“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”  I Corinthians 13. 12 NKJV

Yeshua invited His disciples to look into a mirror of eternity.   He described for us a man who knew and loved God.   But this man was nearing the end of his journey.  He suffered with wounds that would not heal.  He was extremely poor, and therefore, doctors were not an option.  Medicine was not an option and food was hard to come by.  One of his consolations was that the dogs would come and lick the sores.  Perhaps that relieved the pain.   And then Yeshua brings us to the point where the veil of eternity was opened.  If there were friends with the man, we don’t know. But if so, they could only accompany the man so far.

Some of us this week have accompanied our loved ones to the veil.  They went through to the other side, and we are left with the mystery of their passing.  This is what Paul is describing.   A mirror that this translation called dim.   But that is not a good translation.  The Greek word for dim or dark, is enigma.  What is an enigma?  It is a riddle of mystery we long to see solved. Now, we know in part, but the day will come when Messiah will reveal to us the mystery.  Thankfully, Yeshua has pulled back the curtain that we might peak in to see what happened to this man that loved God.  Before He pulled back that curtain, some, like the Sadducees had resigned themselves that there would be no resurrection.  But Yeshua opened the curtain just enough for us to see the angels of Heaven coming to receive Lazarus.   I have been by the side of two loved ones when they passed.  Though I did not see angels, I could feel their presence.  Yeshua said that the angels escorted Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham.

I want to remind us this week that there is a comforting mirror before us.  We can only go so far with our loved ones, but there are angels just on the other side to take them.   Secondly, Yeshua said that this man no longer suffered, in fact he was comforted there.  And so, as we struggle, and sit shivah with the families, know there is a hope.  Through that open curtain we can see Lazarus being held, healed, comforted, and protected on the other side.

And so, for the next few moments, I want to us to look at the Bible’s Mirrors of Hope.

I. The Mystery Mirror of Eternity

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”  I Cor. 13.12 NKJV

This first mirror is one of mystery.   Not that it is dark, but that it leaves us with an enigma or puzzle to solve, and questions still to answer. That is not a pleasant place to be.  Yet, in part we do see clearly.   So, let us focus on what is revealed. Paul reveals the mystery of whether we will we recognize our loved ones us in the world to come.

“I shall know just as I also am known.”

In Heaven, our loved will remember us, and will we know them!  Yet there is another mirror of Scripture, the mirror of transformation.

II. The Transforming Mirror of Glory

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Cor. 3. 18 NKJV

Our second mirror does what mirrors do – reflect light.  When I was a boy, I loved science and thought I might like to be a scientist. My parents bought me a microscope with glass slides.   Below the microscope was a round mirror.  In order to see the tiny microbes, I first had to position the mirror to focus the light.  If there is not enough light, we must reposition our mirror to reflect His glory.  His glory is transformative, making us into the image of His dear Son.

Paul reminds us that when Moses saw the Lord, there was no veil before his eyes.   This mirror of God’s glory, transforming us into His image, reveals our second mystery of the mirrors. The glory of the Lord will also transform our physical body at the resurrection!

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  I Cor. 15.50-52.  NKJV

And now we come to the third mirror, the mirror before the veil.

III. The Cleansing Mirror Before the Veil

“He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”  Exodus 38.8 NKJV

Moses goes out of his way to tell us that the Bezalel made the laver from the generous gift of bronze mirrors of the women.  It was their donation (teruma) to the Lord.

Some of the commentaries speak critically of these mirrors.  These were the mirrors the women used to adorn themselves, to make themselves beautiful for their husbands.  Yet this was the very sacrifice they desired to give.  One tradition said that Moses did not want to receive the mirrors, until the Lord revealed to Moses how very precious gift was.  Rather than mirrors to be adorned, they would reflect the light of eternity!

How appropriate that the mirrors of highly polished brass were in the courtyard.  In a spiritual way, that that is where we are in our journey to heaven.  Between an altar of death and the veil to the presence, there is a laver of washing made of highly polished mirrors.  The laver was a shallow bronze vessel serving as a pool of water for washing.  It was placed between the altar and the veil, between death and the door to the presence of God.   In a sense the Gospel is our laver of washing, and reflects our true appearance before entering eternity.  There adjustments can be made.

Our imperfections are revealed in its light, and through the washing our reflection is changed.  Perhaps there the priest straightened their vestments, before entering the holy place of the Tabernacle.

Conclusion

The Courtyard of the Tabernacle provides us with a picture of our journey.   Our goal is to be with the LORD, and along that journey, between the altar of death and the veil there is a laver made of highly polished mirrors.  I liken this to the Gospel and Yeshua.  He is both the cleansing laver and the door to eternity.  Do you want to know what lies on the other side of that curtain? You must first come to Yeshua and be washed. There we adjust our garments for Heaven.

Those in Yeshua’s day, such as the Saduccess, who came to the conclusion that there was no resurrection, did so because they had not looked into the mystery of the mirrors. I want to close with these words of Yeshua.  I know that many of you are hurting this week.  You are mourning.   Hear what He is saying.

 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14. 1-3 NKJV