Dream or Reality?

Revelation 1:5(b)-7

“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.”

June 28, 2022

Have you ever had a bad dream that seemed so real that you were absolutely terrified when you woke from your sleep? When I was a child, I had several of those kind of dreams. As I have grown, I have not had as many, and to be honest, I cannot recall the ones occurring during my adult life. Yet, the ones from my childhood, still today, I recall with vivid accuracy. These were just dreams.

Now think about situations that took place in your life. Have you ever had an event take place in your life that left an indelible mark upon your life, good or bad, that you can remember not only the feelings, but the settings, smells, actions going on around you . . . maybe when seemingly time itself stood still and everything about the situation has become permanently seared upon your mind? A couple of good events that have taken place in my life that come to mind are the day I married my lovely bride and the day that my children were born. A couple of bad events that stick out in my mind when time seemed to stand still were the day that my dad had to explain to my grandmother (his mother) how she was going to die due to her rejection to medical treatment and the day my daughter, Annabelle, was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic.

What does any of this have to do with the verses above? Well, please walk with me down this path . . . can you imagine someone descending from the clouds that everyone from around the world could see? It would almost seem as if the observer were dreaming. Yet, it will be reality. So whether the observer feels as if he is dreaming, or recognizes that he is awake, time will seemingly stand still, and I dare say that every single detail of the day will burn upon his mind.

Still, that is not all . . . I asked about good and bad memories. The event of Christ’s coming will be both an amazing event (for His followers) and an utterly terrifying event (for all others). John says that “even those who pierced Him” will see Him. Can you imagine the utter horror for all of those who have heard the news of Christ, yet out of their own pride have rejected His offer of forgiveness? It will be a terrifying day.

You may be asking, then what about those who have never heard? Would it not be better for us to not share the food news than to condemn someone? Absolutely not. Consider this, Cornelius of Acts 10 sought God and God made sure He heard the news. Apart from Jesus, no one can see the Father, because He is the way! Everyone needs to hear. It is simply the hearer’s responsibility to respond.