God wants us to believe the dream of the wonderful World of Tomorrow. This past Feast in part was to ‘sell’ us further on it so that we can promote it more effectively to the world.
Vision for the World Tomorrow
Most people have dreams. These dreams are often associated with something that will make life happier and more worthwhile. We may be striving to accomplish something that will make our life more fulfilling. I find that one of the biggest dreams people have today is to retire comfortably. They often make sacrifices in their lives by setting aside a significant amount of their financial resources for that future dream.
Having worked in the investment industry, I have been struck by the job description that some financial advisors often give themselves. They refer to themselves as ‘dream merchants,’ helping people achieve certain financial goals. I recall one individual when asked how things were going with him, who would often respond that, he was ‘selling the dream!’ However, for most people their dreams end unfulfilled at death.
God’s gospel message involves a very big picture. When we grasp this message, we realize that it dwarfs anything we are striving for now. The gospel of the coming Kingdom of God impacts our existence for eternity, and will touch all people and relationships. We need to grasp this vision as much as possible and be excited about it. And when you grasp it, you probably cannot hold back from sharing it with others, since it is such a happy and exciting truth, and which will one day become reality.
Catching the Vision
The gospel of the Kingdom of God is that God will one day restore His rule on this earth. This will be done through His Son Jesus Christ who will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). Jesus will bring a millennial setting where righteousness and justice will prevail; people will dwell in peace, safety and security (Isaiah 11). This is certainly a wonderful message as contrasted to today, where we may face financial hardships, concerns over crime, worry about wars and terrorism, and even worry about the society our children are growing up in. It is hard to have peace in this current world. In connection with this dream message, those that become Christ’s saints will also become the builders of this new world (Revelation 20:6, 11-13). And those who lived in prior generations who have never known God, will also have their first chance at living according to God’s laws, in a more positive society (Revelation 21:4-5).
Our Job – Promote the Vision
Throughout the Bible, we see a constant theme that God intends to have a relationship with human beings, and this relationship is to last for eternity and involves everyone. This ‘calling’ is not accessible to everyone now (John 6:44, 65). The world in many respects has to learn that its own way of doing things, independent of God, does not work. That is why much of Christ’s millennial message is still a future one.
However, Christ did tell His followers that once they grasped the dream, they had a responsibility to make the dream available to others (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts1:8).
Understanding the truth of a different world enables us to become promoters of this future ‘dream.’ As we become committed, we pass it along to others - even if only as a witness at this time. The apostle Paul said: woe if he did not preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16). Of course, we should always remember that it is not our work, but God’s.
Being Passionate About Our Role
Passion for this gospel vision really makes a big difference to God. We have to take possession of this dream and make it part of our lives. We read of a time yet future, when the world would eventually destroy itself, if it were not for a few select people, “For the elects’ sake those days are shortened” (Matthew 24:22). The world would arrive on the brink of destruction, if it were not for the ‘vision’ of a few.
Many of our predecessors embraced our same dream. Hebrews says the patriarchs looked for a better country. To look for this better country, they must have been dreaming of it (11:13-16). All of these people of faith who have gone before us have made a difference. These people (and the future ‘elect’) had a dream, or a vision, from God.
The Millennial Vision Makes Everything Else Fall Into Place
When we believe the gospel (the dream of a different world), then all other things fall into place and our true goals as Christians are put into focus.
Nothing is supposed to get in the way of this vision. Even though there are many things to worry about in today’s world, we are told not to get overly anxious but carry on (Matthew 6:33).
Eventually our personal dreams do fade away or change, but this gospel truth will not. We may never accomplish our personal goals or dreams, but these physical dreams are not that important.
We are to publicize this ‘vision’ of God’s future kingdom. We are to be excited about it. The Feast of Tabernacles just observed is partly intended to get us more firmly focused on this dream. At the Feast, God gets us further ‘sold’ on this vision so we can more effectively present it to others. We should regularly dream about this kingdom, and the past physical Feast helps us to do just that.
Of course, we have to be careful how we promote our dream, for we can turn some people off or set them against us unnecessarily if they are not able to understand the message. But as a collective body we have the opportunity to promote this wonderful truth. And by helping to promote God’s Church with this millennial vision, it becomes more real to us. We endeavour to spread this wonderful message to all who are able to receive it, at no cost, just as God gave the message freely to us.
We should always remember that eventually the dream of God’s future kingdom, and all the good things that are associated with it, will come true.
God’s faithful word says it will happen. And God does not lie (Titus 1:2). Let us keep dreaming with that reality in mind, for it will come true.
