So, it all comes down to a lavish party? The hope of the ages is a mountaintop feast? Apparently so, or at least that's the best image to describe the indescribable.
"The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 25:6-8).
Rich food. Choice wine. This may not sound like your typical church potluck dinner, but it describes the Party of the Ages in terms that non-churchgoers can readily relate to. And Jesus chose a similar setting to perform His first miracle (John 2), giving a clear picture of the beginning of the celebration called the kingdom of God.
We party with a purpose. Parties are occasions to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. The Party of the Ages is no different - it's a celebration of the removing of a cover and veil that presently is over the nations (a curse; blindness), and it is a celebration of the end of death, sorrow, and sin. Now that's something worth celebrating!
The banquet image we see in Isaiah may be a basic and vague picture of the reality to come, but the key truths presented are abundantly clear: it will be a definite event (banquet) at a specific place ("this mountain", aka, an earthly location; a mountain in Israel). It's on the calendar, scheduled for a specific location.
Not coincidentally, Jesus used this very banquet image as the focus of one of His key parables (Matthew 22:1-14). His point was not so much to describe the coming kingdom, but the need to respond to the invitation to attend. After all, who cares about a great party they won't be attending? Celebrations are only significant for those participating.
Tickets for this Great Party are freely available, but it's a limited-time opportunity. And don't let the cost (free) deceive you as to the value. While the tickets are free, in another sense they will cost you everything (Luke 17:33). But, isn't the value of the event worth the price of the ticket? It's like a paraphrase of modern credit card commercial: "ticket to the kingdom of God: a lifetime of discipleship ... entering the kingdom: priceless".
In many ways, we live to party. The key is to careful choose the parties to attend. This present world offers lots of glitzy and glittering parties that last a short time. The kingdom of God is the party of the ages; celebration without end. Get your ticket quick while there is time. And be sure to pass the free tickets around to everyone you know you doesn't have one.
Steve
"The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 25:6-8).
Rich food. Choice wine. This may not sound like your typical church potluck dinner, but it describes the Party of the Ages in terms that non-churchgoers can readily relate to. And Jesus chose a similar setting to perform His first miracle (John 2), giving a clear picture of the beginning of the celebration called the kingdom of God.
We party with a purpose. Parties are occasions to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. The Party of the Ages is no different - it's a celebration of the removing of a cover and veil that presently is over the nations (a curse; blindness), and it is a celebration of the end of death, sorrow, and sin. Now that's something worth celebrating!
The banquet image we see in Isaiah may be a basic and vague picture of the reality to come, but the key truths presented are abundantly clear: it will be a definite event (banquet) at a specific place ("this mountain", aka, an earthly location; a mountain in Israel). It's on the calendar, scheduled for a specific location.
Not coincidentally, Jesus used this very banquet image as the focus of one of His key parables (Matthew 22:1-14). His point was not so much to describe the coming kingdom, but the need to respond to the invitation to attend. After all, who cares about a great party they won't be attending? Celebrations are only significant for those participating.
Tickets for this Great Party are freely available, but it's a limited-time opportunity. And don't let the cost (free) deceive you as to the value. While the tickets are free, in another sense they will cost you everything (Luke 17:33). But, isn't the value of the event worth the price of the ticket? It's like a paraphrase of modern credit card commercial: "ticket to the kingdom of God: a lifetime of discipleship ... entering the kingdom: priceless".
In many ways, we live to party. The key is to careful choose the parties to attend. This present world offers lots of glitzy and glittering parties that last a short time. The kingdom of God is the party of the ages; celebration without end. Get your ticket quick while there is time. And be sure to pass the free tickets around to everyone you know you doesn't have one.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:53 AM
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