Family is Human Destiny

Part of the wonder of God’s plan is that He sees the human story as something good – destined for glory, joy, satisfaction and LIFE. Of course, not every element of the story is good. But, the end result is going to astound angelic majesties and alert the cosmos anew to the brilliance and wisdom of God (see Ephesians 3:10).

One small foretaste of that end result is accessed in a vision recorded by John in Revelation 7:9-12:

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’”

The people stand there as a testimony of God’s saving power, the Lamb’s sacrificial love, and the Royal Architect Who designed this story, brought it to its fulfilment and is worthy of ongoing adoration, love and gratitude. Incredible.

Something worth noting is that the angelic response is very likely a response not only to the majesty of God – they have been responding to that for millennia – but a response to the way God has formed this international people for Himself and brought them to this beautiful place of solidarity before His throne. Out of many, God has formed one. A human family is God’s ultimate desire. It is His inheritance (Eph 1:18).

Jesus illustrated this in his own lifetime. His proclamation of the gospel of God’s Kingdom was not intended simply to get “individuals” saved; rather, it was designed to create a spiritual family oriented around His vision, values and agenda.

“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.’ And he answered them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Mark 3:31-35)

Jesus, who only had a very short window of time on the earth to accomplish his mission, clearly sought to establish this human community and to identify his disciples not only as “students,” but as siblings.
                                                                                                                                             
In the end, we will all see each other clearly through the eyes of God. Our unique ethnic identities will very likely remain into the new creation. (How else would John see people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” gathered around God’s throne?) But, in that new world, we will no longer see these distinctions as a cause for suspicion, fear or competition. Instead, we will finally recognize the beauty and power of our Great Father’s vision for diversity in unity – a true family.

Let's lean into that vision today!