“They shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord … to my holy mountain Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:20
What a marvelous picture: People from all the nations are gathering before the Lord. In Jesus Christ, they have become brothers and sisters. And the missionaries who proclaimed God’s glory in distant lands will have the joy of bringing these redeemed people from the nations in which they have served before the Lord.
The New Testament takes up this picture. In Revelation, John sees a vision of the New Jerusalem, and it has gates facing east and west and north and south. The gates are open and God’s redeemed people from all nations are pouring in from every direction. How did the gospel get to these nations? Through those who were sent.
Revelation 21:26 tells us that “the glory and the honor of the nations” are brought into the city. Picture the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Athletes from each nation enter the arena. They walk together behind their flag with great joy while the vast crowd cheers. A special honor is given to those who carry the flags.
God is telling us that he is gathering a people from every tribe and tongue and language and nation. So he sends some who have seen his glory. They go and proclaim his glory. And now God gives them the honor of bringing the redeemed people from the nations to which they have been sent before the Lord.
God’s people will be redeemed from every nation. And we will lay the flags of all the nations from which we come at the feet of Jesus, and he will be crowned as Lord of all.
Can you picture what this day will be like, when Christ’s redeeming work in these nations will be our joy?
