"The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations...to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations." (Isaiah 66:18-19)
God wants to make his name, his glory known among the nations. He wants people to see who he is and what he has done. He draws the nations to himself, gathering people from every language. And then bearing his mark, they return, moving outward from the center to the cities, townships, and villages of the world, bringing the good news of God's glory.
And it is good news. Not only is God the Creator, he is also the Redeemer. He has scattered the nations, but he gathers them again to form from them a people for his own possession. And he will not leave them or forsake them, but by his covenant he has wedded himself to them.
And through his work making this people in Christ, he has transgressed all the barriers--racial , ethnic, income, class, and language. He has formed a mosaic people, each refracting his glory according to its own color and shape. Together they form a picture of God's image and work in the world.
God longs that all people should come to know him, and he intends to use us to spread that message. But he equips us with his sign, even the sign of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) who seals us for the day of redemption, and by whom we bear the glory of God—the fruit of the Spirit. And it's by this very same Spirit that men are saved. So we must pray that the message of the gospel be received among the nations, even the nations that have come to our doorstep.
Who are you praying for today?