The “Signs of His Majesty and Promise” – the growth of a painting.

The Finished Painting is illustrated at the End.

This first section was written many many years ago before the painting was complete.  It shows the development of this work of art that won a major art contest here in Dallas.  Note the first pic is the painting in an earlier stage to show how it evolved.

This is a painting that I am presently working on titled: “Signs of His Majesty and Promise”  It could also be titled “His Glory Revealed”, as it shows God’s Glory in both the “heavens” and  in the firmament and also in the supernatural realm of His Word. Illustrated in the center of  the painting is the“burning bush” where God first spoke to Moses and said “I AM that I AM”.  He told Moses to tell His people that “Yahweh” or “I AM” sent him. Moses of course goes to  his people in Egypt and delivers them through the “Passover” judgment which is illustrated on the lower right corner, with blood on the door posts and the swirling symbolizing the death angel.  Coming from the Burning bush is the Angel of the Lord on the Right side stopping Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. Highlighting the fact that this event is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of God’s own Son for our Sins, the whole image forms the face of the crucified Savior. On the left the Angel is announcing the birth of Jesus Christ: His name will be Emmanuel, God with us. In the manger the baby “Jesus” is the “image of the invisible God”.  Nearby in the shadow is Golgotha and the Cross upon which He bore and died for our sins. But radiating beyond this shadow is the Victory of His Resurrection for He has Risen! He has defeated death.  Note that on the opposite corner is a door with blood on it, representing the Passover-the Sign given to Israel 1400 years earlier

An integral part of the Burning Bush is Time as it unravels in a 3 Dimensional way. This should remind us that time is “measured” on this earth and that many events in the Bible have both a natural and a supernatural dimension. For instance the 12 tribes camped out in the wilderness with 3 tribes lined up parallel to each of the outer walls of the tabernacle, would form a cross. From heaven the encamped tribe with its warming and cooking fires reflecting light off the tents would glow in the form of a giant Cross. This “cross” of course foreshadows the promised Victory that would bless all the nations of the world through the Abrahamic covenant. And that is why the “Abrahamic covenant” is prominently portrayed next to Time. The Lord walked with a censor filled with fire between the sectioned animals making a Covenant of eternal consequence and promising Abraham that his seed would bless all nations. This “blood covenant” (where 5 animals are sacrificed) would have created a pool and stream of blood that in my painting forms a cross. Abraham is seen in a sleeping trance just below, as God speaks to him and gives him a vision of the 400 years of Israel’s captivity. Within Time and the Burning Bush are Hebrew letters that tell us about the character of God and His Glory. The top stream says, “I Am Your All Sufficient God” or “I Am All Sufficient“. Below that God tells us to “Know Before Whom You Stand” , for God seeks a relationship with us…and He is a Just and Merciful God. In the last line He comforts us with these words: “I AM WITH YOU”.  Notice  that the clock is pictured from 9 am to 3 pm which is the time during which Jesus was crucified!

Permeating the entire painting are Messages or Signs in groups of 3: God’s Creation (The Stars and Constellations) and both the Old and New Covenants reveal God’s Promise and His Truth! From the 1st Adam (upper right with the Tree of Life) to the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ, 3 covenants are portrayed (Adamic, Abrahamic, and Mosaic); three types of sacrifice are shown (corporate sacrifice as at the Tabernacle, Personal sacrifice as with Abraham and Isaac, and God’s covenant sacrifice as with His Son; three major Celestial Signs are revealed: 1) in the Stars as with the Bethlehem Star 2) in the Shekinah Glory, and 3) in His Glorious Return in the Clouds. Three messages are illustrated: 1) the symbolic message of His Cross in natural events, 2) His Word through Time, and 3) the Scarlet Thread of blood in all the sacrifices. Of course we have other THREE’S: the Father (the Burning Bush), the Son (returning the Clouds), and the Holy Spirit (the Shekinah Glory).  The Past, the Future (Jesus in the Clouds), and the Present are revealed (The WORD). There is also 3 earthly phenomena- the earthquake, fire, and wind. Birth, death, and resurrection along with energy, mass, and supernatural are also shown. The painting itself has 3 “lines or layers” of 3 images. The first 3 smaller images below are the 1) Cross and the Resurrection, 2) the birth and the Annunciation, and 3) the Passover and the sacrifice. The next “line” has the nation of Israel encamped, the Burning Bush with the Eternal Clock, and the Angel stopping Abraham forming the face of Jesus Christ. The final line has the Shekinah Glory, the Lord Returning, and the Abrahamic Covenant.  There are also 3 major Fires:  the Fire of God on Mt. Sinai,  the Fire consuming the sacrifice at the Tabernacle, and the Fire  of the Burning Bush.  There are also 3 sacrifices: Jesus on the Cross,  Abraham’s sacrifice, and the Ram shown as the propitiation of sins, which the Angel of the Lord points to.

