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Feb 22, 2026 06:00am

When The Curtain Is Pulled Back

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For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face . . . — 1 Corinthians 13:12

There’s a phrase we sometimes use when the truth finally comes out: “When the curtain’s pulled back.” It means we finally saw what was really there. Sometimes that moment brings relief. But often, it brings disappointment. Sometimes it brings heartbreak.

The phrase originates from a scene in The Wizard of Oz, when the great and powerful wizard—so feared, so revered—turns out to be just a normal man hiding behind a curtain. What looked so magnificent turned out to be so small. The illusion vanished the moment the curtain was pulled back.

And isn’t that so often how life works?

We’ve all had moments where the curtain was pulled back on a relationship, a dream, a situation, or even a person—and what we found wasn’t what we hoped. We thought something would be beautiful . . . and it was painful. We thought something would last . . . and it fell apart. We thought something would fulfill us . . . and it left us empty.

This world is full of disappointing reveals.

But Heaven will not be one of them.

The Bible tells us:

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. — 1 Corinthians 2:9

Right now, we can’t fully see it. We can’t fully grasp it. We can’t fully imagine it. Scripture says we’re looking “through a glass, darkly.” The view is real—but it’s blurred. The promise is true—but it’s still partially hidden. It’s like standing on this side of a great curtain, knowing something glorious is behind it, but not yet being able to step through.

I think of a dear friend of mine whose brother has a disease that causes a slow loss of vision over time. His world has grown dimmer year by year. And yet, he faithfully goes to church. He sits eagerly through preaching. He attends prayer meetings. He worships. He trusts God. His faith is strong—even though his physical sight has faded drastically.

He can’t see clearly what many of us take for granted.

But one day . . . the curtain will be pulled back.

One day, he won’t just see dimly. He won’t see partially. He won’t see through failing eyes or through a glass darkly. He will see perfectly.

And so will we.

In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. — Psalm 16:11

What a day that will be.

The Bible gives us just a glimpse:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain . . . — Revelation 21:4

No more disease.
No more suffering.
No more disappointment.
No more heartbreak.
No more blindness.
No more funerals.
No more goodbyes.

And no more disappointing reveals.

Heaven will not be a place where the curtain is pulled back and we say, “Oh . . . I expected more.” It will be a place where we fall at His feet and say, “This is more than I ever imagined.”

Someday, the glass will be gone.
Someday, the curtain will be gone.
Someday, we won’t be walking by faith—we’ll be walking by sight.

“But then face to face.”

We’ll see Jesus.
We’ll see His nail-scarred hands.
We’ll sit at the King’s table.
We’ll finally understand what we could never fully understand here.

Right now, life is full of moments where the curtain gets pulled back and reveals disappointment. But for the believer, there is coming one final reveal that will not break our hearts—it will complete them.

So when this world lets you down . . .
When life doesn’t make sense . . .
When the curtain gets pulled back and reveals pain instead of promise . . .

Remember: this is not the final reveal.

The best one is still coming.

And when Heaven’s curtain is finally pulled back, it will not reveal something smaller than we hoped. It will reveal something far greater than we ever dreamed.