In this blog, I provide encouragement and biblical teaching on the glory, majesty, and power of our Lord Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness.
As the Scripture says:
"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves." (Mal 4:2)
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 Jn 1:5)
Some of the topics covered include the deity of Jesus, the supremacy of Christ, the Lordship of Christ, the ongoing earthly ministry of Jesus, His ascension, the name of Jesus, the Refiner's Fire, and the bodily form of the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope this will be an edifying and encouraging experience for you that will help you to grow in your walk with the Lord.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
Over the years, the Lord has given me insights into his glory and what that means. This study is a compilation of those insights. In it I seek to answer questions about the glory of God. What is glory? Is it visible or is it a moral attribute? How does man give glory to God? How does God give glory to man? What is the relationship between glory and character? And what is the relationship between the kingdom of God and the glory of God? Is the glory of God something that we can experience now or is it strictly a future expectation? And finally, what is the relationship between light, darkness, and glory?
The Radiance of God's Glory
First, I’ll address the question, “Is glory visible or is it a moral attribute?”
“When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands he was not aware that his face was radiant, because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.”
“When Moses was finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with Him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.” (Ex. 34: 29-35).
From this passage, it is abundantly clear that the glory of God on Moses was visible; it was not merely a spiritual or moral characteristic. His face was radiant. This means that there was a shining or a glow about it. We also observe a cause and effect relationship here. Whenever Moses would spend time in the Lord’s presence and speak with the Lord, this glory would appear on his face. We also know that this was limited to Moses at that time, as it did not happen to all the Israelites. It was so unusual that everyone else who saw him was afraid of the bright glow on his face. That’s why he covered up his face with a veil.
But now under the New Covenant, this is not limited to one man. All believers have access to his presence, and the Lord’s glory is now reflected on the faces of all who know Him. In fact, this glory is even more glorious than what Moses experienced. Paul spoke of this to the Corinthians.
“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness?” (2 Cor 3:7-9)
“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away…But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:12-14, 16-18).
Stephen is a New Testament example of someone on whose face the glory of God was visible. “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Ac 6:15)
When we spend time in the Lord’s presence, praying, meditating on the Word, worshipping, and adoring Him, our faces reflect His glory in a greater way than even Moses ever did. At the same time, we are being transformed into His likeness. As we are transformed in this way, the glory that radiates from our faces is always increasing.
Jesus Glorified the Father
Glory is something that may be given to another. Jesus said to the Father in prayer, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (Jn 17:4). This prayer was about glorifying God. How do we glorify God? Put differently, how do we give God glory? In this statement, Jesus teaches us that the way He brought glory to the Father was by completing the work the Father gave Him to do.
Just as Jesus did, we too bring glory to the Father on earth by completing the good works He has given each of us to do. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:14,16). When people see our good deeds and praise God in heaven, it glorifies Him. God is glorified by our obedience to Him.
The Father Glorified Jesus
After Jesus prayed about glorifying the Father, He prayed that the Father would glorify Him. “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (Jn 17:5). This is significant, because it shows us that there are two distinct but related things happening here. Certainly Jesus glorified the Father during his life on earth. Yet the Father glorifying Jesus was something else.
For the Father to glorify Jesus meant for Him to give Jesus the glory He had before the world began. The “glory” Jesus “had with the Father before the world began” was something Jesus divested himself of when He came into the world in human likeness. This was the "kenosis" Paul referred to. He emptied Himself and “made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant…being found in appearance as a man.” (Phil 2:7,8).
Jesus Glorified His Disciples
The Father did give Jesus glory, and Jesus in turn gave that glory to His disciples. Speaking to the Father in prayer regarding His disciples, Jesus said, “I have given them the glory that you gave me” (Jn. 17:22).
This has application for us today. We know that Jesus has given us (as disciples) the glory the Father gave Him. We “all reflect the Lord’s glory” and we are “being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18).
So it is true that we all reflect the glory of the glorious Lord. We reflect the glory we have been given. How do we reflect that glory? We do so with “unveiled faces” ( 2 Cor 3:18). Just as the glory of God was reflected in the face of Moses, so the glory of God is also reflected in our faces. Just as it was with Moses, that glory is seen as a certain radiance about us. “We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.” (2 Cor 3:13).
Also, whereas the glorious radiance on the face of Moses was such that it faded away, the glory we have been given is an ever-increasing glory (2 Cor 3:10). It is shining ever brighter until the fullness (Prov 4:18). It surpasses the glory given to Moses. This is both a greater glory and a lasting glory! “How much greater is the glory which lasts!” (2 Cor 3:11).
The Relationship Between Glory and Character
According to Webster’s Dictionary, character is “the combination of emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities that distinguish one person or group from another.” While there can be no glory without a godly character, the glory of God is not the character of God. It is rather the effulgence of light that comes from His presence.
For us who are still earth-bound, the glory of God is not something we currently display in its fullness, although God is glorified through our lives (as when men see our good works and glorify God in heaven). While we do have glory in part now, our final glorified state is yet future.
The apostle Peter said, “I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who will share in the glory to be revealed.” (1 Pet 5:1). Peter spoke of his sharing in the glory as something yet future that would eventually be revealed. As an elder, Peter was a man who displayed godly character. We can clearly see that in the book of Acts in the first 10 chapters. Yet he spoke in the future tense of sharing in the glory to be revealed.
Peter also spoke of the Spirit of God as the Spirit of Glory, saying, “The Spirit of glory…rests on you.” (1 Pet 4:14). So we see that this glorious Spirit already rests upon us presently. Yet there is an aspect that is yet future. What is it?
Paul said, “When Christ, who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory” (Col 3:4). From this we see that Christ will appear one day in the glory of the Father and His angels. When that occurs, then we who believe in Christ will appear with Him in glory. This is not a present state, but a very specific reference to a future event.
Paul also referred to “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Christ in us presently is the hope of a glory that is yet future. If we already radiated glory in its fullness, then we would not hope for it. Who hopes for something he already has? But we hope for what we do not yet have.
While our final glorified state is yet future, Paul indicated that we do presently reflect the Lord’s glory in part. He said that our transformation into Christ’s likeness is happening in such a way that causes us to increasingly reflect His glory more and more. “We who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18).
Paul said that if the Lord knew us before we were born, He predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. And if He predestined us, He also called us by name to serve Him. If He called us, He also justified us. “Those he justified he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30). This is an amazing thing that we have been given in Christ by God. But there is still something much greater to come that is yet future. Paul spoke of “The glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18). He also said “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:2). Both of these statements refer to something that has not happened yet.