Just as the rising sun radiates rays of light over the sea of Galilee and the Jordan river, the Son of God Coming in the Clouds radiates the Glory of God. All nations “will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with great Power and Glory”. But we can also see His Glory here on earth: in His Birth, He emptied Himself to take on  human flesh; and humbled himself to the point of dying a criminals death on the cross. Christ reveals His Glory as the Bread of Life (in the window), the Living Water (flowing from the sun to the eternal clock), and the Light of Salvation radiating from the tomb etc.

Here is the Finished painting:  Here is a follow up explanation of the painting and what it means:  Hold in your hand the enclosed picture (take a pic of it with your cell phone) and follow along: As the Magi approach from the East we are reminded of God’s Promise throughout the Ages beginning in the Garden of Eden where God ‘s Creation provided a choice between Eternal Life with Him or the curse of sin and eternal life in darkness. On the horizon are the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and just below that is a tiny Abel making the 1st blood sacrifice, outside of the Garden.  Years later, it is here as he is preparing the yearly blood sacrifice that Cain kills him in a jealous rage.
God then graciously shined His Light on Abraham whose faith was magnified by his Righteous life and willingness to sacrifice his only Son. Henceforth God establishes the Stage from which He brings forth His Son as Savior: He molds and guides a nation of people through the Burning Bush, The Passover, Mount Sinai, the Shekinah Glory, and a wandering in the desert encamped in a cross formation (all depicted in the painting). Then in the fullness of time highlighted by the Bethlehem star, the baby Jesus, and the “wise men” seeking the KING, He prepares the Way to Redeem what was lost.

It was this image of His Promise & Faithfulness that inspired me to paint the painting that tied for first place at PcPc Artfest and will now temporarily grace our office reception area.   See if you can find the hidden “Signs of His Majesty and Promise”: 3 Celestial Wonders, 5 Crosses, & 7 Signs of His Promise (Jesus Christ). I was inspired to do this painting as a witness to the Jew, for it reveals in a profound way how God used events, designs, and faithful servants to reveal and “paint” an image of His Promise in their daily lives. How can they not see this? The Italian curator who helped judge my painting said that this conundrum is reflected by the “JESUS” of this painting that is obvious to an informed eye, but which was missed even by the careful observation of all the other judges (in this small rendition it may not have the same affect -but look at the pic, and see if you can see it -I will reveal it at the end of this letter). You should see the LORD walking between the blood sacrifice of 3 cleaved mammals, a dove, and a pigeon; thus establishing a One-Way covenant while Abraham sleeps (called the Abrahamic Promise or Covenant). Below that is a poetic rendition of the Angel of God pointing to the Ram and stopping Abraham from sacrificing Isaac (who like Jesus carried his own wood for sacrifice and was “innocent”). Going clockwise we see the Passover blood covering the posts and lintel; the Burning Bush with infinite multi-dimensional Time streaked in blood (9am – 3pm -was the time that Jesus was on the cross) with the Hebrew inscriptions “I AM your All Sufficient God”, “Know before Whom you stand”…God said to Moses, and “I will be with you Always”. Another angel points to the future “baby in a manger” who is to be our Savior and who will die in the “shadow” of a cross, yet He will be Resurrected! Above we see the Cross formed by Israel’s 12 tribes (3 to the West, 3 to the North, 3 to the South, and 3 to the East of the Tabernacle) the configuration that God commanded. From within the Tabernacle the Shekinah Glory which protected Israel by night, (some say the Holy Spirit of the Old Testament) rises up beyond Mount Sinai and the Fire of God. In the center The “Lord of Lords” returns in the clouds with His Saints; all nations “will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory”. There are also over 200 prophecies in the OT that Jesus Christ fulfilled, including Daniel’s exact prediction of His Triumphal Entrance. Can you see Him for who He IS?

The final Jesus in the painting that all the judges failed to see is the “JESUS” formed inside the burning bush….do you see Him?