Our calling as the Body of Christ and the people of God is to recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God in the way He reveals Himself to us. Sometimes, due to challenging circumstances or difficult situations in life, we are unable to recognize Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the way He is present to give us inner peace (cf. Luke 19:41-42a).
Luke 19:41-42a:
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42a and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – …
Leah’s statement regarding her firstborn son Reuben — ‘See, a son!’— makes it clear that she associated ‘seeing’ with God’s perspective, who saw her distress (cf. Genesis 29:32).
Genesis 29:32:
32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, ‘It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.’
The Hebrew word used here for ‘misery’— עֳנִי (’ŏnî) — can also be translated as ‘depression, distress, or oppression.’ (Note: definition taken from Strong’s Concordance with the word key number: H6040)
Furthermore, it is a promise from God for us to enter divine rest, which is accompanied, among other things, by the manifestation of blessings (cf. Hebrews 4:1.9).
Hebrews 4:1.9:
1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. …
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; …
Responding to the Spirit of Prophecy and the Water
Since spiritual ‘seeing’ is connected to the prophetic, it is essential that we, as the people of God, respond sensitively to the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus (cf. Revelation 19:10e).
Revelation 19:10e:
‘… 10e For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.’
In this context, the prophetic dynamic associated with the office of the prophet takes on special significance.
John 1:29 ff. states that John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and, as a result, spoke a prophetic proclamation —based on revelatory insight— to the people who were with him in the wilderness. In doing so, he made it clear that Jesus was not yet known to him in all details, but that God had previously spoken to him about His Son Jesus and had revealed to him the supernatural sign of confirmation. This sign was the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove and remaining upon Him as a sign that He would be endowed with greater spiritual power— namely, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
John 1:29-34:
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”
31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’
32 Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”
34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One. [Note: the Son of God]’
In this context, the geographical location and the waters of the Jordan River played an important role.
The Jordan River is associated with the entry of the people of Israel into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Jesus, too, entered the waters of the Jordan to be revealed as the fulfillment of the Father’s promise to John the Baptist, the prophet, and to the people present (cf. Joshua 3:17 i.c.w. Matthew 3:16-17).
Joshua 3:17:
17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Matthew 3:16-17:
16 As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’
Growing Revelation and the Son of God
The growing revelation concerning Jesus Christ as the Son of God is evident in the following sequence according to the Word of God:
- the preparation through the prophet’s revelatory announcement to the people (cf. John 1:30),
- Jesus’ approach to the prophet (cf. John 1:29a),
- the prophet’s recognition of Jesus Christ as the eternal Lamb of God (cf. John 1:29b-30),
- the prophet’s confession regarding the supernatural mystery of Jesus’ presence (cf. John 1:31),
- God’s revelatory instruction to the prophet in the form of the foretold sign confirming and commissioning His Son, Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:32-34).
As already mentioned, the presence of flowing water —in the form of the Jordan River—takes on special significance here.
After Jesus encountered the water of the Jordan in the presence of the prophet John the Baptist, the heavens were torn open, so that the supernatural presence and movement of the Holy Spirit manifested itself in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Heavenly Father then resounded.
It reveals that John the Baptist’s proclamation as a prophet went hand in hand with the presence of the rushing waters of the Jordan. This led the people to take notice of Jesus and followed Him (cf. John 1:35-37).
John 1:35-37:
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
It is evident that other followers of the prophet were among John’s disciples, who later joined Jesus as His disciples.
The Sound of Many Waters and the Voice of the LORD
As we know in the Word of God it states that the voice of the Almighty and of the Son of God is like the sound of many waters (cf. Ezekiel 1:24a i.c.w. Revelation 1:15b).
Ezekiel 1:24a:
24a When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty [Note: Shaddai], …
Revelation 1:15b:
…, 15b and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
This means for us that prophetic communication, in the form of the testimony of Jesus, creates a realm of revelation in which we recognize Jesus Christ as He reveals Himself in the moment. We may allow the Holy Spirit to flood our vision with the light of God’s revelation in the form of His eyes, which are full of light (cf. Luke 11:34a i.c.w. 1 John 1:5).
Luke 11:34a:
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, [Note: generous] your whole body also is full of light. …
1 John 1:5:
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
This perspective, which we allow to be flooded with the light of His revelation, leads us deeper into our relationship with Christ.
The Eyes of the Heart and the Respective Eye Sockets
From which eye socket do we look with the eyes of our heart in the form of wisdom and revelation (cf. Ephesians 1:17-18)?
Ephesians 1:17-18:
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, …
We can look out from the region of the seven eyes of the precious cornerstone —or keystone— the Lamb of God, the eyes of the wheels, or even from the region of the eyes of the four living creatures (cf. Zechariah 3:9; Zechariah 4:10; Revelation 5:6; Ezekiel 1:18; Ezekiel 10:12; Revelation 4:8).
Zechariah 3:9:
9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes [Note: facets] on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
Zechariah 4:10:
10 ‘Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone [Note: the plimb-line] in the hand of Zerubbabel?’
Revelation 5:6:
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Ezekiel 1:18:
18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
Ezekiel 10:12:
12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.
Revelation 4:8:
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all round, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘ “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” who was, and is, and is to come.’
The position of the eyes defines the light of revelatory knowledge, which enables us to see the truth that is still unknown to us—the truth in which the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of Truth, desires to instruct us, so that the unknown truth becomes revelatory truth to us.
In addition, this may involve, among other things, recognizing the truth about God’s movement such as works represented by hands, walking represented by feet, faith represented by wings and His respective characteristics (Note: lion, bull, man, flying eagle).
When we are at this deeper level, it is essential for us to know the name of God, which means having an honorable, intimate relationship with Him and this also implies supernatural protection, so that we may enjoy life with Him in this season and come to know Jesus more and more (cf. Psalm 91:14.16 i.c.w. Ephesians 3:19; Colossians 2:2).
Psalm 91:14.16:
14 ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. …
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation [Note: Heb. ישועה – jĕšǔ’āh].’
Ephesians 3:19:
… 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Colossians 2:2:
2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, …
May we, as the people of God in this era, come to know Jesus Christ, the Son of the Heavenly Father, in the way the Father desires to reveal Him to us through His Spirit in this time, and vice versa, so that we may walk with confident steps along the path of the revelatory truth in Christ (cf. Matthew 11:27).
Matthew 11:27:
27 ‘All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows the Son except the Father, and no-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. …’
Our prayer is that, as disciples of Jesus, we may have a deep longing for Christ and, as a result, grow in the love that has been given to us because God sees us as we are in everything.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
