All that God does regarding salvation begins with the individual embracing the Gospel. In that process, the Lord is after something more—the heart of a nation.
While Paul was addressing the Athenians, he revealed the Lord’s purpose: “From one man created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:26-27).
The Greek word used here for “nations” is the word “ethnos” where we get our English word “ethnic.” It is a gathering of people in a particular geographic location defined as a nation. The word is specific. It describes nations not yet worshipping the true God who will be transformed by the Gospel when its people believe.
Jesus used the same word to define His mission, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). While the Lord met each individual personally as a one-on-one transaction, His goal was to create believing nations who would honor Him.
In the book of Revelation, John used the same word to describe redeemed nations entering eternity, “The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory” (Revelation 21:24).
While it is important to bring individuals to Jesus because it all starts with the individual, there is something we can miss, even dismiss, when it comes to the completed work of salvation. The Lord is pursuing nations who will rise and declare the majesty of His name. Those nations, the ethnos of a people, will someday join together to declare the goodness and glory of God forever in eternity. If we miss or dismiss that understanding, we will not be aware of the greater purpose of God’s redemptive plan for all nations.
Amen.
Ending the either (individuals) l or (geopolitical nations) argument is Rev 21-22, where The kings of the nations bring the glory of the nations into the new city.
If Jesus can organize his kingdom at will, and chooses nations with kings, perhaps we will seek Him to know his heart!