Two thousand years ago, the apostle John prophesied a resounding declaration regarding God that "we shall see Him as He is." Normally when we think of John's prophetic writings, our eyes turn to the book of Revelation, but this statement is found in 1 John 3:2. Nonetheless, this resounding assurance to true believers fits all the traits of prophecy, including foretelling what cannot be known by natural means.
John starts out in 1 John 3:1, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us" and then seamlessly transitions into verse 2 of foretelling that which is yet to occur as we experience the fullness of God's love by seeing "Him as He is." Just imagine personally encountering God!
But why were the words "we shall see Him as He is" written to the original audience, and what do we gain by this prophetic promise? Think about it for a moment. After writing such profound words, John must have sat back in his chair or even walked around in his room as the power of what he had just written began to sink in. John must have been smiling a little as he began to contemplate what it meant to behold God in such a one-on-one fashion.
The beginning of close encounters
He realized, as did every man taught from the Hebrew Scriptures, that his God was not to be considered in similar terms as those of the pagan gods. The all-knowing and ever-present God who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15) was not like the gods of the nations.
