Conclusion
Yes, the future for mankind is glorious thanks to the person and authority of Christ Jesus! When on earth, 2,000 years ago, he conquered the opposition. He opened the floodgates of the heavens and finally revealed to mankind what man has been in eager expectation of and keenly searching for – the freedom of the sons of God! (Romans 8:19-21) Not just for a few, but for ‘all who would receive him.’ (John 1:12)
Jesus’ arrival on earth was an unequaled turning point in human history. It was not just the walk of a wise man or a great prophet, or the mere institution of another religion. It was the presence of divinity (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-16) come to save his confused and lost children, not from just one nation, but the entire race of mankind!
Jesus did not come to tell us that he would die and be resurrected. Those events occurred, but that was not his message. He came to tell us he lives, and we can live forever in the places he is preparing for us. (John 14:2) The message Jesus brought was spread by the 12 apostles and the 70 evangelists, among others. It was good news – glad tidings of victory and salvation! The theme was the Kingdom of the Heavens! The Kingdom of the Heavens! (Matthew 13:24; 13:31, 13:33, 13:44, 13:45, 13:47, 18:23, 22:2, 25:1) It is the same destiny that the Devil fought so hard to hide from us – ‘so the illumination of the glorious good news God, might not shine through.’ (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
With the arrival of Christ Jesus, we can let go of the old pre-Christian system. We should not be looking for ‘greater fulfillments’ of ancient prophecies. We should be looking to the words of one who is more than a prophet, the one who long ago fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 5:17) For whenever we hold on to the past, we are delaying our own future.
And when considering prophecies given after Christ’s resurrection, we should ever keep in mind the goodness, the mercy, and the love displayed by Jesus while on earth. We should never allow our own interpretations to sully the fine reputation and character of Jesus as man’s savior, not his destroyer. He truly is the Prince of Peace!
When an angel of Jesus gave the series of visions to the Apostle John which he recorded in the book of Revelation, John was told that those who read it would be happy. (Revelation 1:3) It was good news. It was never intended to frighten us or to cause dread. It is a story of victory already achieved!
This message of hope is for all mankind, not just Christians. Jesus is the creator of everything in our world; not just the progenitor of one religion. (John 1:3) His good news is the answer to the scientists who study our physical world looking for clues to our existence. It is the answer to the astronomers who search out into space for signs of our origin. It is the answer to the atheist and the agnostics who long for an understanding of how a loving God could allow the current systems to exist. And it is the answer for the downtrodden, the persecuted, the hopeless, and the hopeful. By means of the ministry of reconciliation, God’s will and purpose becomes the answer to everything.
“When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:28
It is now up to those who willingly pick up our torture stakes to serve as ambassadors of the good news and tell the glad tidings to all! The heavy lifting has already been done by Jesus. All man needs to do is preach the proper message of victory and salvation, and when the good news is preached in all the inhabited earth, then the end to man’s suffering and sorrow will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Only then can we expect the fulfillment of the promises:
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
– Revelation 21:1-4
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
– Revelation 22:1-5
Yes, we must do our part. Those who love the Christ must join in the harvest work. We must not leave ourselves and our generation to the same old doom and dread of outdated and decaying religious systems. The Father and Christ Jesus have everything already in place and ready to go. The angels of the congregations are standing by. Man just needs to respond, even with just a flicker of faith, but faith indeed!
Having taken this brief overview of man’s path to salvation, can your spiritual eyes see what is going on? Can your figurative heart understand the importance of Jesus’ coming and the need to spread the plain and open teachings of the true good news? And can you now get a glimpse of the true meaning of the book of Revelation?
If not, do not worry. Being right or wrong about prophetic interpretations will not cause anyone to lose his or her reward as long as they do not reject the plain and open teachings.
“If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved —even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
But, if your answers are yes, you are on the path to greatness by understanding God’s goodness. You will know that “The Ninevite Possibility” is more than a mere possibility. It is the will of God. And if you grab hold onto it, you will save not only yourself, but also those who listen to you. (1 Timothy 4:16)
