that they had not seen before. He showed them that He was present not only in
scattered prophecies of the Messiah, but also in “all” the Scriptures. In this the
Lord foreshadowed His second coming, which was not to be another coming
in Person, but a coming in the Scriptures, in the Word. (True Christianity 777)
The Word is Divine Truth from the Lord, which deals in its highest sense with the
Lord alone. As a result, those who receive enlightenment when they read the Word
see the Lord. This is the result of their faith and love. (Secrets of Heaven 9411)
Abraham Looking at the Stars
I want to share some examples of how we can now see the Lord in the Word.
The Lord had promised Abram that he would have many descendants, yet as
an 85-year-old man he had no children. Abram complained that he had only
household servants to inherit what he had. The Lord then brought Abram
outside and said: “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able
to number them.” And the Lord said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
(Genesis 15:5)
On the literal level this is a story about Abram looking at the stars. When
the story is opened up more deeply, however, we see that it is about Jesus
Christ. He also looked up to heaven when He was praying for all the people in
the world who might become His own – who might believe in Him and love
Him.
Abram was distressed with the thought that those who inherited his estate
would be servants or slaves, not his own children. Likewise Jesus struggled
with the thought that the people in His kingdom, in His church, were acting as
servants, not as His own children. They followed external rules to gain worldly
rewards rather than truly loving one another as He loved them.
In His times of trial and inner turmoil, Jesus never fought from selfish
desire, or for Himself, but for everyone in the universe. His effort was not to
become the greatest in heaven, for this is contrary to the Divine Love, and
scarcely even that He might be the least; but only that all others might become
something, and be saved. (Secrets of Heaven 1812)
In everything the Lord does His goal is a heaven from the human race
(Divine Providence 27), so when He looked up to heaven in His prayer He did
not think of the stars, but of all those who would be with Him in heaven and
inherit His kingdom as His own children. (See Secrets of Heaven 1807-8) In a
similar way, when we look at the story of Abram from an understanding of the
love the Lord has for all people, Abram disappears and we see the Lord Jesus
Christ instead.
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