So we reach the end of our series on the Bible and Easter Day - we explore the theme of Hope and Home. You will need an instrument to make a noise as always and if you have an egg to hand for the prayers- that would be great. We have 2 friends join us today Moley and Wiffy - enjoy. Really hoping we can try out an outdoor Thankful Thursday live - very soon - watch this space! See this weeks video below and the Thankful Thought and then below that the Easter video from last year - incase you want to pick-up the Easter story where we left it last week after Palm Sunday. Blessings Claire xx
Thankful Thought Thursday 1st April Hope & Home Revelation 21 & 22
Well, here we are in our second Holy Week of this pandemic and in the last in our series about the major themes of the Bible – Hope and Home. I don’t know how you are feeling – I wish I did! I wish we had been able to see each other and chat! I am feeling quite bored of my earthly “home” although glad the weather has improved and I can hang the laundry out! I am hopeful that restrictions will again begin to lift.
If you have never read the end of the bible – can I encourage you to do so – immediately! – just read the last 2 chapters – they are so inspiring. The book of revelation is quite a tough read as it is so very different from other books in the bible. It is an account of a vision and is very symbolic and in places quite weird but in essence it is declaring that Jesus has the ultimate victory and it gives us a great glimpse of what will come. We see that in the end evil is defeated and God creates a whole new earth and a whole new heaven and those of us who follow Jesus get to live in our resurrected bodies in that whole new world.
I hadn’t realised until I read Andrew Ollerton’s book that the whole new world isn’t a description of heaven but of our final destination, heaven is only a half-way home after death. The new heaven and the new earth are our final forever homes. How fantastic – especially to be in a place with no more death, pain or tears. That would be a perfect home. I am slightly concerned that revelation 21 declared there was no-longer any sea – as that means there might not be any beaches and I do like a beach, but Andrew Ollerton reminds us that much of this book is deeply symbolic and the sea is symbolises chaos. So, in this new world there will be no chaos rather than no beaches – phew!
I am also greatly encouraged as one who spends so much time doing laundry by chap 22 v14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city” – at last recognition for all those hours pegging out!
So this Easter we all need a true and living hope and the promise of a whole new world free from the fear of death and from all our pains of this world. In revelation we find the promise of this – when Jesus returns all things will be made new and we will be restored to our new forever home.
Spend some time this week letting the words of Revelation 21 & 22 speak to you and encourage you that there is much to be hopeful for – let your imagination taste and see the goodness of our glorious Saviour and his ultimate plan to bring us the best ever forever home.
Blessings
Claire xx
Here is a link to the Easter Story as we told it last year :
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