Even Jesus, while on earth, prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you…I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (Jn 17:1,4,5). First of all, since we know He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we know that His character never changed. (Heb 13:8) Yet we see that Jesus did not claim to be in a glorified state, but spoke of the glory He previously had with the Father (past tense), and the glory he would have in the presence of the Father (a future state).
This is why we certainly cannot claim to have the fullness of the glory of God, nor can we claim we will have it until Christ is revealed. Even Jesus didn’t claim to possess it while walking the earth, and we know his character was impeccable. Therefore, the glory of God is not the character of God. Rather, glory reflects ones true character.
Bright Eyes, Light-filled Bodies, and the Kingdom of God
The holy angels who come from the Lord’s presence carry His glory, which is visible upon their bodies. One example is when an angel of the Lord appeared and announced our Savior’s birth to the shepherds staying out in the fields of Bethlehem, and keeping watch over their flock by night. “And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” (Luk 2:9)
Brother Daniel Ekechukwu experienced a terrible car accident in Nigeria in December 2001. While he was in the ambulance, being taken to the hospital after the accident, he died. Two angels appeared to him. He said their appearance terrified him. They wore bright white robes that appeared to be attached to their bodies and the pupils of their eyes were white.
Jesus said that if our eyes were good then our whole body would be filled with light. The reason is that our eye is the lamp of the body. He said that if our eye is bad then our body would be filled with darkness. He went on to say, “see to it that the light within you is not darkness.” (Lk 11:35)
So from this passage we learn that there is supposed to be light within our bodies. This is God’s purpose. But it depends on the quality of the eye. In the natural, a person whose eyes are bad (or who is blind) sees nothing but darkness. But when our eyes are good, we see the light around us as it enters our eyes and reaches the optical nerves, sending signals to our brain to interpret the images we’ve seen. Likewise, in the spirit, if we are able to see well spiritually, then our whole body will be full of light. Jesus concluded saying, “Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” (Lk 11:36).
This final state that Jesus described indicates how we will appear if our whole body is full of light and no part of it dark. When that happens, then our whole body will be completely lighted. In fact he said it would be like the light of a lamp is shining on us. Clearly he meant our bodily appearance would be visibly affected.
On the contrary, when someone is filled with wickedness, they will not have this bodily appearance. We have all seen someone who is living in sin and depravation, and it seems they have an actual darkness about them. In order to understand this phenomenon, it is helpful to see an illustration in real life. First we find an example of those whose eyes were bad in Luke 11:37-54. The Pharisees wanted to look bright and clean and to have their cups and dishes look that way also. So they cleaned the outside. But Jesus said they were full of greed and wickedness, which is darkness. So they were going about it backwards. If they would rid themselves of the darkness in their hearts, they would be bright and clean on the outside. But it all began with the eye, and their eyes were bad. As we read the rest of the passage, it is clear that they did not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. They were blinded. That’s why they “opposed Jesus fiercely, besieged him with questions, and waited to catch him in something he might say.” (Lk 11:53,54)
Now for an illustration from real life of someone who had good eyes and whose body was full of light. For that we turn back to Lk 9:28-33. Jesus’ eyes were good and, of course, His whole body was full of light. But he took upon Himself the nature of a servant. He was made in human likeness being found in appearance as a man. Just as the angels can allow men to see their glory or not, so Jesus chose not to allow His glory to be seen. He also told demons to hush when they declared who he was. And when he healed people, he told them not to tell anyone who did it.
But he told His disciples that He would come in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Lk 9:26). That coming will usher in the kingdom of God visibly into the world. For He went on to say, “Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:27). The way Mark recorded it, Jesus said, “Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1).
Only 8 days later, “He took Peter, James, and John up onto a mountain to pray. As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lighting.” (Lk 9:28, 29). Mark recorded that “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (Mk. 9:3). So these three disciples got to see the kingdom of God before they tasted death, just as Jesus said. They saw the kingdom of God as Jesus allowed them to see His glory. It says, “They saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.” (v. 30).
Peter, James, and John were the closest disciples of Jesus. They had walked with Him for nearly 3 ½ years at this point and knew Him. They had seen His holy, loving, and merciful character every day. But now for the first time they saw His glory.
Moses and Elijah also appeared with Him in “glorious splendor” speaking about His departure. So we find here a perfect example of those whose eyes are good, whose bodies are completely lighted as when the light of a lamp shines upon them.
Does this mean I can have that today? What’s the practical application for my life? Well, to a certain degree, I can have this today.
A Modern Day Transfiguration
Dr. Richard Wurmbrand once told of his experience in the communist Romanian prison, where he was confined for fourteen years for his faith in Jesus Christ, because he was a pastor. There were others in the prison, too, besides Christians, including political dissidents and capitalists. During his years in solitary confinement, kept in a dark, sound proof cell underground, there were times when the Light of Christ appeared to him. And later when he was put into a common cell with about two hundred other prisoners, there was a Christian peasant there who had determined to lead one particular professor from the Royal Academy of Science to Christ, who was also a prisoner in that cell.
The professor would ask the peasant some challenging questions, many of which he could not answer, while others stood around them in a circle listening. And one time brother Wurmbrand heard the peasant say that although he may not be able to answer all those questions, He knew Jesus was real, because he walked with Him.
The professor ridiculed him, saying that it is impossible to walk with Jesus, since He lived far away in Palestine two thousand years ago. He said that even if he were to give the peasant a globe, he could not even point to Palestine on it. And besides that, he said, Jesus is supposed to be in heaven, which is millions of light years away, so it would be impossible for him to walk with Jesus here on earth.
The peasant replied, “You may be right in your thinking, but I walk with Jesus. I talk with Jesus. I see Jesus.”
The professor was really indignant. “You dare to say that you see Jesus?”
He replied, “Yes, sir. I see Him.”
He continued to ridicule him further by saying, “You say that you see Jesus. How does Jesus look to you? Indignant? Annoyed? Bored? Indifferent? Happy to see you? Or does He sometimes smile at you
The peasant replied, “Sir, how did you guess? He sometimes smiles at me.”
The professor laughed, “Jesus smiles at you?” He said to all the prisoners, “What a stupid thing! This man says that Jesus smiles at him.” He turned to the peasant, “Jesus smiles at you?”
“Yes He does,” replied the farmer.
So the professor said to him, “Show me how Jesus smiles.”
