“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” – Revelation 21:3
The Bible ends as it began. With an earth uncorrupted by human sin. With a universe free from the curse of sin. With God visibly present with His people. With a perfect relationship of friendship and love that never ends between God and His greatest Creation – human beings made in His image. It won’t be a garden, it will be a city. It won’t be for two people but for millions or billions. This is the renewed heaven and earth that will be ushered in after Jesus returns and His judgement is complete. This is what every follower of Jesus should be eagerly looking forward to!
At some point, a date known only to God, all the brokenness we’re familiar with will be repaired. All the ugliness will be replaced by beauty. The chaos will be tamed by order. The sense that “something’s missing” or that “something’s wrong” will be gone forever. In Christ, we’ll enjoy the visible presence of God the Father and Jesus the Son forever. We’ll never again experience sorrow, grief, pain, or outrage. We’ll work without difficulty, injustice, or oppression. We’ll worship without interruption. Our lives won’t be conflicted and inconsistent but will be perfectly whole in a way we can only dream about now.
This day will come. Until then, every follower of Jesus at every age and stage of life has work to do. We must be making disciples – introducing people to Jesus and helping them follow Jesus. Inviting others into this glorious Kingdom of Christ. We must be practicing the love that will characterize this perfect Kingdom and showing it to people who currently reside in the fallen kingdoms of this world. We must immerse ourselves in the reality of God’s presence in us as we carry the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go. Though it isn’t what it will be on that glorious day, the Kingdom of Christ is present in us today and we must live as citizens of that Kingdom and ambassadors of our King. #FollowJesus