How do we describe the indescribable? John tried. When the Apostle John saw a glimpse of the throne room of heaven, he attempted to tell us what he saw (Revelation 4 and 5). His description includes brilliant light and colors, like gemstones. A rainbow with a glow like an emerald encircled the throne. From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. Before the throne was a sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.
John’s words convey some of the magnificence of what he saw, but they don’t really help us “see” it like he did. We get hints of his vision, but we can’t fully comprehend it. Perhaps you have seen how a photo of the Grand Canyon or the Alps doesn’t compare with being there. Even if we had a photograph of God on His throne in heaven, we wouldn’t be able to fully experience the grandeur. Heaven is indescribable. God is indescribable.
Throughout the Bible, many names for God appear. Also many descriptions of His attributes. He is All-powerful, Sovereign, All-knowing, and Ever-present. He is Eternal. He is our Redeemer, our Good Shepherd, our Father. He is the Light of the world, The Way, the Truth and the Life, and the True Vine. He is Loving and Compassionate. He is Holy and Just. He is the Source of all Wisdom. He is the Great Physician. He gives and sustains life. He is All-sufficient. He is our Guide. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
He is wrapped in light. He makes the clouds His chariot. He rides on the wings of the wind. He placed the world on its foundation, and suspends it in space. He made the stars, hung them in the sky, and calls each one by name. He filled the earth with creatures. They depend on Him for food, and He provides.
He is Messiah. He is the God of all comfort. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is our Creator, our Righteousness, our Joy. He is our Hope, and our Eternal Dwelling Place. He is the Commander of Heaven’s armies. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the Amen. He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
He is Faithful. He is our Strong Refuge. He is our Helper. Our Strength. Our Salvation. He is El-Shaddai–God Almighty. He is worthy of all our praise and worship. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is Emmanuel–God with us.
The descriptions are endless, because He is infinite. Any attempts to describe Him are inadequate. Until we see Him face to face, we can only imagine what He is like.
Most amazing of all, this all-powerful, wise and good God, wants to know us personally. He invites us into relationship. He lavishes His love on us. He forgives our failings.
Even if we put all the biblical descriptions together, we still only have hints of His greatness. My husband and I have been married a few decades. Even after all the time we have spent together, I am still discovering new reasons to love him more. We will have all of eternity to learn all the amazing facets of God’s character, which will cause us to continually love Him more. But even with all eternity, I don’t think we will ever be able to fully comprehend His infinite depths.
How great is our Lord. His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension. Psalm 147:5 NLT
What descriptions of our indescribable God are most meaningful to you? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Copyright 2024 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
After reading your blog post this morning, it makes me wonder if God has revealed all his attributes to us. Like you said, the entirety of His essence is beyond our comprehension.
One of my favorite descriptions of God is Love. 1 John 4:16 describes this well. Love isn’t just an attribute that God has, it is what He is!
Love you Nana!
Thank you, Chelsie. Love you.
Thank you for your post, Phyllis. With all the words a human can come up with, God is still bigger and more awesome. But with all of that, He loves us and gave everything to have an eternal relationship with us. Thankful for that.
Yes, so thankful. Thank you Joni.