Colossians 1: 5 – The expectation reserved for you in the heavens

… and the love which you have for all the saints, because of the expectation reserved for you in the heavens, which you hear before in the word of truth of the Evangel…

Our word “hope” often expresses uncertainty. For example, if I say: I hope the weather will be nice tomorrow. We also sometimes encounter such human (and therefore uncertain) hopes in the Bible (Acts 16:19; 1Cor. 9:10). Certain hope or expectation can only be derived from what GOD commits and from what He promises. Because who else knows the future than the One who also holds the future? Hence hope is like an anchor (Heb.6:19) that stands firm.

The expectation reserved for us is hidden in the heavens. Of course, that expectation is directly connected to Him who is our life and is seated at God’s right hand (Col.3:1-4). His position there is also our position. Hence we will go to meet Him in clouds and so will always be with Him (1 Thes.4:17). Paul had spoken about this expectation much earlier and the Colossians had also “heard of it before”. In the prison letters Paul does not break with that expectation, as some believe, on the contrary. The hope that was initially still a flower in the bud opens up in more and more glory!

Delen: