"However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days" (Daniel 2:28).
This strikingly distinctive photograph will not only surprise you, but it may also leave you awestruck for what it reveals. While it looks like an ordinary jacket cover for a new book on the prophet Daniel, it is actually a prophetic revelation for understanding one of the greatest mysteries in the Bible—a mystery that has waited until the time of the end to become fully known. So, don't let this unusually strange-looking and most peculiar symbolism deceive you into believing that it's either irrelevant or just plain inconsequential. It's assuredly not!
If the average picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words, then this picture is worth substantially more. To place an actual price tag on what it represents, its monetary value would be beyond priceless! What makes it so invaluable and treasured isn't the picture itself, but the message it conveys. While you're most likely familiar with the greatest part of this mystery, maybe you don't fully understand it or even believe it. For such a time as this, maybe now you will, as we delve into what has finally been brought to light. And, "those who have insight will understand" (Daniel 12:10c NAS).
This mystery begins with the impressive statue on the left side of the picture and with a king who is represented by its magnificent head of gold. It was during the sixth century B.C. that a teenager named Daniel, while living in Jerusalem, was taken captive and exiled to Babylon. He was then conscripted into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. It was during the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign that the king had dreams that unsettled him, and he was unable to sleep. He was troubled, and his spirit was so anxious to understand the dream that he summoned his magicians, conjurers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to help him. The following dramatic events are from the book of Daniel.
"Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: 'O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.' The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, 'The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore, declare to me the dream and its interpretation'" (Daniel 2:4-6).
"The Chaldeans answered the king and said, 'There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.' Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So, the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them" (Daniel 2:10-13).
What King Nebuchadnezzar was requesting of his 'spiritual advisors' was impossible! The king, though, was shrewd enough to understand that to get a true and accurate interpretation of his dream, his advisors would also have to be able to first tell him what his dream was. Without a sudden miraculous enlightenment, all the wise men, including Daniel, would soon be executed. Daniel immediately took the matter to his friends, and they appealed for compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.
"Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel answered and said, 'Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, For Thou hast made known to us the king's matter'" (Daniel 2: 19-23).
Now that Daniel had seen in a night vision what King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and was also provided its interpretation, he requested to be taken into the king's presence. The king then asked Daniel, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?" What happens next is Daniel's miraculous response. I'm including all of what's recorded in Scripture to give you a full account of the dream and its interpretation. When this section from Daniel concludes, we'll then turn our attention to the mirror statue on the right side of the picture and focus on the second part of this mystery. Here, now, is the rest of Daniel's account.
"Daniel answered before the king and said, 'As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind'" (Daniel 2:27-30).
The King's Dream
"You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Daniel 2:31-35).
The Interpretation - Babylon the First Kingdom
"This was the dream; now we shall tell its interpretation before the king. You O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold" (Daniel 2:36-38).
Medo-Persia and Greece
"And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth" (Daniel 2:39).
Roman Empire
"Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery" (Daniel 2:40-43).
The Everlasting Kingdom
"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so, the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy" (Daniel 2:44-45).
King Nebuchadnezzar's statue, as you can see, is a prophetic outline of world history from the sixth century B.C. when Daniel lived to when the kingdom of God is established on earth. It symbolically shows the deterioration of power regarding four Gentile kingdoms that rule the world during what is known as, The Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). When the stone struck and completely destroyed the statue, it then became a great mountain (kingdom) that filled the whole earth. Besides the stone representing a kingdom it also symbolizes its king. Not just any king, but the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, who throughout Scripture is often called a stone.
In Matthew 21:42 Jesus said this about Himself, "Have you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.'" And in Isaiah 28:16 it says: "Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.'" In Acts 4:11-12, Peter told the high priest and all the Jewish leadership: "This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the corner stone. Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
In architecture, the cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a building or structure, with the other stones laid in reference to it. With the Lord God as the Chief Architect and Master Builder, what will He be constructing in His kingdom after He firmly places His precious cornerstone? What will ultimately replace King Nebuchadnezzar's statue that was completely crushed by the stone and blown away by the wind? Who, or what, will stand in its place upon this eternal foundation? Who is it that will inherit this new kingdom that will endure forever and will not be left for another people? In order to find out the answers to these many questions, we need to return to the corner and to the cornerstone!
