What is God like? #6 - Mysterious in Transcendence

God is Transcendent

    There is another way to look at God, which is that He is above and beyond anything that we can imagine. He is unimaginably glorious and infinitesimally complex, and therefore shrouded in a cloud of unknowing. Take, for example, the situation presented to the prophet Isaiah when he entered the temple merely to pray and was caught off guard with a vision of the Almighty. He sees God, with the length of his robe filling the temple and angelic beings called seraphim,  with six wings, that continually worship God, declaring, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” Holy is a word that also implies separateness, being above all, and pure in total essence. Isaiah's response to this overwhelming revelation is to cry out for his life, because his speech was unworthy of the God he has seen. God's response is to send an angel to put a burning coal to Isaiah's lips to purge his uncleanness. Many of us do not have an understanding of a God whose mere presence causes such awareness of sinfulness and separation from God. May God give us an upgrade in our internal software that causes us to value this God who is so utterly and absolutely awesome.
    Ezekiel had a similar vision of God. He saw some intense supernatural scenery. Flying creatures with multiple faces, with wings, eyes all over. You know, just your average day with God. His attempt to describe the many things he saw led him to use a word that young people used to use a lot; "like." He had to say that this thing was like something else, but it really wasn't the thing. Over and over his ability to use descriptive language was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of what he was actually seeing. This wonder, this sense of total amazement and stupefaction was just the experience of a mere mortal taking in more of God than usual. It was an experience of the God that is over and above and beyond.
    There is another person who experienced something like this, but in the New Testament book of Revelation. His name was John, and he was someone who was familiar with Jesus Christ as a close friend, mentor, spiritual leader and Lord and Master. John had walked all over Israel with Jesus, the itinerant preacher, for over three years. He saw him in every conceivable personal, intimate situation. But when he saw the Christ that sits on the throne of heaven in his glory, it was like he never really understood who he was hanging around with all those years before. He first hears a loud sound, like a trumpet. He turns to see an aspect of Jesus that he had never seen before, His total, impressive, glorious presence. He sees one "like" the Son of Man, so at some level he did recognize the Person before him. He is clothed in flowing robes and a golden sash across His chest. His head and hair were white "like" wool, white "as" snow, and His eyes were "like" a flame of fire. His feet are described as glowing "like" fine brass in a furnace, and His voice was "like" the sound of many waters. He is holding in His hands seven stars, and out of His mouth is coming forth a two-edged sword. His face, or countenance was "like" the sun shining in splendor. So what do you do when you see such a wonderful scene? You do what John did, you fall to your face as a dead man. Just as Isaiah did in the temple, and others did as they realized just who and what kind of a being they were standing before, John hit the floor. Just as those before merely human kings prostrated themselves in reverence and honor, except that this King was King of all Kings and this Lord is Lord of all Lords. The Mighty One that spoke all things into existence was standing before John, who had only years before leaned on His chest as a friend. In the moment when John saw this "revelation of Jesus Christ," he no longer had any doubt that this was the great God Almighty, the Great King of All, and yet still his Friend, that was closer than any brother.