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THE BELIEVER’S INHERITANCE – THE PROMISE OF A RADICAL GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION By David Olawoyin Peter had reason to be concerned. Here he was, a former business owner, sold out to a man who some considered to be an impostor. But something about the Galilean had captivated Peter from the beginning and still convinced him of his genuineness. Yet, this new enterprise that he and the other disciples had been recruited into – Christianity, as it would later be called – what was in it for them? This was a question on Peter’s mind. Unable to hold back, he spoke up and asked the “Master,” “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). The Lord had seemingly been waiting for the question all along and had a ready answer: “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:28-29). Here we have one of the most remarkable promises that Jesus made to his disciples. It is the promise of a golden future time for all saints that gives greater meaning and incentive to the pursuit of faith in the face of present challenges. The apostle Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). He knew that the cost of living a faithful Christian life was so high, and the present life so uncertain, that if it was all that our faith was about – as too many too often make it – believers were to be greatly pitied. Paul thus often made a point of reminding the believers that our real inheritance and reward for faithfulness was in a promised land ahead of us (e.g., Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10; 1 Timothy 4:8). In the words of the Lord, it is “in the regeneration,” a future world order, when we shall reign with him in his glory. As the apostle explicitly stated on one occasion, “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12). These New Testament witnesses are only confirmations of Old Testament predictions about the earthly reign of the Messiah (e.g., Psalm 72:8; Isaiah 9:6-7; and Zechariah 14:9). The references here also show that the Messiah’s reign will not be limited to the nation of Israel, as might be incorrectly supposed from the response to Peter’s question. That response was restricted to Israel because that was the extent of the Lord’s immediate ministry at that time (see Matthew 10:5-6). When the gospel of redemption and a new creation was spread globally according to the Lord’s direction (Matthew 28:18-20), the fuller promise was given: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations [all nations] . . . as I also have received from My Father” (Revelation 2:26-27). This is only an echo of Daniel’s prediction: “Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27). “Power over the nations” – that’s quite something to promise! When we think of it, we realize that this has always been the big push in the world – a quest for power and dominion in its various forms. But to what purpose has it been? What have the “powers that be” in the present world achieved for humanity in concrete terms? Despite all our claimed political, religious, industrial, scientific, and artistic advancements, we have largely only succeeded in creating more sophisticated means of human suffering, conflict, and despair. Universal happiness and security continue to elude the world. The farther some advance, the worse it seems to get for others. The failure has been because of the absence of a critical element, which many don’t even give thought to in their programs and aspirations – the Anointed One, the “desire of all nations” (see Haggai 2:6-9). However, as the Anointed One has promised, he will take his rightful place in due time and spearhead a radical global transformation, which will usher in universal truth, justice, peace, security, and prosperity. The prophet said of this coming time, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This should not be understood in only the narrow sense of greater acknowledgment of God in the world, but also in the broader sense of a global overflow of divine knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. This will be the key to perfectly solving the many problems and challenges that presently plague the world in every sphere of human engagement, ushering in an era of unprecedented human advancement and accomplishment. The culmination will be the realization of the glorious and eternal New Earth (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-5). Although there are some aspects of the dynamics of this global vision that we still need to understand fully, the primary agents of its realization will be the faithful followers of the Anointed One. As the apostle noted, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21). *************** Christian Community Reader’s Digest is a publication of Christian Community Online. We invite you to visit and share with us at https://christiancommunity.online/ , or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/97219447833 .