Category: Revelation

Because Jesus is coming soon

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 29, 2016
No Comments on Because Jesus is coming soon

If there is one theme throughout these final verses of Revelation, and indeed of the Bible itself, it’s that Jesus is coming soon.

He says it in verses 7, 12 and 22.

What should our response be to this? We see it in verse 17.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears, say “Come.” (Revelation 22:17a)

I find it interesting that even the Holy Spirit cries to the Son, “Come!” Perhaps this in connection with his intercession for us that we see in Romans 8:18-27.

But we, the Bride of Christ, are also to long for his coming. We are to set our hearts on his return. How do we do that?

First, be faithful in all that God calls you to do.

Jesus tells us,

Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Revelation 22:12)

Like we saw in chapter 20, there are two books. One is the book of our deeds, and the other is the Lamb’s book of life.

But just because your name is written in the latter doesn’t mean the former has been wiped out. I do believe that we will stand before God and we will be judged according to what we have done. It’s a theme we see again and again in the gospels and the epistles.

God will judge us for how faithful we’ve been with what he’s given us. If we’ve been faithful, we will be rewarded. If we haven’t, we will be saved, but only as someone escaping flames (I Corinthians 3:10-15).

And so as Jesus warns: be ready. (Matthew 24:36-25:30).

Second, strive for holiness.

John tells us in his first epistle,

We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)

In other words, because we have the hope of Christ’s return, and that we will be like him someday, let us work to that end even while we are waiting.

And so Jesus says,

Let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. (Revelation 22:11b)

Third, worship God.

There are so many things that can captivate us and our imaginations. Some of them are even good things. But they are not to be worshiped.

Twice, John nearly fell into that trap by starting to worship something that was good: an angel. (19:10; 22:8).

And twice the angel said,

Do not do it…Worship God! (Revelation 22:9)

Don’t worship the creation. Worship the Creator.

Finally, be faithful to the words of God.

We have seen many admonitions in this book. We saw them especially in chapters 2-3, but they are throughout the book. And Jesus calls us to be faithful and obey them.

He said,

Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophesy in this book. (Revelation 22:7)

And we are warned sternly to neither add to these words or take away from them. (22:18-19)

This then, is how we are to live until he returns.

But if you do not yet know Jesus, these next words are for you:

Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17b)

God will not force you to come to him. If you choose to stay in your sin, he will let you. (22:11a)

But his desire is that you would come to him and be saved.

He says,

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

How do you wash your robes? By your own efforts to “clean up your act?”

No, you wash them in the blood of Christ shed on the cross. And when you put your trust in him, he purifies you from all sin. (I John 1:7)

Won’t you do so today? It starts with a prayer.

Lord Jesus, all my life, I have gone my own way, hurting you, hurting others, and hurting myself. Forgive me.

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Make me clean of all my sins and failures. You are King of kings, and Lord of lords, and I give myself to you today. In your name I pray, amen.

I now close with the words of Jesus and John.

Jesus said,

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star…

Yes I am coming soon. (Revelation 22:16, 20)

And John responds,

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with God’s people. (21)

Amen and amen.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, faithful, holiness, life, return of Christ, worship

Revelation

Heaven according to Revelation: Who can’t enter?

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 28, 2016
2 Comments on Heaven according to Revelation: Who can’t enter?

Yesterday, we talked about the glory of heaven and of God’s people. We saw all the wonderful things that will be in heaven.

But there is one thing that cannot enter heaven: sin.

And anyone who lives in defiant sin cannot be a part of God’s people or share in their inheritance. That was true in the Old Testament days (see Leviticus 18 for example). And it is certainly true in the New.

Why not? Why can’t God be more “tolerant?”

Heaven is a place with no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4).

But if God allows sin into heaven, all those things will come flooding into heaven along with it. Just look at this world, and you’ll know what I mean.

I don’t know about you, but I want no part of that.

So God says,

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars, — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

And again,

Nothing impure will ever it (the new Jerusalem), nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27)

And yet again,

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)

Who can’t enter heaven?

It’s the murderers.
It’s everyone who lies.
It’s the idolaters: all those who put anything ahead of God in their lives.
It’s the sexually immoral. Those who engage in any kind of sex outside of a marriage relationship between a man and woman.
It’s anyone who has ever done anything shameful and deceitful.

None of these can ever enter heaven.

Most would agree with murderers being on the list. But what about the rest?

Do you fit in any of those categories? Then you can’t go to heaven.

Unless.

Unless your name is written in the Lamb’s book of Life.

Unless you have repented of your sins and given your heart to God.

Because the one sin that describes all who fit the list above is this: they refuse to put their faith in God. They refuse to put their trust in Jesus and his work on the cross, and instead follow their own path.

Like I said before, your eternal destiny is based on what’s written in one of two books. One book is the Lamb’s book of life, and the names written there are based on Christ’s finished work on the cross.

The other is the book of all our deeds. Not just the good. But the bad. All the bad.

And the problem is, it is not the good things we do that keep us out of heaven. It is the bad. Just one bad thing on your record is enough to keep you out of heaven.

And all of us have much more than just one bad thing written on our records.

So if you want to get to heaven based on your deeds, you’re never going to make it.

You can only make it if your name is also written in the Lamb’s book of life. And your name will only be written there if you give your heart to Christ, making him your Savior and King.

The apostle Paul wrote this:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

What will you choose? Won’t you choose Christ today?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, heaven, Sin

Revelation

Heaven according to Revelation: Here comes the bride!

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 27, 2016
No Comments on Heaven according to Revelation: Here comes the bride!

No, we are not yet finishing up Revelation in this post. We’re going to spend forever in the new heavens and earth someday. We might as well spend a few days talking about what it will all be like. 🙂

It’s very ironic to me that one of the angels who poured out the bowls of wrath on the earth now comes to John and says, “Come I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

This angel who participated in the destruction of the old heaven and earth now introduces the new heaven and earth to John.

And like I said yesterday, I’m not sure if this description of the New Jerusalem is describing a literal city, God’s people, or both.

But as I read this, I think of that parable of the pearl of great price. Where a man sold everything he had to get it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

Jesus bought this precious pearl of the church, his bride, with his own blood spilled on the cross. He shed his blood,

to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:26-27)

And now we see his bride coming in all her beauty. John says,

It shone with the glory of God and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Revelation 21:11)

Throughout the description of this bride, you see “twelves” and multiples of twelves, sometimes multiplied by 1000, a symbol of perfection.

The twelves themselves seem to be interpreted in 21:12 and 21:14 and reflect how all of God’s people are made up of the 12 tribes of Israel of the Old Testament and the 12 apostles in the New.

In other words, we are all made up of the community of faith, starting with the believers of the Old Testament (represented by the 12 tribes of Israel), and all believers of the new (represented by the apostles).

This bride is also decked with jewels (Revelation 21:19-20) as the high priest once was (Exodus 28:15-21), and with the jewels of Eden itself (Ezekiel 28:13).

This bride has no need of a temple to go and meet God, for God himself and the Lamb are its temple. In fact, all the glory of God and the Lamb shines on it. (21:23)

And the bride herself shines. All nations are lit up by her light and bring their splendor into her. (21:24)

This bride will also be perfectly secure. There will be no fear of invaders coming in the night, and so her gates will always be open.

As Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed in the beginning because they felt absolutely safe, so will Christ’s people be absolutely safe and secure with one another.

The water of life flows through us as we are filled with the joy of God’s Spirit (John 7:37-39), and we take part of and bear the fruit of life. (22:1-2)

But the best part of heaven and this life to come for this bride? We will see God’s face. (22:4).

This city is described as a cube (21:16). There is only one other cube in the Bible: the Most Holy Place in the Temple where God dwelt. (I Kings 6:20)

As we saw yesterday, God says,

Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

And again,

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him…they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:3,5)

Why is all this possible? Because 2000 years ago, Jesus hung on a cross for our sins. And because of his work, we will shine as his precious jewel, and live and reign with him forever in glory as his bride.

I can’t wait for that day!

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, bride, heaven, jewel, New Jerusalem

Revelation

Heaven according to Revelation: When all scripture is finally fulfilled

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 26, 2016
No Comments on Heaven according to Revelation: When all scripture is finally fulfilled

We’ve been going through the whole Bible from beginning to end over the past four years. And in this chapter, we see the culmination of all things, where all scripture is finally fulfilled.

We started in the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve walked with God before the fall.

But even after the fall and everything was cursed, God never gave up on us. Instead he chose Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be his people.

Then all of Israel became his people and he their God.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, that title of being God’s people was then extended to all who would put their faith in Christ.

And now comes the consummation of all these things. John sees a new heaven and a new earth. And there is no longer any sea.

I don’t know if that last is literal or not. The thing is, the sea has often been used in Revelation as a symbol for evil. The beast in chapter 13, for example rises from the sea.

And so perhaps, John is merely saying that all evil and all the chaos that comes from it is now completely gone.

Then John says,

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

Again, I wonder at the literalness of this. Is it truly a city that John sees? Or is it all the people of God, whom Paul calls the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-32). Or is it both?

Whatever it means, the key point comes in the next verse.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)

At one time, God dwelt with Adam and Eve with the Garden of Eden. They were his people and he their God. Then they fell into sin.

