"His bride has made herself ready"
(Rev. 19:7)
READY FOR WHAT?
Surprise, surprise !!
The prime reason why Christ died on the cross was NOT to provide us with salvation. It was to provide him with a Bride that would "make herself ready", so that together as co-heirs with Christ they would complete God's plans to make this planet his dwelling place.
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and HE will live with them".
(Rev. 21:3)
But not in heaven.
"The kings of the earth shall bring their splendour into it".
(Rev. 21:24)
Stephen Covey in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, gives as his second habit, Begin with the End in Mind. God's "end in mind" is for this earth to be his dwelling place.
Our gospel must proclaim that the cross took place primarily for God's sake, with this in mind. Thus our personal salvation is only a means to an end. We make it the end in itself. Our Present Behaviour is Governed by our Future Expectations
What could be more important than those future expectations, the 'END IN MIND'? The very reason for our existence is derived from them, consciously or unconsciously. They formulate our WORLDVIEW.
Every young person should know what his or her worldview is before leaving secondary education, because it should determine what course of studies, what occupations and even what person he or she should marry.
To discover our worldview we need to ask ourselves the following four basic questions.
1 Where did we come from? : Our origins
2 Where are we going to? : Our destiny
3 What is the purpose of our existence? Our Raison d'être
4 How do we tell right from wrong? Our values
It is rather surprising and unsettling to discover that although most believers in Jesus Christ agree that our origins are in God's creation and that our values are derived from God's word, the bible; there is considerable disagreement about our destiny and our raison d'être. It is very important to understand what scripture teaches about Nos. 2 and 3 because our present behaviour is governed by our future expectations.
The answer to question No. 2 is;
Our destination is this earth renewed and our destiny is to rule it with Jesus Christ. Paul said: "Don't you know you are going to judge (or rule) the earth." (1 Cor 6:2 )
Most people talk about spending eternity in heaven, with scant scriptural justification The New Dictionary of Theology (Inter-Varsity Press) makes this statement under Eschatology. "The traditional language of 'going to heaven' is not so securely based on scripture as is usually supposed."
The answer to question No. 3 is;
The purpose of existence is to prepare for that destiny by learning how to rule creation now as the Kingdom of God. It is not only to get people saved and into the lifeboat, the church, and wait for Jesus to come. The mandate that God gave to Adam was to "take dominion", not for himself but as stewards of the Lord of Creation. The "scarlet thread", by which we meanthe main theme of the bible, is not God's gift of salvation to us. It is Christ's gift of kingdom citizens to God that he can trust to "take dominion" of his kingdom on earth, as co-heirs with Christ, for God's sake. Hence our personal salvation is a means to an end, not the end in itself. Before we elaborate let's describe why this is so important.
WE ALL NEED A POINT OF REFERENCE OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES
To navigate anything, including our lives, we need a point of reference outside of ourselves. Ships today use satellites as a point of reference outside of themselves, for navigation. They used to use stars and the sun. We need a similar point of reference for the navigation of our lives. For most people in this modern materialistic age of individualism the point of reference is internal. It is self-satisfaction in this life. Humanism says, "Man's pleasure is the measure", a life with no frustrations.
The most powerful worldviews are those with a point of reference outside of ourselves that makes us part of a big important objective that provides HOPE for the future. For millions of COMMUNIST youth that were prepared to die for world communism, the HOPE of Utopia provided that point of reference. ISLAMIC suicide bombers are motivated to the ultimate degree by the HOPE of the world being dominated by Islam. Such a point of reference makes an insignificant unimportant individual an important factor in something that is much bigger than his or her own selfish aspirations. It makes life itself an important and exciting journey of discovery.
During World War II we saw many soldiers full of enthusiasm, knowing that they were part of an important campaign that provided them with a sense of importance much greater than their own individualism provided. I met some that didn't want to go back to their previous lives and they joined the permanent army. They were fighting to free the world of fascism and evil dictatorship in Europe and in the Pacific. Many were decorated for bravery born of that important point of reference outside of themselves.
When these same soldiers returned and became individuals pursuing personal interests, many lost that vigour because they missed that point of reference
outside of themselves. They loved their R.S.A., however, and talking with their comrades about
those days when they had experienced that sense of belonging to something bigger and more
important than their own little empire. In New Zealand hundreds of teenagers are committing
suicide because their point of reference is not outside of themselves. It is internal, selfish and
purposeless. Many have been denigrated by their fathers and peers. They do not see themselves
as part of anything worth living for.
