The Ultimate Happy Ending
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Key Verse: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Selected Scripture: |
FROM THE OPENING CHAPTERS of Genesis to the closing verses of Revelation, the Bible contains the glorious message of salvation for all mankind. To those striving to live in the footsteps of Jesus in the present age, a part in the heavenly phase of Christ’s kingdom is promised, “glory and honour and immortality.” (Rom. 2:7) To the remainder of mankind is reserved the prospect of living on a restored perfect earth, walking up the “way of holiness” (Isa. 35:8) and, through obedience to the laws of the earthly phase of Christ’s kingdom, attaining human perfection and its resulting everlasting life.—Rev. 21:3,4
In the closing verses of Revelation, we are reminded that it will be up to each individual in Christ’s earthly kingdom, after having learned righteousness, to themselves choose to follow after it from their heart, or to follow after evil. “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” (Rev. 22:11, New American Standard Bible) As verse 12 further states, “My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Every man will be rewarded according to his work during that kingdom time. Those who work righteousness from the heart will receive the reward of everlasting human life. Those [few we believe] who continue to work evil, with no heart’s desire to reform even under perfect conditions, will be judged unworthy of life and will be cut off in everlasting death.
The vast majority of mankind will gladly take full advantage of the blessings of Christ’s kingdom and come quickly into line with its righteous laws. To those the promise is given, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:14) The prophet Isaiah expresses beautifully the glorious results of Christ’s earthly kingdom, which he pictures as a mountain, “In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isa. 25:6-9
Our Key Verse fittingly brings to a climax the Bible narrative of God’s plan by stating very simply it is by the coming of the Lord Jesus, both at his First Advent as well as at his second, that God’s ultimate purpose for mankind is to be accomplished. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”—the unspeakable and precious gift of his only begotten son Jesus!—II Cor. 9:15