Brother Wurmbrand says that all the prisoners were hungry, ugly, due to malnourishment, they were unwashed, and there faces were like scarecrows. Their faces were only skin and bones with dark circles under their eyes. They wore the uniform of prisoners. They were very, very ugly – unimaginably ugly. But when the peasant smiled at the professor to show what Jesus looks like when He smiles at him, his face shone with the glory of God. Brother Wurmbrand says it was like the transfiguration of Jesus before His disciples on the mount, and it was the most beautiful episode he had ever seen in his entire life. The peasant began to shine and a gorgeous smile appeared on his face, as he radiated the light of God’s glory that is in the face of Christ. Brother Wurmbrand said that he had seen many smiles in his lifetime, but never one so beautiful as the peasant’s smile that day. There was so much yearning in this smile, and so much compassion for the lost soul whom he had near him, and so much desire to see him saved, and so much love and so much goodness. The whole splendor of heaven was in this smile. And the professor bowed his head and said, “Sir, you have seen Jesus.” (See Dr. Wurmbrand tell the story here.)
That simple peasant had walked with the Lord and had seen Jesus. He radiated His glory on that day supernaturally when he smiled. That was a supernatural manifestation, which God can do anytime through the earthen vessels of His servants here on earth.
So I can experience this today, if the Lord wills it. Then ultimately in my glorified state, I will appear fully glorified. “When He appears, we shall be like Him.” For the time being though, I am being changed from glory to glory in a gradual way. And since Jesus was telling the truth, I will experience the light of His glory now to the extent that my eyes are good, and to the extent that I rid myself of all darkness. Then one day I will be completely glorified (Rom 8:30).
What will my body be like? The “sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” (1 Cor 15:41). The word we translate as “splendor” here is doxa, which means glory. Notice that the sun, moon, and stars all have a splendid light, or a glory, about them. But they vary in intensity and brightness. Likewise, my final glorified state will have a splendid light, a glory, about it. Its intensity and brightness will be in proportion to the extent I follow the Lord in obedience now and walk in the light during this earthly journey. As Dale Rumble once said, “The garments we’ll wear for eternity are the ones we’re weaving today.”
“See to it then that the light within you is not darkness.” (Lk 11:35).
Suffering Produces Glory
The apostle Paul’s life was full of sufferings like persecution, afflictions, hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, sleeplessness, and hunger. He said he was “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus.” ( 2 Cor 4:10a). He also said, “We who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake.” (2 Cor 4:11a). But he did not get discouraged by his sufferings, because he knew they were producing glory.
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:16-18)
All the sufferings we experience for the sake of the Lord and for the gospel are producing an eternal weight of glory that we will enjoy in heaven far beyond any comparison to our sufferings. In fact, our sufferings here on earth are merely light and momentary compared with the eternal weight of glory to be revealed in us one day. So if we want to experience that glory, we must not be afraid to suffer for the Lord.
Radiating the Light of God’s Glory “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His Powerful word.” (Heb 1:3) Jesus is described as the radiance of God’s glory. The Greek word for radiance is apaugasma, which means radiance or effulgence. Effulgence is a brilliant radiance. So apaugasma may be seen as a brilliant radiance. In this passage, the writer says Jesus is the apaugasma tas doxas, which is the brilliant radiance of the glory of God. The church fathers (Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Theodoret, and Chrysostom) said that the Greek meaning of this verse was phos ek photos, which means Light out of Light or Light from Light. That’s what Jesus is. He described Himself as the Light.
“The light shines in the darkness…The true Light that gives light to every man was coming into the world…We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son.” (Jn 1:5,9,14).
The apostles who walked with Jesus saw His glory. And we see that same glory with the eyes of our hearts, when we believe in Jesus. “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2Co 4:6) Where there was once darkness within, now there is the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
God is the One who has shone in our hearts, just as He caused light to shine out of darkness at the creation. Until He did so, we were all perishing as unbelievers, and the god of this world had blinded our minds, so that we could not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:3-4)
Saul of Tarsus was one unbeliever, who was perishing and could not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Yet the Lord in His mercy revealed Himself to Saul on the road to Damascus, and the Lord’s glory is so bright that when Saul saw Him in the brilliance of the noonday, the Lord’s glory blinded him. “Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Acts 9:3). Afterward, “Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.” (Acts 9:8). The glory that the Lord radiates is far brighter than the sun.
Perhaps one of the most powerful passages in the Bible is in Revelation 1. There the apostle John described what the glorified Lord Jesus looked like when he saw Him on the Isle of Patmos.
“And among the seven lamp stands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Rev. 1:16).
When John saw Jesus like this he fell at His feet as though dead. Who can see the glory of God’s face and live? Who can see Jesus in this glorified state and not be forever changed. The brilliant light in his eyes and body is unlike anything we have ever seen.
We shall be Like Him
Yet we will be like Him when He appears. John said, “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself” (1 Jn 3:2,3). We who believe in Jesus have this hope in us of seeing Jesus as He is, and being made like Him. As John said, we purify ourselves in preparation for it. Until then, we continue to reflect his glory in an ever increasing way as we do the good works He created us to do.
Putting it All Together
As the Scripture reveals to us, glory is something visible. As Dr. Rodman Williams states, “The divine glory is the radiant splendor and awesome majesty of God Himself. Glory is not so much a particular attribute but the effulgence of splendor and majesty that shines through in every aspect of God's being and action.”
We give glory to God by completing the good works He has given each of us to do. This includes spending time in the Lord’s presence and speaking with the Him. When God gives glory to man it affects his appearance, making his face positively radiant. When we walk in the light, that light is reflected and seen in our being. Those who walk in darkness cannot experience this divine glory. In fact, they cannot experience glory at all, except in some temporal, worldly sense, such as that associated with fame, fortune, power, and physical beauty.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawn, shining ever brighter until the full day. As our character is gradually transformed to become more like Christ’s, there is a gradual increase in his divine glory upon us. Glory follows godly character, but is not itself that character.
In the kingdom of God, Jesus rules and reigns supreme. Because of that, His glory is evident in His kingdom. When the disciples saw His kingdom, they saw His glory, and it was brighter than the sun. While the glory of God is something that we can experience now, there is a future consummation of glory in the world to come for those who know Christ. The deepest longing of mankind is to see God Himself, and that will be fulfilled when we see his face.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
When you look at some of the paintings and images of Jesus around the world, it's no wonder people have a wrong understanding of Who He really is. If you want the most recent picture of Jesus, you need to read the book of Revelation.