I started this blog, Beyond Believing - A Journey Beyond Faith, with three very simple posts with a message. They were titled, In this corner...I'm the Menace. The first lesson was that no matter what bad things we've done or how very good we've all tried to be, we all deserve to be in the corner, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The significance of the corner became much more meaningful with my November 2, 2019 post titled, Beyond Believing. This is where I described what happened during my near-death experience (NDE) when the Holy Spirit told me to, "Look and remember!"
The symbols I was shown during my NDE are represented in this picture. What I didn't see was a missing piece, another symbol that would later fill in the gap of the dark and empty lower half of the corner. This meant that for many years I had no clue that it even existed. It's this critically important missing piece that becomes a vital part of what will someday replace King Nebuchadnezzar's great statue.
This crucial missing piece of the prophetic puzzle is unlike any of the other symbols. What makes it uniquely different is the fact that it actually had to be purchased. It had to be bought with a price. This was required in order to match a very costly, highly precious, and much-beloved purchase that occurs in Scripture. The matching symbolism between the two is unbelievably extraordinary. Once this final piece is firmly put in place, it not only fits perfectly, but it completes the statue to exacting specifications. The result is a masterpiece of God's creation and a symbol of His crowning achievement. It's now time to go shopping and see what I bought and then compare it to what was actually purchased in Scripture.
It wasn't long after I was first married that my full-length mirror began falling apart. It was only a few years old, but the frame and backing were already beginning to separate, and I eventually had to decorate it with duct tape to hold it together. It would have worked great for a bachelor, but my beautiful new bride wasn't exactly impressed. It had seen better days. This meant that one of our first newlywed purchases was the much nicer standing mirror that you see in this recent photo.
The mirror's first home was in our master bedroom. It stood just to the right of the front window, and upon entering the room, we could see ourselves in its reflection. It resided in that location for approximately four years, until Sharon decided it was time to rearrange some furniture. The mirror then ended up being moved into the corner. It was about this same time that I made the decision to begin reading the Bible again from cover to cover. Over the years, I had been in no rush to search the Scriptures for NDE symbols I knew weren't there. In the interim, I'd read numerous books by Christian authors on biblical subjects, read certain chapters of the Bible from time to time, and studied whatever was necessary for an informed discussion in Sunday school. While I wasn't biblically illiterate, I certainly wasn't a theologian or biblical scholar.
When I finally got around to reading, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), it was towards the end of 1996. This was a full six years after my NDE. What actually got me started was a spur-of-the moment decision when I noticed Sharon's Bible laying on the side of the bed. For a minute or two, I knelt beside the bed and began to read the first chapter. When I got to Genesis 1:26, I read: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our Image, according to Our likeness.'" It was at this moment that I lifted my head and looked across the room at the mirror standing in the corner. I couldn't believe it! I finally understood what had been missing in the corner during those intervening years. It was the Mirror! A mirror that reflects our image and our likeness! It was all somehow connected to our being made in the image of God.
This next picture shows what the mirror looks like once added to the other NDE symbols. It perfectly fills in the gap of the corner's dark empty void. You may have noticed that the black cat that was previously sitting on the windowsill is now missing. In a future post, I'll cover what and who it represents and explain exactly why it fell to the floor as dead. It's now out of the picture for a very good reason. I know all this sounds very strange, which is why I particularly like what 1st Corinthians 1:27 says: "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise." When you finally see how the Holy Spirit takes these ordinary symbols and does something extraordinary, you'll discover as I did that it isn't so foolish after all.
It wasn't long after my surprise discovery and newfound belief in the symbolic significance of the mirror filling in the corner that I shared this revelation with my Pastor, Jerry Garrard, at Celebration Baptist Church. I also told Michelle and Joanne, who were two of my co-workers at the Florida Attorney General's Office. When I revealed this to them, it was sometime between November 1996 and January 1997. I know these dates because of what happened only a month later when I received my February 1997 issue of Decision magazine. If you are not familiar with Decision, it is a publication of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and communicates the Good News of Jesus Christ along with covering current news events pertaining to key cultural and Biblical topics.
