Editorial: The Eternal Spring

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 6
Spring! How delightful it is. God's Word presents it this way: "The winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." ( Sol. 2:11-1311For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Song of Solomon 2:11‑13)).
Grapevines and thousands of flowers put forth their sweet fragrance in the spring, and everyone welcomes the warmth of the sun. Life springs out of the earth, and a kind of visible resurrection takes place, which we enjoy very much after months of winter when plant-life is dormant or dead. Birds that have migrated elsewhere return and songbirds fill the air with their music as though they are praising their Creator.
Solomon seems to connect all this with the coming of Christ for His bride. When He comes for His Church, will He say, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away"? In Spanish there is a hymn that speaks of "the eternal spring." It is a poetic reference to that glory into which believers will be ushered by our bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.
It will be eternal and infinitely better than any spring we have experienced here on the earth.
Does that make you homesick for heaven? Paul, who had been caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:22I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2)), longingly desired to "win Christ, and be found in Him." Phil. 3:8,98Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:8‑9). In verses 10 and 11 he further says, "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection... if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Paul indeed seemed to be homesick for heaven. Heaven is where Christ, our Lord and Savior, is, and soon He will call us away. His last promise is, "Surely I come quickly." Our hearty response is, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20). Ed.