This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. One of the readings for last Sunday was taken from Revelation 7:9 ff. This passage is full of triumph and victory. The redeemed of the Lord who have come through the tribulation, do not look beaten up. They do not look wasted and worn out. On the contrary, they look triumphant and jubilant. When we read Romans 8, we discern St. Paul echoing a similar note of victory as he wrote, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (and He who loves us still).
In Revelation 7:15 we read, “He will spread his tent over them.” Literally, these words are saying, “He will live in a tent with them.” This image stood out for me because my family used to camp in tents every summer. I wondered why God would use a tent to help us picture heaven. After all, a tent seems so temporary, something you stay in while you are not at home. Yet, when you think of camping or tenting you think about closeness, don’t you? We got our first tent in 1981 at the Montgomery Ward store in Binghamton. When our family of six camped in a tent, we were so cramped together that we could hear every sound, and feel every jostle that anyone made.
In heaven, God will be so close as to give us the assurance that there’s nothing more to be afraid of, nothing but peace, nothing bad that can happen. There won’t be any more children dying, any more rejection and loneliness, any more aches and pains, anymore family fights, anymore failures and letdowns, anymore sickness. All of these negatives will be gone, and we will be close to God. No wonder He will be able to wipe away every tear from our eyes. In Revelation 21, John added, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling (tent) of God is with men, and he will live (in a tent) with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" (vv. 3,4) To be with God! To leave behind this life of letdowns! What a party that’s going to be!
When a terminally sick little boy expressed his fear about death, his mommy said to him, “Do you remember when you used to play with your friends all day? You would be so tired that when we would sit around and watch TV afterwards, you would fall asleep in the chair with your clothes on. That was not where you belonged, but in the morning, you always woke up where you did belong -- in your own bed. Your Dad carried you up the stairs, into your room, and tucked you into your own bed where you belonged. I think that’s what death is like. It’s like waking up some morning and finding ourselves in another room, in the place where we belong — safe in the strong loving arms of Jesus." That is something to look forward to . . . an eternity so close to our Savior!
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account." If we don’t have Jesus Christ, then we have nothing. But, if we have Jesus and heaven, we are richer than Bill Gates. We will be with the Savior, who has given us access to the greatest party of all.
In Jesus our Lord,
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpBuEuagZxE
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