Shining Faces from Heavenly Places
The earth was made bright with his glory. (Revelation 18.1)
My grandson, Wade, has my eyes. Oh, mine are blue(ish) and his are brown, and they're shaped differently, but they're alike in one key aspect... I've been told that I can't hide my feelings; my eyes reveal them. Wade's are the same. They twinkle when he's ornery, crinkle when he's laughing and kindle when he's excited! Yes, Wade just absolutely wears his excitement on his face like "Pahpooh"!
In the book of Revelation, John saw somebody like that - somebody whose face could light up a room - the angel who brought an announcement from heaven.
I thought of two other instances in the Bible when this happened:
In Exodus 34, Moses spent forty days with God on the mountaintop. When he came down, his face was shining with the splendor of that heavenly encounter. It was so glorious that he had to put a veil on his face. The writer of Hebrews later revealed that the veil was there to - at least in part - conceal the fading of the glory.
In Matthew 17, Jesus was transfigured, and his "face shone like the sun." It so impressed Peter that he wanted to just stay there and gaze upon Jesus. But the glory faded, and the entourage descended from the mountain.
In speaking of this glory, Paul wrote, "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3.18). Even though the earthly glory faded away when Jesus descended the Mount of Transfiguration, he has an eternal glory that he imparts to us when we focus on him. Is your face glowing with the glory of the Lord?
Lord, we have a message from heaven. As we share it, grant that our faces would shine with the glorious love of Jesus! Amen.