When God promised to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, the Israelites were told that he would be their God and they his people (Exodus 6:7) and the tabernacle was a sign of his dwelling among them. (Exodus 40:34-35)

When they moved into the promised land, the temple took the place of the tabernacle, but it too was a sign of God’s dwelling among them. (I Kings 8:10-12)

But again the people sinned and God’s Spirit departed the temple (Ezekiel 10:18). The temple was destroyed and rebuilt more than once after that before finally being destroyed for good in A.D. 70.

Now the people of God are his temple, and he dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:19).

But on that day when all is fulfilled, we will forever be in the presence of God and we will see him face to face.

And God gives us these words of hope.

I am making everything new. (Revelation 21:5)

Then echoing Jesus’ words on the cross, he says,

It is done. (6a)

But whereas Jesus’ words were talking about how the payment for our sins was finally paid, now God’s plan of salvation is completely fulfilled and we’re all finally home.

And he who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all things, says,

To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (6-7)

We all go through times of hardship and suffering in our lives. And sometimes it seems interminable. Unbearable.

But it won’t last forever. God is control. He always has been and ever will be. He has already written the end of the story. And the end of the story ends with us being with him forever.

So set your eyes on him. Know that your trials will not last forever. He will bring you home. And on that day, John tells us,

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 21:4)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, fulfilled, God's people, heaven, scripture

Revelation

Two kinds of books

I love reading books. It became a lot more convenient to read when I got my Kindle Fire. Now, I can carry around any number of books, including a number of different Bibles without putting a strain on my back.

Here, though, we find two kinds of books.

John tells us that on the day of judgment, he saw all the dead both great and small standing before God’s throne with the books were opened. What is in those books? Apparently everything we have ever done in our lives.

In addition to those books, there is another book: the book of life. And in it is the name of every person who belongs to God; all those who have put their trust in Jesus and his work on the cross for their salvation.

And John tells us,

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15)

What do we learn from this?

We have a choice. We can either put our trust in ourselves and our works to get us to heaven or we can put our trust in Jesus and his work on the cross for our salvation.

If we do the latter, then our names are written in the book of life and we will be saved.

But if we choose to do the former, all of our works will be found lacking before God.

Lacking because he sees not just the good we do, but the evil.

Lacking because even when we do good, many times we do so with wrong motives and attitudes.

But most of all, lacking because we have rejected Jesus as King and Savior in our lives.

In short, if we insist on being judged for what we’ve done to get to heaven, none of us will ever make it. Every one of us will fall short.

I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be judged by what I’ve done to get me into heaven. I’d much prefer to rely on Jesus’ completed work on the cross for me.

The choice, however, is yours. Which will you choose?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Book of Life, death, hades, judgment, Lake of Fire

Revelation

Why people do evil

Why do people do evil? Does the devil make them do it? Are they simply products of their environment? The injustice, poverty, and the evil around them has so shaped them that they simply have no choice?

Or is there something else?

I think we find the answer in this passage.

After Jesus returns and the antichrist, his prophet, and their armies are all dealt with, Jesus will reign for 1000 years. Whether this is a literal 1000 years or not I don’t know. But anyway, it’s for a considerable period of time.

All the resurrected people of God will also come to live on the earth and will reign with Christ (Revelation 20:4).

Who will they reign over? Apparently all those who survived the wrath that God poured out on the earth.

The resurrected saints will never be subject to death again (6), but unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the survivors of the wrath of God.

For while there will be heaven-like aspects to the conditions, it will not quite yet be heaven.

There will be perfect justice, and a time of great peace. People’s lives will start to extend as it did before the time of the flood. And yet, people will still die. Why? Because there will still be sin in the world. (Isaiah 11:1-9, 65:17-25)

And in this time, Isaiah seems to picture Jesus still needing to judge cases that are brought before him.

Unlike now, however, there will be perfect justice. There will be no hiding of the facts from him, no loopholes to escape through, or any technicalities that people can get off on. (Isaiah 11:1-5)

But this raises a question. In a world of perfect conditions, perfect justice, and no Satan to tempt people, why do people still sin and die?

The reason is that people are innately sinful. People don’t become sinners because they sin. They sin because they are sinners.

And while Satan can tempt, and our backgrounds and environments can influence, nevertheless, people sin because that is their nature. David recognized this (Psalm 51:5) as did Paul (Ephesians 2:1-3).

The millennium will prove this once for all. And it will prove once again why we need a Savior.

People will never be good enough to deserve God’s salvation even in a perfect world. Many people will come to realize that and will put their trust in Jesus as Savior during that time.

Others, however, won’t. And when Satan is released one last time, millions will flock to his side to wage one final war against God.

But like the war of antichrist and his prophet, it will be no war at all. With a single act of God, they will be destroyed and Satan will be tossed into the lake of fire with all his minions. (Revelation 20:7-10)

So let us be honest with ourselves.

We don’t sin because God allows Satan to run around.

We don’t sin because of our environments or backgrounds.

We sin because we are sinners. And that’s why we need a Savior.

If you haven’t already, won’t you turn to him today?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, millennium, Satan, Sin

Revelation

The spirit behind prophesy…and all we say and do

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 23, 2016
No Comments on The spirit behind prophesy…and all we say and do

I must admit, I can finally see the finish line after all these years of blogging. And it’s very tempting to just rush ahead and finish this as quickly as possible.

But John thought it necessary to take a small break in the narrative, and so I will too. And actually, it’s a reminder to me of why I started writing this blog in the first place.

After the angel tells John about the wedding supper of the Lamb, John falls at the angel’s feet to worship him.

It would be easy to imagine why. Here is this angel, glorious and holy, much more so than John is. It’s easy to see why for a fleeting moment John might think that this angel too is worthy of worship.

But the angel said,

Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with our brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. (Revelation 19:10)

In other words, “John, I am not showing you all these things so that you can worship me. I am not at the center of all these things, any more than any of the prophets were the center of the prophesies they gave, or you are the center of these prophesies I am showing you now.

“Jesus is the center of all these things. All prophesy is given to testify to Jesus.”

That’s so important for us to remember. That Jesus is the center of everything. He’s the center of prophesy. But he’s also the center of everything we say and do. At least he should be.

When I write this blog, or give a message at church, it shouldn’t be to glorify me. It should be to glorify Christ.

When you serve in the church, or serve in the community, it shouldn’t be to bring you glory, but to testify to Jesus to those around you.

And if we lose sight of that, we get into trouble. We start worshiping fame. We start worshiping money. We start worshiping the praise and respect of others. And Jesus gets lost in the midst of it all, when he should be at the center.

So here’s the question: As you serve in the church, are you doing it with a worshiping heart that points to Jesus? As you reach out to your community, are you doing it with a heart that glorifies God?

Who or what are you falling before and worshiping?

Tags angel, Bible Original, Bible verse, center, Jesus, worship

Revelation

When justice comes

I was reading a letter from an elementary school that my friend in Hawaii posted on Facebook today.

It talked about how a child going to school was accosted by a stranger who threatened to kidnap her. A high school student was nearby so the child quickly ran to the student for help, and the stranger immediately left.

It really is scary to see all that is going on in society. And often times, we wonder if justice is ever going to come. We saw the saints crying out that very question in chapter 6.

But here in this chapter, we see that justice will finally come on all those who do evil and on the society that gave them birth. Antichrist, the prophet, Babylon, and everyone who follows them all fall.

The Antichrist and his army rise up for one last war against God, and Jesus returns to take back what is rightfully his. He who is faithful and true finally comes to prove that he truly is these things.

He proved it on the cross where he shed his blood for our sins (13), and he proves it now by bringing justice and salvation to the earth.

One would think that it would be a full-scale war, reminiscent of all the great battle scenes that you see in the movies. But it really is no contest.

With a word, the enemy’s army is destroyed (Revelation 19:21), and the antichrist and his prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (20).

Babylon is destroyed, and the smoke of its destruction rises forever (3), while the birds of prey feast at the banquet of the damned (17-18, 21).

The end result? Worship. For justice has finally come.

All heaven roars,

Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.

He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants…Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever…Amen, Hallelujah! (Revelation 19:1-4)

And with the banquet of the damned completed, another banquet is prepared. A voice from God’s throne cries out,

Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great! (5)

And all heaven responds,

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (6-8)

The angel then turns to John and says,

Write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb…These are the true words of God.” (9)

The point of this all? Justice is coming. And with justice will come great joy for all of us who are the bride of Christ.

Though we did nothing to deserve it, though we too deserved to join the banquet of the damned, he has clothed us with his righteousness, and that righteousness has become our own.

We have become his own, Christ’s beloved. And we will rejoice with him for all eternity.

So as we see all the injustice and corruption in this world, let us hold on to that hope.

Justice is coming. Jesus is coming. And on that day, all heaven and earth will ring out in worship of him who truly is faithful and true.

Tags antichrist, banquets, Bible Original, Bible verse, bride of Christ, justice

Revelation

When you put your hope in this world

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 21, 2016
No Comments on When you put your hope in this world

Here in this passage, we see the fall of the great prostitute Babylon, which John later defines as “the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:18)

As we’ve seen before in chapter 14, John and his readers thought of it as Rome, but Rome itself is a symbol for a godless society, a world system that rebels against God.

It rides the beast we saw in chapter 13, a beast with 7 heads. The 7 heads, the angel says, represent the 7 hills of Rome on which the woman sits, and also 7 of Rome’s kings.

