The kingdom of the world has become the (glorious) kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15, ESV, parenthesis added)
One day very soon, God will establish His righteous, glorious, and eternal kingdom. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Can you picture the live feed from every news station? There will be no more radical division of red states and blue states on the political demographics map. When God establishes His kingdom on earth, the result reflected on that map will be the unifying and gloriously pure white that signifies His righteous rule. To be sure, it won’t encompass just our country; it will include “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9). Can you imagine it?
Christ’s Reign on Earth
While reading the book of Revelation, a sense of awe and excitement overwhelms me when considering the reality of God’s future Kingdom. Yes, it will exceed even our wildest imaginations and expectations! (1 Corinthians 2:9). However, the most thrilling thought is that the Creator of this massive universe is setting up His perfect Kingdom – and wants our participation! When we comprehend this, how can we not help but echo the praiseworthy anthem of reverence to our awesome God: “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!” (Revelation 7:12).
We might have to change our style of worship and get used to worshipping God on our hands and knees with our faces to the ground in utmost reverence. Several verses indicate this will be our response when in God’s presence. Just imagine hearing the millions of voices shout, “’We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The time has come for…rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name” (Revelation 11:17-18 / NIV). What a reason for unbridled excitement and a nostalgic longing for “home”!
Search online for the music and lyrics of Jim Hill’s triumphant song titled, “What a Day That Will Be.” The verses describe the glories of heaven, but the chorus should echo our hearts’ joyous cry of meeting Jesus face-to-face. “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace; when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land,
what a day, glorious day that will be.”
I pray you are ready for that glorious day and are eagerly awaiting His Kingdom.
Discussion Questions
- What excites you the most about heaven and God’s future kingdom?
- If you are nervous about Christ’s return, what is the reason?
- What five things from this world’s governments will you not miss in God’s future kingdom?
