The People of God: The Story of the ChurchSample

As the Church, we are all brought together by faith in Jesus. Despite our backgrounds, all ethnicities and nationalities are brought together in peace. In Revelation 7, we see an incredible picture of a great multitude. First, we see people from the tribes of Israel. Then, the image broadens to an even greater crowd from every nation, tribe, and tongue. What is so special about this image is that when John saw this apocalyptic vision, the distinct language and ethnicity of every person were maintained. Under the influence of Greek philosophy, Christians have often imagined that post-death, we will be a ‘soul’ that goes up to heaven for eternity and shed all of our unique cultural and ethnic heritage that is given and chosen by God. But in Revelation 21, we see that ultimately the new Jerusalem will come down from heaven to earth, and the resurrected people of God will live in communion with Him once again. There is no Temple or church building in this city because the Temple was only ever a confined touch point of heaven on earth. Now heaven and earth are one and the same. The Lord and the Lamb become the Temple.

Our hope as the Church must be rooted in what the Bible actually says. Once we realize that history is moving towards the day when God will create new heavens and a new earth in order to bring together the best of God’s creation with the best of human creation, our role as the Church becomes clear. We are to be agents of new creation now. The Church is to be a taste of the kingdom of God on earth. The relationships we build, the projects we start, and the prayers we pray are all part of God’s new creation plan.