The things that will be in the age to come are the things that are important now because they are the only things that will remain. The future of the creation has been entrusted to Christ, and that is why he can tell us what these things are, and how to be ready for that day. Prominent in the new heavens and earth will be ourselves, God's City and Christ's Bride. All our tears will be wiped away, that is, all the grief caused by things that happened in this life. And there will be no further pain or sorrow. In that day we will see that God really is God and always has been, and that the Church really is the Bride of Christ, full of glory.
In this coming day, we will be the place of God's presence, and God will be our light and his shining will be the Lamb. We will know God as the one who loved us and loosed us from our sins. From God and the Lamb will flow our water supply, and by this water, Eden like, will grow the tree of life. Because of this tree, all the nations will be healed.
So what is important now? Clearly, these future things are to be our way of life now. Jesus is coming soon enough. It is his working, from beginning to end that is important, and the way of blessing is to wash our robes in the Lamb's blood. Many things remain unresolved: 'let the filthy still be filthy and the holy still be holy' says an angel. Strange words for us to hear, but necessary if we are going to live by faith in what God is doing. Already, Jesus is the morning star, Venus as we know it; the first sign of the coming day. We may not be able to see the future but we can see the Son of God, and that is enough for the moment. |
