September 13, 2016
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

HEAVEN BETTER BY FAR

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord, my life is filled with ambiguities: anguish and ecstasy, peace and anger, thanksgiving and pain. I’m glad You are with me.

Read REVELATION 11:15–19

[15] The 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.” [16] And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, [17] saying: “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. [18] The 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.” [19] Then 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.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

We are assured of this day: “Sovereignty over the world has passed to our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever” (Rev. 11:15, Revised English Bible). Hallelujah!

John’s vision moves from earth to heaven. In heaven he sees the reality of the triumph of Jesus Christ. As the seventh trumpet sounds, we hear the triumphant loud cries of the heavenly hosts. They rejoice that the kingdoms of the world belong to Jesus. This is what he had said to his disciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel (Matt. 28:18,19) and was proclaimed as he entered the cloud of God’s glory at the ascension (Acts 1:8,9) in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of the Son of Man receiving a kingdom (Dan. 7:13,14). Jesus’ Gospel is being proclaimed to the nations and the day is coming when every knee will bow. Father and Son are joined in the praises of this chapter.

 

The 24 elders, who are the heavenly representatives of the whole people of God, take up the praising. They praise God, this time not because of the redeeming sacrifice of the Lamb (Rev. 5:9,10), but for the justice of God. Here is the fulfillment of what we often pray: “Your kingdom come.” The imagery of Psalm 2 fuels the praise. Christ beginning to reign means the certainty of judgment being carried out. We grow concerned about injustice in the world; people who die before they are judged; sins that seem to have no recompense; sufferings that receive no relief; the greedy destruction of the earth. Here is the answer to our longing for justice. This is not an abandonment of the human search for justice in this world but the comfort that finally the universe will see justice done.

 

All is set in the context of the finished work of atonement. We have access to God’s Temple in heaven. The Ark of the Covenant is there. We who believe and surrender are not those who will be condemned, but the ransomed people of God.

Apply

Pray the Lord’s Prayer with renewed understanding of what the coming of the kingdom will mean.

Closing prayer

Lord, may Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store