There is a story about an eager young man who once asked God, "What is a million years like to You?" God patiently replied, "My son, it is like a second in time to Me."

The young man then asked, "And what is a million dollars like to You?" Once again, God replied, "A million dollars is but a penny to Me."

Well, the young man went for the bonus question and asked, "God, can You give me just one of Your pennies?" God thought about it for a moment, smiled and then replied, "Yes, My son, but you'll have to wait a second!"

Just like the young man, all of us would love to have one of God's "pennies," especially when we fully grasp the spiritual riches of God's Kingdom. And, truth be told, just like the young man, we, too, have to deal with God's time frame. God knows that; and, likewise, we need to accept this reality. As human beings, we want everything right now! But God in His wisdom is allowing something special to develop in us—His love, His patience and the faith of Jesus Christ. And there's no getting around the spiritual fact that all of this takes time.

Happy are you if you do these things

Many of us are familiar with the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount that Christ offered His followers. More than anyone else, He recognized what lay ahead for those who would heed His call, so He set the incredibly high standards that reflect the inner character of His Kingdom, and then He offered a rich blessing for those who would take Him at His word and follow.

Jesus recognized that the necessary time would seem so long to His human followers that there was the potential for them to become disappointed with their fellow saints, despair over external pressures and, yes, even ultimately depart. So Christ told them, in effect, "Happy are you if you do these things, stay with it, for indeed there is a blessing in the end."

But did you realize that nearly 60 years later, the ascended Jesus Christ, the true Author of the book of Revelation, offered additional beatitudes to reinvigorate His followers to stick with it? He wanted them to hold on and realize that while it wouldn't be easy to be a Christian in A.D. 90 or 2005, it would be worth it.

Perhaps you've never noticed it, but stuck right in the midst of this blueprint of biblical prophecy—with its seven churches, seven seals, seven resurrections of a Beast-like kingdom, and seven trumpets—are seven beatitudes that Christ wants us to apply in our walk with Him.

Seven jewels wrapped in encouragement

Long ago, Jesus recognized that His followers down through the ages would need some signposts along the way to guide and encourage them through the minefields of everyday human nature, not to mention the prophesied comings of false preachers, Beast-like worldly kingdoms and the demolition of nature's resources. So He offers us seven jewels of challenge and responsibility wrapped in encouragement.

Seven is often considered the biblical number that symbolizes completion, so let's take a thumbnail sketch of what God says we need to do to be complete as we look forward to that day when He grants us His "pennies."

1. Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." Reading God's Word or hearing it spoken by another person is much different from deeply embedding it within your being and allowing it to be your directing compass in life.

The "things which are written in it" are about the very real return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of God's Kingdom. Knowing this and believing it with all your heart will draw you close to God and change everything about your life. When this was initially written, the Roman emperor, Domitian, was persecuting the Church—the time was indeed near!

But in whatever age we live, as mortal men we are but one breath away from the establishment of God's Kingdom, once and forever. As Christians, God has offered us a head start; however, we need not only a mind-set, but also a "heart-set" to match the revelation we have been granted.

2. Revelation 14:13: "Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'"

To be able to hear a voice from heaven, rather than the roar of self and the distractions of this world, is a constant challenge. Yet when we do hear it, we are reminded that this life is not an end in itself.

Death, whether by natural causes or as a martyr for Jesus Christ, is not a stranger to the Christian experience, but is central to its understanding. Jesus' death paved the way for this understanding. Even so, if death is required of us, we are promised that what we have done will not be forgotten.

The pharaohs of Egypt tried in vain to take their earthly possessions with them to the next world. The truth is, when we give our world to Jesus Christ, He promises to remember that and give us something so much richer in meaning that we could not possibly store it up in this lifetime. As the One who proclaimed Himself as "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), He jolts us into His reality that life and death are not two different worlds, but one world in His hands, and He says that on the other side of this life, He will remember what we did for Him.

3. Revelation 16:15: "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."

Jesus Christ never said the end is here. He always commented that the end is near. Followers in every age, in a sense, feel the tension between their present world and the end of the age. Most have a sense that Christ's return is imminent. So they watch and pray. But Christ says no one knows the time, just like no one knows when a thief might enter a home, whether in daylight or in darkness.

While we observe the times and events around us, Christ reminds us that it's just as important to look inside ourselves and be sure that our inward person represents and reflects the Kingdom of peace that He will bring at His second coming.

4. Revelation 19:9: "Then he said to me, 'Write: "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!"' And he said to me, 'These are the true sayings of God.'"

God never said it would be easy, but He did promise it would be worth it. Christ likens His second coming to a festive wedding supper. In ancient times, this was an event that would go on for days. It was an event that was deeply anticipated, diligently prepared for in every detail and enjoyed to the full. Likewise, this invitation does not come without forethought from God or counting the cost by the recipient.

The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:2, "For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." At our resurrection at His second coming, Christ intends to consummate this engagement by not only offering us His hand, but granting us entrance into His Kingdom, which will indeed be an incredible time of joy and celebration.

5. Revelation 20:6: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

When this was first written, many Christians were being slain under the persecution of Emperor Domitian. Since then, many other saints have been killed. The words of Revelation indicate more will join them. But Christ wanted to let His followers know that if they were true to Him through those fleeting painful moments, they could be with Him for eternity. Yes, He offers a reward that extends far beyond their greatest moment of human trial.

6. Revelation 22:7: "Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." This beatitude completely mirrors the first one. But what is noteworthy in the text, is that it appears as a personal interruption by none other than Christ—and His own messenger angel is put on hold. Christ wants to make an emphatic point. While that proverbial "second" may seem like forever, it really isn't!

Now in the closing chapter, the informed reader of Revelation recognizes that nothing stands in the way of Christ—be it death, the Beast, the False Prophet, Satan or time. Why would he not want to keep the words of this prophecy central to his life?

The God who owns eternity—past, present and future—always operates in the immediacy of "now" when it comes to His followers. Now is the time to surrender to Him. Now is the time to love your fellow man. Now is the time to prepare for eternity—quickly, not tomorrow.

7. Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

The end of God's Word returns to where it began at the Garden of Eden. God desires to plant something incredible in our lives, but we've got to reach for the right source. We've got to reach for the tree of life grounded in God's commandments, with the reality of "waiting on the Lord" rather than seizing for ourselves counterfeit treasures that can only follow us to the grave. How many have succumbed to the moment by holding on to all they can, rather than waiting on one of God's "pennies"? Don't you be one!

Thoughts?

Long ago when Isaiah wrote the statement, "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21), little could he have imagined that another 2,800 years would transpire, and still the faithful would be awaiting the return of the Messiah.

Now, all these years later, what would we ask God? After reading through the seven beatitudes of Revelation, isn't it abundantly clear that God wants to give us His "penny," not for our thoughts, but for our actions? And if we have to wait a while, it's worth it—because after all, there's a blessing. Seven of them!