“They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”
Revelation 22:4 (NIV)
Promise No. 4
After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God and felt both shame and fear – Genesis 3:8. Sin does that. It separates us from God and denies us access to Him because of His holiness and our sinfulness.
But Revelation 22:4 tells us that in the life to come, believers will see God face-to-face and enjoy the intimacy that Adam and Eve experienced before they fell into sin. Jesus took upon Himself our sins and bore its wrath on the cross. He experienced spiritual death (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46 (NIV) and physical death (“And Jesus …gave up His spirit” – Matthew 27:50. But in His death, burial and resurrection He restored us to a right relationship with God, and we have His promise that one day our faith will be made right.
Therefore we have hope. 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (NIV).
The phrase, “His name will be on their foreheads”, signifies God’s ownership of us and His promise to protect us. God’s “name” stands for His character and His ownership of His servants.
Many people do not like to use the word servant today because of its connotation of inferiority. But we know that Jesus stated, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave (servant) of all – just as the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV).
Jesus has a servant’s heart. He has compassion for people — the sick, the dying, the disabled and so many more. He helps people in all circumstances, whether they be Gentile or Jew. As we seek to be more like Jesus, let us pattern our lives after His.
Prayer
Jesus, Lamb of God, we thank You and praise Your matchless name. We cry worthy, worthy is the Lamb that sits upon the throne. We long to see Your face, to be near You, and warm ourselves in the glow of Your glorious presence. Thank You for the hope we have, the blessed hope of Your returning, bringing to an end this vale of tears, and replacing it with the joy of Your presence, where death will be no more. We await Your return, Oh Lamb of God. Amen.
Read: 1 John 4:12; 3 John 1:14
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 12; Matthew 14:22-36; Matthew 15:1-9; Genesis 41:41-57; Genesis 42
