Day 172.
1 Kings 10:6-9 ESV
And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
I can imagine this kind of scene when seeing the new heavens and the new earth for the first time. “I heard it was great but not even in my wildest imagination was it this spectacular!”
Many authors have tried to capture this kind of experience. Tolkien in Lord of the Rings observes, “is everything sad becoming untrue?” CS Lewis’ book the Last Battle describes the characters entering Aslan’s country and being overwhelmed by its wonder, like a light that is so bright it hurts the eyes and is too much to take in at first. But as the eyes grow accustomed they hear a voice shouting, “go further up and further in!” And the experience is repeated.
Paul says it this way, “no eye has seen nor ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love him.”
