A few days ago, after following the volcanic eruptions and seismic activity in Hawaii, I was sitting here at my computer and had what I guess may have been either a vision or a revelation.  I don't know, I just felt it and saw it.

I felt GREAT anguish, mixed with great feelings of disappointment, rejection and anger. I wondered what it was and the answer came.  I was experiencing a very small part of God's pain over His people and the world today.  Then, I saw a long, dark crack open up in what appeared to be the earth's surface.  There was fire and trembling at that point.  At that moment, God thrust his own Son into that hot, molten abyss.  I didn't see Him.  I just felt the power and the force as He was thrust in.

I suddenly realized what God had done.  He had received upon Himself the awful pain of a world He created for good and called unto himself … ignoring and despising Him.  Yet, He had done the unimaginable.  He had taken the pain and anger of our betrayal directly.  He didn't pretend it wasn't there or overlook it.  Instead he experienced it in full force.  Then, instead of US meeting HIS wrath, HIS SON took our place.  At that moment, I was in awe of what I had just witnessed.

This has been on my mind for the past couple of days since I saw it.  Today, I received more.  I saw the crack in the earth once again, but it was different. I saw the Son of God triumphantly coming out of that place and it didn't even look the same. The setting this time was peaceful, serene.

I thought of History's false gods and idols whom people believed, required them to sacrifice children for appeasement.  Fear caused these parents to throw their own children into volcanos or give them up by other tragic means.  Then I thought of our own God who felt the direct pain of our sin and did something different.  He sacrificed His Own Son, on our behalf.  I saw something else too.  I saw The Son coming out of that fractured, broken earth, triumphant.  No more fire.  It had become a peaceful mountain side monument, reminding me of that place where Jesus gave one of His greatest sermons, the Sermon on the Mount.

"Let the little ones come unto me," Jesus said.  "For of such is the kingdom of heaven."  What a contrast to the false gods and idols that people at one time served who demanded child sacrifice.  Instead, God gave His own Son.  But that wasn't all.  The powers of earth and sin could not hold Him and He returned to us and then back home to His Father's side where He has made preparation for us also.  Where He is, we want to be too.  Because, that's what he wants.

When a volcano erupts, hot, red, liquid comes up from deep within the earth' core. The ground around it becomes fractured from the trauma and opens up, releasing lava flow which runs down the mountain destroying what ever it comes into contact with.  What it doesn't destroy, it takes captive, immobilizes and soon, if there is no help available, this too will be taken.

When Jesus was offered up on Calvary, blood flowed out of his body and onto the ground.  His blood offered us forgiveness, canceled our debt and set us free. The forces of earth cannot match this event.  Unlike the other, it is done in a quiet way as we transfer our sin over to God and He fills in our fractured, empty soul with Himself.  No fireworks or grand display.  Just the trading of our sorrows for His peace.

[John 17:1-5]  After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."