Unlikely Leaders

A Light Too Glorious for Mortal Eyes to Bear

As the weary travelers neared Damascus, “at midday” they came within view of fertile lands, beautiful gardens, and fruitful orchards, watered by cool streams from the mountains. While Saul gazed with admiration on the attractive city below, “suddenly,” as he said later, there shone “around me and those who journeyed with me” “a light from heaven, brighter than the sun.” Blinded, Saul fell on his face to the ground. He heard “a voice speaking ... in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ... ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” (Acts 22:6; 26:13-15.) ULe 43.6

Almost blinded by the light, Saul’s companions heard a voice but saw no one. But Saul understood the words spoken, and in the glorious Being who stood before him he saw the Crucified One. The image of the Savior’s face was imprinted forever on the heart of the stricken Jew. A flood of light poured into the darkened chambers of his mind, revealing the error of his former life and his need of the Holy Spirit. ULe 44.1

Saul now saw that he had been doing the work of Satan. He had believed the priests and rulers when they told him that the story of the resurrection was a clever lie by the disciples. Now that Jesus Himself stood revealed, he was convinced of the disciples’ claims. ULe 44.2

In that hour the prophetic records were opened to Saul’s understanding. He saw that the prophets had foretold the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and these proved that He was the Messiah. God brought Stephen’s sermon forcibly to his mind, and he realized that the martyr really had seen “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55). ULe 44.3