The Practical Implications of the Sovereignty of God - Part Eight

3. The Sovereignty of God and Our Ministries 

When it comes to Christian ministry, the sovereignty of God is a great encouragement in at least three ways. First, it assures us that in the end, God will win the battle. Victory is never in doubt, even though we are up against some fearsome opponents. If God were not sovereign, or if he gave up his sovereignty in certain areas in order to allow for human freedom, then we could never be sure that he would actually defeat his foes and usher in the new heavens and earth as predicted and pictured in Revelation 21-22. In fact, the bulk of the book of Revelation would be nothing more than wishful thinking on God’s part, or at best a sketch of how he would like to see the future unfold. But this is not how Revelation begins or ends. At the start we are told that what we are about to read is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3). There is no suggestion of uncertainty in these introductory words. The revelation is set forth as genuine and sure. We are encouraged to listen and obey and to allow the prophecy to regulate our lives. God knows what is going to happen because he has ordained it. And on the basis of his decree he can give us instructions as to how we should live.

The characteristic certainty of Revelation as it progressively reveals by means of pictures and symbols what will happen during the church age, between the advents of Jesus Christ, comes to a triumphant conclusion at the end of the book. In chapter 19 we hear what sounds like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments… Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (vs.1-2, 6-7). Then we are told about the triumph of the heavenly warrior, the king of kings and lord of lords who defeats the beast and the false prophet and throws them alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (19:11-21). After this, we are shown the gospel age from another perspective under the symbolism of a 1000 year period of time (20:1-6). When this period has run its course, Satan is destroyed and the dead are gathered before the great white throne of judgment where their eternal destinies are settled (20:7-15). Then we have the revelation of the new heavens and earth, and the Holy City, the new Jerusalem who is at one and the same time the bride of the Lamb, and a picture of the new world as Eden restored and made even better because of the salvation of God which has been experienced by all its residents (21:1-22:5). After this there are a series of assertions that ground the hope of all Christians who are waiting for the return of Jesus from heaven. “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy in this scroll” (22:7). “Then he told me, ‘Do not seal up the words of this prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near” (22:10). “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (22:12-13). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (22:20).

The book of Revelation leaves no doubt as to the eventual triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ over all of his foes. In 1 Corinthians 15:25 we are told that he (Christ) must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” This is precisely what we see portrayed for us in Revelation. Although many times we might wonder if that day will ever come, especially when we are in the thick of the battle, Scripture assures us that it will. It must come because God is God. No one can successfully stand against him. We can plod on knowing that at the right time God will bring an end to the “old order of things” (Revelation 21:4).

To be continued in my next post...