Anyone else have tears in their eyes? I love this version that MercyMe recorded to put at the end of the movie, “I Can Only Imagine.” If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it. In 1999, Bart Millard, songwriter and lead singer of the Christian band, MercyMe, wrote this amazing tune. The backstory of this song is now well-known, especially since the movie was filmed.
Millard's parents divorced when he was just three years old. His mom remarried and moved away a few years later, leaving him and his brother with their dad. In an interview, Millard said, "I don't think anyone realized how abusive he was going to become. I ended up living in fear for most of my childhood." His father didn’t abuse alcohol or drugs, but he did have a very short temper that he usually took out on young Bart.
During Millard's freshman year of high school, his dad was diagnosed with cancer. Long story short, his father's illness eventually brought him to know Jesus Christ’s love and forgiveness. This made his dad’s temper dramatically change for the better and allowed Millard and his father to grow closer together. Millard said, "I got a front-row seat to see this guy go from being a monster to falling desperately in love with Jesus."
In fact, his father’s miraculous transformation even encouraged Millard to discover his own faith in God. Millard said, "I'd always been into music, but now I'm into ministry because I'd never seen a person change like that before, and I've rarely seen it since. I guess I grew up thinking that if the Gospel could change that guy, it could change anybody. There was no denying it."
When he was a freshman in college, Millard’s father sadly succumbed to his illness. This broke Millard’s heart. He said, "The only time I ever got mad at God was not during the abuse but when he died. I finally got the dad I always wanted, and then he left." At his father's funeral, Millard's grandmother made an off-hand comment that stuck with him ever since, even to the point of obsession. She said, “I can only imagine what your dad's seeing now.”
When Millard’s band, MercyMe, was finally going to record their first album, Millard sat down with his notebook to start writing lyrics for a new song. However, he couldn't find a page that wasn't covered with his grandmother's scribbled-in phrase. He said, "So I wrote the song, which was incredibly personal and special to me, but I had no idea the impact it was going to have. I didn't care what other people would think about it when I wrote it; it was almost like therapy to me."
Despite how or why Millard wrote this inspiring and awesome song, and despite Millard not thinking it would go anywhere, the song is a powerful message of life after death. Whether Millard knew it or not, I think the Holy Spirit was with him when he wrote it. The amazing thing, is that it has also drawn in unbelievers, all while bringing glory to God through its description of eternal worship of Him in heaven.
Many of the lyrics in the song repeat, so the Scriptural analysis of them will be brief. I recommend grabbing your Bible to look up and read the passages from Scripture.
The song begins:
“I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side.”
Revelation 4 comes to mind. We have no idea what it will be like when that time comes, but we will most likely bow to Him on our knees in utter awe and reverence. However, maybe we will be escorted to God’s throne by Jesus Himself to begin our worship and praise of Him for all eternity. I don’t know, but I sure hope I at least get a long, drawn-out, warm embrace from Jesus first thing.
The song continues:
“I can only imagine what my eyes would see, when Your face is before me.”
Revelation 21:1 – 22:4 is what we will witness. With all the nations gathered together before the throne of God, we will all see His face in all His glory. And His name will be written on our foreheads, for He has claimed us as His own. There will be no sun or moon, no lights from lamps; yet heaven will be filled to brim with the light given off by God’s eternal glory.
The song continues:
“Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees, will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?”
As I stated above, God’s glory will surely fill everything. We will truly be surrounded by His glory. I’m reminded of when Peter, James, and John went with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration. They were enveloped in a cloud of God’s glory and then witnessed Jesus transfigured, flanked by Moses and Elijah. Jesus was transfigured into a muted form of His glorified self. He would later reveal His fully glorified self on Easter morning, after His mission was completed. You can find this story starting at Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2, and Luke 9:28. Peter also referenced the experience in 2 Peter 1:16-18.
When the time comes, I personally don’t think we will be able to dance or stand, because I think we will be awestruck and fall to our knees in subservient reverence to our Almighty Creator. God says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 ESV).
We will sing hallelujahs to Him for all eternity, along with the angels, archangels, and all the saints and company of heaven. We will all sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8b ESV). And we will sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12 ESV).
The song concludes:
“When that day comes and I find myself standing in the Son. I can only imagine when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You.”
Read John 15:1-17. When you abide in Jesus, the only Son of God, He will abide in you. Apart from Jesus, we are nothing and will be condemned to the eternal pits of hell. Abiding in Jesus is abiding in His eternal, unconditional love for us. This love from Jesus is the only thing that will save you for all eternity. His love abiding in us, allows us to love God as well as our neighbors.
“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 ESV)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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