A Thousand Generations

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1 Chronicles 16: 15 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations. (NIV)

They say that a new generation is born about every 20-25 years. This may mean that in any given century, four to five generations of one family are born. In the twentieth century, my grandfather was born in 1907; my father came into the world in 1926; I was born in 1957, and my first daughter’s birth took place in 1986, so I guess the statistics are right.

Now here’s something that will blow your mind. If God guarantees His word for a thousand generations, then it means that 20,000 – 25,000 years may pass before that promise is fulfilled. That’s a lot of centuries and an enormous amount of time.

So, what does it mean for us? Well, if civilization is fifteen thousand years old, then it may mean that we still have ten thousand years to go before Christ will return. If Biblical civilization is only seven thousand years old, then Christ may not come for another 18,000 years. And since Christianity is only two thousand years old, it could be that the long awaited Second Coming of Jesus may be as much as twenty three thousand years away!

It all sounds crazy and fantastic, and I guess if you take a literal interpretation of David’s psalm, you could justify those calculations. However, I wouldn’t depend upon them. For you and me, Christ’s Second Coming will occur in the twinkling of an eye, a split second after our death. If we all live to be a hundred years old, then we can work out the math and calculate how much time we have left before we kneel in the presence of Jesus.

That’s why it is so important for all of us to ‘get right with God’ and give our hearts to Jesus. Whether the Second Coming happens today, or tomorrow, or after ten billion tomorrows is not the point. Being ready at that sacred time, and placing our spirits into Christ’s hands is crucially important.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, one day You will return to reclaim the earth as Your holy inheritance. At that time, You will call everyone of us to Your mercy seat. You have been appointed by God to judge the living and the dead, so there’s no escape from that moment in eternity. Grant us the courage to give our hearts to You now, so that we may live with the assurance that our sins are forgiven, our lives are reborn, and our eternal souls belong to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.