But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
-1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Life is like a mirror of partial reflection, it is in no way perfect. We can see what is behind us in our past and what is happening right now in our present, but we can never really see anything about our future. Just like a mirror, our life only reflects back to us the things we already know, but it never allows us to see the full picture. We can learn from our past in order to be prepared for what is ahead, but we consistently face the reality that we can never know 100 percent what is coming ahead of us. Yet there is someone who knows everything and sees the full picture of our life and his name is Jesus Christ (Yeshua)! He is perfection! He can see our whole entire life as well as the beginning, middle, and end of all time and he can let us know things that are ahead of us! The Lord can see from a vantage point that is much higher than ours and extends so much farther than our sight can ever go. His eyes transcend all time and see absolutely everything! Nothing is hidden from his sight! So how can we ever think anything about us goes unseen by him?? I can imagine us starring into a very hazy mirror of poor reflection with Jesus on the other side in utter perfection waving his hands at us trying to tell us to press through to get to him! Jesus sees us through the lens of perfection, but we see ourselves through the lens of imperfection and those two lenses are entirely opposite from each other! When we come to see ourselves through the eyes of our Father, we have decided to press through that hazy mirror of imperfection to see him just the way that he sees us so that one day we will finally see him face to face! Even prophecy knows so much, tongues can only speak so much, and we can only know so much – yet when we finally see Jesus face to face, all these things will disappear because perfection has arrived and there is no longer any need for them! Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are but glimpses into the future given to us by the Lord for our benefit, yet when the Lord comes they will cease. This life can be uncertain and imperfect just like looking through a hazy mirror, but when the Lord comes and we finally see him face to face, we shall know fully – even as we are fully known and loved by him!