A GLIMPSE OF GLORY

GN. 28:10-19                                             

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

     D. L. Moody died about seven a.m. December 22, 1899 with a note of victory. He said the following at his death: "I see earth receding; heaven is approaching. God is calling me. This is my triumph. This is my coronation day. It is glorious. God is calling and I must go. Mama, you have been a good wife...no pain...no valley...it's bliss."

     When John R. Rice was 6 years old his mother was dying. They called in all the family and she made them all promise to meet her in Heaven. All were weeping but her. She asked for a hymn to be sung and when asked “which?” she replied, “How Firm A Foundation”. As they sang, she rejoiced and clapped while the others wept. My friend, Robert L. Sumner, wrote in his biography of John Rice, Man Sent from God, "Lifting her hands high and gazing as if seeing through the ceiling and roof to the far-off Heaven, she said, "I can see Jesus and my baby now!' Then... she smiled, and was asleep in Jesus."

     When a relative of some of our members was passing over some time past she looked past them and saw glory. They said her face regained lost color, her eyes sparkled, and a wide grin spread across her face. Her family believed she glimpsed glory. She's there now.

     What about this? Is this true? I have heard of many such events. We have the Bible and we have brains, let's use both.

 

I. SOME CLAIMS ARE FALSE

 

1. Some are deliberate deception told by liars or charlatans (some folks changed their stories)

 

2. Some can be demonic deception [1 Jn. 4:1-6] (Dr. Bob Jones Sr. told of such an occurrence)

 

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

 

3. Some can be medically or mentally induced [Jer. 17:9]

 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

II. SOME CLAIMS ARE GENUINE

 

1. A Biblical example [Acts 7:55-60]

 

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down , and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

 

2. Some Biblical conditions [2 Cor. 12:1-4]

 

It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory . I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 

3. Is it Biblically correct? [Rev. 21:9-22:6]

 

III. SOME WILL DO MORE THAN GLIMPSE IT!

 

1. There is coming a day [Rev. 21:1-4]

 

2. There is a crowd going [Rev. 21:5-7, 1 Jn. 5:4-5]

 

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

3. There is a crowd NOT going [Rev. 21:8]