Five of those kings had already died, one was currently living in John’s time, and the seventh was yet to come. (17:7).

And the Beast himself, the antichrist, will come later as an eighth king (17:11).

The beast will ally himself with ten rulers (whether a literal number or not, I don’t know; it could be symbolic all the kings of the earth).

And people will follow this beast. Why do they follow after it? Part of it is his power. Part of it is because of his power to deceive. We saw all this in chapter 13.

But another major reason is this prostitute. She sits on “many waters,” which the angel tells John represents the people of the earth. People see what the prostitute has to offer: her riches and glory, and they drink it all in (4).

But the truth is, when they take in what she has to drink, they’re drinking in “abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.” Things God detests. Things that cause people to commit spiritual adultery against the One who created them.

And as we saw in chapter 14, people go “mad” over these things (Revelation 14:8).

In short, people fall for the beast in great part because of their love for this world system and all it has to offer.

But this world system is indeed allied with the beast. It is impossible to be friends with her and friends with God. We see this in that she is drunk with the blood of the saints. (Revelation 17:6; 18:24)

The thing we see here, though, is this world is coming to ruin.

Probably because of their war against God, the Beast and his ten allies strip the prostitute of everything. In other words, they are so hostile against God, they are willing to destroy this world in order to fight against him.

This in part probably means they are willing to ruin the world economy in order to prepare for this battle. But it probably also means they are willing to use weapons of such destructive power that it actually destroys this world (17:16)

But the angel tells John,

God has put it into their (the kings’) hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled. (Revelation 17:17)

I think what this means is that God is planning to allow this world to be devastated, and while some of this will probably be directly from God’s hand, a lot of it will also actually come by our own hand. We will be our own demise.

But in the end, though this beast and these kings fight against God, even destroying the world to do so,

The Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings… (Revelation 17:14)

What do we get from all this?

The people who belong to this world system boast in all they have. They boast in what they have accomplished. And they think that it will last forever (Revelation 18:7).

But God says in a single day, it will all come crashing down, and all that this world promises will be shown for what it is: an illusion. (18:8)

God will thrust it into the sea like a millstone and it will be destroyed. All that the people rejoiced in and relied upon will be gone. (18:21-23)

And because of it, the people of this world will all mourn and be terrified. (18:9-19)

Mourn because all they relied on will be gone in an instant. Terrified because they know the judgment that fell on Babylon will soon fall on them.

What am I saying then? Don’t put your hope in this world. This world will fall, as will all who put their faith in it.

So let us heed the words of God who warns,

Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. (Revelation 18:4)

Tags antichrist, Babylon, Bible Original, Bible verse, prostitute, Rome

Revelation

Though judgment falls

We saw in chapter 14 the warning of eternal judgment that would fall on all those who rejected God, and instead took the mark of the beast. And like I said earlier, there are those who really get upset at this idea of eternal judgment.

But as we saw in Revelation 9, there is a reason that it is eternal.

The reason? There comes a point in people’s hearts where they reach the point of no return. They have so hardened their hearts, that no matter what judgment falls, no matter how painful it is, they simply refuse to repent. Instead, they simply curse God more and more.

That’s exactly what we see in this chapter.

Here we see the wrath of God being poured out in full strength. And whereas there had been limits in the seal judgments (one-fourth) and in the trumpet judgments (one-third), there are no limits now. Instead, the whole world is affected.

All the people who have the mark of the beast are covered with painful sores. (Revelation 16:2)

The sea turns to blood and every living thing in it dies. (3)

The rivers and springs of water all turn to blood because of the blood that they themselves shed in killing God’s people. (4-7)

The protections that we have to keep the sun from harming us are stripped away and people are burned by its intense heat. (8)

The people’s response?

They were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues but they refused to repent and glorify him. (Revelation 16:9)

“Surely if these judgments keep up, they will repent, though, right?”

The whole world is thrown into darkness as Egypt once was. The people are are in total agony because of their pains and sores. (10-11a)

But they refused to repent of what they had done. (11b)

“Yes, but surely, they can’t keep holding out like this, can they? They must eventually come to the point where they will repent, right? Nobody could possibly be that stubborn not to repent.”

The Euphrates River is dried up, and with that barrier out of the way, now all the kings of the East come together for one last war against God. (12)

Evil spirits come performing miraculous signs, trying to give the kings of the earth hope that they will be able to stand against God. They gather at Armageddon, and the final bowl of wrath is poured out.

Lightnings, rumblings, peals of thunder and the worst earthquake in the world’s history hits the earth.

The cities of the nations collapse and this empire that stood against God is given the full fury of His wrath. Islands sink. Mountains fall. Huge hailstones fall to the earth crushing men. (20-21)

The result? Repentance?

No.

And they cursed God on account of the hail, because the plague was so terrible. (21)

What’s my point?

There can be no escape from hell without repentance. But all that we see from this chapter is that when people harden their hearts, there comes a point of no return. And when they go to hell, they have definitely reached that point.

Even if were theoretically possible for a person to repent in hell and escape, no one ever will.

So if you’ve been rejecting God to this point, soften your heart now before it’s too late. God has no desire to send you to hell.

He sent his Son to die for you so that you wouldn’t have to go to hell.

And now he says,

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked…Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live…Repent and live. (Ezekiel 18:23, 32)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, hell, judgment, repentance

Revelation

God’s glory in judgment and salvation

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 19, 2016
No Comments on God’s glory in judgment and salvation

I have said many times before that I believe we will have to face antichrist. What I am not so sure about is if we’ll face God’s final wrath poured upon the earth as seen in the 7 bowls.

My guess, however, is that we won’t.

My eschatology has changed somewhat as I’ve studied these passages, and I’m not entirely sure I am right. I’ve always thought that the rapture would come, we would meet Jesus in the air, and then come right back down again. I’m not so sure anymore.

Rather, it looks very much like after Jesus comes, we will all wait until the bowls of wrath are poured out before Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives.

Why do I say this? Because of what I see in these next couple of chapters.

Here we see an angel calling out to a person seated on a cloud, someone like “a son of man,” with a crown on his head and a sickle in his hand.

Who is it? I believe it is Jesus.

And the angel calls out, “It is the Father’s time. Take your sickle and reap.” Jesus does, and the earth was harvested. Who does he harvest?

My guess is he harvests all those who are his. The final warning had been given and was either heeded or ignored. Now there is no time left, and so Jesus takes his people to be with him.

All that is left on the earth now are those who have rejected him.

Another angel comes out of the temple in heaven, and he too has a sickle. And the angel in charge of the fire at the altar calls out to the other angel and tells him to swing his sickle too.

What is this fire of the altar? It probably goes back to the altar of incense in chapter 8 where the saints’ prayers for justice rise to God. (Revelation 8:3-4)

Why do I say this? Because when the angel swings the sickle, the grapes are gathered and thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath.

And as grapes were trampled in those days to make wine that would flow out of the winepress, so those who have rejected God will be “trampled,” and their blood will flow rising several feet high for over 180 miles. It is truly a bloody picture.

Chapter 15 then, gives us more detail on what just happened in chapter 14.

John looks up and he sees a sea of glass mixed with fire. And next to it are all those who had been victorious over the beast, and have just been harvested by Christ.

The sea was often seen as a place of great evil and chaos. And the saints are seen to have now come out of that, through the fire of their trials. And they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages.

Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are Holy.

All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. (Revelation 15:3-4)

But then the temple opens and 7 angels come with 7 plagues. And each are given 7 bowls filled with the wrath of God. And it says in verse 8,

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. (15:8)

That last verse really strikes me. You see, God’s glory is shown in his salvation. That is true. We see it in the worship of those who are saved.

But God’s glory is also shown in judgment. Why? Because it shows that he is not just a God of love, but of justice.

If we have a God that is love but is not also justice, is he really a good God? No. For he would leave evil unpunished forever. And no good God can do that.

But while God is patient, he will ultimately bring justice. And in doing so, he shows his glory and goodness.

So let us always remember, we cannot separate God’s love and justice when we think about who he is. For both are indispensable parts of his glory.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, grapes of wrath, harvest, sickle

Revelation

A final warning

I have said more than once over the past five years I’ve been writing this blog that God is patient, but that his patience will not last forever.

And here in this passage, I think we see that patience just about to run out.

Here we see an angel flying out, proclaiming the gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people one last time. And he shouted,

Fear God, and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water. (Revelation 14:7)

I wonder if this is a real angel or if it’s merely symbolic of the gospel going out to the whole world. (Matthew 24:14)

Or perhaps it’s both. Either way, the gospel goes out one last time. And with it comes warning.

“Now is the time to turn to God. His patience has run out and the time for judgment has come. Fear him. Give him glory. And worship him. Before it’s too late.”

The warnings are intensified by the next two angels.

Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries. (8)

This is a preview to what we will see later. Babylon had once been a great empire, but it was totally pagan, a people who had turned their backs on God and were committing adultery with the world.

John no doubt saw Babylon as a symbol of Rome. And for us today, Babylon and Rome are symbols of a godless society, a society in which antichrist will arise.

But this angel cries out, not only that Babylon will fall, but that it has already fallen. It is dead while it yet lives. It’s only a matter of time before all will see it.

