“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” (Isa 60:19-20 AV)
What a promise! Of course, we know these words are echoed in the book of Revelation. In his passage, our God is comforting Israel as to the promises He has unconditionally made to them. If they receive their Messiah, the promise above is theirs to enjoy. The reference is to the restoration of Israel as God’s active people and the kingdom of the Messiah here on earth. There, those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah will enjoy a life untold by any previous generation. This same promise is repeated in the New Testament for all people who have repented and trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It is that last phrase that speaks comfort to my heart.
I am getting to the age where more and more people I once knew are no longer with us. Both of my parents departed their earthly pilgrimage several years ago. Pastors who were my mentors have nor graduated to their heavenly home. It won’t be long before other loves ones join them. My childhood friends are slowly leaving this earth to where they will spend eternity. You know you are getting older when you attend more funerals than weddings. They are both sad and happy affairs. We know they will be missed. But we also know there is coming a great day of reunification. There is coming a day when the dead in Christ shall rise and those of us who remain will be caught up in the air. There we will meet Jesus to never part again.
I don’t care for getting older. At least not at the moment. Perhaps the closer I get to my own homegoing, I won’t mind so much. It is hard to say goodbye to those whom we have loved so deeply. Mourning is a part of life. There is nothing that will change that. At least not until the LORD recreates the heavens and earth wherein righteousness will dwell. Then there will be no more death or sorrow. I think what Isaiah and Jesus Christ are trying to tell us is that the glory of God is so overwhelming, no matter what our troubles were, they will dissolve in the light of His wonder and love. The presence of God will be infinitely greater than any memory of past loss. All will be forgotten. Only that which brings peace, joy, and comfort will remain. This is why it is so very important to share the gospel with those whom we love. The only hope of sharing the love of God for all eternity is to share the good news of the gospel. The only way to soften the blows of losing someone so close is the comfort that we will eventually be with Jesus, reunited for all of eternity, and with no way of separation ever again!
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