11 October 2010

Edwards: The Light of the Glorified Christ

Jonathan Edwards reflects on what believers' eyes will be like in their new and glorious existence in the new earth. (Have you ever considered how not just your body in general but distinct parts of your body will be glorified?)
'Tis not likely that, when they come to have bodily eyes again, they will see by such gross and slow rays as we see by in this world. 'Tis not likely that the light of heaven will be the same with the light of the kitchen and dungeon of this lower world.

The light that is emitted from the glorified body of Christ, the external sun of the heavenly world, is not the same sort of light with that which is sent forth from our sun. The light of this sun is darkness to it, his beams are very gross, stale, dull, heavy things in comparison of them. 'Tis probable that the saints in heaven will have a full sight of the glorified humanity of Christ, from one end of heaven to the other, and 'tis not probable that it will be by such rays of light as we see things. 'Tis probable also that they will be able to see from one side of the universe to the other, from heaven to hell; but 'tis not likely it will be by such slow rays of light, that are several years traveling from the fixed stars to this earth. The glorified body of Christ will shine forth on this world at the day of judgment, with the same light, and in the same glory, with which it shines in heaven; for he will then appear in his greatest glory on that great occasion when he shall come in the glory of his Father to be glorified in his saints and admired in all that believe. He will then shine in a different sort of light than the sun, so that the sun shall be turned into darkness before him.
--Miscellany 926, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol 20 (Yale University Press, 2002), 169-70

In case you didn't catch that--Edwards thinks believers in the new earth will be able to see across the entire universe since Christ, not the sun, will be lighting the whole universe, and the light emitted by Christ's glorified body must be far faster than the speed of light in a solar system lit up by our sun.

'No mind has conceived what God has prepared . . .' --1 Cor 2:9

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