Then the third angel cries out a final warning.

If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.

He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. (9-11)

In short, there is no middle ground. You have to choose sides. Either you worship God or you worship the beast. And if you choose to worship the beast, all of God’s wrath will be poured upon you.

A lot of people hate the idea of hell. They can’t believe that a loving God would punish someone forever in conscious torment. But it can’t be any clearer here. There will never be rest, day or night for them. Rather, they will face torment for all eternity.

Why does this have to be so?

Number one, we were created eternal beings. The question is not whether we will live forever. The question is where.

Number two, if people will not receive God as king, they must be separated from him, if for no other reason that they don’t want to near him. But the thing is, life without God is hell.

If you don’t believe me, look at the world around you. We have tried to live in a world where God is not king. What’s the result? Murder. Rape. Terrorism. All manner of atrocities.

The experiment has failed.

And this is a world where God is still here, working in the lives of people. What will a world completely devoid of God be like?

But it doesn’t have to be that way. On the cross, Jesus drank the wine of God’s wrath for us. He experienced the full strength of God’s anger so that you don’t have to.

But if you reject him, then you’ll have to drink it yourself.

What will you choose?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, God's patience, hell, warning

Revelation

We who belong to God

We saw in chapter seven, 144,000 of God’s people being sealed in preparation for the judgment to fall on unbelievers.

Then in chapter 13, we saw the people of the beast receiving their own mark. And whoever did not receive that mark was persecuted.

So on one hand, those who were received the seal of God were protected from God’s wrath, but on the other hand, they received the wrath of the beast for refusing his mark.

And the question becomes, is it worth it? Is it worth it to go through that persecution? For many people, they find it hard to say yes. No one likes to go through persecution.

But if you remain faithful and endure, what will happen? We find the answer in chapter 14.

The 144,000 reappear in this chapter. Again, I believe these people are the entirety of the redeemed of God, not just a certain select. And according to chapters 7 and 14, they are sealed with the Father’s name and the Lamb’s name written on their foreheads.

But whereas in chapter 7 we see them preparing for the trials to come, it seems that we see them here having come out of the fire. What are they doing?

Complaining about all the persecution they had endured? Questioning God about why they had to suffer for his sake? No.

Rather, they were singing a new song. A song that no one else could truly learn.

Why not? Because while the angels, four living creatures, and the elders can probably technically learn and sing this song, they didn’t experience all that these 144,000 did: all the suffering, all the trials.

And because they didn’t go through the fire of these things, they can’t truly understand the joy of deliverance. But these people of God can.

“They did not defile themselves with women for they kept themselves pure,” it says in verse 4.

Does this mean then they were all men who were literally virgins? No. I believe this is symbolic of all believers who remain faithful to Christ.

We are called the bride of Christ, and by not joining ourselves to the Beast and all he represents, but remaining faithful to Christ despite persecution, we remain pure before Him.

And John says that as his faithful bride, we follow him wherever he goes. For we were purchased by his blood and are now offered as an offering to God and the Lamb.

So again we are encouraged,

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus…”Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:12-13)

How about you? Can you see beyond our present sufferings to the glory that awaits us? If you can’t do that, it will be difficult to stand, both now through whatever you’re going through, and later when we face the antichrist.

So as I said a couple of days ago, fix your eyes on Jesus. He knows what it means to set his eyes on the joy set before him in the face of suffering. And he can show you how to do it too.

Remember too the words of Paul who said,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:18, 26-28)

Tags 144000, Bible Original, Bible verse, firstfruit, New Song, redeemed, seal, Zion

Revelation

A need for wisdom and insight

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 16, 2016
No Comments on A need for wisdom and insight

We now hit the second beast.

This one comes out from the earth. He has two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. In short, he looked innocent, like the Lamb of God, himself. But his words were that of Satan.

And while the first beast tries to use brute force to get people to follow him, the second beast uses deception. Not just in the things he says, but in performing miraculous signs. The end result, however, is the same: persecution of the saints.

And the thing is, there is no middle ground. You either have the mark of the beast or you have the mark of God.

If you have the mark of the beast, you’ll be just fine in this world, able to live life, buying and selling the things you need to live.

But if you have the mark of God on you, you will be persecuted.

For this reason, I’m not so certain the mark of the beast is a literal one or not.

If the mark of God is not a literal one we can see, (Revelation 7:3-4), why should the beast’s mark be? Still, I suppose we won’t find out for sure until that time comes.

What do we get from this? You may be ready for persecution. But are you ready for deception?

Jesus told us that “false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24)

And this second beast will be the final one of these false prophets.

How will we recognize him and the first beast he represents? John tells us to discern them, we will need wisdom and insight. (Revelation 13:18)

He gives us the number 666 as the number of the first beast.

There’s a lot of speculation on what it means and the truth is, it’s hard to be sure what it means. Which of course means we really will need wisdom and insight when the beast comes. 🙂

Perhaps the meaning is simply this: 7 is the number of perfection, and so 777 reflects God in trinity.

6, on the other hand, is something less. It’s incomplete. And so 666 reflects that whatever the dragon, the first, and the second beast are, they will only be an incomplete image of the one true God.

And so to be truly wise and discerning, we need to know the true God so we can identify the counterfeit.

Some of you may say, “I understand what you’re saying, but what’s the point? I don’t believe we will face the antichrist and his prophet. We’ll be raptured away by then.”

But again, even if you believe we won’t face them, remember there are other antichrists and false prophets, even if they’re on a smaller scale.

And like the second beast, they come into our churches looking like lambs. They look like us and sound like us. But the truth is, they are savage wolves. And if we are to keep from being deceived by them, we will need God’s wisdom and discernment.

How much do you have?

How well do you know your Lord, and his Word? Are you able to discern the true from the counterfeit?

Tags antichrist, beasts, Bible Original, Bible verse, deception, dragon, false prophet

Revelation

A need for endurance and faithfulness

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 15, 2016
No Comments on A need for endurance and faithfulness

There’s a lot going on in this passage, and as usual, there’s a lot of debate over what it all means. There are two beasts that appear with the dragon (Satan). And to keep this short(er), I’ll take on these two beasts in two blogs.

The first beast comes out of the sea. It’s a strange beast that mixes the characteristics of the four beasts we read about in Daniel 7. It has all the power of the dragon, but receives a fatal wound to one of its seven heads.

To the astonishment of the world, however, it is healed and restored. The result? The people fall down and worship the beast and the dragon it represents.

What does it all mean?

To some degree, this one beast could be symbolic of all the empires that were represented by the four beasts in Daniel: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. They rose up, received a fatal wound, but came back in the form of a different empire.

The end result, however, is the same: empires that worship the dragon and persecute God’s people. And in the same way, the people who follow this new beast and is part of its regime worship the dragon and persecute God’s people.

It’s interesting to note in chapter 17, that when the beast is further explained, he is described as one who once was, now is not, but will come again. (Revelation 17:8, 11)

So John seems to say that this beast had appeared before this time period John was writing in, but was not currently in the world as John was living. It’s possible he was referring to one of the former Roman emperors, perhaps Nero.

Whoever he was, this emperor received a fatal wound, but will come back again as another ruler who will blaspheme God and persecute God’s people.

And this gives some credence to the idea that this beast represents not just one man, but many throughout history. As John says, there have been many antichrists from his time to the present age. (1 John 2:18).

They keep appearing, dying off, and coming back again.

But in that same verse, John also says that there is one final antichrist who will appear. And as we see in this passage, like all the antichrists of the past, he leads people to worship the dragon.

Oh it probably won’t be so blatant. He probably won’t be saying, “Let’s all worship Satan.”

But like the Roman emperors of the past, he will have them worshiping him as their savior. As the one who brings peace and prosperity to the world. But what the people won’t know is that they are really following Satan’s representative.

More, in this time, he will blaspheme the true God, and there will be mass persecution of Christians. (7)

And from verses 7-8, it seems that everyone who is not a Christian will fall right in line with the beast. It will become politically correct to persecute and kill all Christians.

What do we get from all this? When we face the first beast, he will come with brute force against God’s people. And so John warns,

If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (Revelation 13:10)

It’s very similar to what Jesus told the church in Smyrna, and I would guess it really resonated with them as they heard it.

Here, though, all of us are told: Be ready. Persecution is coming. But endure, and be faithful. And you will receive the crown of life. For you will not be hurt at all by the second death if you do so. (Revelation 2:10-11)

I know. I’m beating the same drum I’ve been beating since we started Revelation.

But again, even if we don’t face the antichrist, it’s very possible we will face persecution before then. From our family, from our friends, from our neighbors, from our coworkers, and very possibly from our own nations.

People in North America are already seeing signs of this. It has become politically correct to slam Christians in the States even as I write this.

Are we really that far from out and out persecution?

So brace yourself. Be faithful. Endure. God may call you to go through persecution.

But if you do, remember, Jesus went through it first.

So as the writer of Hebrews said,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Tags antichrist, beast, Bible Original, Bible verse, dragon, endurance, faith

Revelation

A beaten foe, a wrathful foe

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 14, 2016
No Comments on A beaten foe, a wrathful foe

“But why must we suffer? Why must we go through persecution? Why wouldn’t God just take us out from it all?”

If you’ve been reading through Revelation with me, especially if you believe we will be raptured before all the trouble with antichrist begins, you may be wondering why I hold so fast to this idea.

