Bringing in the Glory

I’ve been reading through the book of Revelation again and came up to the last two chapters. I admit that I thought I wouldn’t “get anything new out of it” because I have read these chapters so many times before. But, of course, God’s Words are deeper than our estimation of them! This thought was so inspiring to me. I hope it blesses you the same...

Chapter 21 is a description of the earth made new. When Jesus said “I go to prepare a place for you...” (John 14:1-6) He promised that there would be a place, a “home,” for anyone who wants to be with Him. And in Revelation, the angel who is talking to John excitedly gives him a tour of the New Jerusalem.

This “city” is being prepared as the “capital city” of God’s Kingdom. After the millennium, it will descend from Heaven to Earth. “And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband... ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, God Himself will be with them as their God.’ ” Revelation 21:2,3

Then John attempts to describe the city. The part that caught my attention was verses 24,26: “By it’s light (that of the New Jerusalem) will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it... They will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations.”

The “nationS” (not just Americans!) and the “kings of the earth” (no longer the foreman’s gopher, or the company slave...) will bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God.

Picture it. From your beautiful, peaceful home, you set off across the meadows and hills on one of the many paths that leads to the New Jerusalem. Others are making their way to the same place, skipping along joyfully and greeting each other with faces that no longer express any pain, tears, or death. Everyone seems to be bursting with some information that they can’t wait to share.

You yourself have something to tell. During the week you have discovered some new creation that you never saw before, or some new thought that you never realized before. It was so beautiful and so intricate and so amazingly purposeful that it awes your mind just thinking about it! You can’t wait to tell everyone, and thank the One who made such a thing available to you.

What a privilege it will be to take our glory (our praise) and honor into the New Jerusalem and express it to our God in person! We pray and sing our thanks and praise now. But someday we will be able to “bring our glory” into the very presence of God and personally look Him in the eye to thank Him. How satisfying that will be!