While the apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos, he saw Jesus in His glorified body. John said, “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.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 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. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on 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.’” (Rev 1:10-18)
John also said, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’” (Rev 19:11-16)
As John said, the Lord has eyes that are a flame of fire, and a sharp sword proceeds from His mouth.
The apostle Paul saw Jesus face to face. Luke wrote of the incident: “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…’” (Act 9:3-5)
Personal Testimonies About Jesus
Now I would like to share with you some extra biblical testimonies of people who have seen the risen Lord Jesus.
Anna Rountree describes what the Jesus Christ is like in her books, “The Heavens Opened” and “Priestly Bride.” She said, “Jesus
came to reveal the Father…Jesus appears in heaven in a burning light.
Hundreds of spirits surrounded this brilliance, darting in and lifting
out like eagles catching heat currents. They were flying with the light
as if escorting it. So bright was this great light that it reduced
the spirits to silver outlines of themselves in its radiance. It
reminded me of figures passing in front of bright headlights on a dark
night, although here there was no surrounding darkness. Everything paled
that was near this intense brightness.”
Anna saw Him standing in the sanctuary of a church several times before over a period of years. She said, “One
time He was standing twenty-four feet high in the sanctuary of a
church. At that time He stood in the sanctuary, a rainbow encircling
Him, clothed in a shimmering, multicolored cloak. The light radiating
from Him looked alive. Suddenly He telescoped to the size of a man and
spoke. His eyes, though far away, suddenly were near and riveting, as if
aflame.”
She continued, “His eyes are clear
blue but as deep as a bottomless pool. It seems that if you could travel
into those eyes, you would understand all mysteries, that in plunging
toward the bottom of that deep pool, you would pass the answers to all
things. He embodies love, light, and truth. When you stand before
Him, a kaleidoscope of understandings floods your spirit, computing
faster than lightning.”
Michael Thomas Sambo said in his book, “Divine Revelation of God's Holiness and Judgement,” states:
"While walking on the street of gold along with the angels, in a moment of time, the angels led me to where Jesus was sitting. He was sitting on the throne.
No tongue can describe how the throne looked like. The floor of it was
built with precious stones. The throne was high and lifted up. The ray
of light coming out of the throne was brighter than the sun shining in
its full brightness. When I arrived at the throne I bowed down along
with the two angels and worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ. I tried to look into the throne but could not because of its brightness."
“And
since we were worshiping Jesus, I said, ‘Oh, I haven't seen Jesus yet!’
I quoted to you Hebrews 1:3 when he had by himself purged our sins, he
sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. And I knew if I found
the majesty on high, which is God the Father, I would find Jesus. And I
could personally tell him how much I love him and how much I appreciate
him. Now I was going through this maze of colors there was a changing
process. I don't know why, I can't describe it or even give you any
scripture for it. But there was a changing process. And presently I
came out into the brightest, whitest, clearest, cleanest, purest, most
intense light that I had ever even imagined in my entire life. Oh I
was seeing things that I had never dreamed of. And there, anywhere I
would look in the upper level of this city 1500 miles square, with that
rainbow or that oval type dome for a roof of this city, in there was the
throne of God. In any direction I looked, there He was! I could not
make any physical being, you know, I couldn't make out any physical
being because His Glory filled the throne. But I knew, I knew that Jesus
was sitting at his right hand because the word of God said so.”
He continued, “Presently I saw him. A massive, light, shaft of light. And I seemed so small in comparison to Jesus. I worshipped Him. Now when I say I saw Jesus, I knew it was Jesus. I
could not make (out) any physical form…the light was so bright that I
could not make out any physical being. The only way I could describe
that, if you were to take an about 3 million candle power search light,
one of these arc lights, you know, that you shine way up into the
heavens to advertise the grand opening of a place. During the war
particularly when they were searching for planes in the heavens. (That)
went way up there for miles it seemed like, in the heavens. Those same
lights if you would turn one of those down on a dark night and get
out there in front of it, and look at that searchlight, at that 3
million candle power arc light and try to distinguish the filaments in
that light, you would have the same success in trying to distinguish the
physical being of Jesus. But there exuded from that being Love,
Compassion, Tenderness, Purity, Power, Glory but yet so tender.
There was a gaze that I sensed. Have you ever just felt somebody just
gazing at you? And you looked and you saw them gazing at you. And even
while they were gazing at you, you couldn't stop it, they were there all
the time? That's the way I sensed the presence of Jesus.”
Lastly I would like to share two testimonies from the world famous evangelist, Brother T.L. Osborn. He stated:
"The
next morning at six o'clock, I was awakened upon a vision of Jesus
Christ as He came into our room. I looked upon Him. I saw Him like I
see anyone. No tongue can tell of His splendor and beauty. No language
can express the magnificence and power of His person."
"I
lay there as one that was dead unable to move a finger or toe,
awestricken by His presence. Water poured from my eyes, though I was
not conscious of weeping, so mighty was His presence."
"Of
all I had heard and read about Him, the half of it had never been told
me. His hands were beautiful; they seemed to vibrate with creative
ability. His eyes were streams of love, pouring forth into my innermost
being. His feet, standing amidst clouds of transparent glory, seemed
to be as pillars of justice and integrity. His robes were white as
light. His presence, enhanced with love and power, drew me to Him." (Healing the Sick, T.L. Osborn, p. 276).
Sister Ayo from Sierra Leone saw in Heaven and Hell. When she saw the Lord, she said He was shining as a Light. She said, if you were to take all the energy in the world and put it all together, it would not compare with the Light of Christ.
He said, "I AM that I AM that I AM. Before Abraham was, I AM. I created the heavens and the earth.”
"It took place in the jail. The Lord Jesus appeared in great light and clouds were around Him. He was clothed in a white robe with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool. His eyes were like blazing fire and His voice like the sound of rushing waters. I heard Him clearly saying, 'I am the first and the last... Fear not, for I am with you. There is no power against my power, there is no strength against my strength. He who touches you, touches my eyes. Be bold in your heart... all power is given to me in heaven and on earth, don’t forget... ' and many other encouraging words. I felt holy fear in my spirit. I could not look in His face; it was awesome and wonderful. I was strengthened in my soul and I was able to boldly proclaim the Gospel further on.”
"At that moment I heard the Lord's voice, a beautiful voice with thunder and love, 'Fear not, Daughter, for I am Jehovah, Your God, and I have come here to show you what I have promised you. Arise, for I am Jehovah, who holds you by your right hand and tells you, Fear not, I will help you.' Suddenly, I arose. I had been kneeling down, looking at my body, wanting to get back in but not being able to. When I heard His voice, fear had left me, and I was no longer scared."
