The World Is Passing Away
2021년 1월 24일The World Is Passing Away
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I love watching YouTube history videos about the rise and fall of great civilizations. For examples, Persia was one of the largest and most powerful empires in human history, ruling from Greece to Egypt to India and contained 44 percent of the worlds population at that time. They developed the world’s first postal system. Our word “Paradise” comes from the great Persian King Cyrus (who is mentioned in the Bible), who loved establishing beautiful formal gardens called paradises. The Magi came from Persia. The Persian empire was utterly destroyed by Alexander the Great. Today, the Iranian people are the descendants of that once vast and powerful empire. Rome, Egypt, Aztec, China, Japan, one by one each empire fell and disappeared. America is, whether we call it or not, is an empire. It also will disappear some day.
The readings today remind us that the world as we know it is passing away. The only kingdom that remains is the kingdom of God. It is older, larger and more powerful than any worldly kingdom. It was precisely to establish this kingdom here in earth that Christ came and died. No earthly empire can destroy the kingdom of heaven. We are living through a very chaotic and dangerous time in American history. Our influence on the world stage is fading and we do not know what tomorrow will bring. But we do now that the kingdom of God is at hand and will last forever. So whatever happens let us not fear. Jesus, our God, reigns!