In our neighborhood, Rolando was always up to a prank. Once some neighbors put out some rat poison and then were afraid to go in to clean out the dead rats. When no one else would touch them, it was Rolando who picked them up, tied their tails together and threw them all over the neighborhood. He was always up to a prank of some kind, so it was no surprise to find out that Rolando was the person behind the bright light that flashed into my eyes one morning.
He had found a mirror in the garbage. After breaking it into many pieces, Rolando gave the jagged pieces to the children in the neighborhood, not caring that they might get cut on the sharp edges. Then he took one of the larger pieces and held it carefully to pick up the sunlight and shined it right into my eyes. The flash of sunlight was so bright that it took a few moments before I could see anything again.
Rolando was half a block down the street, but he knew that his newest prank was working. So he amused himself for the rest of the hour by flashing the sunlight into my eyes again and again. In order to go on working, I had to shade my eyes with one hand. But when I forgot for even one moment, there would be another sudden blinding flash.
Now think for a moment about the strength of the sun. One single flash of sunlight from Rolando’s piece of mirror could blind me with brightness even though the sun is approximately 93,000,000 miles away from my house! Rolando’s prank had reminded me of how bright the sun is and of a man whose face will be “as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:1616And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (Revelation 1:16)). This man is the Lord Jesus when He returns to this earth as a judge. The Bible also says, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him . . . and all kindreds [peoples] of the earth shall wail because of Him” (Revelation 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)).
Are you ready to meet the King of kings? Can you stand before the One who will destroy His enemies with the brightness of His coming? “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:79).
God has not placed these warnings in the Bible to make you unhappy. He loves you and wants to warn you of the terrible danger of turning away from the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:1717For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17)). God is never in a hurry to judge. He always gives a warning first and waits for sinners to come to Him for salvation. How long has He waited for you?
The next time you feel the strength of the sun, remember that someday a judge will come from heaven whose face will shine as the sun in its strength. Won’t you come to Jesus today for salvation so that you will meet Him as your Saviour and not as your judge? He’s waiting for you.
ML-10/15/2006