“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” Revelation 3:17.

Once upon a time there was a very vain man who was the Emperor of a land far away. He always dressed himself in the latest of fashions and prided himself with the clothes that he wore.

Then there came some swindlers that convinced the Emperor to wear a very fine quality of clothes that they had for him. He couldn’t admit that he wasn’t the most elevated person around, and so he wore his clothes in the palace so everyone could see him.

Eventually the Emperor decided to have a parade and the Emperor chose to lead the way through the town so that all could see his new clothes that he was wearing.

Everything went along without much commotion until a little boy said, “But the Emperor has no clothes.”

Everyone around the Emperor had played in his charade except for a little boy who chose to be honest and to speak the truth. The entire town had decided to keep their eyes closed and not see that the Emperor was actually naked.

How many of us have chosen to look the other way when the facts point to the truth?

When the facts and obvious truth point to nakedness and deceit, do we see this or do we follow the crowd instead?

Children many times are the ones that will speak the truth about a given situation, and oftentimes they have intuitive eyes to see the true character of a person.

Unfortunately, our world and in particular, our nation, is plagued with eyes that only see the emperor as wearing clothes when in truth, he is naked.

There is a very interesting section of Isaiah’s vision in the temple.

After the angel had touched his mouth with the tongs from the altar and God had spoken to him about sending him. Isaiah had asked how long and what his mission was to be:

“And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10.

So, are many of our ears and eyes shut, so that we don’t see the nakedness of the emperor?

Or are we able to see the absence of clothing?

If we can see the truth and yet are blinded, then the problem lies within.

I only pray that those of us who are adults will eventually gain the courage to speak as the young boy did.

Perhaps then nakedness would be replaced with better clothes — clothes that would be more fitting and suitable.

Perhaps then instead of arrogance and narcissism, the cloth would gleam of Humility and Grace.

 

Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson

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Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to The LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?
Stephen is a full-time Artist of original architectural, landscape, portrait, still-life and spiritual oil paintings, available at StephenHansonArtist.com

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