For Zion's Sake

Eschatology (the study of the end times) is a subject which many Christians shy away from. Poor handling of eschatology throughout history, including false predictions and “pop eschatology” like the Left Behind series, have rendered the topic too lowbrow for some. It is often associated with elaborate charts, date setting, “newspaper exegesis”, the secret rapture and doomsday bunkers. But to throw the baby out with the bathwater is a massive overcorrection, with potential salvific ramifications. Undoubtedly many have mishandled the matter of Christ’s return, but this does not mean it should be ignored. On the contrary, it should be the central motivating force and hope in our lives. God has prepared unfathomable blessings for us in the age to come, and these should excite us and foster joyful anticipation. 

An apathy for eschatology is often accompanied by the shunning of the book of Revelation, with some treating it like the embarrassing uncle of the Bible. I have personally been painted as a kook in the past for my love of Revelation, even by fellow believers. Full disclosure: Revelation and Daniel are my two equal favorite books of the Bible. I am not ashamed of this. These books have been tremendous for my spiritual growth, helping me to endure and pull through in times of suffering. It is unfortunate that some do not see it this way. I hope that this post will inspire you to delve deeper into eschatology and experience the same blessings.

Afterall, Revelation is the only book in the Bible which outlines a specific blessing for those who read it and follow it: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). This alone should compel us to pay attention. We cannot afford to neglect a book which, in harmony with the Hebrew prophets, details the judgement to come and paints a picture of our future redemption. Revelation is just as important as Genesis. Revelation describes the restoration of the Edenic conditions which God had intended in Genesis. Ignoring Revelation is like leaving a movie before its conclusion, having witnessed the problem to be solved but not its resolution. It describes what we can look forward to amidst our present sufferings, a lodestar that should give us comfort and motivation to finish the race.

But returning to eschatology as a whole, Christ’s return, the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of creation are our blessed hope (Tit. 2:13). This blessed hope should give us joyful anticipation, motivating us to live holy lives and preparing us to be a spotless bride for Christ. It is the climax of God’s redemptive purposes, which He has been working towards since the fall of man, as foretold by the prophets. We need to restore a sober-minded view of eschatology, keeping it at the centre of our hope, rather than lose sight of it. We should not let human error and the schemes of the enemy (Satan) cheat us of this blessing.

Of course, the enemy has sought to distort the message of Christ’s return throughout history. He would love nothing more than to distract us, causing the Lord’s return to come upon us as a thief (Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2-4), like the virgins with no oil for their lamps (Matt. 25:1-13). Knowing that Christ’s second coming will result in his downfall, Satan is doing everything he can to keep us sluggish. I believe this is why eschatology has been so mishandled and ultimately avoided by many Christians. It is imperative that we stick with what scripture says, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, rather than getting caught up in what tickles our ears or what conforms to the expectations of this world.

If you were to ask your average Christian today what gives them hope, they would justifiably point to Christ saving us from our sins through His death and resurrection. But saving us unto what? Many would suggest that our ultimate hope is to die, go to heaven and live an ethereal existence where we sing worship songs for all eternity. This is consistent with the Platonic worldview which unfortunately displaced the Jewish worldview of the early Church, discounting any goodness to physical creation and viewing the material realm as evil. Therefore, our goal is simply to migrate to a purely immaterial heavenly existence. But this is not biblical. Afterall, God proclaimed from the beginning that His creation was good (Gen. 1:31). God’s goal has been to dwell with us here and to walk among us, restoring creation rather than escaping from it. That is why He sent His Son to die for our sins, opening the way for us to have reconciliation and intimate fellowship with God. Rather than us going up to God, He will in fact bring New Jerusalem out of heaven to earth (Rev. 21:2). Before that, Christ will come down to us and rule from literal, earthly Jerusalem (Rev. 20: 1-6).

How amazing is that? By overlooking eschatology, we underrate God’s plans for us and for His creation. Christianity is not a religion which glorifies death; it is a religion of life and abundance. This is our hope and goal. Those who trust in Christ will be delivered from death (Jn. 3:16). Not only that, but we will fellowship and fully participate in God’s Kingdom. We have so much more to be excited about than we are often told in the pulpits. This should encourage us to endure and find hope and joy in the sufferings of the present world, knowing that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

I will now provide several reasons summarizing why we should get excited for Christ’s return and the age to come. I pray this will bring you joyful anticipation and encourage you to delve deeper into these promises.

1. God will dwell with us 

As mentioned, redemptive history has been characterized by God’s plan to restore Eden and dwell with humanity again. Reflecting His love and devotion to humanity, God used Israel as His human agents through which redemption and restoration would come. Through Israel, God brought forth the promised seed, the Messiah, who would crush Satan under His feet (Gen. 3:15). Christ came down to us, taking on human flesh and providing propitiation for our sins, which had separated us from God at the fall. The ultimate outcome was to reconcile us to God, paving the way for us to again dwell with Him and partake in the age to come.  

