Anne Graham Lotz - The Vision of His Glory

1996, 1997, 2009 by Anne Graham Lotz

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources:

The King James Version of the Bible.

THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE: OLD TESTAMENT. 1962, 1964 by Zondervan (used by permission);

and from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT. 1958 by the Lockman Foundation (used by permission).

ISBN: 978-0-8499-2095-0

Library of Congress has catalogued the earlier edition as follows:

Lotz, Anne Graham, 1948
The vision of his glory: finding hope through the revelation of Jesus Christ / by Anne Graham Lotz.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8499-1216-0
1. Bible. N. T. RevelationCriticism, interpretation, etc. 2. HopeReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.
BS2825.2 .L688 1996
228'.06dc20
95-43760

Printed in the United States of America

09 10 11 12 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

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Dedicated
to
the hopeless

Each year as I approach the Christmas holidays, I ask the King what He would like for His birthday. He is very creative in His suggestions! They vary widely but have one thing in common: The gift is always sacrificial in nature, something I would not do except the King requested it. And it is something I could not do except the King enabled me.

One year He seemed to ask for my involvement in carrying out the dying request of an executed murderer. One year I felt His request was for me to add a trip of multiple speaking engagements to my already-completed schedule. One year I thought the gift He desired was for me to tell the Christmas story in my childs public-school classroom.

After having spent five months trying unsuccessfully to secure a professional writer to help me with this book, I was becoming somewhat desperate as the contract deadline drew nearer and nearer yet not one word of the book had been written. As I approached Christmas 1994, the still, small voice of the King seemed to whisper in my heart, Anne, for My birthday this year, I want you to give Me this book. I want you to write it yourself.

With humility, I want to thank the King for His gift suggestion. And I offer it to Him as my tribute, with love!

To my father, whose example of boldly presenting the hope of Jesus Christ to a hopeless world has been and always will be a plumb line and inspiration to millionsincluding me...

To my mother, for pushing me to pick up my pen...

To Kip Jordon, for having a vision of this book before I did...

To Rolf Zettersten, for his practical help in getting this project started...

To my beloved Dan, for the willing sacrifice of home-cooked meals, clean shirts, and my undivided attention until this book was finished...

To Sue Ann Jones, for helping me to verbally express the thrill in my heart when I gaze at the vision of His glory...

To Thomas Nelson, for enthusiastically embracing this bookand its author...

To Helen George and the AnGeL Ministries staff and prayer team, for sharing the responsibilities of ministry so I could add a writing schedule to an already-full speaking schedule...

To Dr. Lewis Drummond, for his line-by-line critique, confirming the doctrinal integrity of the manuscript...

And to you, for your desire to find hope through a fresh vision of His glory.

In Mogadishu, Somalia, on March 21, 1994, a young man was bicycling to work.

He was considered the most outstanding Christian in his very small, struggling, isolated Christian community. He had taken seminary courses through correspondence, and he was investing his life in discipling other young believers as he sought to build up the church in Somalia. The church had high hopes for growth and national impact under his enthusiastic, gifted, Spirit-filled leadership.

But early on that March morning, two men drove by him on a motorcycle, and with one blast of a machine gun, blew this young Christian into eternity.

His brutal, senseless murder left behind a young wife and a one-year-old baby who now faced potential devastation. He himself had led his wife to the Lord. When she professed her faith in Christ, her family and tribe disowned her. Upon her husbands death, she was all alone with no means of support.Not only his family but the church and the entire Christian movement in his nation were rocked to its very foundation of faith.

Is there any hope for the future of this young wife and baby? Is there any hope for the future of the church in Somalia? As this Somalian family and church struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together, what about you? Have you faced a devastating tragedy in your life? Has your life taken an unexpected turn? Is there any hope for your future?

When life seems too hard to bear...

When bad things happen to good people...

When evil triumphs over good...

When Satan seems to have the upper hand...

When all hell breaks loose...

When death still stings and the grave seems to have the victory...

Is there any hope for the future at all?

The book of Revelation answers with a resounding yes! YES! YES!

When stars fall from the sky...

When mountains fall into the sea...

When demons invade the earth...

When the blood of those massacred rises to the height of a horses bridle...

Even when the worst conceivable nightmares become reality...

... there is one splendid, shining, sure hope for the futureand His name is Jesus!

The book of Revelation was originally written to give hope to the early church when Christians were being fed to lions, nailed to crosses, burned at the stake, and boiled in tar. It was written by a Christian who himself was suffering because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Many readers have missed the blessing awaiting them in the book of Revelation because they have been intimidated by its numerical symbolism or overwhelmed by its awesome imagery. They read of mysterious lampstands and sacred seals, worldwide earthquakes and trumpeting angels, monstrous beasts and miracle-working dragonsand quickly turn instead to the soothing poetry of the Psalms or the simple promises of the Beatitudes.

I hope youll resist that urge and stay with me for a brief journey through what I believe is one of the most thrilling and fascinating books in all of Scripture. Revelation is, above all, a book of hope, and the blessing to be found in its magnificent imagery has been, for me, a continuous, awesome experience of worship as it has led me to a fresh, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. This book is my humble attempt to share with you how this richness of worship, this wealth of hope, this vision of His glory, is intended for all of us. Indeed, the book of Revelation was written for you