Of the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia, THE LAST BATTLE is my favorite. Deception… confusion… recognition of the enemy… the last battle… the coming of the King… the end of things as we know it…and the beginning of “the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
I’ve been deceived many times. I’ve been confused. I’ve been in a few battles. How I long to see the King! He says “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” We can’t even imagine how grand it will be!
Anticipation….. “I can’t wait til I turn 16!” “I can’t wait til I graduate!” “I can’t wait til our baby arrives!” “I can’t wait til my kids graduate!”… The Holy Spirit produces a deeper longing: “Look forward to the Day!” “Anticipate His coming!” Jesus says, “Watch!”
Of course, the enemy wants to rob us of this anticipation that brings joy and helps us persevere. The great attack against the cancer patient is hopelessness. Lengthy illness creates despair. When you can’t remember what it was like being healthy, it is hard to anticipate getting better. Whenever “the last battle” comes, I expect such confusion will be at work. The devil will want things so dark that believers forget to anticipate their hope. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” Or as Aslan told the children as He welcomed them to His country: “The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream has ended: this is the morning.”
“Therefore my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” see I Corinthians 15:50-58
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14