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January
10, 2004
THE
DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS
"
'And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the
Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,'
says the Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2:7, NKJV).
Like golden threads
woven into a crimson tapestry, Christ is displayed in Scripture
as the "Desire of All Nations." No title of Jesus so accurately
portrays His universality.
While this messianic
prophecy pointed primarily to the first advent of Christ,
its broader meaning reaches to all times. Its ultimate fulfillment
is the final restoration of all things and the establishment
of the universal kingdom of glory. Of this John writes: "The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and
of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation
11: 15, NIV).
Across the centuries,
Christ has remained the indisputable "Desire of all Nations."
Though rejected, despised, and crucified by His chosen people;
though sometimes betrayed and denied by those who profess
His name, He still remains the "Desire of All Nations."
The most powerful
proof of Christ's universal appeal is the ever expanding community
of believers that constitutes the universal church. Elect
from every tribe and race, from every clime and place, millions
proclaim Him the "Desire of All Nations." The church, scattered
among all nations, fervently awaits the appearing of the "Desire
of All Nations." The apostle Paul wrote of those longing for
this long-awaited event as "looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
And Ellen G. White
adds: "Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for something
to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want.
The need of the world, 'The Desire of All Nations,' is Christ.
The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water,
purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.'--The
Desire of Ages, p. 187.
My
Prayer Today: Lord, may the "Desire of All
Nations" inspire me today with new hope. Amen.
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