Everything Prophesies

As I sit here on my Sabbath trying to compose my first post, I am struck by the fact that it is one in the morning and, after spending an afternoon working on a project, doing kitchen cleaning duty, grabbing some time in the Prayer Room, and playing games with friends, I still have six more hours until I go to sleep: yes, I am on the NightWatch at the International House of Prayer. A friend shared with me the other day (well, night…) the revelation that the very existence of a community of people turning their lives upside down to stand as friends of the Lord in the middle of the night is a sign to our weak souls and also the burning heart of Jesus that someday soon there will be no night (Revelation 21:25). Clay Edwards, a worship leader on the NightWatch and the director of the Fire in the Night program I’m currently a part of, has a song with this lyric: “The sunrise does prophesy of my Beloved’s return.” Every time I hear that it awakens an ache within me as I wonder at the infinite tenderness and wisdom of God: He who is in complete control of all creation in His commitment to justice chooses not to blot out sinful man but sends His Son to woo us back to Himself so that one day, representatives of every tribe and tongue will of their freewill cry with lovesick hearts, “Come, Lord Jesus!” In His patience He waits for more to turn to Him, desiring that all men be saved and turn to the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:4), leaving His people with reminders and tokens of His return. These mere reflections haunt my yearning heart; I long for the day when I will see Him face to face (I Corinthians 13:12). As for now, I will drink in the assurance of His coming through the sunrise and whatever else will breathe on my heart.

Lately I’ve been thinking about Jesus and what thoughts must have filled His mind as He walked the earth. Did He, like me, feel His heart swell within Him at the sight of the sunrise, knowing that one day there would be no more night in that city coming down, the New Jerusalem, because He would dwell in the midst of His people in unveiled glory so bright that there would no longer be a reason for the sun and the moon (Revelation 21:23)? When He spoke to the crowds in Jerusalem, “From now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ (Psalm 118:26)” (John 23:39), was His heart drawing strength from the joy set before Him, the day of vengeance hidden in His heart when He would come up from Edom with garments stained red and enter into that city to establish forever His kingdom of righteousness in the earth?

And when He traveled down Jerusalem’s dusty streets did He think back to the glory He had with the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:24), the very torrent of desire within the Godhead that overflowed into the formation of man in His image, out of dust (Genesis 2:7) just like that which clung to His sandals? What was the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), the very master craftsman of creation (Proverbs 8:30), thinking when He fashioned the tree whose descendant would one day provide the wood for the cross on which His body hanged? Did He look forward to the day when creation’s groan will cease (Romans 8:19-21) and the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12) in joy before Him, when the nations will come to Jerusalem for the healing leaves of the tree of life (Revelation 22:2)?

Each new question opens up a new, deep well of awe in my heart before the beautiful God-man, the Father of whom He is the exact representation, the Spirit who searches the depths of God and reveals them to His beloved.

Thank you for reading my first post! I will pray that the Lord will fascinate your heart with the wondrous mysteries of all that He is. Be blessed!

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