THE RADIANCE OF GOD’S GLORY

I live outside of the city in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. On a clear night when there is no cloud cover, myriads of sparkling stars shimmer like diamonds, filling the expanse of the heavens.

I love Psalm 19. Here are the first six verses:

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
and their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Did you notice the simile that David used to describe the sun when it rises and makes its circuit across the sky as the earth rotates on its axis? He said the sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber.

Then it hit me. Someday, the sun, moon, and stars, those celestial lights which were hung in the expanse of the heavens by the word of the Son’s power and are upheld there by that same power, that for millennia have been telling of the glory of God, are going to be extinguished. Those myriads of sparkling stars are going to fall from the sky as they bow to their Maker and announce the coming of the Radiance of God’s glory, the Bridegroom coming for His bride! (Matthew 24:29-31, 25:1-13, Hebrews 1:3,10)