Confident that God's Kingdom Will Come

How sure are you that you will be working at your present job in ten years?  How confident are you that your relationship with your spouse or children will be very close in the next twenty-five years?  How sure are you that all your bills and debts will be paid off by the time you retire?  The only answer any of us can give to these questions is "I hope so."  Someone once said that the only things that are for sure in this life are taxes and death.  Well, if that was all we had to look forward to in life, then no wonder most people today are  stressed out and depressed.  But for a Christian, there is more to life that we can be sure of, and this "MORE LIFE" is found in the person of Jesus Christ, and in His Word, the Bible.  It is in the Bible (like the book of Daniel) that we are given the promise of hope beyond our present conditions.  Hope that looks beyond the systems of government that rule men on this earth to a perfect kingdom whose King is called Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11).

The prophet Daniel is made aware of this perfect kingdom, only after he is given a glimpse of four mighty powers who will rise and fall with the wind (7:2-7).  He is also given a glimpse of Satan's kingdom (7:8,11-12,21-26); yet it too will find itself crushed under the heel of Jesus Christ.  It is only the Kingdom of the Ancient of Days (9-10), the Son of Man (13-14) that will be an everlasting kingdom.  Note, that while man's kingdoms are always filled with conflict and ruin, God's throne is described as tranquil,  just, and triumphant. The Kingly reign of Jesus is described as glorious, universal, and everlasting.  No kingdom on earth has yet to be described this way.  This is why Jesus, who lived during the Roman Empire, commanded Christians to pray looking forward to the day when "God's kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matt. 6:10)  If we live our lives today with the promised hope of God's kingdom, then our lives would be less stressful.  Until next time, keep walking close to Christ.