However, as sin and corruption still exist on the earth and the enemy has not yet been destroyed, we have not yet experienced the fullness of the relationship we can have with our Creator. We also do not yet see Him with our eyes. We still look forward to the dawn of a new age characterized by perfect fellowship with God, which can only be ushered in by Christ’s second coming. Revelation 21:3 shows that after Christ subdues all His enemies under His feet, God will dwell us in the New Heavens and the New Earth: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”. We will finally be able to experience the full love of God, unhindered by sin or the enemy trying to blind us. We will know Him fully and truly grasp His love.

Prior to this, we will also have the pleasure of participating in the rule and reign of Christ from Jerusalem, further showing God’s desire to fellowship with us. Ezekiel 37:24-28 paints a picture of what this will look like, emphasizing that the Messianic Kingdom will be characterized by God dwelling with us, literally ruling over us from earthly Jerusalem. This is also linked to the consummation of the New Covenant, when Israel will be fully restored to the land promised to Abraham and receive a new heart to follow God’s commandments: “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.  They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever…And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Just as Israel’s promised Messiah was the agent of restoration, so will corporate Israel’s future restoration be correlated to the restoration of the entire creation, causing God to dwell with us for all eternity.

As we will explore in more detail later in this post, Christ will not only be ruling the earth but will allow us to actively participate in this rule, further demonstrating God’s desire to dwell with us and have us participate with Him in His purposes. From the moment we are resurrected, we are promised that we will always be with Christ (1 Thess. 4:17). I imagine we will be able to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him, just as He taught his disciples after His resurrection and prior to His ascension (Lk. 24:27; Act. 1:3). We will have an even more glorious road to Emmaus experience, learning from the ultimate theologian and teacher. We will be able to see Him, fellowship with Him and touch Him, just like Thomas and the disciples He appeared to after His resurrection. A friend recently remarked that what they are looking forward to most is giving Jesus a big hug. Isn’t that what we all want?

While we focus on the fact that we will be able to see and fellowship with Christ, it is also awesome to meditate on what this means for our relationship with the Father. Imagine getting to feel the full love of a perfect Father, with all the security and comfort that entails. Even though we can experience this relationship now through Christ, our fallen condition tends to obscure us from having a perfect relationship with God the Father. For some, our earthly father wounds get in the way, as no father is as perfect as our heavenly Father. However, in the new creation, we will be able to fill that gap that we have carried in our hearts since childhood: to have a perfect Father who guarantees our safety, and who loves us perfectly and unconditionally.

Additionally, we will be able to work in full cooperation with the Holy Spirit, unencumbered by the enemy or the competing desires of our flesh. In the Kingdom, the Holy Spirit will be manifested in an unprecedent manner, allowing us to more fully exercise our gifts (Jl. 2:28). We will be fully open to the Holy Spirit’s counsel and wisdom. The Spirit will also be poured on the entire house of Israel, writing the law on their hearts and consummating the New Covenant (Ezk.36:24-29; Zech. 12:10; Jer. 31:31-34). As a result of this, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD (Isa. 11:9).

Thus, during the Millennial reign of Christ and the New Heavens and Earth, we will be able to experience relationship with the Godhead like never before, not because we died and ascended to God, but because God desired to come and meet with us where we are. He will in fact physically dwell with us. Such is the love of God for those who put their trust in Him. This should bring us tremendous comfort.

2.   Every tear wiped away

Contrary to what prosperity gospel preachers tell us, the Christian life is exhibited by much suffering. All people suffer some degree of struggle, persecution, temptation or anxiety. This of course should not surprise us, as Christ warned that Christians can expect to suffer, following Christ’s example (Jn. 16:33; Matt. 16:24-26, 24:9). Even non-Christians have an acute awareness that something is terribly wrong, with death and brokenness seemingly everywhere one looks. Yet the Christian can ultimately look forward to a time when all pain and suffering will be no more. Our present state is just a moment in time, for which we will be perfectly comforted and rewarded for our perseverance.

Revelation 21:4 provides the following promise and hope for those who endure in faith to the end: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Again, Isaiah 25:8 tells us, “He will swallow up death forever; and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken”. God will perfectly comfort us, and our emotional scars will be fully healed.

We will no longer experience death, loss, fear, heartbreak, depression, anxiety or any other sufferings which have resulted from the fall, which the enemy uses to target us relentlessly. God will be our perfect comforter and protector. This should propel us to endure and find joy in our sufferings. As Paul tells us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). God will heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds (Ps. 147:3). We look forward to that time when sadness and affliction is replaced with perfect peace, joy and love.

