The Mystery; Predicting The Manifestation
Manifestation / noun /ˌmanəfəˈstāSH(ə)n,ˌ manəˌfesˈtāSH(ə)n / from late Latin "manifestare" meaning "to make public"
1. an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea.
How did God 'make public' what He had been planning all along in showing Himself to those who would believe? We have seen how God showed characteristics of Himself as a pillar of fire, a pillar of cloud and as a Presence. We also read the term 'angel of the Lord' has been used in describing how God would speak face to face with Moses. God continued increasing the depth of His revelations in times after Moses.
Let us read now how God revealed fantastic insights to Daniel, forecast His appearance to Ezekiel and showed John a similar vision He gave to Daniel, showing through these men the manner in which He wold eventually manifest Himself to mankind:
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ( The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time. )
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His Presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever - yes, for ever and ever.’
- Daniel 7:9-18
Here we see One seated on a throne and One as a Son of Man appointed to be worshiped by all of mankind. Daniel was disturbed, and understandably so. God is One and Daniel, seeing this vision, was challenged in his perception of that One God. God surely is One, but God can and will do as He pleases... many misunderstand and in fear disbelieve the possible that God makes out of the impossible. We need to leave our physical explanations and venture into the spiritual context of His reality.
Take a lesson from what Nicodemus learned while seeking the kingdom and hearing what Yeshua had to explain to him.
This passage in Ezekiel may further explain the mystery of what was to come:
"'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
"'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.'"
- Ezekiel 34:11-17
It reads as if God Himself will personally make an appearance one day. Let us look at what was revealed to the Apostle John and what he saw, for this was a vision John experienced after the fact of the Manifestation, yet his vision compliments Daniel's vision centuries before. Look at the similarities in John's vision and read back to what Daniel's vision speaks:
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. The hair on His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
- Revelation 1:12-18
1. an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea.
How did God 'make public' what He had been planning all along in showing Himself to those who would believe? We have seen how God showed characteristics of Himself as a pillar of fire, a pillar of cloud and as a Presence. We also read the term 'angel of the Lord' has been used in describing how God would speak face to face with Moses. God continued increasing the depth of His revelations in times after Moses.
Let us read now how God revealed fantastic insights to Daniel, forecast His appearance to Ezekiel and showed John a similar vision He gave to Daniel, showing through these men the manner in which He wold eventually manifest Himself to mankind:
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ( The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time. )
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His Presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
“I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.
“So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever - yes, for ever and ever.’
- Daniel 7:9-18
Here we see One seated on a throne and One as a Son of Man appointed to be worshiped by all of mankind. Daniel was disturbed, and understandably so. God is One and Daniel, seeing this vision, was challenged in his perception of that One God. God surely is One, but God can and will do as He pleases... many misunderstand and in fear disbelieve the possible that God makes out of the impossible. We need to leave our physical explanations and venture into the spiritual context of His reality.
Take a lesson from what Nicodemus learned while seeking the kingdom and hearing what Yeshua had to explain to him.
This passage in Ezekiel may further explain the mystery of what was to come:
"'For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
"'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.'"
- Ezekiel 34:11-17
It reads as if God Himself will personally make an appearance one day. Let us look at what was revealed to the Apostle John and what he saw, for this was a vision John experienced after the fact of the Manifestation, yet his vision compliments Daniel's vision centuries before. Look at the similarities in John's vision and read back to what Daniel's vision speaks:
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. The hair on His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and coming out of His mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
- Revelation 1:12-18
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