The cover on this particular issue showed time running out to renew my subscription. As you can see in the picture below, the clock is approaching twelve, and I had a decision to make. If you've read my two earlier posts, Mission Impossible and Mission More Impossible, then you know the significance of the corner's digital clock reaching 12:00 high noon from 11:21 a.m. and how this exact time was key to my prophetically knowing when I'd be married before meeting my wife. This same twelve o'clock time is incredibly important for unveiling something else that will soon become evident.
As you continue, keep this important message from the magazine's cover in mind: Time is running out to make a decision! Also, notice what the red lettering says: "Don't miss this opportunity. You will receive a Free Gift." The free gift being offered to renew my subscription was a book, but I've added a caption to the photo that tells you what God's free gift is for all who turn to Jesus in repentance and faith.
When I opened that same February 1997 Decision magazine with the clock cover, I couldn't believe what I was looking at. There, in front of my own two eyes, was my mirror's identical twin! It was an exact duplicate of the mirror that was standing in the corner of my bedroom—the same mirror that I'd started telling people about. What I experienced was a combination of both shock and awe! It was the evidence and confirmation that I needed. I was now one hundred percent proof positive that the mirror belonged in the corner. After you read the following article, I'll show you why this is true and also explain what all this means.
The Decision magazine article, titled Like Him!, was extracted from C.H. Spurgeon's "Sermons on the Second Coming of Christ." In these sermons, Spurgeon emphasizes that when Jesus returns, we shall be like Him—not only in body and soul but also in condition. This spiritual transformation, leading to our being "like Him," represents something so radical and revolutionary that it even confounded a Pharisee named Nicodemus, one of the best-known intellectuals of Jesus' time.
When Jesus told Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3), Nicodemus struggled to comprehend how a person could be born again when they are old. Nicodemus imagined how impossible it would be to enter into his mother's womb and be born a second time. He was thinking of the flesh, while Jesus was speaking of the Spirit. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
This picture of contrasting corner symbols reveals what being born again symbolically looks like by showing the corner before and after the mirror fills it in. On the left, the empty darkness of the lower half of the corner represents our spiritual condition before being born again. We're existing in a blackout—spiritually dead, with a darkened heart and a sense of emptiness, cut off from God. But notice how the clock is turning away from the dark corner, just as we should.
In my July 25, 2020 post titled Turn the Corner, I explained how the corner's turning digital clock unmistakably represents repentance and turning back to God—by turning to Christ in faith. I demonstrated how the numerals on the face of the clock correspond to Hebrew Lexicon numbers and their meaning: (1121/Ben - meaning "son") and (1511/cut-off). Remarkably, these two numbers, when expressed digitally, are U-turn mirror-images of each other, representing an about-face turn in our thinking—a change of mind, turning away from sin, and making a 180-degree turn back toward God. It's turning away from darkness and turning to the light. In John 8:12 Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life."
The process of being born again, which completely bewildered Nicodemus, begins with repentance. Consider how the clock symbolically turns away from a life "cut off" from God, pivoting back toward Him. This transformative process leads to a brand-new life as a beloved "son" in Christ. After turning in repentance and receiving Christ by faith, this new birth is represented by the mirror filling in the gap, replacing the empty darkness. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Once the mirror fills in the corner, it becomes the body of a symbolic figure immeasurably greater than the fading glory of King Nebuchadnezzar's great statue.
Notice, too, how the time on the clock dramatically changes from 11:21 to 12:00. This change remarkably signifies a transfer in both identity and authority. It's akin to the inauguration of the President of the United States when a new head of state takes office, and the transfer of title and power occurs precisely at 12:00 noon. Now, get ready for something truly amazing: the definition for the matching Hebrew Lexicon's number, 1200, reveals the identity of the one who has assumed all power and authority as the head of the statue—the one who sovereignly reigns as Lord over the body.
