George Washington was not only “the father of our country” and one of the greatest men in American history, he also LOOKED the part. Historian Ron Chernow writes: “People were transfixed by Washington’s lean, virile presence. … Washington had the inestimable advantage of fully looking the part of a military leader. As Benjamin Rush stated, ‘He has so much martial dignity in his deportment that you would distinguish him to be a general and a soldier from among ten thousand people. There is not a king in Europe that would not look like a (chamber servant) by his side.” (Washington: A Life, p. 183)
People were awed and inspired by the presence of George Washington. On the battlefield, men were almost supernaturally calmed by his presence. Few men in history have had the powerful impact of his presence, as George Washington had. But as Christians, we serve a far greater King! Revelation 1 unveils a picture of Jesus that is unmatched by anyone in all history. No wonder Jesus’ earthly brother James called Him, “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ”! The picture we see here of Jesus is glorious! One Bible scholar (B. Witherington III) writes: “John cannot find words big enough to describe the awesome reality he saw, and so he was reduced to saying, ‘it was like,’ over and over again”! Reading John’s description of this vision, I feel that way about what he wrote; I can’t imagine trying to describe it having SEEN it in person! So, knowing the limitations of our words, and trusting the Holy Spirit to show us by faith, how does John describe the vision God gave Him of Jesus here?
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