To be honest, I wish very much that God would just pluck us out. But I just don’t see it from anything I see in Revelation, and particularly in this passage.

Here we get a bird’s eye view of all that’s been happening since the time Mary was pregnant with Jesus.

John tells us of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. And she was in labor, on the verge of giving birth.

Although I just mentioned Mary and it would seem that this is talking about her, it probably isn’t.

When you see the symbolism of the sun, the moon, and the 12 stars, the very first thing that should come to mind is Joseph’s dream, which showed Joseph’s father Jacob (or Israel, as God renamed him), mother, and 11 brothers all bowing down to him. (Genesis 37:9-10)

So this pregnant woman seems to symbolize the nation of Israel. For it was Israel that gave birth to Jesus, the Messiah, the King.

But Satan, symbolized by the dragon (Revelation 12:9), tried to destroy Jesus while he was on earth. We see this in Herod’s murder of all the babies (Matthew 2:16-18), and in Christ’s crucifixion.

But of course, after Christ’s crucifixion, Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven.

John then sees a flashback in which he sees a war in heaven in which Satan is cast out along with his angels. And when he was thrust down to earth, he chased after the woman Israel to destroy her.

I’m not sure, but I tend to think this was particularly seen in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

In this attack, Satan was trying to destroy Israel. But not all Jews were destroyed. The Christians, in particular, took Jesus’ warning to heart (Matthew 24:15-21), and fled Jerusalem before it was destroyed.

With Satan unable to destroy Israel completely, he then set his eyes on destroying her other “children.” Not the Jews by blood, but “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17)

That is, the church. For we are the true children of Israel now, all we Jews and non-Jews who have put our faith in Jesus. (Galatians 3:29)

Why is he so full of wrath against us? Why is he so persistent in trying to destroy us?

John tells us,

He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. (Revelation 12:12b)

And so John tells us that while those in heaven rejoice over his being cast out of there,

Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! (12a)

What do we get from all this? First, we are facing a beaten foe. He has already lost. And he knows it. His time is short, and he will be judged.

But second, until that time comes, he will take out his wrath against us. And as we have seen and will see in Revelation, that means some of us will be “conquered”, that is killed by him.

Yet the ultimate victory is ours. He may kill our bodies, but he can’t take our souls. When Satan was cast out of heaven, a loud voice cried out,

Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (10)

In other words, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, Satan has lost all right to accuse us. When he tries, God overrules all of Satan’s objections against us.

More, John tells us that though Satan may overcome the saints for a time, ultimately,

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (11)

So though Satan may attack us, though he may kill us, in the end, we win. Why?

Because Jesus won the victory for us on the cross. And by our lives and death, we testify to the change that God has brought in our hearts, proving that all of Satan’s accusations no longer have any basis.

Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. (12a)

We already have won.

Tags beaten, Bible Original, Bible verse, dragon, Satan, victory, wrathful

Revelation

From bad to worse…to salvation

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 13, 2016
No Comments on From bad to worse…to salvation

I mentioned earlier that I was in deep waters trying to explain these things. The waters just keep getting deeper. 🙂

There’s a lot of disagreement among Christians about what this chapter all means. Again, all I can say is my conclusions are tentative, but here’s what I think.

John is given a measuring rod to measure the temple and the altar, and is told to count the worshipers. But he is told to exclude the outer court because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the Holy city for 42 months.

What is this all about? There seems to be some allusion to Luke 21:24, where Jesus prophesies the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Because of this, many people take it quite literally and say this will happen again in the future. And it might. This would mean, of course, that a new temple would have to be built.

But it’s also possible that this past event is used symbolically for what will happen in the future. That the temple and the Holy city is representative of the people of God (I Corinthians 3:16-17, Revelation 21:2). And that while many will be protected by God, others will be persecuted.

This is a theme you see time and again throughout Revelation as we have already seen, and we’ll see it again in chapters 12-13. It’s also something you see in Daniel (7:21, 12:7).

Throughout the next few chapters, and in Daniel, it talks about 1260 days, three and a half years, and a time, times, and half a time. All refer to the same thing. Three and a half years of intense suffering on the part of God’s people.

That may be a literal time period. Or it could simply be referring to the fact that the time of suffering is not perfect (7 is a symbol of perfection), but is cut off.

And indeed, Jesus talks of the tribulation being cut off for the sake of God’s chosen people. (Matthew 24:22)

Then we see two witnesses testifying to the world God’s judgment and salvation. Again, there is dispute among Christians whether they are literal people or whether they represent the church.

I don’t know, but considering that the church is compared to lampstands in chapters 2-3, I think there’s a good chance it refers to the church.

In the book of Zechariah, two olive trees symbolize both a ruler and a priest (Zechariah 3-4), and those are two roles the church plays. (Revelation 1:6, 5:10)

Whoever they are, these two witnesses prophesy, apparently during that three and half years of intense persecution of the church.

God protects them for a time, and brings judgment through them, but at the end of that time, the beast, that is, the antichrist kills them. And all the world rejoices. Why?

Because of how these witnesses tormented them with their preaching, and the judgment that came because of their prayers. (Revelation 11:5-10).

I’m not certain if this refers to all the martyrs who have died for Christ’s sake, or whether this is yet to come.

If verse 6 is purely symbolic, evoking memories of Elijah and Moses, then it could represent all the martyrs. If it is to be taken literally, then I’d have to say this is future.

Verse 5 would tend to make me think it’s symbolic since I highly doubt fire will literally come out of their mouths to destroy people. Even Elisha (not Elijah) didn’t do that (See 2 Kings 1:9-12)

Anyway, the witnesses lie dead for a time, and then God resurrects them and calls them to heaven in front of all their enemies.

And if these witnesses are symbolic of the church, I tend to think this is referring to the rapture when God calls all the dead in Christ back to life. For we see soon after, the 7th trumpet being blown, and voices calling out,

The kingdom of the world had become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

The elders then worship, singing,

We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.

The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and your saints, and those who reverence your name, both small and great — and for destroying those who destroy the earth. (17-18)

Then John sees God’s temple in heaven opened and the true ark of the covenant that can never be destroyed.

Then judgment falls in a great storm, an earthquake, and a hailstorm.

What do we get from all this? Things will go from bad to worse for God’s people.

Jesus warned of this in the gospels. He warned of this in his letters to the 7 churches. And we see it here.

Persecution will come. But it will not last forever. It will be cut short. Jesus will come back and when he does, we’ll see salvation.

Justice will come. And if we endure to the end, not only will we be saved, we’ll be greatly rewarded. And every tear we’ve cried will be wiped away.

I know. I’ve already mentioned all this. But this is the theme running throughout Revelation. We’ve seen it earlier. We’ve seen it here. And we will see it again through the final half of this book.

Why does God repeat this over and over? Probably because our suffering will be intense. It will be incredibly difficult to endure. But God wants us to know that it will not be forever.

So as we continue through the rest of this book, look for this theme.

For Revelation is not simply meant to give us a peek into the future or to brace us for hardships to come. It’s meant to give us hope. As Paul once prayed,

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Hope, lampstands, olive trees, persecution, resurrection, two witnesses

Revelation

Sweet words, sour words

Yesterday, I asked the question: how does heaven see judgment? And the answer was, “not with joy, but with solemnity.”

When the 7th seal was about to be opened, all of heaven, usually a place of joyful celebration, fell silent.

Today’s question is, “How do we view God’s judgment?”

Here in chapter 10, we see a mighty angel coming from heaven, holding a little scroll. (Revelation 10:1-2)

What is on the scroll? Probably what we see in chapters 11 and following. Words describing the persecution of God’s church, the coming of Christ, and God’s final judgment.

This angel stands on the land and the sea. It’s interesting that the two beasts (antichrist and his prophet) that join with the dragon (Satan) in chapters 13, come from the land and the sea, to form an unholy trinity.

So in standing on the land and the sea, and radiating with God’s glory, perhaps this angel symbolizes the fact that there is still only one God who’s in control, no matter what Satan tries to do. And judgment is coming.

You see that in the 7 thunders that John hears, which appear to be words of judgment, though John is told not to reveal those words. (3-4)

Then the angel proclaims, “There will be no more delay.” (6)

In other words, “the 7th angel is about to blow his trumpet, final judgment is coming, and all of God’s plans will now come to fruition.”

Then John is told,

Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. (8)

He obeys, and the angel tells him,

Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. (9)

John does so, and the scroll indeed tastes sweet, but then becomes sour in his stomach.

Then the angel told him,

You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. (11)

What is this all about?

We see a similar occurrence in Ezekiel 2-3.

Ezekiel is given a scroll to eat and it is as sweet as honey. And he is told to prophesy what is on the scroll, words of lament, mourning and woe.

He is told however, that the people will not listen to him, and Ezekiel leaves the presence of God in bitterness and in the anger of his spirit (3:14).

Why is he bitter? Why is he angry? Perhaps he is angry at how the people will respond. And he is bitter because these are people he loves who will be judged.

I think John felt the same way. When he took in the words of God, they were sweet to him, as God’s words usually are. It’s such a privilege to have the living God speak to you, to understand his plans, especially his plan of salvation, and to be part of them.

But when people reject these very words you find sweet, and you realize that these people you love are facing judgment as a result, it is a bitter thing indeed.