While this newly completed statue may not appear as awesome as King Nebuchadnezzar's, it is awe-inspiring! In fact, it represents something gloriously magnificent, strikingly beautiful, and immeasurably loved by God! You'll know this to be true after I introduce you to the full revelation of its significance. But first, let's clarify something. In the darkness of the corner, the digital clock appears to be sitting on an ordinary shelf, when actually it's sitting on top of a computer hard drive. It's this combination of the clock (face) and computer (brain) that together represent the head of this new figure, with the mirror as its body. To help visualize these symbols as a such, here is a quote from British physicist and author, Stephen Hawking, which also includes his personal views regarding people of faith: "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or after life for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
When Stephen Hawking died in 2018, his life's work as a theoretical physicist and cosmologist had made him world-renowned. He was also known as an avowed atheist who believed no one created the universe, no one directs our fate, and there is no God. While he was partly right about the brain being similar to a computer (albeit symbolically), he was dead wrong about the non-existence of God and the belief that there is no heaven or afterlife. Now that the pieces of the statue have finally come together, you're about to discover how tragically mistaken this brilliant scientist was regarding matters of faith and believing in God.
On the left side of the next picture, we see King Nebuchadnezzar's great statue, representing the four successive world kingdoms beginning with his own head of gold. The mirror figure on the right side replaces it with a single kingdom. The head of this new statue reveals who will be King, while the body identifies who will inherit this final and everlasting kingdom. Let's closely examine this new statue from head to toe, using Scripture to discern who and what it represents. You'll also learn why it was absolutely essential for the mirror, as the body, to have been purchased—to have been bought with a price!
The Interpretation - The Eternal Kingdom of God
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:18-23).
The Head - King Jesus
Beginning with the head of the new statue, let's consider the face of the clock. Without a doubt, you can certainly tell what time it is—it's twelve o'clock. While looking at this digital face, we can all agree that telling time is not like reading a person's expressions or emotions. Instead, it's detached, mechanical—a mere clock. But could it be more? Actually, by seeing its face in a new light, it becomes something else entirely. Now, observe the warm glow of its numerals illuminating the darkness. It's a face shining upon you. Beyond telling time, what else can this illuminated face reveal? A lot! And it all begins with this special verse:
"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26).
This blessing, where the Lord's face shines upon us, is evident in the illuminated face of the statue. It echoes how Moses' face radiated after speaking with the Lord on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-34). Unlike Moses' fading glory, this face's illumination will never diminish. Symbolically, it shines forth like the noonday sun (12:00 p.m.). This same transcendent illumination was witnessed by Peter, James and John when Jesus was transfigured before them—His face shining like the sun, and His clothes as white light (Matthew 17:2).
With the time on the clock face representing a blazing noon-day sun, it also aligns with a similar brilliant illumination. Strong's Hebrew Lexicon defines the number 1200 as "burning - fire." God's glory and divine presence are often represented throughout scripture as this same burning fire. Moses first saw the Lord's presence as a blazing fire coming from the midst of a bush that was not consumed (Exodus 3:2). The Lord also led the Israelites through the darkness of the desert at night in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). God also descended upon Mount Sinai, clothed in fire and smoke (Exodus 19:18).
This same burning fire is seen in Revelation 19:11-12, where John describes the return of Jesus: "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire." The illuminated face of the statue symbolizes a burning flame of fire, shining forth His glory without variation or shadow of turning.
"Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29). In the King James version of Matthew 21:42, it says: "Did ye never read in the scriptures. The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." The head of our new statue, the cornerstone, represents the King of kings and Lord of lords, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He is none other than the Messiah, Jesus Christ! Jesus is the head over all things to the church, which is His body.
The Mirror as the Body- The Church
When Adam and Eve were created in the image and likeness of God, they perfectly reflected God's glory, like a mirror. Genesis 1:26 states, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'" In Genesis 1:27, it further emphasizes, "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
Initially, God looked upon the first couple and saw His own image and likeness, as if gazing into a mirror. However, the fall of humanity into sin darkened, distorted, and clouded that image. It is only through being born again by turning to Christ in repentance and faith that the mirror and image are restored. As believers, we become part of Christ's body, and His imputed righteousness makes us like a mirror without spot, streak, smudge, or blemish.
1 Corinthians 12:27 affirms, "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it." The analogy continues: "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Ephesians 5:23 adds, "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body."
Colossians 1:13-18 beautifully describes our redemption: "For He (God the Father) delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.... He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead." Lastly, Colossians 2:10 declares, "And in Him, you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority."