We believers have much more to live and die for than the communists, Muslims, or the fight
against dictatorship. We have a point of reference much bigger than ourselves, which makes us,
insignificant little people, important to God himself. Nothing could be bigger or more glorious
than our future hope.
Jesus Christ came to live as a man, died and rose again promising to return. Thus giving us that
exciting point of reference outside of ourselves. Not a Utopia built by an atheistic humanity, but
the Kingdom of God ON EARTH. When asked to show the disciples how to pray, the item high on
the priority list was "THY KINGDOM COME ON EARTH". What a thrilling prospect. What an
important point of reference outside of ourselves that we are called to be an important part of.
If we hope to see the transformation of our society, it is going to take more than the traditional
evangelism that we have been engaged in during the last century, concentrating on individual
salvation, so that we can all "go to heaven". Jesus promised TO RETURN to earth. I want to be
where he is. This is where the kingdom of heaven is to be. When we are given new birth, it is to
become a part of that vast army of the Bride of Christ that is "making herself ready" to turn
planet earth into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Bride has MADE HERSELF READY" Rev. 19:7
Ready for what? TO BE A CO-HEIR. To inherit the responsibility of ruling in THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN ON EARTH." Can you imagine a more exciting point of reference outside of ourselves
than that?
ARE OUR FUTURE EXPECTATIONS ALIGNED WITH THAT EXCITING BIBLICAL
POINT OF REFERENCE, OR WITH TRADITION?
If you are asked, "What is your worldview?" what will your answer be? Are you sure that it is
aligned with scripture, or with tradition? Have you ever given it a thought? If we believe that our destiny is to spend eternity in heaven, away from earth somewhere
"beyond the bright blue sky", that so many of our hymns talk about, this earth is only of very
temporary importance. We will only relate to it for a lifetime and then we "go to heaven". Our
present occupations and activities will also be regarded as only of a temporary nature, unrelated
to any future destiny on earth. But if we see this earth as being the location of the future
Kingdom of God, our attitude to it and our occupations, will be completely different.
Let me ask this question? When do you think Jesus expected his prayer" Thy kingdom come on
earth"… to be fulfilled, before or after he returns? I have heard some pastors say "I don't think
that there is any chance of that prayer being fulfilled before Christ returns to take us all away out
of it, to heaven?" What confused thinking. That prayer is to be fulfilled ON EARTH. If not before
his return, then after. But even if we cannot believe it will be fulfilled before Christ returns; our
energies should be directed at accomplishing as much as we can in that direction in preparation
for his return. Read the parable of the talents again. Take a look at Daniel chapter 2: 35 and 44.
Christ's kingdom will fill the whole earth when he returns.
THAT IS GOD'S END IN MIND THAT WE SHOULD BEGIN WITH.
"I am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake".
If the gospel of personal salvation is the only gospel proclaimed, the whole process of evangelism
and discipleship becomes introspective and self-serving, both individually and collectively in the
church. Our point of reference becomes man's salvation, an insurance policy, and not the
fulfilment of God's plan for his kingdom.
The gospel of the kingdom of God must be granted greater emphasis if we are to align our life's
purpose with that of Jesus Christ, whose message consistently emphasised the kingdom as the
central issue of his incarnation. The Kingdom is both "now" and "in the future". It's true, of
course, that we only live in the present; therefore it is important, but it is our future destiny
(ques. 2), that gives the answer to the purpose of our present existence (ques. 3).
For the secular humanist, there is no intrinsic purpose in our existence, provided by a creator. He
has to create his own meaning, based on the presupposition thatone's pleasure in this life, is the
measure of everything. But scripture declares that meaning in life does not primarily have its
roots in the now, nor even in the past, but in the future. So what does the bible say about our
ultimate destiny and about our present behaviour in the light of that revelation?
OUR FUTURE HOPE (THE END) ACCORDING TO JESUS HIMSELF
After his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days talking with His disciples about the Kingdom of God,
and left them in no doubt that God's plan was for Him to return to earth to take control of this
planet. In the parable of the talents in Matthew and of the minas in Luke, He made it clear that
this life is but a preparation for His return here. For that reason this life has meaning. But
isn't heaven our eternal destiny? No, it is not. Those who are looking forward to heaven "above
the bright blue sky", have no idea how to prepare for such a future. However, if we take the
scriptures seriously, as in Is. 65:17, "Behold I create new heavens and a new earth" and v 21
"they shall build houses and plant vineyards…", we realise that we must use this earth and life on
it, as preparation for our future life, by faithfully stewarding what we have and know now,
according to the parable of the talents. The ultimate destination of God's people is a transformed universe.
