Back to the Future (Part 1)

One of the most stressful questions we humans ask ourselves is, "What will my future be like?" Every civilization has tried to paint a picture of what human history will be like twenty, fifty, a hundred, or even a thousand years from now. The uncertainty of man's future has caused many ulcers to form in many stomachs. The afterlife is a subject every religion tries to answer. Most religions paint a more positive life than negative when describing man's future. Some try to ignore the future and just focus on the here and now. The Christian faith does not try to minimize the future, in fact the Bible clearly describes the future of humanity and is clear about man's final destination. The Book of Revelation has been embraced by many (and has been misunderstand and misapplied by just as many) as a book of hope, comfort, optimism, and even fear. The closer we look at this book it is clear that every man's destination will end in one of two locations: heaven or the lake of fire. Heaven is the very definition of peace and love, while Hell will be a real place whose environment is the opposite of peace and love.

In Revelation 1:1-8, we see two very important facts about humanities future: First, there is only one who is in our our past, present, and future, and He is Jesus Christ, the the subject line of human history. And the second fact is man's promise of deliverance from this sinful world. Many people read the book of Revelation, and focus on angels, wars, plagues, death, tribulation, and even heaven. But the main subject of this book is Jesus. The very first words in this book make this clear: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ..." Jesus is described as the true witness, the one who has risen from the dead, the ruler of all the earth, and the one who has died for man's sins (vs.5). It is Jesus who has not abandoned this world, but He is coming back to take back what is rightfully His, and to make all things perfect and right. His coming is as sure as His existence. It may seem that the world is too chaotic to be saved, but there is coming a day when "He is coming in the clouds and every eye will see Him..." (vs. 7) When you allow Christ to be in control of your future, then no matter what comes your way, you can rest knowing that you are in good hands; hands that guarantee a less stressful life. Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.