Stained Glass
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Copyright © 2021 Heidi Rabe
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| chapter_one_button_tree_photography.pdf |
| chapter_two_precious_gem.pdf |
| chapter_three_foundations.pdf |
| chapter_four_gates.pdf |
| chapter_five_ezekiel.pdf |
| chapter_six_shepherd_king.pdf |
| chapter_seven_river.pdf |
| chapter_eight_revelation.pdf |
| chapter_nine_harvest.pdf |
| chapter_ten_new_heaven_and_earth.pdf |
| chapter_eleven_lion_and_lamb.pdf |
| chapter_twelve_the_city_god_loves.pdf |
On a sunny day, I went outside to photograph buttons. One was a pink button with tiny facets like a diamond. When I found my way back inside to look at the pictures, I noticed a scene within the button. I immediately thought it resembled the New Jerusalem. About six months later, I looked at the photos once again. This time I noticed the four living creatures mentioned in Ezekiel and Revelation. From there I discovered three gates, a whirlwind, angels, and even the Good Shepherd. Stained Glass takes you on a journey through seven extraordinary photos in light of Scripture. The first photo is above.
I quickly opened my Bible to Revelation and read the following: "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God..." (21:2). Then, in verse 10, John explains, "And he [the angel] carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal" (vv. 10-11). Finally, I read verse 18, which says, "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass." I couldn't believe it. There it was inside of a tiny button!
The Lord brought me to the Book of Ezekiel in October 2015, so I learned about the four living creatures. In Ezekiel 1:10, the prophet tells us that "each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle." (Be sure to interpret this verse from the creatures' point of view.)
Along the river and near the East Gate, I am beginning to find layers of images. Most of them are of baby animals. Since everything will be made new, we get to see stages of their formation in some of the photos.
It was Albert Einstein who said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” He understood the intricacies of the universe better than most people. I do agree that life in and of itself is truly a miracle.
When we think of miracles in terms of what it is unusual or out of the ordinary, however, we should use caution. There are false signs, so we need to look at the fruit (Matthew 7:15-16; Galatians 5:22-23). Also, can it be found in Scripture? When I realized the photos were unusual, I considered whether they lined up with the Bible. Also, what kind of fruit did they produce in my life? Since everything has been good and sound, I trust that the miracle pictures have come from the Lord.
When we think of miracles in terms of what it is unusual or out of the ordinary, however, we should use caution. There are false signs, so we need to look at the fruit (Matthew 7:15-16; Galatians 5:22-23). Also, can it be found in Scripture? When I realized the photos were unusual, I considered whether they lined up with the Bible. Also, what kind of fruit did they produce in my life? Since everything has been good and sound, I trust that the miracle pictures have come from the Lord.
There are so many images, too many for me to post on one page. If you are interested, I hope you will read through Stained Glass, The New Jerusalem. Each chapter can be downloaded at the top of this page. The last chapter has a lot of images, so I have divided it into several sections. Chapter six, Shepherd-King, has a picture of the profile of Jesus. I will post it below.
Copyright © 2021 Heidi Rabe