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth "
(Rev. 21:1)
Some believe that this refers not to our familiar earth, but to a different new one. Reference to the Greek, however, shows clearly that the 'new' here is better
translated 'renewed'. The Greek word for 'new' in this text is kainos not neos. Kainos means
new in the sense of being renewed, that is the same earth, but renewed. Neos would mean a
different earth. This is made clear in II Cor. 5:17 "If any man be in Christ he is a new
(kainos) creature, old things are passed away, and behold all things have become new (kainos). Also in
Gal. 6:15 We are a "new creation", (kainos). We are the same creation; we do not become
different people, but renewed.
There are many who, when discussing the Christ's return, spend much energy debating
timetables and the sequence of events: the rapture, the great tribulation, pre-millennialism and
post-millennialism, pre-tribulation, and post-tribulation and working out dates. But in none of
these do we find the answer to our quest for meaning in life. That is found in our ultimate
destiny, the renewed earth as the location of the kingdom of God.
In my youth, sixty years ago, much time was spent on these subjects, particularly the great
tribulation, which was supposedly coming upon us at that time. In fact Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin
and The United Nations were about to usher it in. I went to war in the Middle East fully expecting
to see this come about and doubting that I would see my family again. Those expectations
blighted my life and activity for decades following. But some are still preoccupied with "end time
events" and diverting energy this way.
My passion now is to warn the present generations that this emphasis is a distortion of biblical
texts and a distraction. It bears the marks of the deceiver, the enemy, to distract the bride of
Christ from her true purpose. This is not only to get people saved and into the "lifeboat", to wait
for Jesus to come, but also to get them to be the salt of the earth and as such to penetrate
the fabric of society, transforming it, in order to fulfil Christ's prayer "Thy kingdom come on
earth".
Instead, this preoccupation with "end time events" has had the result of Christians withdrawing
from society and confining their activities to evangelism and the activities within the church
ghetto. I have been part of that scene for too long, to my great regret. In any case, even if the Great Tribulation is just around the corner, what better way of preparing
for it than to prepare for the kingdom of God, which follows immediately, when Christ returns to
overcome the anti-Christ? My own advice is to forget the Great Tribulation and concentrate on
the coming fulfilment of Jesus prayer "Thy Kingdom come on earth". The shorter the time we
have left the greater reason to apply ourselves enthusiastically to "Making the bride ready".
It would be simplistic to declare that everything that is going to happen at the end times is
perfectly clear. It is not. There are many things, which may not become clear until they happen.
But there are some things which are clear, and in order to recover a powerful fundamental truth
regarding our future expectations, let us examine what the Bible is clear about regarding our
destiny that gives purpose to evangelism, church structure and government, our work and
everyday lives.
What does scripture say about our destiny?
Our destiny is to co-operate with God in preparing for his reign on earth. We are not strangers in
a foreign land. Romans 8:21 tells us that: "creation itself will be liberated from the bondage of
decay." The scriptures below are some of many that promise a glorious future for our planet.
Psalm 2:8 I shall give you the uttermost parts of the earth for your inheritance.
Psalm 22:27 The ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.
Psalm 64:9 all mankind will fear and proclaim the works of the Lord.
Psalm 86:9 all nations shall come and worship before you
Isaiah 9:6 Of the increase of his government there shall be no end upon the throne of David.
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall live with the lamb etc.
Isaiah 61:11 The sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
Isaiah 65:17 I will create new heavens and a new earth.
Isaiah 65:21 they will build houses and plant vineyards.
My chosen ones will enjoy the works of their hands.
Daniel 2:35 The rock became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Daniel2: 44 In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.
Zech. 2:10 For I am coming and I will live among you.
Says the Lord Many nations will be joined with the Lord in those days.
Zech. 14:9 The Lord shall be king over all the earth.
Hab. 2:14 Earth shall be filled with the knowledge
of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Micah 5:4 they will live securely, for his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
Matt. 28:19 All authority...on earth has been given unto me
Rom. 8:20 the created universe awaits with eager
expectation for God's sons to be revealed.
1Cor. 6:2 Don't you know the saints will judge
(or rule) the world?
Rev. 5:9 hath made us kings and priests unto our God, and we shall reign on the
earth
Rev.11:15 The kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and He shall reign forever.