And that’s how we as Christians ought to see judgment. Not as a sweet thing. But a bitter thing.

It’s bitter especially when we see people we love facing judgment. But remember: to God, it’s bitter for him to see anyone facing judgment, because he loves us all.

Sometimes, we look at passages like Luke 19 and the parable of the minas, and we think God almost delights in the destruction of his enemies. (Luke 19:27)

But we forget that shortly after teaching this parable, Jesus stood outside Jerusalem weeping over the destruction that would fall over Jerusalem, saying,

If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace. (Luke 19:42)

So let us never rejoice over God’s judgment of the wicked. Rather, let us weep.

And like John and Ezekiel, let us pray and reach out to these people in love that they may never have to face God’s condemnation.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, God's word, judgment, sour, sweet

Revelation

The gravity of judgment

How does heaven see injustice? And how does heaven see judgment when it comes?

I think we find both answers here. Normally, heaven rings with the worship of the cherubim, seraphim, the elders, and all the saints. But when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was dead silence.

Why? Judgment was coming.

Oh, it had already come in part by the opening of the earlier seals. But from here on out, the judgments only grow in intensity and awfulness, as we shall see.

But it all starts with an angel coming with much incense to the altar of God. And he offers it to God along with the prayers of the saints.

What prayers? Most likely the prayers we saw in chapter 6; the prayers of the martyrs crying for justice.

At that time, God said, “Wait a little while.”

But now the time for justice had come.

Seven angels are given seven trumpets. And one by one, they are blown.

Again, a lot of this language is fantastic and highly figurative, so it’s hard to know exactly what it’s talking about.

But the hail and fire coming after the first trumpet is reminiscent of the plagues God sent down on Egypt. (Exodus 9:23-25)

That could very well be literal hail and fire considering that it happened to Egypt.

Anyway, as a result, a third of the earth and the trees are burned, and all the grass as well.

The “third” may be literal or not, but considering how they often use that number throughout these two chapters, I think it merely has the idea of a significant number.

The second trumpet is blown and a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, perhaps referring to volcanic eruptions and their after-effects.

(There was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 which destroyed ships and killed marine life).

The third trumpet is blown and a great star fell from heaven making a third of the waters bitter, and killing many people. Whether this is some kind of meteorite, or simply a symbol of something that contaminates the water, I don’t know.

Again, this and the death of the those in the sea from the second trumpet are reminiscent of the plague on Egypt when God turned the Nile to blood. (Exodus 7:20-24)

The fourth angel blows his trumpet and a third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck.

This is why I says the number 1/3 is probably symbolic. How in the world do you strike a third of the sun. And even if you do, do you really reduce it’s light by exactly one-third?

At any rate, like with Egypt, an unexplained darkness falls upon the earth.

And then things get worse, what the eagle calls the three woes. (Revelation 8:13)

The fifth trumpet is blown, and swarms of locust from hell itself come out to devastate the earth, again a reference to one of the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15)

But these are not literal locust. They seem to be demons. Why? Their king is an angel whose name is Abaddon or Apollyon, Hebrew and Greek for “destroyer.”

Second, their attack is not on the plant-life, but on people, to torture them. Third, the attack is specifically on those who are not sealed and protected by God (see chapter 7).

Then the sixth trumpet is blown, and the four angels from chapter 7 that were held back from wrecking destruction on the earth are released.

And the picture seems to be that of full-scale war, with a third of mankind being wiped out as a result (an increase from the fourth that were killed in chapter 6 verse 8).

And yet, people do not repent. Rather, they continue in their sin for which they were being judged.

Sometimes people wonder why hell has to be eternal. After all, wouldn’t some, if not all, repent after being sent there?

I think we find the answer here and later in chapter 16. And the answer is a resounding no. Despite their suffering, they continue in their sinful attitudes and even curse God.

Is it any wonder that all heaven was silent at the opening of the seven seals?

God does not delight in judgment. But he is a God of justice. And he will not put off the cries of his saints forever. He hears their prayers. And he will bring judgment.

So remember: If you’re a Christian crying out wondering where justice is in this world, God hears. And the time for justice will come.

But also remember that judgment is not something to be taken lightly. Heaven doesn’t. Neither should we.

Tags 7 seals, 7 trumpets, Bible Original, Bible verse, judgment, justice

Revelation

Those who will stand on the day of wrath

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 10, 2016
No Comments on Those who will stand on the day of wrath

At the end of chapter 6, in looking at the events coming with the sixth seal, the great and small of the earth cry out to the mountains and the rocks,

Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:16-17)

Who can stand? The answer is found in chapter 7. Here John sees four angels, ready to release the winds of judgment upon the earth. But another angel comes, and says,

Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the forehead of the servant of our God. (Revelation 7:3)

This is very reminiscent of another time when God sealed his own people to protect them from the judgment that was coming in the book of Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 9:3-7)

And here we see God sealing 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel.

This is one of those things that people argue endlessly about. Who are the 144,000? I think the number is symbolic of all the redeemed.

You see 12 (tribes of Israel) times 12 (apostles) times 1000 (a number signifying completeness). These compose the new Israel that is in Jesus Christ.

Why wouldn’t they be literal Jews?

First, it’s not the original 12 sons of Jacob (Dan is omitted and Manasseh, Joseph’ son is included), nor is it the 12 tribes that inherited the promised land (Dan is omitted, Levi is included, and Joseph is listed instead of Ephraim).

Add to to the fact that all the tribal lines are now completely mixed, and it seems unlikely they are talking about literal Jews.

And just as you see a mixing of metaphors concerning Jesus where he is the Lion and the Lamb in chapter 5, it seems likely to me that there’s another mixing of metaphors where the 144,000 are the great multitude seen in Revelation 7:9; a people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb.

And they cry out,

Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. (7:10)

The elder then explains to John,

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe every tear from their eye.” (7:14-17)

What is he saying?

Times of trouble are to come. When antichrist comes, there will be persecution, and many will die for the sake of Christ. But as Jesus told the church of Smyrna (2:8-10), it is only for a time.

Though we may face the wrath of the Satan and his antichrist, we will be sealed and protected from the wrath of God and his Christ.

And in the end, we will stand before God, and serve and worship him forever. Never again will we have to suffer as we do on earth.

On that day, we will see Jesus face to face. He will give us life eternal. And every tear we’ve cried while here on earth will be wiped away. That is the hope for all who put their faith in Christ.

So we have a choice. Do we take the seal of God and face the wrath of Satan? Or do we take Satan’s mark and face the wrath of God. There is no other option.

What will you choose?

Tags 144000, Bible Original, Bible verse, wrath of the Lamb

Revelation

How long until justice comes?

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 9, 2016
No Comments on How long until justice comes?

We jumped the fifth seal yesterday because it takes a slightly different perspective from the other five we looked at. Seals 1-4 and seal 6 all have to do with the judgments going on upon the earth.

Here in seal 5, we see something that happens in heaven.

Jesus opens the seal and John sees under the altar the souls of those who died for Jesus’ sake. And they cry out in a loud voice,

How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? (Revelation 6:10)

Who are these martyrs? I think these are all those who have died from the time of Stephen (Acts 7) on.

Throughout history, many have died for the sake of Christ. And it’s easy to wonder, where is the justice?

When we are persecuted and for Christ’s sake, why don’t we see God’s justice?

Jesus’ answer to these martyrs is very interesting. He told them to “wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” (6:11)

In short, there will be persecution all the way until Christ’s return. Until that time, God is patient.

Why? Because he’s still waiting for as many people to enter the kingdom before he returns. But when he comes, justice will come.

And in the meantime, he will give those who have died for his sake peace and rest.

This world often seems unfair. We often suffer and we can’t understand why.

Jesus never promises we won’t face trouble. He guarantees it. (John 16:33)

It’s one of the reasons why I’m skeptical that Jesus will pull the church out before antichrist comes.

But though we may suffer, know justice will eventually come. And remember the words of Jesus.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, justice, martyrs

Revelation

The beginning of the end

I am now officially in deep waters.

For that matter, so is everyone else who starts trying to comment on these passages. The number of interpretations for these passages are legion. All I can I say is that many of my interpretations are at best tentative.

In Revelation, you see three categories of judgment, the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, and the 7 bowls.

Some people think they are all concurrent judgments. Some think they are chronological. One thing is certain: things will go from bad to worse before our Lord comes.

My guess, is that these judgments are chronological with a possibility of overlap between them.

These seal judgments in particular seem to be what Jesus refers to as not the end itself, but rather the “beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8)

And I think there’s a good chance that a lot of what’s written here is happening even as I write this.

Jesus opens the first seal, and out comes a white horse with a rider who has a bow and a crown and who is bent on conquest. (Revelation 6:2)

To me, this symbolizes what Jesus speaks of in Matthew 24:6-7. Wars. Rumors of wars. Nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Sound familiar at all?

Jesus opens the second seal and a fiery red horse comes out, and its rider is given power to take peace from the earth and make men slay each other. (4)

In other words, not only will people will die because of war, but people will start murdering each other. Not to say that this had never happened before in history, but it will become almost epidemic.

Again, does this sound familiar? Just read the news everyday with all the terrorism, murders and mass murders.

