Faithful on Fridays Blog

Episode Ten: Not Yet

In Matthew 19 Jesus responded to Peter’s question about who can be saved saying all things are possible with God. In fact, there’s a ‘new world’ coming when He’ll be on the throne along with the 24 elders on thrones: the 12 patriarchs of Israel and 12 Christian apostles. 

Twenty-four thrones surrounded Him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. Revelation 4:4

This new world means creation will be restored back to the Garden of Eden as well as mankind being restored back to our state of holiness with new bodies to live in the Kingdom of God … but it’s not yet. 

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. Romans 8:19-23 

It’s called ‘glorification’ when Jesus returns with both creation and believers in Christ delivered from bondage to death to live in freedom for eternity. 

The place is prepared and the table is set, ready for our arrival.

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. Luke 13:29

Ahhhh … the great reversal. 

Remember Bethlehem when there was ‘no place for them at the inn’? It’s fascinating that the word ‘kataluma’ (guest room) means a place to abolish or overthrow; it wasn’t the time or place for Satan to try to overthrow God’s kingdom, even though he tried. Luke 22:14-18 tells us that the hour came when Jesus and the Twelve had their last Passover meal; the time and place, kataluma (upper room) was prepared (John 14). 

For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come. Luke 22:16, 18

Jesus sat at a table teaching that in the fulfillment of all promises, the not yet aspect of the Kingdom of God, there’s also a meal at a table for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9) where we’ll join together in the new world.