“All Hail King Jesus!” - Chorus of Resurrected Saints on Earth
RESURRECTION IS THE NEW CREATION GRAND FINALE (explained in 4 min.)
Our physical, bodily transformation in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye is the beginning of Jesus’ royal entry to claim his throne on Earth as in Heaven. Let’s not lose sight of why Jesus came preaching, “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. Where there is a Kingdom, there is a King. And according to Paul, all things are not yet subject to the King of Kings. But there is a culmination of this evil present age, when King Jesus will return and cause every knee to bow and tongue to confess. But first, the King must return and be greeted in a royal resurrected procession by his adoring spotless citizens.
In Ancient Times, when a King returned from conquest or visited a city under his protection, a royal entry would occur. Ancient Rome was most famous for their “adventus” or “royal entry”. When a Roman emperor visited a loyal city, the people would decorate their buildings and meet him outside the city walls. They’d escort the emperor, who by the first century was considered a deity and worshiped like one, in a public procession to honor him along the road. The emperor would deliver a public speech and the ritual escorting would conclude in feasting and games.
Resurrection of the church, whose bodily transformation is figuratively described as meeting Jesus in the clouds, is the royal procession of King Jesus’ entry. This is when he brings Heaven to Earth and restores the groaning creation that’s been subjected to bad managers since the Garden in Eden. Resurrection is also called salvation, being born again, and new creation.
This is the immediate reward from the King to those who’ve participated in the new and better partnership. It’s the reward for the Messiah-people who’ve become temples that bear the name of Jesus and where his spirit dwells in fulfillment of the type and shadow Solomon built. Messiah-people who’ve carried on the ministry of Jesus. That means praying, interceding, and reconciling neighbors to the King, so the rescued can then in turn fulfill their new earthly vocation as rescuers going forth in the King's name.
LUKE 14:12 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.
If you’ve been taught that salvation is your disembodied soul floating up to a never-ending church service, you’ve been misinformed. The ancient Hebrews looked forward to a physical resurrection of the dead to participate in a bright Messianic Kingdom on Earth. This was the great hope of the ancient Jewish people who were often in exile. Someday, their God would set things right. Jesus preached the same message and displayed glimpses of this New Creation Kingdom breaking forth as he healed, restored, and made new.
We don’t escape Earth but Earth escapes the futility of bad managers when the King of Righteousness installs his royal court and law. When the last trumpet sounds announcing the royal entry, those who have died in Christ will be raised, and we who are living, our mortal bodies will be transformed into immortal bodies, like Jesus who is the firstborn of New Creation.
REVELATION 3:14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.”
Consider what John the Prophet is saying. Jesus is the beginning of New Creation. Which means, New Creation has started. And if New Creation has started then we need to widen our view of what God is doing. Salvation is not going to Heaven when we die, Salvation is God’s promised new Heavens and new Earth and of our promised resurrection to share in that new and gloriously embodied reality. “Embodied wholes” without corruption and without death on Earth ruling and reigning with the King in that great creative millennial project that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.
ISAIAH 65 17-19 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.
The language of “New” as in “New Heavens and a New Earth” does not mean the current ones will be destroyed as some imagine. It simply means that it will be different from what we’re currently experiencing under the management of rebellious divine and human beings who desire to be like the most high and fall so short. Consider that the high plans and high thoughts of God were to dwell among us in the same flesh and suffer the same human urges without committing sin and then suffering a criminal's death to reconcile his very good creation back from the bad managers. God looked out and saw that only he could do this new thing and we needed a perfect high priest to mediate his reward of resurrection into immortality in his name. So God put on the robes of humanity and proved that only He is the Kingly Savior of Israel and the Nations.
The challenge for us today is whether or not we want to participate in the impending royal procession of King Jesus as he returns triumphant. When the Jewish diaspora witnessed the fulfillment of the law being placed in human hearts as predicted by the prophets they knew the Kingdom of Heaven was breaking forth. The times of refreshing were occurring signaled by the glory of God resting on human temples. They asked Jesus’ closest followers how they could become human temples and receive the down-payment of their New Creation inheritance and participate in the future royal entry of Jesus. Peter stood up and repeated the promise he'd received from the King of Kings. He shared three simple, humbling steps, to participate in the New and Better Covenant and become a citizen of the Kingdom. Jesus is calling all of us to become early New Creation adopters so we'll be ready when the fullness of his New Creation Kingdom is established upon his return.
ACTS 2:37-41 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
In love, God bless!
© 2024 by The Apostles Handbook
