It all started when a young girl at our pastor’s house cried out, “Come and see” in her sleep. The next morning, she didn’t remember saying it. Weeks have passed since then, and it seems everywhere I turn God is confirming it in His Word and through others. Come and see. Come and see. Come and see.
I had to ask myself, “Come and see what?”
That question opened up a huge meal of which I’ve only had a nibble. But it has whetted my appetite (and hopefully will yours) for what we can look forward to in the days to come.
As others have pointed out in Revelation chapter 6, when the Lamb opens the first judgment seal against Satan’s kingdom of darkness, John is invited to firsthand, “Come and see.” What he sees is someone on a white horse who goes out conquering and to conquer. Not our Christ, but a counterfeit leader using deceptive diplomacy.
The second is opened. “Come and see.” Another on a red horse is granted power to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another . . . War breaks out.
The third is opened. “Come and see.” One mounted on a black horse brings famine and economic crisis because of war.
A fourth seal is opened. “Come and see.” One named Death sits on a pale horse, with Hades following. Together, they bring destruction over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
We can see these end-time judgments (and the intensified ones that follow) through the blinded eyes of the world and be terrified and embittered, not knowing that . . . the present heavens and earth have been stored up (reserved) for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.[i
Or—with eyes opened like John's—we can tap into heaven's perspective and come and see for ourselves, Jesus our conquering King. Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O mighty One, in Your glory and Your majesty! And in Your majesty ride on triumphantly for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness . . . and let Your right hand guide You to tremendous things.[ii]
That same fire that will judge sin in these last days, also purifies and reignites dying embers in the hearts of Jesus’ followers. With help from the Breath of heaven, the Bride of Christ still has time to make herself ready.[iii] We still have time to get out there and preach the Gospel.[iv]
John the Baptist cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”[v] Two of his disciples decide to check it out, so they follow Jesus. “Where is it that You dwell?” they ask.
“Come and see.”
Phillip, excited that he’s actually found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, finds his brother.[vi] Nathaniel’s response is, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
“Come and see,” Phillip answers.
The Samaritan woman leaves her heart-to-heart conversation with Jesus at the well.[vii] She scurries back to town, exclaiming, “Come and see a Man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
In the book of Acts, Peter and John keep stirring up trouble with their Gospel message. Because they healed a crippled man—at the door of the temple no less! —they are imprisoned. “No more of this preaching about Jesus,” they are told. Their answer? “Whether it is right for us to obey your commands or God’s, you decide. But as for us, we can’t help but speak that which we have seen and heard.”[viii]
Come and see. Come and see. Come and see.