Rev. 20:4 They shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with him 1000 years. (On the earth)
In preparation for the fulfilment of these promises of God, the last thing that happens before that
great and wonderful day of the Lord is described in Matthew. 24:14... "This gospel of the
kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then will
come the end of the age" — (and the fulfilment of Daniel's dream in chapter 2:35 & 44).
Note that this gospel of the kingdom is not the good news about the saviourhood of Jesus. It is
the good news about his kingship, proclaimed as a witness to all the inhabited earth, by an army
of people who have a personal experience of what that means. The Greek word for witness is
marturion, having to do especially with the proclaimer's personal experience. Not an army of
professional evangelists or preachers preaching doctrine about the kingdom, but an army of
ordinary people who are experiencing it for themselves—ordinary people working as salt and light
and penetrating the fabric of society where they live and work.
The churches by and large are not equal to that great task.
Why? Firstly, because the leadership is occupied in building and maintaining the local church.
They tell us that this is their job and they have their hands full. But they fail to motivate others to
do the job they cannot do, because their mindset is related to church maintenance, not the
restoration of the nation.
Secondly because the gospel of the kingdom is equated with the gospel of salvation. Christ's
saviourhood is maximised; his kingship over the whole earth is minimised.
Thirdly because the kingdom of God is equated with the church and limited to believers,
whereas in fact it embraces the whole of creation—animal, vegetable and mineral.
Fourthly, and most importantly, because the answer the church gives to Question Number 2,
"Where are we going to?" is fuzzy because of eschatological confusion. Discussion about our
destiny is avoided because it is contentious. The proclamation "In all the inhabited earth" will not happen in church
buildings and auditoriums.
There is a place for the saints' gatherings, but people of the "inhabited earth" are not found in
there. The great witness will be outside and will not depend on handing out tracts and talking
about the kingdom. It will instead be the witness of the ordinary believers' lives, like the Good
Samaritan's. Believers in Jesus Christ will become the leaders and role models in society. Not all
of us will be "big shots," but we will lead in our own occupations.
Let me tell you about a taxi driver I read about in New York. A frequent visitor to New York had
formed a poor opinion of New York taxis and their drivers. But one day he hired one that was
different. It was clean, the driver was not rude, beautiful music was being played, and with a
broad smile the driver said, "Hi, my name is Wally", as he handed the passenger a Mission
Statement. This promised to get his passenger to his destination safely, courteously and on time.
As they drove off the driver held up a choice of newspapers and said, "Be my guest and help
yourself to the fruit on the back seat." He held up a mobile phone and said, "It is a dollar a
minute if you would like to make a call." The passenger was impressed and asked how long he
had been practising this. "Three or four years," he said. "And if it is not prying," the passenger
asked, "how much extra do you earn per year as a result?" "Between $12,000 and $14,000
extra," he proudly responded. That taxi driver is a leader. We can all be leaders in
transformation, in our jobs, among our friends and particularly among our family, where
government in the kingdom of God starts. We can be seeking first the kingdom of God in our
occupations.
But what is going to motivate the masses of believers in the proclamation preceding the end of
the age, that will put excitement into the mundane. It is the understanding of our future destiny:
the kingdom of God on earth. It is what Jesus was referring to in the parables about the kingdom
of God, which when discovered is of such value that we sell all to buy it. These parables are
usually used to describe new birth, but new birth and discovering the kingdom of God are two
separate experiences.
The Kingdom of God extends beyond the local church." This is also why you pay taxes, for the
authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing". Rom.13: 6
Paradigms that need to be changed
The first is the insistence that Jesus is about to return at any minute, therefore all we have time
for is to get as many saved as possible and into the "lifeboat". Jesus is coming to take all that
are his, out of the mess the earth is in. We therefore have no responsibility for
the stewardship of planet earth. Stewardship is dealt with in terms of giving to the local church.
The second is held by people who believe that conditions on earth must get worse before the
Christ returns. There is little we can do to stop the rot. Jesus will return to save us out of the
mess. These people will say, "How wonderful Lord—now you will clean up our planet." He will
reply, "Didn't I tell you to do that? You are the salt of the earth. I cannot ask you to rule over a
city, but you can start to clean up the slums in the city, and the pollution in the lakes and rivers."
If Wesley, Carey and their followers had held this belief we today would be far worse off than we
are. Slavery might even be practised in the commonwealth still.