He opens a third seal and a black horse comes out with scales saying,

A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine. (6)

This seems to indicate famine, where a small amount of food costs an inordinate amount of money. This famine is not as bad as it could be, however, as the oil and wine are not touched.

Again this seems to refer to Matthew 24:7 where Jesus tells us there will be famines as part of the birth pains.

Jesus opens the fourth seal, and a pale horse comes out representing death. And this seems to to sum up the previous three seals with two additional things: plague and even the wild beasts of the earth turning against people.

I’ll come back to the fifth seal tomorrow, but for now will go to the sixth seal.

Here we see a great earthquake, the sun turns black and the moon turns to blood with stars falling from the sky. The sky recedes like a scroll and every mountain and island is removed from its place.

Is all this literal? I don’t know.

Perhaps the main point of all this is that there is a great earthquake; everything else is figurative of how things feel to the people of the earth after experiencing the earthquake.

That is, because of the the earthquake’s awesomeness, the whole world seems to be falling apart.

Here in Japan, we have suffered two great earthquakes in 1995 and 2011, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of those who went through it would look at these passages and say, “Yes, that’s what it felt like.”

So what do we get from all this?

A theologian named D.A. Carson once said something like this: We can look at all the problems the earth has. War. Murder. Famine. Earthquakes. Plagues.

And when asked about the cause, we can point to a lot of of sociological and natural explanations.

Or we can say God has allowed all these things.

Both are true, but what is more fundamental?

The truth is, because of sin in this world, judgment is coming. And all these things we see on earth now are a mere prelude to the final judgment. God has allowed them all. Why? Is it just to judge us?

No. It is also in part to drive people to him.

If there were never any trouble in this world, I guarantee you that a majority of people would never turn to Christ because they would never see their need for him.

But because of the judgments of God, they see their sinfulness and their need for his salvation, and repent.

The question is, when you see these judgments, how will you respond? Will you merely cringe in fear? (15-16)

Will you scream in defiance? (Revelation 16:9)

Or will you repent?

Judgment is coming. Are you ready?

Tags 7 seals, Bible Original, Bible verse, birth pains, judgment

Revelation

The one on whom all God’s plans rest

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 7, 2016
No Comments on The one on whom all God’s plans rest

I have to admit, until recently, I had never really thought about Revelation as being centered around the gospel.

But we saw very early on in chapter one, that Revelation starts with the gospel, and now here in this chapter we see that it is centered on the gospel. In the final chapters, we will then see the gospel consummated.

In chapter 4, we saw God the Father sitting on his throne receiving all the worship and adoration he deserves.

And now in chapter 5, John notices something new. There is a scroll in the Father’s right hand, with writing on both the front and back, and sealed with 7 seals.

It seems very reminiscent of a Roman will in which the outside writing summarizes the details within. And the only only way for the will to be executed is for someone to break the seals and to see what is in it.

In this scroll contains all God’s purposes for history. But the seals prevent them from being carried out. And so a mighty angel cries out,

Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? (Revelation 5:2)

The response? A deafening silence.

Think about this. The 24 elders sitting on their thrones were there. The 4 living creatures were there. Thousands upon thousands of angels were there.

There were wonderful Christians living on the earth. People like John.

There were wonderful Christians who had died and were now with God in heaven. People like Peter and Paul. And yet, not one was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. (3)

And so John wept. All God’s plans were for naught. They would remain sealed in the scroll, forever dormant. (4)

But then one of the elders said,

Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. (5)

John looks up expecting to see Jesus. Or perhaps a great lion symbolizing Jesus. And he sees…a lamb. And not just a lamb, but a lamb looking as if it had been slain.

Indeed, John probably made the mistake that many Jews had made. When they thought of their triumphant Messiah, they thought of a conquering Lion.

And Jesus is a Lion. But he conquered by dying like a Lamb. He is the Lion and the Lamb.

He had 7 horns, symbolizing great power, and 7 eyes which symbolize not only his omniscience, but the Holy Spirit of God within him. The same power and Spirit that raised him from the dead in victory. (Ephesians 1:19-20, Romans 8:11)

Jesus took the scroll from the Father’s hand, and when he did, the four living creatures and the 12 elders took a break from their usual refrain (4:8, 11), and sang a new song.

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. (9a)

Why?

…because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (9b-10)

In these words we see the fullness of the gospel, and God’s plans for eternity.

That through the blood of Jesus, we were redeemed from our sin and made his people, his kingdom, and his priests. And we will serve God forever, reigning in the new heavens and earth when he makes all things new.

And because of this, all creation in heaven and on earth cry out,

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise…

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever…Amen. (12-14)

This is what Revelation is all about. It’s about the gospel, and the Lion and the Lamb who made it all possible.

And through this gospel, we can know that we have hope, for all God’s plans will come to fruition.

So let us sing with all God’s angels and all creation, “Worthy is the Lamb!”

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, God's plan, gospel, lamb, Lion

Revelation

Honoring our King who sits on the throne

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 6, 2016
No Comments on Honoring our King who sits on the throne

“I am a friend of God,” says one contemporary worship song.

“We are children of God,” proclaims the apostle John in one of his epistles. (I John 3:1)

And yet while both are true, one thing that we should never forget is that he is also our king. And he is worthy of our honor and our praise.

Here in Revelation 4, we step into the very throne room of God, and we see God in all his glory as king.

As is often the case when people try to describe God, John finds it impossible to describe Him in detail. All he can do is give us glimpses of His glory, comparing Him to precious stones such as jasper and carnelian, and emerald. (3)

Not to say that God is a gem, of course, but that His glory radiates with great beauty.

John then tells us that from his throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder which recall the awesomeness of God’s power which the Israelites witnessed on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:16)

And before the throne were 7 blazing lamps or torches. (5)

Back in those days, torches were set before rulers to show their authority. But John tells us these lamps also symbolize the “seven spirits of God,” which we saw in chapter 1 probably refers to the Holy Spirit.

Leading up to the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. It’s not clear whether this is an actual sea that John sees or it’s a pavement of glass that sparkled like crystal (NLT). Either way, imagine approaching God on that.

Before you even get to God, you have to go past some beings which are glorious in their own rights.

First are the 24 elders on their thrones.

People dispute who they are, but my guess is that they are a high order of angels, who also perhaps represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles joining as one people before God.

They are dressed in white, showing their holiness, and have crowns on their head, perhaps showing the authority they have.

Second are four living creatures which seem to merge the characteristics of the angels called cherubim (Ezekiel 1:5-14; Ezekiel 10), and seraphim (Isaiah 6:2-3).

These creatures are also angels of high order who would later help execute God’s judgment on the earth.

John says one was like a lion, another like an ox, the third like a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle. Perhaps they represent all of creation serving and praising God, the wild (lion), the domesticated (ox), humanity, and the birds (eagle).

It’s also possible they represent God’s majesty (lion), strength (ox), intelligence (man), and loving care (eagle — see Exodus 19:4).

But the thing that stands out to me, is that as awesome as these beings are, they all bow in worship to God.

The four creatures cry out day and night,

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8)

And as they do so, these mighty elders, rulers in their own right, throw their crowns before the God who gave them their authority singing,

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. (11)

What can we get from all this?

First and foremost, that though God is our father and our friend, he is also the king upon the throne. He is the almighty God. And he is worthy of our worship.

Sin comes when we refuse to recognize this one all-important fact.

Second, he is the king, and he is in control.

Although this world sometimes seems out of control, and things will go from bad to worse as we will see later in Revelation, God is on his throne, and nothing happens apart from his will. And ultimately, he will triumph, to his praise and glory.

Amen. Come soon Lord Jesus.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, holy, honor, king

Revelation

Self-sufficent, indifferent, and useless

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 5, 2016
No Comments on Self-sufficent, indifferent, and useless

When my daughter was really young, I would often come home and when I did, she would come running to greet me with a happy, “Daddy!”

But nowadays, I’ll come home, and if I’m lucky, I’ll hear her say, “Okaeri” (which means “welcome home” in Japanese).

But many times, she’ll be so involved in what she’s doing, she won’t even notice me.

It’s pretty sad how excited love can turn into utter indifference.

In a lot of ways, the church in Laodicea was that way. It is the one church among the seven that Jesus talks to that he says nothing good about.

At least with the church in Sardis, he mentioned a few people that were excluded from his rebuke. He makes no exceptions here.

What was their problem? Jesus tells them,

I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold…I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)

What is Jesus saying here?

Near Laodicea, there were two cities famous for their water. Hierapolis was known for its hot springs that were good for healing. Colosse was known for its cold and refreshing drinking water.

Laodicea, on the other hand, had to get its water from some hot springs from the south through a six-mile aqueduct. And by the time the water got to Laodicea, it was tepid, and near undrinkable.

In short, their water was totally useless. It was neither hot enough to relax in as a hot spring, nor was it cold and tasty enough to drink.

The church, when it is functioning right, can be very useful to its Lord.

When it touches people, it brings spiritual healing to them, just as the hot springs of Hierapolis brought physical healing to the people that went there.

Through the love of Christ, the church can also bring refreshment to those who are weary and tired from being beaten down in this world.

But Laodicea did neither. They were totally useless to the Lord, and because of that, he told them, “You are just like your water. And I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Why had they become this way? They thought they were self-sufficient, and as a result became totally indifferent to their Lord.

