What if we stayed. And worked.

 For a thousand years.

A possibility occurred to me amongst all the rehashing of Jesus' return and what thens, what if when Jesus returns, the resurrection trumpet doesn't blow just yet, but instead those of us who believe and are still alive are changed to be like him, then we are tasked to work thru the 1000 year reign alongside and on behalf of Him. How would we feel with that prospect?

I've spent a lifetime believing and looking forward to not being troubled with the mess and heartache of this fallen world at Christ's return. In short, getting out of here and being reunited in an eternal fellowship with other believers in peace. But, what if we had to stay and do the work alongside Him in a still messy, subject to sin, still full of scoundrels and all their mess world? That's a serious question, how do I feel about it?

The world is blowing up into a mess no previous civilisation has ever known. There's no where to run, no new territory left to hide and rebuild, and so every horrific sin there ever was is festering and intensifying in a world wide petrie dish no laboratory has ever seen. This is the world Jesus is coming to judge and rule over, but it's not going to be via magic wand, it's going to be thru His own people finally renewed in His own likeness.

 We'd like to think that'll make it all easy-peasy, but I'm not convinced at all that's the issue. 

I came to realise some years back that I'm glad that angels are Jesus' army of vengeance because I don't want to ride along slaughtering evil people like a scythe thru a field. It may be necessary and just, but it's still horrific and I don't want to experience that. Let the angelic host have that one, no dispute from me there.

But what if the resurrection of the dead and no more sin is another 1000 years off and we have another 1000 years of careful work ahead of us? I'm retired now, I'm not all too cheerful about taking up a thousand year commission of work and waiting again. I'd do it if asked, I'm sure it's totally doable with the Lord's personal presence and no obstruction of the Spirit's guidance of our flesh anymore, but it's still a tough calling. Real tough.

Perhaps it's the appropriate apprenticeship for an eternity of God's rule in the universes and ages to come, though. A mere summer of diligent labor to prepare for what is coming later.

I dunno. We'll see.