3. Resurrected bodies

The resurrection is central to our faith. Through faith in Christ, we are promised that we will be resurrected like Him at His second coming. Remarkably, we rarely hear about the hope of the resurrection today, despite it being the central pillar and hope of our faith. However, as Paul tells us, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor. 15:19-21).

As we currently struggle with our bodily and mental ailments, we should take comfort that one day we will be resurrected with incorruptible, glorified bodies. Paul tells us this will also consummate our adoption as sons of God: “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:23-25). Paul is emphasizing that the resurrection should be our ultimate hope and motivation to remain strong in the faith, knowing that it will perfect our entry into God’s family.

The resurrection will mean death and suffering will no longer have any hold over us: “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:54-56). Isaiah 40:31 also beautifully summarizes what awaits us: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”.

We will no longer grow tired or weary, nor grieve the loss of our loved ones. We will live forever, in perfect unity with our creator. We will no longer be encumbered by ailments or infirmities, both physical and mental. We will no longer be anxious about our health or the health of our loved ones, or fearful about the future. There will be no sickness or disease. We will be vibrant and glorified, in perfect brotherhood with our Savior, having followed in His footsteps.

4. We will rule and reign with Christ

In addition to looking forward to Christ’s reign, it should also excite us that we will be able to participate! Daniel tells us that Christ’s Kingdom will also belong to His saints: “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan. 7:27). This is further reinforced in Revelation, where we are told we will reign alongside Christ during the millennium: “… Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4-6).

In His letters to the seven churches in Revelation, Christ reiterates the hope of participating in his reign. The fact that these promises are directed to specific churches shows the intimacy of them. To Laodicea He says: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3:21). Additionally, to Thyatira: “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father” (Rev. 2:26-27). These promises were given to encourage and exhort not only these specific churches into endurance and obedience., but the body of Christ for all time. Only those who overcome and repent will inherit the Kingdom. We should also take heed of Christ’s warnings and promises if we are to inherit these blessings.

Additionally, Paul tells us that the saints will judge the world, including angels (1 Cor. 6:2-3). This points to the saints having some level of governmental responsibility in the Christ’s Kingdom. I believe we will have jobs and very active lives, with our calling in Christ perfected. The Parable of the Talents suggests that we will have authority commensurate to our obedience here on earth (Lk. 19:11-27). This should motivate us to be obedient in the here and now, knowing our faithfulness here on earth will result in rewards in the age to come. We will have actual jobs and tasks to do in the Millennial Kingdom, rather than just living a listless and passive, blissful existence. I imagine it will be like finally having that dream job you perfectly enjoy and are skilled for. Perhaps we will be civil servants in Christ’s government, advising and assisting Him as he governs the affairs of humanity.

It is not that Christ needs our assistance, but isn’t it amazing that it is God’s good pleasure for us to work with Him? I am reminded of a father that asks their child to participate in a home improvement project. It is not because he needs help, but because he wants to enjoy the child’s company and have them participate, out of love.

5. Peace on earth

During the Messianic reign of Christ, we can also look forward to perfect peace on earth. No more war, no more conflict, just perfect peace. When describing the Millennial Kingdom, scripture often speaks of an era of unprecedented peace: “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isa. 9:7). Only Christ’s government can bring this about as He is the perfect judge and king: “He shall judge between the nations. and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4). This is hard to even fathom, given the war and bloodshed that has characterized much of human history. Even with all our technological advancements and progress, war and conflict has only escalated unabated. Humans have fallen short in bringing peace again and again. Only Christ can bring perfect peace to this world.

This will also mean peace in the ecological world: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:6-9). I believe this also reflects the peace that will restore broken human relationships in general.

I imagine a great deal of reconciliation and reparation occurring during this reign of peace, with the unity of the body of Christ reaching the level that Christ intended and prayed for: that we be one as Christ and the Father are one (Jn. 17:20-21). We can look forward to perfect peace with each other, within creation and amongst nations.

6.       Perfect justice 

At the end of the age, we can also look forward to God’s perfect justice being executed on all the earth. Many people have experienced oppression in this age. I think of victims of Church abuse, domestic violence, the poor, and those who have been defrauded, used or felt shunned by the world. However, when the Day of the Lord comes, the arrogant and haughty will be brought low (Isa. 2:11). In contrast, those who are humble, meek and oppressed will be exalted (Zeph. 3:12; Jm. 4:6-7). Christ will bring this about with His perfect justice. Additionally, Christ will continue to equitably judge disputes during His Messianic reign. As we read in Isaiah 11:3-4: “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked” (Isa. 11:3-4).

Again, we see Christ judging in favor of the oppressed and the poor, a reversal of the injustices of the current age. Isaiah 54:1 also uses the imagery of a barren woman being exalted to illustrate this: “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD”.