The Mirror as the Body - Bought with a Price
The mirror, as the body of the statue, represents the body of Christ—the church. For this reason, the mirror had to be purchased. It had to be bought with a price. Similarly, we have also been purchased—the debt of our sin paid in full by Jesus' death on the cross and by the shedding of His precious blood. Isaiah 53:5 beautifully captures this truth: "He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed."
1 Peter 1:18-19 further emphasizes our redemption: "Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your empty life inherited from your ancestors, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." Additionally, 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us: "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds, you were healed."
Jesus, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve, giving His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). And as believers, we are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price. Therefore, let us glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The Wooden Arms, Legs, Feet, and Frame of the Mirror
"He (Jesus) bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness..." (1 Peter 2:24).
The cross of Christ! It is unquestionably the foremost symbol of Christianity and the focal point in the life and ministry of Jesus. A single wooden cross stands at the center of the salvation message; there would be no gospel without it. For this reason, it is no coincidence that the statue's arms, legs, feet, and the frame of the mirror are likewise entirely made of wood. Initially, this choice may seem foolish when compared to its predecessor. Wood appears weaker, less durable, and subject to decay. However, things are not always as they appear, especially considering how, in this case, the precious blood of Christ has stained and preserved the wood to endure not for years, but for eternity.
Let us remember that "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Col. 1:15-20).
I've included this final picture of the mirror statue for you to see it with new eyes. Notice how the mirror itself is surrounded and protected by the wood. The outstretched arms underneath the mirror apply to Deuteronomy 33:27: "The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." While still focused on the arms, you can't help but notice that the only metal piercing the wood is piercing the hands that are holding the mirror. For "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
The great love that God has for us is demonstrated by this: "That while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). There is nothing, absolutely nothing, holding the mirror except the pierced hands. Likewise, the only thing holding those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior is His own pierced hands. It is just as Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).
Lastly, the entire mirror stands on three individual legs. These three legs, in essence, form one mirror stand. They symbolize the three-in-one triune nature of God—the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The Lord God Himself, as one, provides the mirror with strength and support as it stands on a sure and trusted eternal foundation in His everlasting kingdom.
Earlier, I asked you to keep in mind the message from Decision magazine's clock cover: Time is running out to make a decision! Renewing a magazine is one thing, but let's turn our attention to Billy Graham's book, How To Be Born Again, and to the most important decision of your life—a decision for Christ!
"Make it happen now. 'Now is the accepted time...now is the day of salvation' (2 Cor. 6:2, KJV). If you are willing to repent for your sins and to received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can do it now. At this moment, you can either bow your head or get on your knees and say this little prayer which I have used with thousands of persons on every continent: O God, I acknowledge that I have sinned against You. I am sorry for my sins. I am willing to turn from my sins. I openly receive and acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Savior. I confess Him as Lord. From this moment on I want to live for Him and serve Him. In Jesus' name. Amen."
"If you are willing to make this decision and have received Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Savior, then you have become a child of God in whom Jesus Christ dwells. You do not need to measure the certainty of your salvation by your feelings. Believe God. He keeps His word. You are born again. You are alive!"
If you have turned the corner in repentance and by faith turned to Christ, then the dark and empty lower half of the corner has been filled in by the mirror. You have been restored to reflect His image and likeness. Having been transformed and made new, you are born again. Jesus is now the head, and you are a member of His body—the church. By His imputed righteousness, you are like a mirror without spot, streak, smudge, or blemish. You have been fully redeemed and restored, always held securely in His everlasting and loving arms.
As a member of His body—the church, you are part of something gloriously magnificent, strikingly beautiful, and immeasurably loved by God! For the mirror statue, in all its glory, symbolizes the Bride of Christ, of which you are now a part. Just as the husband is the head of the wife, so too is Christ the head of the body—the church—His bride. And He absolutely loves and adores His bride. That means He truly loves you! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
This wedding day photo of my mother, Betty Hardeman Haas, was taken on February 19, 1949. My two Aunts, Steele and Jane Hardeman, are helping her get ready. Now it's our turn to prepare! During what little time remains on the prophetic clock, the Bride of Christ—the church—must make herself ready to meet her Bridegroom! As Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready."
In my next post, my personal favorite, you'll learn more about the mystery of being born again by exploring what happens within us and how God fulfills this promise: "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
The next post titled A True Tale About Two Bobs, God, and Big Ideas begins at:
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