“Behold, He cometh with clouds,” the last book of the Bible proclaims, “and every eye shall see Him…” (Rev. 1.7).
This is the long-awaited appearing in glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; it is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2.13).
But note. That passage in The Revelation continues, “and they also which pierced Him.”
Every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
This prophecy first appears in Zechariah, where it reads, “they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced” (Zech. 12.10). Me? Who is that? The words are in the mouth of the LORD, that is, Jehovah.
They appear again in the apostle John’s account of the crucifixion of Christ.
And again another scripture saith, They shall look on Him whom they pierced (Jn. 19.37).
I wonder how many of the onlookers that day on Golgotha realized that when the soldiers drove the nails into the hands of Christ, and pierced His side with a spear, it was actually Jehovah they were piercing. We make no attempt to dissect the holy unity between the Father and the Son; the prophecy simply states that the hour would come when those who crucified the Son of God would realize that it was Jehovah God the Father they had pierced.
I wonder, too, how many realize that Jesus Christ is still being pierced. Saul of Tarsus got that astonishing revelation one day. He had been persecuting the Christians, delivering them up to prison and death. One day he saw a light brighter than the noon-day sun and heard a Voice calling to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
What a stunning revelation it was to him. “Who are You, Lord?” “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
You mean, Lord, these Christians… You?
He devoted the rest of his life to sharing the sufferings of the One he had been persecuting, and his writings are filled with the revelation he saw that day.
Now ye are the body of Christ…
Matthew in his account of the Gospel tells of the day when the Son of man shall come in His glory… and reveal to the dismay of all that even before then He was here, though many did not recognize Him. He said that He was here… hungry. He was here… thirsty. He was here… a stranger, here… naked. He was here… sick. He was here… in prison.
How so, Lord? You said “I was hungry, I was thirsty… I was sick. I was in prison.” How so?
He reveals that it was when “one of the least of these my brethren” was going through these things, it was He Himself who was suffering…
…And He Himself who was being ministered to by those who reached out to them, even though they were not conscious that this is what they were doing.
We anticipate the appearing of the Son of man in glory, and our cry is, make no tarrying, Lord!
But, beloved, do we see Him even now? Do we recognize Him… not in robes of glory, but in His humiliation?
Let us not miss out on His appearing even now in His humiliation—His privation, His alienation, His sickness, His distress, His shame, His unjust treatment… His sufferings.
We don’t want to be numbered among those who are wailing in that hour when they finally realize who it is they pierced.
A Mending Feast 
A harsh and tender word at the same time… me think of Les, sharing his journey with us…
LikeLike
Hi Andre, yes, it was thoughts of Les that inspired this post. We visited him in the hospital a few days ago, and while praying I suddenly realized, oh, how our Lord Himself is identified with us in our sufferings! Oh for eyes to see… HIM.
LikeLike
Hi Allan,
This poem was recently shared in our fellowship. I believe it fits with your message.
The Vision
Given to John G. Lake Oct. 10, 1909 (in tongues with interpretation)
Jesus Thou King! Glorious and eternal!
Mighty and loving! Powerful and Grand!
Who through the blackness and darkness infernal
Guideth and holdeth Thy child by the hand.
Pierced to Thy soul! Grieved in Thy Spirit!
Bleeding Thy feet are! Wounded Thy hand!
Sorrowing Christ, through the veil now uplifted
See I Thy beckoning with uplifted hand.
Hear I Thy voice as to me Thou now speakest!
See I Thy teardrops silently fall!
Know I the anguish Thy sorrowing Spirit
Feels as Thou drinkest this wormwood and gall.
What, Lord, the cause of Thy anguish of Spirit?
Why doth this suffering come to Thee now?
Crucified once, on the cross wast Thou lifted?
Have not the cruel thorns pierced Thy brow?
Have not the sins of mankind on Thee rested
Causing Thy soul in anguish to be torn?
Has not the bloodsweat from Thee been wrested?
Have not Thy saints for the crucified mourned?
Why is it that again now I see Thee
Bruised and bleeding, anguished and lone?
Why is the Spirit of Christ now within me
Witnessing thus of Thy sorrow again?
List, to the answer! Let all the world hear it!
Jesus is speaking! Let all hear His voice!
It is because of the sins of my people.
It is because you will not heed my voice.
Do ye not bite and devour one another?
Do ye not slay with your tongue and pen
Many of my precious daughters and mothers,
young men and maidens, even boys and old men?
Have ye ever stood in the fire where they’re tested?
Have ye ever felt of the withering blast?
Know ye how long and how hard they’ve resisted
Fighting and struggling unto the last?
Why did ye not stretch your hand out to help them?
Why from thy soul did not sympathy flow?
Did not My Spirit within thee say, “Help them
out of their bondage, or darkness or woe”?
Thus am I crucified! Thus My soul anguished!
This is the cause of My sorrow and woe!
This is the reason that Satan has vanquished
Many who once were as pure as the snow!
Oh, let thy heart in yearning compassion,
Gentleness, meekness and tenderness mild,
Give of My grace to the soul swept with passion
Power to live at My feet as a child.
Then shall the gladness and brightness of heaven
Flood thine own spirit and cause thee to move
Among the crushed and wounded and broken
Bringing them sunshine, gladness and love.
Then shall thy spirit in tune with the heavenlies,
Rapturous joys in the Spirit shall know.
Then shall the power of God rest upon thee.
Then in the fruits of the Spirit thou ‘lt grow.
Then shall the earth know the glory of heaven.
Then shall dominion over death and over hell
Reign in thine own soul, spread as the leaven
Causing angels and men My praises to swell.
Then shall the Christ over the earth be victorious!
Then shall the power of My gospel be known!
My kingdom shall come! Eternal and Glorious!
United! The heavens and the earth shall be one!
LikeLike
Thanks, Terry, the poem fits very well. We certainly need this revelation of Jesus Christ in this hour!
LikeLike
A beautiful message. ❤
LikeLike
Thank you, Anna. And convicting to yours truly.
LikeLike