Thus, those who were oppressed and downtrodden will be exalted, while the oppressors and those who have prospered with unjust gain will be brought low. This is also mirrored in the beatitudes, where Christ tells us that the meek, the persecuted, the poor in spirit and mourners will be blessed and comforted (Matt. 5:1-12). Anyone who has been oppressed, even by the Church itself, can look forward to Christ bringing perfect justice to their situation. Anyone who has been bullied, broken or felt like life has gotten the best of them will be exalted, provided they remain faithful to Him.

Christ will be the perfect Judge, ruling in favor of the humble and oppressed, not like the imperfect judges and courts of this age. Afterall, He knows what is in each of our hearts. Knowing that Christ is the perfect Judge should help us to forgive even those unrepentant and unremorseful people who have hurt us. If they remain unrepentant until Christ’s coming, we can trust Christ will perfectly vindicate us and rectify the situation. This militates against “vigilante justice” on the part of the believer and frees us to move through our lives without bitterness, trusting that Christ will judge the situation perfectly.

This should also exhort us to take care of the oppressed among us, knowing how much Christ cares for them. Otherwise, we will be judged as the Israelite leaders were before the Babylonian exile, having practiced outward religion, while perpetuating injustice and oppression (Ezk. 34; Hos. 6:6). We should do all we can to minister to our fellow sheep, rather than becoming proud and turning into oppressive wolves. As Isaiah 1:17 exhorted Israel, “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause”. Similarly, James 1:27 tells us: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world”. This should instill humility in us, for God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Additionally, this should cause us to test ourselves and take heed lest we ourselves become prideful, knowing that the arrogant will be brought low. We must follow in the footsteps of our Savior in this respect: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ph. 2:5-11).

This is the blueprint for the type of people God wants to exalt and fellowship with in the age to come – a humble and contrite people (Ps. 34:18-20). If Christ, the King of the universe, can be humble to the point of death, how much more should we be?

7.       The restoration of Israel

Those who love Israel and affirm to the unconditionality of God’s covenant with Abraham can also look forward to the ultimate restoration of Israel, when the Spirit will be poured on her and she will dwell righteously in her land forever. At Christ’s coming, the New Covenant’s consummation will result in the fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant, with Israel restored securely in her land and accepting their Messiah (e.g. Zech: 12:10; Ezk. 37, 38:21-23; Jer. 30:3, 33:6-18).

For example, in Ezekiel 36:24-27, God promises to restore the Jewish people to their land forever and give them a new heart through the Holy Spirit: “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God”.

As we have seen, this will also coincide with Christ’s Millennial reign from Jerusalem, fulfilling the Davidic covenant: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness” (Jer. 23:5-6). The Torah will also go forth from Zion and Israel will truly be a light to the nations, causing the knowledge of God to fill the earth: and many nations shall come, and say: “ Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,  to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Mic. 4:2).

Israel’s restoration will also correspond and culminate with the restoration of all creation. The second coming, and all its associated promises will not take place until all of Israel says: “Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord” (Lk 13:35). This should be our prayer and hope for Israel, knowing the riches it will result in not just for Israel, but for creation itself. Paul also brings this point home: “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (Rom. 11:11-12).

Additionally, the antisemitism and hostility towards Israel we now witness will be completely reversed. Those who formerly afflicted Israel will end up ministering to her: “Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste” (Isa. 60:10-12).

This will be a reversal and rude awakening for all the nations who are hostile to Israel. This is why it is imperative that we stand with Israel and pray that our nations will be counted amongst the sheep (Matt. 25:31-46; Jl.3.1-3).

Love His appearing

This is just a snapshot of what we can look forward to at Christ’s return and in the age to come. My hope is that this will excite you and bring you comfort in these increasingly dark times. We should meditate on these promises and use them as our motivation to grow in faith with the Lord, knowing that He is coming for a pure and spotless bride (Eph. 5:27; Rev. 19:7). Christ is coming to free the captives, deliver us from oppression and save us from the troubles of this evil age. We will rule and reign with Him and have perfect fellowship with God Almighty.

Although this is beyond the purposes of this post, I also encourage believers to study the scriptures to gain an understanding of the events that will occur prior to and surrounding Christ’s second coming. It will be a time characterized by unprecedented deception and persecution. This requires alertness, discernment, wisdom and preparation. We will not get every detail right, but it is imperative to at least have a good understanding and be ready, for we are warned that many people will be deceived and fall away (Matt. 24:10-13). Do not depend on random prophecy teachers on YouTube. There is a lot of “fast food eschatology” out there, simply aiming to tickle our ears. Read the Bible for yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and test everything you hear. Once again, there is a blessing promised to those who read and apply the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:3).

Ultimately, it is awe-inspiring that the God of the universe would want to dwell with such weak vessels as us, but that speaks to His perfectly loving nature. Believers in Christ should not just look back to the cross, but also look forward to and love Christ’s second coming, when He will finally defeat death and darkness: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).