Read Revelation 11:15–19
Whose kingdom do we live in? In one sense, we live in Sodom and Egypt, like the two witnesses we read about yesterday. Our world, as it is now, is a hostile environment where the devil is “the ruler of the power of the air” and “the god of this age” (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Creation is under a curse for its sin, and the martyrs under the altar are left wondering when their vindication will come. But in another sense, the Kingdom of Heaven is here! Jesus made it clear during His time on Earth that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). Our time is a time when the gospel is spreading, the Holy Spirit is in us, and Jesus is on His throne. It is a time in which the voice in Heaven can say loudly, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (11:15).
So, how are both things true at once? How can we be living in a fallen world and the Kingdom of Heaven? This is known as the “already, not yet.” While there are some ways in which the Kingdom is already here and now, there are other ways in which the fullness of it is not yet here and now. Some Believers have the gift of healing (Kingdom of Heaven) while some do not experience healing for serious illnesses (fallen world). Some nonbelievers become passionate for God (Kingdom of Heaven) while some Christians become passionate nonbelievers (fallen world). How do we live faithfully in this tension between holiness and sin, between life and death?
The key to endurance is hope. We know this tension is temporary, but Christ will reign forever and ever. We know there is injustice today, but God’s wrath will come. Our good deeds may go unrewarded here, but one day our reward will come. We experience God’s presence imperfectly today, but soon the temple in Heaven will be open, and we will experience the fullness of who God is. Our hope is in an infinitely good God, whose reign is sure. We just need to remember it and live like it is true.
