The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1962-06-22
When God Has Won
Lesson for June "a, 1862

The bloodiest book in the
Bible is the last one, Revela-
ton. Weird and terrible. its pic
lures tell the story of a war
between good and evil. between
God and Satan. In this war
Gods servants suffer agonies,
and are indeed tempted to de-
spair. Yet in the end the vic
tory is Gods. and his faithful
people share it. A note running
from first to last is lover
come" conquer, victory. ]"
While all the books of the Bible
point forward more or less this
is specially true Of Revelation.
which through all the red fog
and the darkness focuses on
Gods final triumph.
God Keeps Promises
AS everyone is aware. this
strange book has aroused in
Vulnerable arguments over its
precise meaning, especially in
details. But the main point is
agreed on by all serious students
of it: GOD WILL WIN. This
does not get rid of all the ques-
tons we may have about it.
These last two chapters, for ex-
ample: Do they refer to some
thing still in the future, or do
they refer to something going
on now? Are these pictures Of
heaven. or are they pictures of
this earth in some future era?
Let us venture a suggestion
which might include both these
possibilities. Let us try taking
what is said in these famous
and beautiful chapters, as an
assurance, made in word-pic.
lures, of what it will be like
when Gods great war with evil
on this earth and in this uni
verse is crowned with victory
If you like to think of this as in
heaven because we have heard
this so often at funerals, or on
the renewed earth in a new uni
verse. either way this is the
kind of world which it is GODS
intention to bring forth, the kind
of world which will be a fit
home for his people. 1t is a
world in which all the good
promises of God will be full
filled.
What manner of world will il
be. the world of the hearts de-
sire of the God who is Love?
We can note only very few
of its special glories. For one
thing, it is a world with evil
shut out. Not only has that
great serpent, the deceiver OF
men, been destroyed at e1ong
last. but all those human beings
who have said to evil, Be thou
my good. are shut out,-all the
unclean, the towards, those who
love and make lies. Evil, as we
have all long since discovered
has many forms. Wickedness is
only one form of it. There is
also suffering. and this can be
of the heart and mind. not only
of the body But there shall be
no more pain. no more crying
or tearss so we know that wher
God has won his victory, all
the dark burdens that weigh
now on the souls of men. ever
those griefs in which no evi
mingles,-these will all have
vani S h ed. The last enemy
Death, will lie conquered, anc
only Life fill all Gods new
world.
And night shall be no more. ;
Considering how often, in the
Bible and out, darkness is 3
symbol of ignorance and error
we may believe, and the Chris
tan church does believe, that il
Gods world, when it finally
daWns, land indeed in HEAVIER
now the mists of half-knowl
edge and cropping ignorance tina
now surround even the wises
mind. will be blown away ii
the dawn-wind of eternity.
and God Himself Will b
With Them" -
Best of all, and including al
that is good.-God himself viii
be with his people; giver Of life
OF light, of healing and of com
fort.
Here someone may think of 3
question. Are not all these
things true in this life, here
and now? Do we not have eter
nal life? Is not God here or
earth as he is everywhere? Are
there not rare spirits in whom
good has driven out evil? Doe.
the Spirit of God not already
bring light and healing anc
peace?
Yes, this is true. God grants
to his people. here and now
such "foretastes of heaven" as
assure Of his presence anc
power, stir us to strive witt
him. and give sure promise o.
victory at last. Heaven has its
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