"As I started walking, the angels began to open a path. There was a strong light shining, and as I gazed at it, I felt peace. As I looked, I saw a beautiful, tall, elegant, muscular man. Light was projecting from Him. There was too much light for me to see His face! But I could see His beautiful hair of brilliant gold and a white garment with a wide golden girdle that crossed His chest. It read, 'KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.'"
"I looked at His feet, He was wearing shiny golden sandals, of brilliant gold. He was so beautiful! He extended His hand to me. When I took His hand, it wasn't like when I touched my body, my hand did not go through it. I asked, 'What is happening?' And He said, 'I am going to show you hell, so that you return and tell humanity that hell is real; that hell exists. And also, My glory will I show you, for you to tell My people to be prepared, for My glory is real and I am real.' He said, 'Daughter, do not fear'- He said it again and I said, 'Lord, it's just that I want to go to heaven, but not hell, because I've heard that it's horrible!' He said, 'Daughter, I will be with you. I will not leave you in that place and I am going to show you that place because there are many who know that hell exists, but they have no fear. They believe it's a game, that hell is a joke, and many don't know about it. That is why I am going to show you that place, because there are more that perish than those that are entering My glory.' When He said that, I could see tears streaming down to His garments. I asked Him, 'Lord, why are you crying?' He replied, 'Daughter, because there are more that perish, and I will show you this, so that you will go and tell the truth and so that you will not return to that place.'"
Putting it All Together
As you can see from Scripture and personal eyewitness testimonies, Jesus still has a body made in the likeness of man, which is made in the image of God; but His glory is no longer hidden. He looks just like His Father, God, whose bodily form I have written about in another post. He is arrayed in majesty, robed in splendor, awesome in glory! He is worthy of all your worship and praise. He expects nothing less than a total surrender of your life to Him, and allows absolutely no idols to remain in your life. He's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He's coming back again very, very soon!
Author's note: Please prayerfully watch and review these testimonies in their entirety, and use the Testimony Review Process
adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has
spoken to these people. For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with
the Lord, whether something is valid or not.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
In my previous post titled, "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus" (see here), I wrote about how the ministry of Jesus on earth continued after his resurrection, and continues even now, as we hear testimonies from around the world of His appearances in our own day. I also spoke about His ascension. Based on my very thorough research of the matter in the Scriptures, I came to the personal conclusion that there must have been two ascensions. In other words, Christ must have first ascended privately on resurrection day, without any human audience on earth to witness it. And then he came back to earth later that day to appear to His disciples, and continued to make many appearances for forty days until he ascended to heaven in full view of them all. But I didn't want to start teaching something I could not be sure of, so I merely stated it in parentheses as a side note that I found interesting. Here's what I wrote:
When Jesus appeared to Mary the morning of His resurrection, she wanted
to cling to Him. But He told her not to do so, explaining that He had
not yet ascended to the Father. Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to
Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and
say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and
your God.'"
This is the only recorded instance where Jesus told anyone not to cling
to Him. Only a few hours later, he specifically told His disciples in
the locked room to touch Him. Luke states: “But they were startled and
frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to
them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See
My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’" (Luk
24:37-39). Some believe that Jesus ascended privately to the Father
shortly after he rose on that first day, in order to be glorified, and a
change occurred in His body. This, they believe, was prior to the
public ascension seen by his disciples forty days later, and explains
why He allowed no one to touch Him until later during the day of His
resurrection.
If it were true that Jesus ascended privately on resurrection day, then
it would also explain why Jesus said to Mary that first morning that she
was to tell His disciples that He was ascending to His Father and God.
If He did not ascend twice, the first time being soon after his
resurrection, then we need to explain why He said on resurrection day
that He was ascending to the Father. Was He referring to the public
event that would occur forty days hence? It’s an interesting matter to
consider, but certainly not an essential belief for our salvation.
That is an excerpt of the article I posted last December, which was nine months prior to writing this present article.
He Stripped satan of his authority The Scripture says of Jesus, "Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it." (Col 2:15) And this is exactly what happened! Hallelujah! Our enemy is a defeated foe, who stands condemned already.
Multiple Descents and Ascents
It may seem radical to talk about two ascensions, since we have always been taught that there was only one ascension of Christ -- that is, of course, the public one recorded in Acts 1:3. However, it would not surprise me, if Jesus actually ascended to heaven multiple times, during the forty days after his resurrection, following each of His appearances. Allow me to explain.
He appeared to His disciples on earth alive at least three times before the appearance He made on the day He ascended publicly to heaven (Jn 21:14). The first was to Mary (Jn 20:10-18), then to Peter and the twelve in the upper room (Jn 20:19; 1 Cor 15:5), then a third time to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21:1). "After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time...then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles." (1Co 15:6-7). If you count all of these appearances, there may have been as many as six of them!
We know that Jesus did not cease to exist each time He disappeared, because He lives (see Jn 14:19), therefore, we know that He continued to live somewhere. So we need to ask, "Where did He go?" Well, we know that from the time of His resurrection, His home was in heaven, not on earth. For according to His own words to His disciples, they would no longer see Him, because He was going to the Father, although He did assure them that they would see Him again after a little while (see Joh 14:19; Joh 16:10,16). And according to His own words to Mary, after He spoke with her, He ascended to the Father in heaven. And He sat down at the right hand of God. But He must have descended each time He appeared to people on earth, and then ascended back to His home in heaven afterward. He certainly wasn't camping out by Himself on earth for forty days. So this means there may have been six ascensions, culminating with the public one that was seen on top of the Mount of Olives by those who returned to the upper room where they were staying; that is, "Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James...along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." (Act 1:13-14)
And since Jesus continues to appear to people on earth today, He continues to descend to earth each time He does so, and then He ascends back to heaven each time afterward, even though they don't see Him do so.
Putting it All Together
You may not agree with my findings, and you don't have to. But this was the conclusion I had come to through my own, independent study of God's Word. I believe there was a private ascension of Jesus Christ on resurrection day, and another one that was seen publicly by His disciples only ten days before Pentecost. There were also likely several other private ascensions between these two. Likewise, Christ has descended and ascended many times since then.
