A Covenant For Christians
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.
Revelation 22:3
It all started in the Garden of Eden, a place located somewhere between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the Middle East. In that Garden God gave a great promise: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). As we approach the end of the age, the head of Satan is being battered and bruised as the forces of God gain momentum. Under the command of God, Michael the archangel is now organizing his forces for the last battle—Armageddon. The last picture in the Bible is one of heaven.
Many years ago I was visiting the dining room of the United States Senate. As I was speaking to various people, one of the senators called me to his table. He said, “Billy, we’re having a discussion about pessimism and optimism. Are you a pessimist or an optimist?” I smiled and said, “I’m an optimist.” He asked, “Why?” I said, “I’ve read the last page of the Bible.”
The Bible speaks about a city whose builder and maker is God, where those who have been redeemed will be superior to angels. It speaks of “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1). It says, “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (vv. 4–5).
The next verse has a thrilling last word to say about angels: “These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.”
Christian and non-Christian alike should meditate on the seventh verse, where God says, “Behold I come quickly: blessed is he who keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Where do you fit in this prophetic picture?
Our Father and our God, we are optimistic about the future through You! I know Jesus Christ has already led us to victory over death and evil through the cross. Until that day comes, give me courage to live a holy and righteous life as a servant of Christ the Lord. In His name I pray. Amen.
Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).