S34P9 – The kingdom of heaven: victorious

Rev. 11:15

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

The Robin Hood television series from the 1950s is not the standard of entertainment we expect today. From its black-and-white coloration to its flimsy sets and cheap costuming, it is pretty laughable from an artistic perspective. The story, however, is anything but laughable. Watching the series, you root for Robin Hood, the son of a king who has returned from war to sit on his rightful throne. In his absence, an evil man has taken over his kingdom. This man is not there to serve the people but to serve himself. He has usurped Robin’s kingdom for his own evil purposes. But once Robin returns, the story changes. Although the series plays out over time, we know how it will end. Truth and justice will prevail, and the prince will return to his throne. Although not an exact parallel, the return of Jesus Christ will see the rightful ruler of this world, the Son of the king, establish rule over his rightful kingdom.

This earth was created for many purposes. It is here to glorify God by showing the majesty and splendor of his creativity. It is here to be the home of mankind, where God’s creation, designed in his image, would have dominion over this natural world. It is here to be governed and managed according to the will of God, but there was an interruption long ago. This perfect place, this perfect kingdom, did not last long before mankind gave its authority over to our great enemy to rule here. The prince of the power of the air is reigning in the here and now, but his time is short. When the Son of God returns, he will establish his kingdom here. The kingdom of heaven will overthrow every kingdom of earth and usher in a new rule. This will be a victorious restoration to the world that our Father in heaven intended from the start. This will be a physical world enveloped in spiritual perfection that will scarcely resemble what we see today.

Unlike the shows and movies that tell the story of Robin Hood, there is no suspense here. We need not wonder whether this script will flip in the last moment and ruin our picture-perfect ending. We know that God’s heavenly kingdom will exist forever as it has always existed. It is not victorious in a certain space or time. The victory of God’s heavenly kingdom is as eternal as the kingdom itself. Although the state of imperfection around us might lead us to believe that God’s kingdom has suffered a loss, that is not so. It has and will always prevail. For those of us who remain faithful, we will see the impact of that victory on our home here when Jesus returns. What a glorious thing to await the victorious restoration of this earth under the rule of God’s heavenly kingdom! Father, thank You for the victory You promise us, and thank You for allowing us to be citizens of the kingdom that will prevail