Jesus has overcome sin, sickness, disease, and death for us, and has stripped satan of His authority through the cross. Indeed, He has overcome the world. If you need forgiveness, healing, deliverance or salvation today, it is available for you right now! God wants you to be forgiven, cleansed of sin, saved, healed, and completely delivered of bondage in your life. Don't live another minute without having your need met by Jesus. Call upon Him and cry out to Him in your place of need. He cares and will answer your cry.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
As believers in Jesus Christ, our hope and faith depend on the resurrection. If the resurrection did not happen and is just a myth, then our faith is in vain. So that’s why I think it’s so important to examine the biblical evidence that proves it did occur. My goal is not to prove the sequence of the post-resurrection appearances or the exact number of appearances, since these are not important. Scholars do not agree on those minute details. But I simply want to encourage your faith in Jesus Christ.
At the very end of this post, I will share with you about some exciting appearances of Jesus that have occurred in our own day, so don't miss those! But first, let's begin with the biblical accounts.
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1Co 15:3-8)
In this passage, Paul speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to prove that he rose from the dead, Paul cites numerous occasions when Jesus appeared to people after his resurrection.
Peter and the Twelve
First Paul states, “He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.” (1 Co 15:5). Cephas was the name for Peter. Was it actually Peter who saw the Lord first?
This differs from the account of the gospels, which record that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Matthew’s gospel states that the angel at the empty tomb told the ladies, “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." (Mat 28:7). Since the angel told the ladies to go tell Jesus disciples that He had risen from the dead, we know that the disciples had not yet seen Him.
According to Mark’s account, the “other Mary” was the mother of James (Mk 16:1). According to Luke, there was also a third woman named Joanna. Mark states that the angel specifically mentioned Peter to the women, when he said, "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" (Mar 16:7). Notice how Peter was called out separately from the disciples, since he had removed himself from being a disciple when he denied the Lord. That’s why the angel said, “Go, tell His disciples and Peter…”
Matthew’s account continues, “And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.’” (Mat 28:8-10). Jesus appeared to them after they left the tomb and told them the same thing the angel had just said. He instructed them to go tell his disciples, calling them his brothers. Just as the angel had told the women, Jesus also said He would appear to His brothers in Galilee.
Mark states: “Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.” (Mar 16:9-10). So Mark and Matthew’s gospels agree that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, not Peter.
She was obedient to tell the disciples and Peter. In turn, Peter and John did run to the tomb to verify her report, and later the disciples did go to Galilee, as the Lord said to do. But they did not go to Galilee right away. At first they refused to believe it.
Mark states: She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.” (Mar 16:10-13)
Luke’s account agrees with this Mark that the disciples refused to believe when they first heard the report from the women who had seen Jesus. Luke states: “But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.” (Luk 24:11-12)
So after Mary Magdalene, Mark states that Jesus appeared to the two men walking on the road in the country, which was evidently the Road to Emmaus appearance described by Luke. Note that Luke also placed the Emmaus Road appearance right after the women told the disciples. He wrote: “And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.” (Luk 24:13-15)
Interestingly Luke also recorded that when the two who saw Jesus on the Emmaus Road immediately reported their experience to the eleven gathered in Jerusalem, the eleven (including Peter) told them that the Lord had already appeared to Simon Peter. “And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, ‘The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.’” (Luk 24:33-34). So Luke’s record of the statement by the eleven that the Lord appeared to Simon seems to place that appearance prior to the Road to Emmaus one. Could it be that Jesus appeared to Simon shortly after he went to the tomb, and that it was not recorded explicitly, but rather mentioned indirectly here? I don’t think so.
John’s record does not allow for that possibility. He wrote: “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.” (Joh 20:1-18).
In this account from John, after Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and reported it to the eleven. She did not yet know the Lord had risen, but she thought they had taken the Lord’s body. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see. When John saw it He believed. The he states: “So the disciples went away again to their own homes.” And the very next thing John records is the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, who saw Him first.
John records how the Lord appeared to the eleven that same day in the evening. He states: “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.’ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.” (Joh 20:19-24).
That evening on the same day He appeared to Mary, Jesus appeared to the eleven in the locked room. Thomas was not there, and he doubted the others when they told him. John writes: “So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’ Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;” (Joh 20:25-30). So there were two appearances to the eleven on that first day of the week.
John goes on to record that “After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.” (Joh 21:1). This was the occasion when the disciples had been fishing unsuccessfully all night, and Jesus appeared on the shore in the morning, cooking fish. He gave them instructions that resulted in a great catch, and they all enjoyed breakfast with him on the shore. It was then that he walked with Peter and reinstated him as a disciple.
I mentioned earlier that after Mary saw Him alive again, she was obedient to tell the disciples, and the disciples did go to Galilee, as the Lord said to do. But not right away. At first some of them refused to believe it. However, when they did finally do what the Lord said and they went to the mountain in Galilee, they all saw the Lord.
Matthew records their encounter with Jesus: “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain, which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” (Mat 28:16-17). At this point, there were only eleven disciples, since Judas had committed suicide and they had not yet appointed Matthias to replace him. So Peter was there on the mountain among the Eleven. Together they saw Jesus, but some doubted in their hearts.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20). This was the famous event known as the “Great Commission.”
This is the same event that Luke recorded. Luke placed the timing of it on the day when the two men were telling the eleven they had seen him on the Emmaus Road. “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them. Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luk 24:36-51)
Now Luke indicates that the Lord led them out as far as Bethany and was carried up to heaven, which is known as Jesus’ ascension. Unless there were two ascensions, this could not have occurred until forty days after his resurrection, which is when the ascension occurred. Luke explicitly states this time frame in his second account, known as Acts.
In Acts 1, he records the exact same appearance of Jesus (also see Lk 24:36-51 cited above) with these words, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’ And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Act 1:1-9)
Allow me to recap. Luke stated it all in his first account as though Jesus led them out to Bethany and ascended the same day he Lord appeared to the two disciples on the Emmaus Road. That would have been on the same day he was resurrected, since that was the day the disciples saw Him on the Emmaus Road. In Luke’s second account (Acts) he later stated that it was not until forty days after his resurrection that the Lord gathered them in Bethany for the Great Commission and ascended to heaven! During that forty-day period, Jesus made many appearances, and spoke about the kingdom. Luke explicitly stated that Jesus was “appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (Ac 1:3). He does not tell us how many times Jesus appeared or in what order those appearances occurred.
