Jesus left glory and all of its riches to come into our world and reveal His Kingdom. Theologians
refer to this emptying process that Jesus willingly went through as "kenosis." After the resurrection, the opposite of kenosis took place—Jesus was re-glorified. Jesus is now back in His original state of glory.
John, secluded on the island of Patmos, received a revelation of the re-glorified Christ. He testifies: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades'" (Revelation 1:17-18 ESV).
John caught a glimpse of the re-glorified Christ and tried to describe what He saw, the best way he knew how, with his limited vocabulary. It was a spectacular sight that words cannot adequately describe. John says: "Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength" (Revelation 1:12-16 ESV).
Beloved, as revealed to John, Jesus is no longer a babe in a manger; He is no longer a savior on a cross. He is so far above what we could ever imagine or comprehend. Citizens of the Kingdom now serve the glorified Christ; He is ruling over His Kingdom, both now and forevermore.
(The above is excerpted from the book, The Kingdom According to Jesus, by Gregory A. Johnson. Copyright © by Gregory A. Johnson. All rights reserved. Click here for a complete list of books, authored by Gregory A. Johnson)Please know today that Jesus is bigger than all of your problems. Living in a world gone mad is not easy, but Jesus has not left us comfortless. He has given us his Spirit to empower us to be overcomers, continuing his point-of-need ministry, until he returns. The best is yet to come! Live ready.
Know that you are loved,
gaj
