This summer, we are embarking on an 8-week journey through the book of Revelation. Our prayer for you as you read this book and we tackle it together is that you will be able to see Jesus clearly each day, and that it will help you to remain faithful and live in hopeful anticipation of the day when Jesus will return!
Welcome to Week 7!
Day 7: Reflection Day
Zephaniah 3:16–17 “On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.'” Revelation 21: 4-5 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
I’m not much of an artist, and if I’m being honest, I’m probably not as appreciative of art as I should be. The two chapters of Scripture we read for this week, however, channel the teeny tiny bit of artistic appreciation I have into complete astonishment. The picture John paints of heaven is nothing less than perfectly beautiful. The sounds, the sights, the reality of life with God – it’s almost too good to be true. But while the specific details of times and places may vary – life with God forever is our ultimate end, and I can only imagine the things that we will see, do, and feel on that side of eternity.
Scholars have debated for centuries what to make of the 1,000 year reign, and entire volumes have covered the topic of judgment. A friend of mine once told me that the reason there are so many books on parenting is that no one really knows exactly how to do it. I think the same is true of these topics – the reason there is so much written on eschatology (end times) and judgment is that no one really knows EXACTLY what it involves or how literally to interpret what Scripture has to say about it. Regardless of where you fall on those things, a few truths seem undeniable from this beautiful picture of heaven that John has painted for us.
First, Jesus reigns. He has reigned, he is reigning, and he will reign forever, over all things. His reign may look different at different points, but we serve a God who keeps his promises and who will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Second, Satan and sin have no place in the Kingdom of God. Judgement is necessary because sin is incompatible with the Kingdom of God. Because of Jesus, we will don the white robes of the saints and stand before our King, undeserving yet totally pure, and sin and evil will be completely destroyed.
Third, at long last, an Edenic city will be our reality. Importantly, this Edenic city will not necessarily involve the eradication of the world as we know it today. God is not a God of eradication, he is a God of redemption. He is making THIS world new, and he has invited us to join him in that work. I’ve been a Christian all my life, and this is probably the thing that still drops me to my knees the most – He doesn’t need us, he wants us. He could do all the redeeming with us, but he invites us to be a part of it. Does that not rattle your soul? What an amazing, loving God we serve.
To talk of eternity is to talk of a world where Jesus reigns, where sin is no more, and where the garden we were designed for is recreated and renewed through our partnership with our Holy God. This gives us reason to hope, but it also gives us reason to act. Because Jesus reigns, now and forever, we speak the truth of the Gospel – the truth of God’s Kingdom on earth TODAY! Because sin has no place, we bow before our Father and receive the grace that only He can give. Because Satan does not have the final say, we stand in the truth of the Gospel. Because Eden is our future, we create pockets of Edenic beauty right where God has placed us.
Question: How does the reality of God’s present AND future kingdom, shape the way you live today?
