Apparently and perhaps unsurprisingly, two countries have taken offence at the arrangements for mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. China have officially been invited to send a representative although President Xi is highly unlikely to attend. However, representatives from the embassy were barred from visiting the Queen’s lying in state as that is a matter for Parliament.
Meanwhile, Russia is deeply aggrieved that President Putin has not been invited. This despite regular threats in Russian media to the affect that Putin could at any time nuke Britain, that we are considered public enemy number one in Moscow, that there’s still the unresolved issue of Salisbury and that I doubt he would have come anyway. I suspect that he is more affronted that he never got the opportunity to turn the invitation to the funeral down. The tone is
“Your snub has humiliated us by denying us the opportunity to humiliatingly snub you.”
Well, I’ve got news for President Xi and Vladimir Putin. There is a day coming when they will not so much be invited as summoned to see the King. There’ll be no choice in the matter. They won’t be able to regretfully decline. They won’t be able to send a deputy.
That audience will be with King Jesus. Scripture says
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When it says “every knee” and “every tongue” that means everyone from the poorest labourer to the most high and haughty monarch, emperor or president of a superpower. It means that Queen Elizabeth II, Ronald Reagan, Julius Caesar and Nebuchadnezzar will all have to bow before the King of Kings.
All reports suggest that Queen Elizabeth will do so willingly and gladly. It was not her but in fact her predecessor Queen Victoria who is reported to have said that she was so excited for Christ’s return because on that day she would gladly cast her crown before him but it seems our late Queen shared that same sentiment. Others may not be so glad and willing but they will still have to submit to the true king.
You and I too will be called and compelled to bow before him. The question is whether we will do so willingly with a glad heart as we meet our Lord and Saviour or reluctantly as we meet the judge of all time.
Faithroots 