In the book of Revelation John saw that this Jesus that he walked with on the earth, was now again what he always had been, king of kings, lord of lords, the eternal God, the mighty one of Israel, ruler of all ages, not only of the present age, but all the ages that have been, and all the ages that ever will be.

Jesus is the one who regulates all the affairs of all his creatures.

All things are held together by his direct power.

He is before all things, he is the force that holds all things together, what he chooses to do, no one can stop, what he stops no one can start.

Jesus is the one that sets up Kingdoms and empires, but he is also the one who removes them when the purpose of their use is over.

For his dominion is a everlasting dominion, and his Kingdom endures from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but he does according to his will in the host of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can ward of his hand, or say to him what has thou done. Daniel 4- 34,35

Jesus is not waiting to rule the earth some day, he is ruling this earth now, just because we can’t see this, doesn’t mean that it’s not true. His great appearing will be the revelation of this great truth.

This is what John saw, he saw the messiah Jesus who was supposed to set up an earthly kingdom on this earth in the land of Israel, now ruling in the heavens over all events, and over all nations.

This rule will be a visible rule some day in the chosen land of Israel, but that day waits until he has first put all his enemies under his feet.

This world is not spinning out of control, the man of the glory is controlling all the affairs of this world.

He is the judge of the world now, yes there is a future judgment to come, but there is also a present judgment happening now.

He disciplines the nations of the earth, but he also disciplines his people. It might be hidden to our natural eyes, but behind the rod of his hidden wrath is the hand of this man of the glory.

Jesus is the beginning of all things, but he is also the one who is end of all things.

The events that are coming at the close of this age will stun and stagger us, unless we see that he is the Lord of all events.

His great judgments are his self-revelation to us, he reveals himself in his judgments. The revelation of his great mercy is hidden in his judgments. We cannot see his mercy unless we first see his judgments. The cross was the greatest revelation of the mercy of God, but it was only revealed through the greatest revelation of his judgment?

God does not just wink at our rebellion’s and sin’s, his righteousness requires his judgments. But when his judgments have been satisfied, then his great mercy is revealed. His mercies are always revealed in his judgments. If we cower and hide from his judgments in our lives, we will not see his mercy in our lives.

Grace is a free gift, but it’s not cheap, it cost the Son of God everything. If we refuse his discipline in our lives, we also refuse his Grace in our lives, the cross is a revelation of both.

Judgment should not scare us, it is one of the great attributes of God, it’s what makes him God, it’s what he is, he is a judge over all his creatures. Looking back at my life I can now thank God for his great judgments, were would I be today without them.