What does it take to get the crowd behind you? Leaders across history have addressed that challenge – across continents and cultures – for millennia, since Noah’s family disembarked. How do you manage to get people to raise their heads above the continuum and hold their focus for the future? One answer with consistent impact: build something.

In the church world, new start-ups come to life when a favorite ministry leader announces the launch of a new church, with a unique value proposition. Momentum grows as friends come to home group gatherings that imagine a new movement marked by some compelling offerings. A fledging weekend service begins in a rented school campus, and volunteers come on Sunday at sun-up to set up chairs and assemble sound-and-lighting systems. But, start-up energy only lasts so long. The momentum accelerates greatly with the announcement: they’ve bought land and are planning to build!

Mohammed bin Salman is not a church planter: he’s the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia – the de facto ruler of that oil-rich country – but he knows how to rally a crowd. With $1 billion from oil exports realized every day, it’s tough to demonstrate power through financial reports alone. How do you put wealth and power on display in a way that will capture international attention? Build something.

Neom is the giga-project that has already been launched by bin Salman. Conceived to be built under the banner of The Line – referring to its future appearance from space – it is the 10,200 square-mile new city that is the lynchpin of his Vision 2030 concept. Designed to be home to 9 million residents, it is envisioned to be car-less (no oil?) with everything crucial for life to be found within a five-minute walk. At a cost of $1.5 trillion, it’s evidence of what can be imagined and pursued when money is not a limiting factor. Construction is underway.

The Crown Prince is remarkable, but greatly overshadowed by the King of Kings. His plans are much more amazing than bin Salman’s. Once we complete our work – the Great Commission – He’ll return to Earth, from Heaven, to complete His work. Human opposition will be vanquished; His Millennial Kingdom will be established. For 1000 years, righteousness will reign. Then, after holding the final judgment and declaring the end to the rebellion that started with Lucifer, infected Adam and Eve in Eden and resulted in mankind’s departure from His trusted community.

Then the excitement will culminate:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:1-4)

It’s worth a re-read; check it out in Revelation 21. A city of incredible design and dimension: 1400 miles wide, long and high; it will dwarf Noem and dismiss it as irrelevant. It will be – in some manner conceived by the Creator – linked to Jerusalem and providing the from-then-forward eternal connection between God’s dwelling place and our terrestrial home, with Earth’s original perfect environment restored and overseen by the now-glorified humans (that’s US!) who are overseeing God’s Creation as He had always intended.

Jesus said that He was returning to Heaven to prepare a place for us. The construction is nearing completion; it won’t be long before we get to move in – with Him! – to enjoy the results! Are you excited, or what?

Bob Shank