Revelation 19:12 "His eyes were like a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself."
Song of Solomon 5:12 "His eyes are like doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk, and fitly set."
Until recently, the seeming obscurity of these verses would have warranted only a small glance as I passed over them onto something else more gripping. But now, there is nothing more captivating and revelatory than these verses to my heart. Thanks to my friend Rebecca, who lead our 8:30 set team at Sanctuary House of Prayer, and had us focus on these verses last week, these two passages jumped to life. They helped to give understanding and language to what God has been doing in my heart over the last 40 days or so.
During this season of fasting, I have been meditating on the First Commandment (Matt. 22:37) and feeling the tangible longing to be fully united with Christ - to love Him fully with all of my life and to experience His love and communion. I have woken up some mornings to tears and pain in my heart and soul because I so desperately want more of God and to know Him.
That is where these passages about Christ's eyes break in; they speak of His burning desire and passion, His kindness and longing for me! He was the One to love me with all of Himself, to the point of suffering and death on the cross for me to be reconciled with the Father. It is His all-consuming love that burns for me, and His longing for a Bride to be pure and spotless for the day of His Return..."Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready" (Rev.19:7). The longing in my heart is only because the Spirit of God is inside of me, working out faith and love through wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus (see Eph.1:17).
And then the first and great commandment folds into that thought so seamlessly in my heart: Matt.22:37 is in the larger story of chapter that He begins with the parable of the wedding feast. He gives the great commandment in the context of the message of the kingdom being like a marriage relationship. Jesus is calling them to wholehearted love. It's like Jesus is saying, "It's about loving me with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Why? Because I love you with all of my heart, my soul, my strength." It's about being equally yoked in love forever!!
We are meant to love Jesus with the same intensity that He loves us! We are meant to be a Bride, pure and spotless, ready and waiting for His return, to be equally yoked to Him forever. Obviously, our capacities and ability to love are meager compared to the greatness of the Lord, who's very essence is love. He is the One whose eyes are like a flame of fire! He is the One who pursues us. It is He who will "Rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zeph.3:17). As we gaze at Him, spend our life loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we will be burned, purified, and refined in the fiery love of His gaze. He gazes at us; we gaze at Him; and we are not the same.
There is a power and intensity in Rev.19:12 that resonates in my spirit, and leaves an echo that increase the ache and longing for more of Him. And the gentleness, care, compassion and deep affection in Song of Solomon description of the dove's eyes, soothes my heart with reassurance and gratitude for this love.
I'm left lovesick and aching for more.
Some of these thoughts have been inspired by listening to the First Commandment series from IHOP. Here's a little taste:
Mike Bickle says, "Can you imagine the indescribable reality of the Genesis 1 God; the God who created....He loves me..and you..with all of His heart, with all of His mind, with all of His strength! This is indescribable good news!" (First Commandment Series: Session 08. End of the Age Ministry Paradigm).
