With all that the pundits have been saying, it is important to note that The End, at least for the believer, is also a beginning. Yes siblings, the world as we know it may end, but it isn’t the final hurrah for us. It sounds a bit off. Let’s reflect on what the End is in general terms. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
1 Corinthians 15:23-24 NIV
[23] But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
[24] Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
Christ’s Return is The End
Although we might not see it in this way, Christ’s return truly is The End. That is what we’re looking toward. We are anticipating the restoring to right the consequences of human sin that created the chasm between us and our God. When we reflect on the Kingdom of Heaven parables, we may recall that they speak to a king whose efforts toward his subjects go awry. That’s what we did in choosing the way of flesh over the joys of God. By extension, we realise that the return of the king, the restoration of the king to his rightful position, ends the story. It is the same with life as we know it.
For, in meeting Christ on His return, we will find that our new life will not be effected on earth (as we know it now). Our new life will be effected in Heaven. Isn’t that what we seek even when we repeat Y’shua’s model prayer – ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven.’ If God’s kingdom is to be effected in all its fullness on earth, it will be the end of the current dispensation.
When Elizabeth II died, it represented the end of 70 years of her reign. At the very same time, it marked the beginning of Charles III’s reign as monarch of the United Kingdom. This replicates the pattern of the kingdom of Heaven. Christ’s return means the end of the current order of life on Earth. Something else will be in its stead, but we won’t be part of it. We will be gathered to the kingdom that is not of this earth.
Self-Check
Do we believe that Christ’s return is The End? If so, how are we preparing for that new life?
Application
There isn’t much more to say, except for us to each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Beyond that, it’s all about ensuring that we are ready for The End. While we look to The End, we also try to help others see that it is not God’s will that any should perish. Since Christ hasn’t yet come, there’s still an opportunity to change, to be more and more like Y’shua. We continue to live in the here and now, but we make room for the renewal that is feasible only in Christ.
Prayer
Not of our might Abba, but only by Your Spirit can we be transformed. Please take full control, and help us be open to Your restorative work in us, until that day when we meet You, or die in anticipation of being united with You. Lord, for the sake of those not yet at one with You, we pray that they would heed the signs, so they may also be with You at The End.
Help us to wait patiently for that day, despite our spirits wanting You to come now and relieve us from the vicissitudes of this life. May Your kingdom be restored in Your timing, and may we be amongst those counted as Yours at that time we pray dear Y’shua. Amen.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
