GOD’S WORD FOR SEPTEMBER 29 ~ ~ Psalm 72:11~ ~ “All kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.”
From We Shall See God.
“Rejoicing in the New Creation”…from Jerusalem’s point of view.
RANDY ALCORN:
God’s people were right to expect the Messiah to bring an earthly kingdom. That’s exactly what God had promised. The passage above is an explicitly messianic passage that tells us “His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10)
God promises that He has a great future in store for Jerusalem, in which He will “extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream” (Isaiah 66:12) All the nations will bring their cultural treasures into a healed and peaceful Jerusalem, precisely as Revelation 21:24 portrays.
Isaiah 66 says that peace will come to Jerusalem and Jerusalem will become a center of all nations. The Lord says, “I….am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages and they will come and see My glory” (Isaiah 66:18). This prophecy is clearly fulfilled in the later chapters of Revelation. Jerusalem will reside on the New Earth, wouldn’t we expect it to be called the New Jerusalem? That’s exactly what it is called (Revelation 3:12, 21:2)
Scripture’s repeated promises about land, peace, and the centrality of Jerusalem among all cities and nations will be fulfilled. On the new earth, a host of Old Testament prophecies will ultimately be fulfilled. There the people of God will “possess the land (earth) FOREVER!!! (Isaiah 60:21)
Every time Jewish people greet one another with “Shalom”–loosely translated “Peace”—they express the God-given cry of the heart to live in a world where there’s no sin, suffering, or death. There was once such a world, enjoyed by only two people and some animals. But there will again be such a world, enjoyed by all its inhabitants. Knowing that this glorious future awaits God’s children can give us perspective and courage to face our present suffering, which are very real, yet in view of eternity, only fleeting.
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Here is an additional writing, by John Piper, from his book, “The Pleasures of God”:
He sees death from a totally different viewpoint than we do. When our loved ones go on a trip, we see it from our point of view. We will miss them. We will have to do more work, we won’t be able to talk with them. We see their backs, leaving us, and we’re sad.
But the people they are going to see on this trip see the trip from the opposite direction. They see them COMING to them. They see their fellowship with them, their help, or whatever the reason for the trip was, and they rejoice to see their faces coming toward them.
This is what Jesus sees at the death of a loved one. The Word says:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Ps 116:15
PRECIOUS! It gives God delight to see them coming into Paradise with Him! He delights to show them the beauty of Heaven, and the fellowship of Himself, and to show them how they will glorify Him!!!
He understands our grief, and He is with us in it, but He sees far ahead; He sees what we will eventually see, and He has double joy when He sees us together again, and the entire world system ended, us living forever in His Kingdom!!
Direction of sight makes all the difference. Amount of knowledge and wisdom makes all the difference.
Ps 90:12 ~ ~ “So teach us to number our days,
That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.”
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2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.