No More
September 24, 2007
Dear Friends,
One of the most uplifting passages in the Bible surely has to be Revelation 21:4. Speaking of the Kingdom of God on earth, John writes:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Perhaps we understand in a doctrinal or intellectual sense the wondrous change that awaits this earth. At the same time, have we really thought deeply and been inspired by this image of a world in which there is no more death, sorrow, crying and pain? Does this image of a perfected world spur us on to do good works? Does this image help us to endure the present pain and sorrows knowing that they are only light and temporary affliction in comparison? In order to make this more real to us, let us consider the coming Kingdom borrowing the Biblical idea of what will be “no more.”
In the coming Kingdom of God on earth, there will be:
• No more police, prisons, fire departments, armies, ambulance service, cemeteries or hospitals.
• No more gossip, slander, politics, greed, envy and pride.
• No more pollution, environmental disasters, acid rain, fish-kills, rain forest destruction, endangered species, forest fires, chemical spills.
• No more hurt feelings, loneliness, depression, anxiety or worry.
• No more birth defects, handicapped parking, wheelchairs, hearing aids, pharmaceutical ads and Centers for Disease Control.
• No more arguments, schisms, factions and questions over who is right and who is wrong.
• No more hunger, poverty or homelessness.
• No more murder, rape, stealing or suicide.
• No more accidents, broken bones, cuts, abrasions, burns or bruises.
• No more aging, loss of memory, weight gain or fatigue.
• No more isms – humanism, consumerism, fascism, terrorism or nationalism.
• No more flu, colds, allergies, cancer, heart disease or diabetes.
• No more prostitution, pornography or child sexual abuse.
• No more political corruption, governmental scandals and fraud.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)
Have a great week,
