The year 2000 is the year starting the new millenium. Catch-phrasing ¡°the era of swelling hope and challenge,¡± all the sectors of the country have their own expectations toward the new millenium. The new year, the 21st century, and the new millenium, all these expressions are of just a symbolic meaning and there isn¡¯t any special meaning in it at all in terms of physical time. However, people may try to endow all beautiful meanings to it, it is the time that will pass away anyway. And as all the headlined accidents and events and people in the news were buried in the sands of time, so the new millenium will be. Every people including you and me are making their life in the time in which nobody ever had succeeded to hold anything still. As the Word in the Bible goes, ¡°The form of his world is passing away.¡± If we only know that the things that are seen to our eyes will eventually vanish, we can never have such restless mind about the new millenium.

A king once visited a wise man and asked him to inscribe the world¡¯s wisest words on his diamond ring. The wise man wrote some words inner part of the ring and put it in a small box and gave it to the king with a note. ¡°Don¡¯t try to open it until you should really have to. Otherwise the words will disappear.¡± The king became so curious about it but he held it down remembering the note he got from the wise. On a day about a month after that happening, an army of his neighboring country invaded his kingdom. The king fought back all the way he could, however, he failed to rebuff the enemy and had to flee away with nobody with him. The enemy was pursuing behind him, and even the road become so rough and he had to finally reach a cliff in front of him.

He became just helpless when he remembered the wise and that he got the wisest words inscribed on the ring. He quickly took out and opened the box and read the words inside. And it said like this. ¡°This time will pass away too.¡± Upon reading the phrase, the king could recover himself a bit and finally could shunned the imminent and irritating heart away from his mind. ¡°O.K. All things are to be passing away in anyway.¡± The king closed his eyes and stood still there and waited for a while. Then the chasers had passed by him narrowly and the imminent danger of absolute death was gone. The king later gathered his men and soldiers and made a serious counter attack which brought him back to his castle. On the day of his retaking the kingdom, there was a big festival to celebrate the victory. All the people in the kingdom praised him high and the whole castle was so hilarious with joy. The king took his glass over his head and shouted, ¡°Well this is for the everlasting victory.¡± And at the right moment the words came to his mind. ¡°It will pass away this time too.¡± He became speechless all of a sudden.

Jesus was crucified on the cross and resurrected three days after. And he showed Himself to His disciples several times. He came to the locked room where many of his disciples fearing the Jews were gathered and went to the sea of Galilee. He talked with them and ate a slice of the smoked fish that they handed over to Him. Jesus resurrected to a body different from one we have now. He wore the body that was not limited by space. The Bible tells us a secrete. ¡°Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.¡± (1 Corinthians 15:50-52)

Since we cannot live in the everlasting kingdom with our body as it is, God wants to put the different body like Jesus¡¯ on us. The perfect body, which can not be tired or sick, needs no rest. Nobody knows the time when we will stand before God wearing that glorious body. But time is no problem to the Lord who has no limitation on time. Our Lord at the present time is seeing us wearing the glorious body. The people who has God¡¯s promise is living inside His promise having fellowship with Jesus. The faith moves our heart to live in the true image no matter where our body is. What will the new millenium the 21st century bring us? The new millenium itself is a false image. Therefore our expectation toward the new millenium will bring us only the big disappointment. Only the Lord¡¯s promise is the true image and the power. The Lord gave us the everlasting consolation and the good hope in His grace. Anyone who is seeking for God¡¯s guide laying his hope only in His kingdom in His promise is truly blessed.

(editor : wykim@goodnews.or.kr)