God’s end goal is his own glory which includes a new heaven and a new earth where resurrected believers will live in full communion with God and each other, without sin and its consequences such as suffering, pain, and tears. We find our joy in the assurance that this is our destiny especially when we are burdened by the sufferings of this age (Romans 8:18–39). It is this confident hope that has sustained the countless Christians martyrs over twenty centuries; they knew that they were part of something that was eternally significant and therefore greater by far than themselves or the powers of this age that were hostile to them; they were certain that the God who created all things and redeemed them in Christ would vindicate their cause. Jesus is Lord!
John Bolt was born in the Netherlands; immigrated to Canada at the age of three; grew up in a sleeping village south of Vancouver, British Columbia. He is retired professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan; his favorite movie is The Sting; favorite smells are food smells, especially bakery (cinnamon rolls!!); favorite color is green; his first (paid) job was delivering a morning newspaper, The Vancouver Province (up at 5:00 AM); non-academic passions: watching sports, especially my grandkids, reading novels, especially good mystery novels.
