Hear heaven's anthem ring

The British summer of 2012 has been a succession of celebrations. First the Jubilee - the pagent down the Thames and the concert on the Mall. Then the Olympic & Para-Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. And as an added extra there was the Last Night of the Proms which had a extra edge of patriotic fevour set against the above. Each one, for most Brits, had an uplifting and inspiring  quality to it. The combination of the huge crowds, the dramatic settings & music, along with the sense of marking something extra-ordinary couldn't fail to stiffen the sinews and stir the heart.

There is something in the human psyche that responds to these occasions - moments of significance when the hairs on the back our necks stand up and we feel part of something great & significant.

Thus my own thoughts, while watching the Last Night of the Proms, turned to the great ceremony that will honour the King of Kings & celebrate God's Kingdom and achievements in all their fullness.  The day Christians are given a preview of in Revelation ch.5 - and what a day! The day when God's people are finally gathered together as one. Not just the vast sea of bodies that filled the Mall, Hyde Park & the Olympic stadium - but a multitude beyond numbering: thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand (v11). Just imagine the scene as every Christian throughout the centuries is gathered together - who knows maybe in an incoming procession...

The Christians of ancient Rome, some who lived all their life in catacombs to escape the persecution above;
The medieval Christians who kept the faith alive in days of dark superstition  when the Gospel seemed to be a barely flickering light;
The Reformers who rediscovered the power of the Gospel and proclaimed it in the face of fierce opposition; 
The 19th Century Missionaries who left famiiy, homes, language, comforts and never came back; 
The 20th Century Christians we never heard of who perished in gulags and concentration camps;
The Nigerian, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Indonesian & Indian Christians of the early 21st Century who were hounded, burnt out of their homes and churches because of their faith;

...in and in they come, men & women from every people group, language & nation. And all around that vast meeting place shakes as their voices joined by those of angels thunder God's praise. This is the Day of Salvation and Vindication - the end of sin and the beginning of endless peace & joy.

And the climax comes not in hosting a flag or lighting a flame but when all eyes look to the throne at the centre - and there they see a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain (v6). Jesus - the one in whom, and through whom and for whom all things were created (Col 1:15-20). The reason that they are there. A moment of joy that will last forever.

Imagine there's a heaven

It's easy if you try

A day of peace before us

Above us Jesus lifted high

Imagine all the people living for that day

Eat your heart out Danny Boyle!