Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
When reading this Scripture, the word that came to mind was “Finally”. There is so much in Revelation to be pondered and known, but this is the pinnacle of everything: “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
We have had lots of times in our lives when we waited for the culmination of things. You can think of many, I am sure. Some have been wonderful, like a graduation, a wedding, a birth, a prayer answered for someone’s salvation, and more. Some have been hard in the space before “finally” occurred; waiting through a long illness, being without employment, walking away from God, and other times of training in perseverance. Often, the culmination was not expected. But this culmination will be so different!
One Sunday, the choir sang a song with this chorus, “I know how this story ends, we will be with You again.” Again? Yes, exactly because this sin-cursed world is not the way it was supposed to be. When this moment happens, as Randy Alcorn says “At last, you’re with the person you were made for, in the place you were made for.” When the world was created, God created the Garden of Eden for the people He created to enjoy and walk in intimacy with Him. God came to walk and talk with them, sharing His love with them. But then, the ones He had created decided to question His love and brought sin and death into the world. Because of that choice, they could not live in God’s holy presence. At the same time that this unfolded, God planned the Way that would provide for our return. The life, death, and resurrection of the LORD Jesus is the key to “again”! Through Him and in Him, we will finally be where we were meant to be.
“But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13
Finally! Today, ponder what it will be like to live on an earth without sin, death, fear, tragedy, etc. Walk through your day, seeing the foretaste of what it will be like when righteousness dwells in all the earth again. The chorus of the song said, “I know when this story ends…” But then is the beginning of the next story, the one that lasts forever and ever.
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member