So it’s unclear from the gospel accounts and Acts whether Jesus appeared first to Peter, which Paul recorded in his Corinthian epistle. It’s possible that Jesus appeared to him at the tomb after he ran there and looked in. But that’s unlikely, since the angel that had spoken to Mary Magdalene earlier told her to “Go, tell His disciples and Peter…” If she saw the Lord right after that, then this seems to indicate that Peter had not seen the Lord before she did. However, John’s account gives the following sequence: Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty, she runs and tells the eleven disciples, Peter and John run to the tomb and find it empty, and then AFTER that Jesus appears to Mary in the garden near the tomb (Jn 20:1-15). Whether or not Peter saw Jesus when he went to the empty tomb, we do find evidence that He made a separate appearance to Peter prior to His appearance to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. This was what the eleven told the two who reported that they saw the Lord on the Emmaus Road.
Probable Sequence of Jesus' Appearance to Peter and the Twelve
What we can surmise up to this point is the following sequence of events:
1. Mary Magdalene and the other ladies visit the tomb and find the stone rolled away. (Mt 28:1-8; Mk 16:1-7; Lk 24:1-9; Jn 20:1)
2. The angel speaks to them. Matthew placed this event before the women tell anyone (Mt 28:5-8). John places this even after Peter and John look inside the tomb (Jn 20:11-13).
3. They report this to the eleven (Mt 28:8; Mk 16:10-11; Lk 24:9; Jn 20:2)
4. Peter and John run to the tomb and find it empty (Lk 24:12; Jn 20:2-8). The disciples return to their own homes. John believes (Jn 20:8), and Peter goes away to his home marveling to himself (Lk 24:12)
5. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and the other women in the garden (Mt 28:9-10; Jn 20:14-16). He does not allow Mary to cling to Him, stating that He has not yet ascended to the Father (Jn 20:17). The way Matthew records this makes it seem like Jesus appeared to her before she reported to the disciples, but there was a gap here according to the other gospels. She first reported the empty tomb to the eleven disciples, and then went back to the tomb, where Jesus appeared to her. Some disciples headed for Emmaus once they heard Mary’s report of the empty tomb and the angel’s appearance, and they did not yet know about Jesus’ appearance to Mary, or they would have told Jesus (Lk 24:22-24)
6. Mary tells the eleven that she saw the Lord alive, and that He will meet them in Galilee. By now the two disciples are already walking along the Road to Emmaus, and do not yet know that anyone has seen the Lord alive (Jn 20:18).
7. Some of those who hear Mary’s report that she has seen the Lord alive refuse to believe (Lk 24:11).
8. The Lord appears to Simon Peter on Resurrection Day, before He appears to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus that afternoon, or to the eleven later that evening. The eleven indirectly mentioned this personal appearance of Jesus to Peter, and so did Paul in his account. (Lk 24:34; 1 Co 15:5).
9. The Lord appears to the two on the Road to Emmaus on Resurrection Day (Lk 24:13-32; Mk 16:12-13).
10. While the two men who saw him on the Emmaus Road are telling the eleven about it, the Lord appears to the eleven altogether for the first time in the locked room the evening of the same day He appeared to Mary (Lk 24:36; Mk 16:14; Jn 20:19-21). Thomas was absent (Jn 20:24). (This places the Road to Emmaus appearance earlier that afternoon.) After Thomas later hears of it, he has doubts in his heart (Jn 20:25).
11. The Lord appears again eight days later to the eleven in the locked room, and Thomas is there this time (Jn 20:26). The Lord tells Thomas to touch his wounds in his hands and his side (Jn 20:27).
12. Over the coming weeks, the disciples go to Galilee. (Mt 28:16a). If we understand that Matthew was recounting the events in broad strokes, not fine detail, we realize that there was a space between this first part of verse 16 and the second half of it. He covered a large span of time in few words.
13. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the Bible (Jn 20:30).
14. While they were in Galilee, they went fishing. Seven of the disciples saw him on the shore while they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1).
15. The eleven disciples proceed to the mountain in Galilee (Mt 28:16b) and while they are there, Jesus comes up the mountain, where they see Him again, and He speaks to them. He leads them out to Bethany and commissions them to take the gospel to the whole world (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:16-19; Lk 24:50-51).
(Note: In Matthew’s account, the Great Commission appears to happen very soon after Mary Magdalene gave Jesus’ instructions to the eleven to go to Galilee, where they would see Him. In Matthew’s account, it seems as though it is the first time they see Him after His resurrection, but the Great Commission is recorded there, which Jesus did not give until forty days later, right before his ascension. There was obviously a gap of time that occurred between verses 16 and 17 in Matthew 28, or between verse 17 and 18. This is the way Matthew writes. In other words, even though it runs together in Matthew’s concise telling of it, the Great Commission occurred a few weeks after they first saw Him on the mountain in Galilee. For more about this, I suggest "Understanding the Gaps in Scripture.")
(Note about Bethany and Mount Olivet: Bethany is near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs, according to Jn 11:18. It only takes about a half hour to walk there from Jerusalem. You have to walk over Mount Olivet to get to Bethany. Mount Olivet is near Jerusalem, and Bethany is near the Mount of Olives according to Mk 11:1. Jesus instructed them to go to a mountain in Galilee where they would see Him, and that is where they saw Him AFTER they had seen Him in the locked room in Jerusalem. Galilee is not close to Jerusalem. It is unlikely that on the day of his resurrection they saw Him on a mountain, since they were still in the locked room in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, in the evening on the day of His resurrection. It is also not possible that the mountain in Galilee where Jesus appeared to his disciples was Mount Olivet, since that is located near Jerusalem, not in Galilee. According to Luke, Jesus finally led them out as far as Bethany, and there he was carried up to heaven – he ascended -- before their eyes. This was not a private ascension. This event occurred forty days after His resurrection. And Luke added in his second account in Acts 1:12 that after Jesus' ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. When we put this together with Luke's first account in Lk 24:50, we can surmise that the ascension occurred in Bethany, and they had to walk over the Mount of Olives on their return trip to Jerusalem. This means that his appearance to the disciples on a mountain in Galilee occurred during the forty days after his resurrection, not the day he ascended. To summarize the appearances of Jesus to the eleven, His appearances in Jerusalem occurred first, then His appearances to them in Galilee, and finally came His appearance in Bethany immediately before His ascension. So there was a progression from Jerusalem to Galilee, and then back toward Jerusalem, with the ascension occurring in nearby Bethany, with the disciples returning to Jerusalem afterward.)
(Note about Jesus’ ascension: When Jesus appeared to Mary the morning of His resurrection, she wanted to cling to Him. But He told her not to do so, explaining that He had not yet ascended to the Father. Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'"
This is the only recorded instance where Jesus told anyone not to cling to Him. Only a few hours later, he specifically told His disciples in the locked room to touch Him. Luke states: “But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’" (Luk 24:37-39). Some believe that Jesus ascended privately to the Father shortly after he rose on that first day, in order to be glorified, and a change occurred in His body. This, they believe, was prior to the public ascension seen by his disciples forty days later, and explains why He allowed no one to touch Him until later during the day of His resurrection.
