We Go To Meet The Savior

November 2013 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Testimony Of James A. Harrow
At The Age Of 109 Years

The time cannot be far distant when I will be privileged to enter the audience room of the King of Kings, the One whom I have for 93 years happily and thankfully acknowledged as my Savior, my Lord and my God.

On entering the art gallery of the Celestial City, it will not be the portraits of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other notable saints of God that will be the attraction. It will be my happy privilege not only to behold them there personally in their glorified bodies, but to enjoy happy converse with them. Possibly I will learn from their own lips their deep and real appreciation of the wondrous love of the One who in sovereign grace fitted them (despite their many failures when here on earth) as He has also fitted me to occupy a place in the glory of His presence by removing from us the defilement of sin and clothing us with His own magnificence.

Passing into the Celestial Music Room it will be the Chief Musician, Christ Himself, who will be the center attraction as in the midst of the glorified company He strikes the chord and leads the song of praise to God, one in which I will most heartily join. But one song leads to another and I now look forward in glad and happy anticipation to the outburst of praise and worship that will then flow forth to the Captain of my salvation, the Man at God’s right hand, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who will be seen there as a Lamb as it had been slain.

I may add that I have been appointed a place in this Celestial Choir and shall join the celestial intelligences in that Hallelujah Chorus which will eternally sound the worthiness of the Lamb to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Entering the Celestial Observatory I will need no telescope to aid my vision of the view that will be in open display before me. I shall there and then behold as face to face the King, yea, the King of Kings in all His glory and beauty, crowned with many diadems. His glorious clothing, the regalia of Deity, will be perfumed with frankincense, myrrh, aloes and cassia. These fragrant spices which proclaim the preciousness of His glorious Personality will eternally pervade His celestial abode. I will not feel out of place in the scene of glory, for I shall then be clothed in a body of glory like unto His own most glorious body. For to see Him is to be like Him, to reflect Him.

The Celestial Conservatory is also a banqueting palace in which I will ever have access to the Tree of Life, an evergreen heavily laden with enjoyable fruit, consisting of twelve varieties. Thus my spiritual life will be divinely satisfied as with marrow and fatness for this Tree of Life is Christ Himself, He who entered into death for me that thereby He might introduce me into life. Thus it is under His shadow that I shall sit, eternally finding His fruit sweet to my taste. This I am assured of having in a limited measure, sampled and enjoyed the windfalls that have come within my reach.

The glory associated with the throne in the Celestial City is so searching that hitherto no mortal has been able to stand before its piercing rays. But wonder of wonders, sinner though I be by nature and practice, I am able to look forward in joyous anticipation to the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens. What then of that glorious light which Isaiah glimpsed causing him to cry, “Woe is me, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts;” the glorious light that transformed the proud Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, into Paul and bondslave of Jesus Christ?

Ah, that penetrating, searching, displaying light will disclose no imperfections, but rather will make manifest the absolute perfections of the work of my redeeming Lord. Leading me from the meeting place “in the air,” He will present me faultless, holy, unblamable, and unreprovable before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Whose is the joy? Both His and mine. I am one of those over whom He will joy with singing. Even here and now I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine. Viewing afresh these divine marvels, I can sing even now:

Glory, honor, praise, and power, Be unto the Lamb for ever! Jesus Christ is our Redeemer! Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord.(Poem written by Theodulph of Orleans)

(From the Lord Is Near Daily Meditations, 1995, used with permission.)