Jesus Is Forever

"Jesus is forever."

IT’S ALL TEMPORARY. All these struggles I’m up against. I’m reminded of this today through the lyrics of a song, and it helps immensely. None of this in front of me is forever. Jesus is forever. Sorrow and mourning will flee away (Revelation 21:4). A verse in the Remedy Translation speaks to John’s Revelation, perhaps a bit of a side-trip here. 1 John 5:21 says, “Always reject lies about God and any false concept about the character of God.” Then again, it is the character of God that keeps me hopeful. Hope is a good thing. Everyone needs hope. But as it applies to John’s Revelation, too much study is done of symbols and their meanings and not enough said about God’s heart in all of it. In this, we lose fear of it. Because God is peace.

“May the God of peace, who, through the truth of his character of love and his eternal plan to heal and restore, overcame the power of selfishness and death and brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep— recreate in you every faculty, ability and capability necessary for doing his will, and may he accomplish in us and with us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and honor for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21, Remedy)

There’s a bigger picture of it we must see from the words of John 3:16-17. These are the character of God. He SO LOVED the world that He gave His most valuable gift, His Only-begotten Son, to die for us so that there’d be eternal life. Can you see God’s heart? He did not send Jesus to CONDEMN the world but that through Him it would be SAVED. So what are the prophetic words of John? 1 Corinthians 14:3 tells us prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and comfort. Those are three PEACEFUL words. Three words of God’s character. He is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). Would our God of comfort, our God of peace, then promote war? If you need to think too hard about this, then you don’t know Him. Would Jesus who was manifested to destroy the devil and the works of the devil (Hebrews 2:14;1John 3:8) then let him out of the pit for a season to wreak havoc? This is how people read Revelation 20:3. The answer is a huge NO.

What do the words of John’s prophecy mean then? It means we are wrong.

We need to do less interpretation, less desire for interpretation, and lean into Him instead and learn who He is first. The interpretation may be given us then, or it may not. But unless we know God’s character, His personality, we’ll get it all wrong and forget the true purpose of it. The true purpose of the church. John’s Revelation was given so that (a) we wouldn’t write the ending. This is paramount. And (b) to tell the history of the Jews. The parts of it which the church has taken as future disaster for all humanity are spoken to Israel. And have happened. The Jews were forced from their homes, made to wear a number in order to eat and supposedly survive. Six million died at the hand of Gentiles. The scrolls have already been opened. Jesus, the King of Israel, was the only One who could open them, being God made flesh. He opened them having fulfilled the Jews’ covenant, being to them the God of salvation. Being Jew.

He is God of salvation even more effectually today. Jews today know they are protected by Hashem. Who is Jesus, revealed in the Gospels. And Jesus, their Shepherd, has embraced Gentiles, His other sheep (John 10:16). What He did for them, He is to us as well. “As well”, not “instead of.” Here is God’s character again. He is merciful forever. Not now and then but always. His judgment in Jesus’ Resurrection was forgiveness. Is forgiveness. He is stability of mind and heart. He is the Rock we stand on, a Truth said in both the Jews’ covenant and the covenant to the church. He is patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Romans15:13 says, “As you trust in God, may your fear be expelled and your hearts filled with joy and peace, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may be continually filled with hope (Remedy).” Here I circle back to my first thought – all this is temporary. Flowers bloom and fade, skies change, we age and return to the soil; but our salvation is forever and continually working today to give us a wonderful tomorrow. He has promised it, so it’s happening, and I have hope for it. With no fear for what’s ahead. Just peace.


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com