The third is that this earth is going to be burned up. This is somewhat excusable because of a
faulty translation in the authorised version of 2 Peter 3:10. It appears to tell us that this world is
to be destroyed and is therefore of little value in God's economy. Nothing could be further from
the truth. This world is of immense importance to the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. He
has glorious plans. 2 Peter 3:10, authorised version, says, "The earth shall be burned up". This
is a bad translation. The NIV says " shall be laid bare." In fact the Greek says nothing about
being burned up. Rather, it says "shall be discovered," or "will be found." In any case this
translation is so contrary to the general revelation in Scripture. For instance,
"The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:9 /Habakkuk 2:14
"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and he shall reign for ever and ever..." Revelation 11:15
Anyone wishing to pursue this matter is recommended to refer to the book, The Future Great
Planet Earth, by Dr. Wim Rietkerk of L'Abri, with a foreword by Edith Schaeffer. It is published by
Nivedit Good Books, Hazelwood, Landour, Mussoorie 248179, U.P., India. This book can also be
purchased from L'Abri Fellowship, 10 River Rd., Elderslie (Camden), NSW 2570.Sydney, ph. 61 46
580 227, fax 580 051.
Our ultimate victory is assured - Everybody is concerned about the increasing corruption in society, and although it may well get
worse before it gets better, it is temporary. We have a message of hope. Jesus said... "I will build
my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." But Christ is wanting his bride to make herself ready, by coming to maturity.
"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ, and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to
death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement."
Hebrews 6:1
"Go on to maturity"? Why is the above list called "elementary teachings? Because they are all
about our personal salvation. As we said at the beginning our personal salvation is not the main
work of Christ on the cross. It is to provide Christ with a Bride who is "ready" as co-heirs with
Jesus to rule this planet in preparation for that great and wonderful day of the Lord when "every
knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."
The power of our witness is derived from a personal passionate devotion to the person of Jesus
Christ. For His sake we must penetrate society like salt, transforming character, circumstances
and environment because "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." The communists succeeded in mobilising millions in the hope of creating Utopia, the counterfeit
of the kingdom of God. Let us mobilise millions in the hope of creating the real thing on earth.
Wesley did in his day and it can be done again. Let's pray and work towards a new Great
Awakening. It is a sure hope, the ultimate intention of God. We must all devote our lives to
working with that end in mind.
"THE LORD SHALL BE KING OVER THE WHOLE EARTH." ZECH.14: 9
Other Salt Shaker Titles
1). Beginning with the end in mind
God's end is the kingdom of heaven
established on a renewed earth rule over
by Jesus Christ and his Bride.
2). The Local Church is Irrelevant
Thousand of believers and non-believers
think so, with the result that only a small
proportion of the population attend church.
WHY? Because most churches rank the
daily life of the believers with a low priority.
The impression is given that the church is more important
in the kingdom of God than our daily life.
3). Our work is important to God.
Our work expresses our creativity in the
likeness of God. We should enter any job as
a calling from God and perform it as a
preparation for "The wedding of the Lamb".
4). Is the transformation of our nation an impossible dream?
Some say the world will get worse and worse
until Christ comes, and we haven't got time.
The shorter the time the more urgent is
the need. Salt is not cream, it has its own function to
perform by the command of Jesus Christ.
5). Can the Freemarket and the World
Economy be embraced in the Kingdom of God?
Business is the means of distribution of
the bounty of creation that God has given
us. It is not intrinsically evil. There is no
virtue in poverty.
6). No man is an island. How can we be members one of another?
By relating in small groups. The churches of the future will have to understand the value of small groups that exist in order
to allow the members to be "members one of another" and bring their everyday lives into the Kingdom of God.
HOW CAN WE STOP THE ROT?
Were we crazy to expect that when the Welfare State was created we would see a vastly improved society?
Why has the suicide rate of male teenagers increased by 1000%? Why has there has been a 400% increase
in violent crime, a 400% increase in illegitimate births, 300% increase in children living in single parent
homes and why is the divorce rate 300% higher, to mention just a few items.
We, as Christians may blame all kinds of contributing factors, but the fact is that we have failed to be SALT
and LIGHT in society. If we ask ourselves, why do we have so little influence? and why do so many, both
believers and non-believers regard the local church, as irrelevant? We have no further to look than to our
consuming preoccupation with the ghetto of the local church as though it is the main manifestation of the
Kingdom of God.
That kingdom embraces the whole of creation.
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof".
Christ is returning to take control of it. We are not going to spend eternity in heaven, "Away beyond the
bright blue sky".
We lack the motivation to perform our function as salt. To make the local church relevant we must re-assess many
paradigms. This booklet deals with the foundational paradigm of our future expectations and destiny.