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.”

Hebrews 1:1-4

This vision exalts Christ as the glory of the Father in heaven, and the one who uphold everything simply by the power of His word. He is the righteous One and the only Saviour of the world. Only He can forgive us, for He alone is the atonement for our sins. Jesus radiates the glory of the Father, in His humility and grace. We can see it as we read the Scripture, especially the eye-witness accounts of Jesus in the New Testament. The person of Jesus is the exact image of the substance of God. When we see Jesus, we see God. Jesus sits at the right hand of God, which is His right and designated position. He is the most excellent One, the one far above all angels and people, the ruler for he Universe, heaven and eternity. His name is peerless… Jesus, Christ, Son of God, Lord and Saviour.

Vision 3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.”

John 1:1-5

These most precious of words and written by God, through the disciple John, show a different perspective on the vision of Jesus. He is the eternal Word. He speaks and it happens. He speaks worlds into being and souls into everlasting life. Jesus the Christ is God, is with God and alway has been God. He was there at the beginning of time and made all things that exist in our world and beyond. He speaks and it comes into being, we come into being. His Word is true because He is truth.

He is the Creator, because he made it all. He is God, because He has always been and always will be. He is our light, our only light in a dark world. John could see this and love Jesus with everything he had. He was given this vision, as a gift to share with us.

Vision 4

“Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.”

Daniel 10:5-9

This vision is about service and glory. It is given as encouragement to Daniel who is completely overcome by his Lord and God. The vision of the Man shows Him robed in white for purity and the gold of Lordship. He is the Lord of all things, Jesus Christ the righteous One. His eyes see purity and are flames of fire. The person of the Spirit rages within and sees all things as they really are. His body is sea and sky coloured. All things were made by Christ and belong to Him. He is far above all earthly considerations and far higher than sky or deeper than sea. Beryl is a precious stone and denotes the preciousness of Christ to the believer.

His voice is huge and sound like many voices, many voices as the Scripture is written in many voices. The voices cause Daniel to fall into a deep sleep with his face to the ground. Daniel is contrite and overcome by the presence and power of the Lord Christ. The Man reaches down and touches Daniel and tells him he is greatly Beloved. The Man has been “sent to you” because Daniel has longed for God right from the start. Daniel has humbled himself, and has set his heart to understand the things of God, and so now God has come to him.

“Then there touched me again one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid: peace be to you, be strong, yes, be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me.”

Daniel 10:18-19

Daniel cannot speak or breathe unless he is given the strength to do so by his Lord. Daniel must be strong to bear the vision and the message that is being given. Daniel is encouraged and strengthened in his weak human state, he is made strong in the Lord his God. He is strengthened by the Lord an enabled to then speak. We have this vision by the mercy of God and the contrition of Daniel. This is God’s way of doing things.

Vision 5

“I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.”

Revelation 1:12-16

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”

Revelation 1:17-18

This vision of Christ in Revelation, is given to John the disciple. It is very exalted and a striking picture of the Lord Jesus, as He stands over His church and judges their work and devotion to Him. The robe and the sash are majestic, and single Him out for glory. Christ’s love for His people is denoted by the belt around His breast, the place of comfort and blessing, that guards the loving heart, that would break out of its bonds of the body.

He radiates glory, through white head and hair, and eyes that see all things, like flames of fire. His Holy Spirit searches out everything, even the hearts of people, to know their intentions and attitudes. This we see as Jesus judges the churches. His feet are pure, as all His ways are pure and as He lived in perfect righteousness on a sinful earth. The Word of God, in the form of a sharp sword, comes from His mouth. He holds the keys of death and hell. He is the all-powerful One and rules all.

These visions are all about Jesus. He is the only one worth talking about. We look to Him and speak of Him when we are able. To talk about ourselves or some “worthy” person in fine, but when we talk about Christ, His name is exalted, as it is in heaven.

“Jesus the name high over all, in hell or earth or sky. Angels and men before it fall and devils fear and fly. Jesus name to sinners dear, the name to sinners given. It scatters all their guilty fear, it turns their hell to heaven, it turns their hell to heaven. (Charles Wesley 1707)