Revelation 11:15-19 (NIV) 15The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” 16And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” 19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Once again in the book of Revelation we are given the final picture. The Messiah is reigning forever and ever. The prophecy of God, first given to Adam and Eve in the Garden, of a saviour - one who will crush the head of Satan - is fulfilled through the lineage of King David. At times in history it seemed that the prophecy would be unfulfilled, but then it was renewed with further detail.
God’s love was always for all of His creation, throughout all time. Those who were entrusted with the message of God’s love did not always declare it. For years the Nation of Israel protected God’s declaration of love for the nations from the nations, trying to make it exclusively for themselves.
When God took on human form and paid the price for our sins, the ultimate moment in time took place. This moment was when the balance changed and the kingdom of the world became the kingdom of the Messiah - the promised one, God incarnate.
The reign of God begins on earth through the Church - the Bride of Christ. As believers (the Church) reflect Jesus, a glimpse of eternity is given so that people may repent and believe.
To repent means to change course. For a person to truly be a follower of God they have to change the direction or purpose of their life from self-fulfillment to complete surrender and obedience to Jesus. Jesus’ words and character are never in opposition to God’s character. Therefore, Jesus is the perfect representation of God to humanity.
The best way to understand who Jesus is and learn how to present Him is through careful reading of the Bible - God’s word. The best way to do this is to make a commitment to daily Bible reading. Commit yourself to use a daily Bible reading, like the one available at Westgate (distributed monthly or through the on-line link at www.westgatealliance.ca). Begin on January 1, 2019.
Memory Verse: Romans 5:8 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.