
I have always admired those who were able to climb Mt. Everest. I watch movies about Mt. Everest and read stories of those who have made the climb to the top. My heart travels with them each and every time -- not so much for the struggle of the climb, but for the joy of reaching the top of that mountain and surveying the world from that vantage point. I believe what the eyes of my heart would see from that peak would give a fresh perspective on life and living. Standing on that peak, I imagine I would be overwhelmed by the Awesomeness of our God and then just how insignificant I am--and yet...
I have asked myself, is there a Mt. Everest passage? In other words, what would be the highest point in Scripture from which one could gain a fresh perspective on the rest of Scripture? God's love is written on every page of Scripture, but is there a Mt. Everest vantage point from which one could hear the heartbeat of God? For me, my Mt. Everest peak is in Revelation 22:3-7.
There are numerous things our Father could have said through the Apostle John at the end of the age but He chose to communicate this declaration of His heart: "Now, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself with be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:3-4, NIV). God announces His relational Presence from the throne and makes three significant relational assertions: 1) "I will be your God"; 2) "You will be My People"; and 3) "I will dwell with you." God binds Himself to us as our God and gives us an identity as a people belonging to God and promises that we will dwell together forever. This is covenant language. Our God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God who is in relationship with His creation through covenant (more about this in another blog).
God then declares that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes" and every reason for tears, death, mourning, crying, or pain, will be no more because this present evil age is passed away. This passage is rich in relational imagery and paints a picture of a loving father who is drying the eyes of his hurt child. He knows this present age is evil and is the cause of suffering and pain. I can hear His heart saying -- "NOW, IT'S FINALLY OVER -- let me dry your tears." He is not apathetic about the reasons for tears in this age and has acted throughout history to accomplish the goal of His heart -- to bring this age and all its tears to an end.
From my Mt. Everest passage, I hear the Father's heart declaring that He finally gets what He has wanted from the beginning of the age: YOU and ME and ALL THOSE WHO HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIS SON. He loves to be our God! He loves that we are His sons and daughters! He loves that we will be together forever! The Apostle Paul says that God's plan to adopt us was according to his pleasure and will (Eph. 1:5). God's love is an active, revealing, pursing love that created us for relationship, rescues us, and empowers us to live our lives on earth until we live with him in heaven.
My Mt. Everest peak in Revelation gives me a perspective from which to look back through the landscape of Scripture. In the Old Testament, I can see Creation, Covenant, and Rescue from Egyptian captivity. In the New Testament, I can see New Covenant, New Creation, and New Exodus or Rescue from our spiritual captivity. There is a continuity to the bigger story or meta-narrative of God that, I believe, is driven by the heartbeat of God found in this passage.
In the meantime, we live in the tension of the middle of the story. In that we live between Jesus' First and Second Coming. We have been empowered by the Spirit of God to do the works of the Kingdom of God as His ambassadors to this present evil age. We are called to come alongside the brokenhearted, the sinned-against and sinner, the poor, the widows, the orphans, and do deeds of justice consistent with the compassion and anointing of the indwelling Spirit.
What do you think? Let's talk.
I have asked myself, is there a Mt. Everest passage? In other words, what would be the highest point in Scripture from which one could gain a fresh perspective on the rest of Scripture? God's love is written on every page of Scripture, but is there a Mt. Everest vantage point from which one could hear the heartbeat of God? For me, my Mt. Everest peak is in Revelation 22:3-7.
There are numerous things our Father could have said through the Apostle John at the end of the age but He chose to communicate this declaration of His heart: "Now, the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself with be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:3-4, NIV). God announces His relational Presence from the throne and makes three significant relational assertions: 1) "I will be your God"; 2) "You will be My People"; and 3) "I will dwell with you." God binds Himself to us as our God and gives us an identity as a people belonging to God and promises that we will dwell together forever. This is covenant language. Our God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God who is in relationship with His creation through covenant (more about this in another blog).
God then declares that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes" and every reason for tears, death, mourning, crying, or pain, will be no more because this present evil age is passed away. This passage is rich in relational imagery and paints a picture of a loving father who is drying the eyes of his hurt child. He knows this present age is evil and is the cause of suffering and pain. I can hear His heart saying -- "NOW, IT'S FINALLY OVER -- let me dry your tears." He is not apathetic about the reasons for tears in this age and has acted throughout history to accomplish the goal of His heart -- to bring this age and all its tears to an end.
From my Mt. Everest passage, I hear the Father's heart declaring that He finally gets what He has wanted from the beginning of the age: YOU and ME and ALL THOSE WHO HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIS SON. He loves to be our God! He loves that we are His sons and daughters! He loves that we will be together forever! The Apostle Paul says that God's plan to adopt us was according to his pleasure and will (Eph. 1:5). God's love is an active, revealing, pursing love that created us for relationship, rescues us, and empowers us to live our lives on earth until we live with him in heaven.
My Mt. Everest peak in Revelation gives me a perspective from which to look back through the landscape of Scripture. In the Old Testament, I can see Creation, Covenant, and Rescue from Egyptian captivity. In the New Testament, I can see New Covenant, New Creation, and New Exodus or Rescue from our spiritual captivity. There is a continuity to the bigger story or meta-narrative of God that, I believe, is driven by the heartbeat of God found in this passage.
In the meantime, we live in the tension of the middle of the story. In that we live between Jesus' First and Second Coming. We have been empowered by the Spirit of God to do the works of the Kingdom of God as His ambassadors to this present evil age. We are called to come alongside the brokenhearted, the sinned-against and sinner, the poor, the widows, the orphans, and do deeds of justice consistent with the compassion and anointing of the indwelling Spirit.
What do you think? Let's talk.