How the Story Ends
Scripture Reading — Revelation 21:1-5
I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. . . .”
There is one more scene we should see in Revelation before we close our reflections for the month of May. We need to see how God’s great story in Revelation ends. Revelation 21 blesses us with the sights and sounds of “a new heaven and a new earth.”
Before reading a book, my father liked to know how the story ended. He had little time for reading, so before reading the first chapter, he turned to the last chapter. If the ending caught his interest, he figured the book was a good read.
When we reflect on the Word of God, we need to turn to the final chapters in Revelation again and again. Faith needs to know how the story ends. Faith needs to be assured of the ending, especially when it can be hard to see God.
Perhaps you are in such a place today. In a real way, we all are in this place. In fact, the whole creation is crying out as it waits for its full redemption (Romans 8:18-22). We hunger and thirst for justice. We long for the day when God’s holy name will be fully honored. We pray for the day when there will be no more pain, and when people of every nation and language will hold each other up with love and dignity. We look forward to the day when sin is gone for good and the creation is cared for as the beautiful garden of God’s delight.
Shall we live and work faithfully toward that day, for Jesus’ sake?
Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly to make all things new. Amen.
About the author — Jim Poelman
Pastor Jim Poelman and his wife, Linda, served five churches in Ontario and British Columbia for thirty-nine years. They enjoy family gatherings with their extended household of children and grandchildren—29 members in all—often creating lots of happy noise.
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