A light from heaven

“Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” (1) The journey from Jerusalem to Damascus is about 150 miles (240 km). It takes approximately 6 days on horseback. On the 5th or 6th day of the journey, Saul and his companions came near Damascus. (2) Then a supernatural event occurred. “Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” Later, Paul described it as a “light brighter than the sun” (Acts 26:13). This light was the Shekinah Glory, an intense light so strong that it caused blindness. At this moment, Saul encountered the resurrected Jesus. “Fell to the ground” likely means he was thrown from his horse. (3) He heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” This is a “bat kol” (short words from the Father God). Calling the name twice is to draw the person’s attention. “Why are you persecuting Me?” is a rebuke from God. For Saul, who believed he was zealously serving God, these words were shocking.

The voice of the Lord

“And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.’” (1) Paul did not know exactly who the voice belonged to. Was it an angel or a heavenly being? So he asked, “Who are You, Lord?” (2) The answer was, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Persecuting the church is persecuting Jesus. This was a remarkable revelation for Saul. (3) Furthermore, the voice told him that if he got up and entered the city, he would be told what he must do next. (4) The people traveling with him saw the light and heard the voice, but they did not see the resurrected Jesus and did not understand the meaning of the voice. Later, Paul wrote, “and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Cor. 15:8). The encounter with the resurrected Jesus changed Paul. This was an event so significant that it changed the course of Christian history. Our encounters with the Lord Jesus have also transformed our lives. Let us thank God for the blessings given to us in Christ.