Век будущий

According to general custom, on holidays people dress in light clothes and have fun. From this temporary and earthly celebration, raise your mind by faith to the feast of God’s chosen ones, who will forever celebrate and rejoice. The present time for Christians is a time of labor, feat, crying, lamentation, sorrow and cross-bearing. In that century, when time is fulfilled and eternity begins, a blessed holiday will be revealed to true Christians. Then they will rest from their labors and will celebrate the Sabbath continually and forever, not just one day a week, but for all eternity. Then they will put off their rags and mournful garments and put on the festive and wedding robe, when this corruptible will be clothed with incorruptibility and this mortal will be clothed with immortality (1 Cor. 15:54). Then they will put on the robe of salvation and put on the robe of joy (cf. Isa. 61:10); They will be clothed in white robes (Rev. 3:5), in fine linen, clean and bright (Rev. 19:8). In those days they will not see anything sad or sorrowful; there will be no fear from enemies, poverty, disease; there will be no cry, complaint, lamentation, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, no trouble, no disaster, but everything is quiet, peaceful, safe, cheerful, bright, joyful, favorable. In this life, almost everything is sad and deplorable: fear from death, fear from the devil and sin, fear from enemies and false brethren - everything must be feared and looked around in the likeness of a bird from hunters and archers. Here we die every day with the hope and expectation of death; and the more we live, the more likely we are to die: for the more we live, the more our life diminishes and the closer death approaches. And this bitter and mortal life is filled with many troubles; and the longer it continues, the more troubles multiply. But in that century there will be nothing like that, but only life, bliss, joy, triumph, exclamation and eternal joy. Nowadays, people are accustomed to coming to each other’s houses during holidays, visiting each other, and having fun together. Then the chosen ones of God will gather in the house of the Heavenly Father, in which there are many abodes (John 14:2), and will have a kind friendship with the holy Angels and all the heavenly Powers, and will have fun and rejoice together in each other in the face of their Heavenly Father. Then those who have been redeemed by the Lord will come to Zion with shouts of joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will be removed (Isa. 35:10). Nowadays it is the custom of people to eat, drink and rejoice together on holidays. Then the true servants of God will lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 8:11) and will eat and drink at the Lord's table (Luke 22:30); They will be filled with the abundance of the house of the Lord, and they will be filled with a stream of His sweetness (Ps. 35:9), as God foretold this through His prophet to us as a consolation: behold, My servants will eat, My servants will drink, My servants will rejoice, My servants will sing with heartfelt joy (Isa. 65:13-14). Another custom people have on holidays is to sing joyful songs. Then God’s chosen ones will see God face to face (1 Cor. 13:12), see Him in His glory as He is (1 John 3:2), and will unanimously praise, glorify and glorify Him without end, satiety and labor. Oh, how bright, cheerful and joyful that holiday will be, dear Christian! How longed is that day on which we will see God face to face, Whom we now see like a mirror in fortune telling! Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: forever and ever they will praise You (Ps. 83:5-4), my King and my God.