The Everlasting Kingdom
The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:15 (NIV)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I understand that Her Majesty the Queen chose the hymns for her own state funeral this Monday past. I found the words of the first hymn particularly striking: “The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended” refers not, as some suppose, to the ending of a life, but literally to the ending of the day, giving way to the night and then to another day.
But it is the final verse that is especially poignant. And as you read these words, picture all the heads of state, the world leaders, the kings and queens, assembled in Westminster Abbey, not only to hear these words but to sing them:
So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
till all thy creatures own thy sway.
I wonder if they got the message? “Your thrones, your empires, however great and grand, will one day pass away, every one of them. But there is a throne that shall never pass away, a kingdom that will stand and even grow for ever, and that is the kingdom of God. Have you reckoned with that?”
This message was reinforced at the committal service later in the day at St George’s Chapel. The instruments of state (the crown, the orb and the sceptre) were removed from the Queen’s coffin and placed on the ‘high altar’ (yes, I know, it’s really a table!). In other words, they are no longer hers, and she cannot take them with her; they are now with God, waiting to be given to the new King when he is crowned.
It is a lesson that the rulers of this world find especially hard to learn. One who did learn it was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (you can read the story in Daniel 4). He was the proud emperor of a proud empire… until one day the Lord humbled him. As he says, “my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives for ever. His dominion is an eternal dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34, NIV).
What a comfort it is to know that there is a kingdom that will last for ever, and a king who will reign for ever, to whom we can swear allegiance without being disappointed, or having in time to give our loyalty to another, or ever wishing we had a different kind of ruler.
Our Father in heaven … your kingdom come … for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)