The Kingdom of Peace

 ☀️🌷🦅 This morning I read Psalm 65, in the Contemporary English Version, and then I asked our father “is that a vision of how the kingdom will be?” Then I saw a red headed woodpecker, which I haven’t seen one for at least two years. Call me silly but I took that to be a yes.  Saw a hummingbird too.

     “The kingdom”. News folks can get their teeth into. Contributes to a good, solid pair of boots, standing on The Rock of Truth. The bible is a simple story.. of what it is God is doing and how. But most importantly why. And of what it is God is creating.. A sort of paradox being, how do you create genuinely able to think and reason beings (angelos and anthropos) aNd keep paradise/perfection intact? The ‘problem’ being thinking includes at least some power of choice.

     Logically, it seems to me, there are two opposite options(?) A Total Ant Farm, no thinking beings thus no choices other than God’s all knowing choices, ever. Or what is needed? Is Total Herd Immunity.. From straying which is to become imperfect - this world and lifetime as the all important contrast, a ‘parable’ of the decomposing ‘apple’ and the worm that does noT quit. As straying from God and His will can never work, because He is Life, and he “is perfect” Mt.5:48. So imperfect - hamartia - “missing the mark” translated sin, results in the exact opposite of Life. And is an abyss of potential.

    Which “perfect” is Great News indeed! Life hAs to be perfect. And the ‘end’ result of all this, can only be the utter, best one possible.

     “End” in the New Testament is translated from “tel/telos” which more closely means “end-aim”. And(!) I read in a commentary, some time ago, how that little word also portrays how prophecy, and I add the kingdom of peace, progresses. “Tel” being the root of “telescope”. That all is fulfilled in widening “scopes” until reaching full scope. Or, like widening ripples of a pond until teaching full pond. (Think the advents of the Lord.)

     When we realize lake of fire is not a ‘place’ but event, and is far from being anything neverending.. We can more clearly see the kingdom - of peace. Misunderstanding lake of fire is hiding a lot of Glory.

     Surely during the Lord’s long second advent, he will do the same works he did during his brief first one! A wider pond ripple.. Until he has indeed, “drawn all” (Jn.12:32). But this time with helpers, serving, called reigning. For surely(?) to do his works is to reign.

     I think right now, we are still at Rev.7:1,3 - and - 9,4. We are being “sealed” (heart and) mind. The importance of that “sealing up” being revealed in the parable of the ten bridesmaids - Mt.25:1-13. What is the door in the parable to?