50 Days of Heaven by Randy Alcorn

Author:Randy Alcorn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9781414327914
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2010-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

DAY 28

WHERE BELLMEN AND CLEANING LADIES WILL RULE

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

— REVELATION 3:21

If Baltimore or Liverpool were turned over to me, with power

to do what I want with it, how would things turn out? An

honest answer to this question might do much to prepare us for our eternal future in this universe.59

— DALLAS WILLARD

When I speak to people about Heaven, they’re often amazed to hear that we will reign for eternity over cities, nations, and territories. Many are skeptical. They think it sounds fanciful or just plain wrong.

Nothing demonstrates how far we’ve strayed from our understanding of biblical truth like our lack of knowledge about our destiny to rule the earth. Why are we so surprised about something that is spoken of throughout Scripture? Part of the reason may be that we’ve failed to understand key passages—even passages we are familiar with, including some we’ve memorized. For instance, are you aware that, along with thrones, crowns are the primary biblical symbol of ruling? Thus every mention of crowns as rewards speaks of our destiny to rule with Christ. Consider the following examples from one small portion of Scripture, Revelation 2–5. Note the references to crowns, thrones, and reigning:

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (2:10).

“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations” (2:26).

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (3:11).

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” (3:21).

“The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne. . . . They lay their crowns before the throne” (4:10).

“Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth” (5:9-10, NLT). Who does God say will reign? Representatives of every tribe and language and people and nation. Where will they reign? On Earth, where people were made to dwell. Where on Earth? Likely with people of their own tribe, language, and nation, because Scripture explicitly tells us that national distinctives will still exist on the New Earth (Revelation 21:24, 26; 22:2).

Those coming out of the Great Tribulation will be rewarded by being given a special place “before the throne of God,” where they will “serve him day and night” (Revelation 7:14-15). Notice that the Master rewards his faithful servants not by taking away responsibilities but by giving them greater ones.

Service is a reward, not a punishment. This idea is foreign to people who dislike their work and are only putting up with it until retirement. Some think that faithful work should be rewarded by a vacation for the rest of our lives.

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