Eternity
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.Revelation 5:9,10
What will we do for eternity? Have you ever wondered about that? If right now we don’t have enough time, maybe in eternity we’ll have too much time!
Now, work and family and fun and errands and friends and … take up all our time. In previous devotions, we’ve reflected on making God a priority. But in eternity, we won’t have to prioritize. We won’t have a job in the same sense. We won’t even have family in the same sense. All our needs will be met. All the needs of our neighbors will be met. What will we do?
In this “new song,” angels and people sing, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God.” In heaven, we will serve God! How exactly? The book of Revelation is full of songs. Expect lots of singing. Don’t worry! You’ll enjoy it.
Perhaps, we’ll have similar work to what God gave Adam and Eve in Paradise. There was no sin, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have work to do. They were to “fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). This was to be done in service to God.
Perhaps there will even be ways for us to serve our neighbor, even if they have no needs.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The song of Revelation 5 isn’t about our time in eternity, though it reflects eternity. They’re singing about the present. “You have made them a kingdom and priests to serve God.”
We act as though we have to wait for heaven to fully live out our service to God. And in a sense, that’s true. There will be no constraints on our service in heaven.
Let’s identify what truly constrains our service. Sure, we give the common excuses. There’s not enough time. It costs too much. I don’t know how or don’t have the talent. But those are just excuses. The real constraint is sin.
Indeed, sin is now a great constraint. Indeed, in heaven sin will no longer constrain us. But read again what this new song says, “With your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Jesus has already redeemed us from sin. “My chains are gone! I’ve been set free!”
If we recognize, then, that the ultimate service is what we’ll be doing in heaven, shall we not strive to emulate that service on earth, as much as we are able, as much as Jesus’ blood frees and equips us to do so?
You’re not waiting to be made a kingdom. You are a kingdom!
You’re not waiting to be made a priest. You are a priest!
There needn’t be any constraints on your service because Jesus has bought you with his blood and promised you all the time in eternity with him.