If it were true that Jesus ascended privately on resurrection day, then it would also explain why Jesus said to Mary that first morning that she was to tell His disciples that He was ascending to His Father and God. If He did not ascend twice, the first time being soon after his resurrection, then we need to explain why He said on resurrection day that He was ascending to the Father. Was He referring to the public event that would occur forty days hence? It’s an interesting matter to consider, but certainly not an essential belief for our salvation.)
So the gospel record essentially agrees with Paul’s record that Jesus appeared first to Simon and then to the eleven altogether. That sequence is correct. Paul simply left out the fact that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before He appeared to Peter. Whether this was intentional or not makes no difference. He had the sequence right, and did not explicitly deny the fact that Mary had seen the Lord before Peter did.
More than Five Hundred
Paul went on to describe what happened after Peter and the eleven saw Jesus. He states, “After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.” (1 Co 15:6)
So again, Paul does not mention that the Lord appeared to the two on the Emmaus Road, choosing instead to highlight Peter and the eleven. And after that came His appearance to more than five hundred people at once time. This rules out any possibility that these people could have been hallucinating. It is impossible for hundreds of people to experience the same hallucination simultaneously.
At the time that Paul wrote this to the Corinthians, around 54 or 56 AD, most of these folks were still alive. So several hundred of these witnesses were still available to be contacted, if the Corinthians wanted to verify Paul’s account of the resurrection.
It is very likely that this appearance to more than five hundred occurred in Galilee during the weeks following his resurrection, prior to his ascension.
James
After Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Peter, the men on the Emmaus Road, the eleven and the more than five hundred at one time, Paul states, “Then He appeared to James…” (1 Co 15:7)
Since there were two disciples named James, we need to clarify which one Paul was referring to here. There was the apostle James the son of Zebedee, who was the brother of the apostle John. And then there was James the brother of Jesus, who wrote the book of the Bible called James. I don’t think Paul meant the apostle James, because he was one of the eleven who saw the Lord after Peter did. Paul had just mentioned that the eleven saw Jesus. So it would not make sense to mention James again. I think rather that Paul was referring to James the brother of Jesus.
James was one of the elders in Jerusalem who rendered important decisions for the church, such as the one made in Acts 15. Did you ever wonder how he got to be an elder in the Jerusalem church, even though he was not one of the original apostles? Well, Paul says the Lord appeared to him, and it is likely that this also occurred in Galilee, since James lived there.
What an amazing experience that must have been! James had not believed in the Lord during His earthly ministry. But he came to believe in the Lord later, probably after His resurrection. And he was blessed to see the Lord, who had been his earthly brother, after His resurrection. After that, James simply referred to himself as the bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All the apostles
Paul stated that after Jesus appeared to James, “Then to all the apostles…” (1 Co 15:7). This is also a noteworthy statement. We usually think of the apostles as synonymous with the Twelve, which later became the eleven after Judas “quit.” But Paul had already mentioned Jesus’ appearance to the eleven. Now he indicates that Jesus appeared to “all the apostles.” This makes it clear that there were in the early church more apostles than just the eleven. In fact, in his epistles, Paul mentions other apostles, so this is well established. And there are still apostles today, since this gift has never ceased to exist since that time.
This event when Jesus appeared to all the apostles was most likely on ascension day when he commissioned them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. But there were others who also saw Jesus after that event, like Stephen, on the day he was stoned to death (Ac 7:55).
Paul
Finally Paul comes to the end of his list of those who saw the Lord alive after His resurrection. He states, “And last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.” (1 Co 15:8). Here he refers to his own experience seeing the Lord on the Road to Damascus (Ac 9:3; 26:13).
On that day, Paul’s travel plans were changed abruptly. He was headed to Damascus for one purpose – to persecute Christians – and when he got there, he had a completely opposite purpose – to preach the gospel. This itself is proof the Lord appeared to him. Why else would anyone go from being a hater of Christians, imprisoning them and approving their deaths, to being a die-hard gospel preacher, suffering persecution and imprisonment himself for the Lord’s sake?
Putting it All Together
So what Paul covered concisely in two or three sentences just took me ten pages to cover. He highlighted only six of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. But we know there were many more.
Jesus made many appearances during the forty days between His resurrection and His public ascension to heaven, where He was seated at the right hand of the Father. These include His appearance to Mary Magdalene with Joanna and Mary the mother of James, as well as His appearances to Peter, the two on the Emmaus Road, the eleven, James, and all the apostles.
When we speak of Jesus’ earthly ministry, this was a part of it we often forget. His earthly ministry did not end after his death on the cross, but continued for forty days afterward until his public ascension. In fact, His earthly ministry continued after His ascension.
Jesus appeared to Stephen while He was being stoned to death with Saul’s consent. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:55). Jesus appeared to the apostle Paul himself, on the Road to Damascus. And He appeared to the apostle John on the isle of Patmos (Rev 1:12-20).
In fact, the earthly ministry of Jesus continues to this day. The gospel of Mark ends with the statement that, “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” (Mk 16:20). This is a concise summary of the entire book of Acts, and all that the Lord continues to do today to confirm His Word by signs and wonders.
Jesus continues to appear to people on earth today, whether or not anyone wants to believe it or report on it. For example, many say a supernatural dimension is at work throughout the Islamic world. There is an unseen revolution in Iran, in which many Muslims are coming to know Christ. Jesus has appeared to many of these Muslims.
If you would like to see some amazing, true testimonies of Muslims who gave their lives to Jesus Christ after seeing Him in a dream or vision, then I want to encourage you to visit "More Than Dreams: From Dreams to Reality." There you will find video dramatizations of five Muslims from the nations of Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, and Indonesia, who each had such a supernatural encounter with Christ. I also highly recommend a book by Korean brother Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire. It documents how Jesus appeared to him and the members of his church in January 2005, during an all-night prayer rally that lasted for thirty days. These are just examples, but there is much more happening than I could possibly cover here in this one blog.
Why should we doubt that He is doing this, when it is consistent with His character and past behavior? He’s alive, He’s wonderfully personal, and loves to reveal Himself to us. He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you
repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible
says?
“Jesus
came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and
believe.
Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.
He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as
well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who
multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of
planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United
States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