Jesus told them,

You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.”

But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. (17)

This church was filled with people who were totally reliant on themselves.

They were part of a city, in fact, that when it had been leveled by an earthquake, refused help from the Roman government, saying, “We’ve got this. We’ll rebuild our city ourselves.”

This church was the same. They were so wealthy, and so self-sufficient, they no longer saw their need for Christ. Church had simply become a social club to them.

The result? They became totally useless to Christ when it came to touching this world for him.

Worse, they had become so indifferent to him, they had literally pushed him out the door, saying, “We’re good. We don’t need you.”

But the reality was, they were in desperate spiritual straits. And so Jesus told them,

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (18)

All these were strikes against the Laodicean’s self-sufficiency. They were rich, mostly because of the black wool and eye salve they sold. But Jesus said, “All this is not enough. You are dying without me.”

I know many non-Christians here in Japan that are that way.

One of the biggest problems we face is that so many people are “self-sufficient.” They think their lives are good enough, and they are blind to their own spiritual need. They see no need for Christ.

What’s even worse is when Christians become that way. They totally forget their need for Christ.

Oh, maybe in the past they needed him, but now they say, “I’m good,” and push him out the door. They may still go to church.

But in every other aspect of their lives, their time, their finances, their work, their relationships, they push him out the door. He is no longer a part of any of these things.

When Christians become this way, they become useless to their Lord. And when the church is filled with people like this like Laodicea was, it’s in real trouble.

And so Jesus told them,

Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. (19)

I like how the NLT translates “repent” in this passage. It says, “Turn from your indifference!”

Then Jesus said,

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. (20)

The Laodiceans had pushed Jesus out the door. Now he was knocking, and he was saying, “I still love you. I’m offering you a chance to renew our relationship. Won’t you open the door?”

How about you? Have you become indifferent to Jesus? Have you pushed him out the door, basically telling him, “I’m good. I don’t need you anymore.”

Jesus still loves you and he wants to make you a useful part of his kingdom. And if you will turn from your indifference, one day you will reign with him in glory. (21)

But if you don’t, discipline is coming.

How about your church? Has it simply become a social club for the self-satisfied?

If it doesn’t repent, it will be removed from its place as a light to this world.

What is Jesus saying to you and your church today?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, indifferent, Laodicea, self-sufficent, useless

Revelation

Never shut out

All of us know what it is to be shut out. To be left out by others and snubbed.

I remember walking up to a bunch of guys in high school, and one guy turned to me and said, “What are you doing here? Get lost!”

That’s what the church in Philadelphia was facing. Like the church in Smyrna, they were being snubbed by the Jews living there, and couldn’t even enter the synagogue to worship.

But Jesus tells them, “I am the one who holds the key of David.” (Revelation 3:7)

In other words, “I am the one that holds the key to the everlasting kingdom God promised to David and his descendants. For I am the one who is the fulfillment of all those promises.

“And I have opened the door to you. No one, not even these Jews can shut you out. In fact, they are not true Jews at all. They are a synagogue of Satan.

“Now you are the true Jews, along with all those who have put their faith in me. And the day will come when these false Jews will admit this.” (7-9)

Then he tells them,

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

I’ve mentioned before that I think we will have to face the antichrist someday. There are those, however, who look at this verse and think this means we will be taken before he comes.

I think there are two problems with this view.

First, there are many other scriptures that seem to say we will have to face him and endure the great tribulation.

Second, Jesus was talking to the church that existed in John’s day. And I don’t think anyone believes the Christians in Philadelphia were raptured away before their trials came.

What I think Jesus was saying is that in the midst of the trouble that was coming upon the world, he would protect them.

When I think of open and closed doors, I think of Noah, and I think it’s a fitting symbol here. The door to the ark was open for Noah and his family to enter, but after they did, God himself shut it. (Genesis 7:16)

And during the flood, God didn’t “rapture” Noah and his family to heaven, or whisk them away to another land untouched by the flood. Rather, in the midst of the flood, he protected them.

As we look at the rest of Revelation, I think we see that this is exactly what will happen during the time of antichrist and the great tribulation.

The thing to remember in tribulation is what Jesus says next.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (11)

I think one thing that people fear is that in the face of tribulation they will be to weak to stand. That they won’t be able to hold on and that they will lose their crown.

But look at what Jesus told this church.

I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name. (8)

This church too saw itself as weak. Jesus himself said, “You are weak.” And yet, in the midst of trial, they stood strong.

I think that what it shows is that our own personal strength or will is not important in whether we stand or not. Rather, what’s important is the grace of God in our lives. And by his grace, we will stand.

And Jesus says,

Him who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.

Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (12)

In short, you will never be shut out. I have established you as a pillar in my house and I have written my name on you. You are mine and ever will be.

As I read that, I can’t help but think of that old song.

Jesus loves me, this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong.
They are weak but he is strong.

Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, door, Jews, synagogue

Revelation

If we are caught unprepared

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 3, 2016
No Comments on If we are caught unprepared

The city of Sardis was supposed to be a near impenetrable city. But twice it fell. Why? Because their watchmen were asleep on the job.

And here Jesus uses their own history to try to wake up the church that dwelt there.

He said,

I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.

But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:1-3)

What is Jesus saying here?

Like the city it dwelt in, the church seemed strong, healthy, and alive. But it was dead as it stood. Why? Because Jesus was coming in judgment, and the church wasn’t ready for it.

In what ways was the church not ready? Jesus tells them, “I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”

What does that mean? I’m not entirely sure, but I think there were probably two things.

Number one, they had let holiness slip in their lives. They had started to compromise and do things they knew were wrong.

That’s why Jesus draws a sharp contrast between those who were “sleeping” and those few in the church who had, “not soiled their clothes.” (4)

But there is probably another thing he meant.

This church in the past had probably done a lot of good, touching the lives of the world around them. But perhaps, they had now become self-centered.

They were no longer focusing on touching the world. Instead, they were resting on their laurels, looking with pride at what they had done, but doing little else.

As a result, they were dying spiritually. Their works were incomplete in holiness and in mission.

And Jesus said, “Get back to basics. Remember the things that are truly important. Repent from your inward way of thinking. Repent of your sins. For if you don’t, I will come back, and you will be judged.”

It is in fact, very similar to all the parables Jesus gave in Matthew 24-25.

Often times, we look at these parables and this letter to Sardis and think of them in individualistic terms. Are we as individual Christians ready for our Lord’s return?

And there is definitely an element of that here, particularly in verses 4-5 when Jesus addresses the individual faithful in the church.

But remember that this letter for the most part is addressed to the church at large.

And like the church in Sardis, many churches have the reputation of being alive, but are dead. They seem so vibrant because of their dynamic pastors, emotional worship, and bright atmosphere.

But inside they are rotting from the undealt with sin in their lives. From the compromise that belies their professions of faith.

Other churches are resting on the laurels of what they did years ago.

Before they were reaching out and touching their community for Christ. But now, they look around at each other and what they accomplished, and they spend all their time congratulating themselves.

They have essentially become a social club, simply enjoying the fellowship they have with each other. But they forget that their work is not yet finished, and will not be until Jesus returns.

And that’s the key thing to remember. Jesus is coming back. When he comes back, how will he find our churches?

Will he find us alive, touching the world for him? Or will he find a self-centered church? Or just as bad, a soiled church?

What does he see when he sees your church?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, dead, Sardis, self-satisfaction

Revelation

Tolerating evil in our midst

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 2, 2016
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Tolerance.

It used to have such a good meaning.

It used to mean that even if we disagreed with someone, we could still love them and at the very least have a civil relationship with them.

Now it means that you can’t ever say that they’re wrong. Particularly when it comes to sin.

And the problem with many churches today is that this is exactly what they do. When sin comes into the church, they tolerate it. Not in the sense of welcoming non-Christians and working to bring them to Christ that they may be saved.

But in the sense of looking at their sin, worse, looking at other Christians’ sins and saying that it is not sin at all.

And that’s what was happening in the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira.

These churches had their good points. Pergamum had remained faithful to Christ even in the face of persecution, and the death of one of their own, a man named Antipas. (Revelation 2:13)

And Thyatira, unlike Ephesus, continued to show their passion for Christ, doing more than they had at first. (19)

But both had fallen into the trap of “tolerance.”

The church at Pergamum tolerated people who held false beliefs. Beliefs that led them into idolatry and sexual sin.

These were the very sins that Balaam had led the Israelites into back when they were traveling in the desert.

Because God forbade Balaam from cursing Israel directly, Balaam took the back door by getting the Israelite men to marry Moabite women, knowing it would lead them into idolatry and the curse of God.

Now these people at Pergamum were falling into the same kind of sin, and the leaders were doing nothing about it.

The church at Thyatira did much the same, tolerating a prophetess that Jesus derisively named “Jezebel.”

In Israel’s history, a woman named Jezebel had once led her husband King Ahab, and as a result all of Israel into idolatry.

And now this woman, in teaching the “deeper secrets of God,” was leading the Thyatirans into idolatry and sexual sin as well.

And Jesus warns, “Judgment is coming.”

In revealing himself to the Pergamum church, he emphasizes the double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. But this sword is not to heal, but to cut and judge. (12, 16)

To the church at Thyatira, he reveals himself as the one whose eyes are like fire, seeing the evil going on in the darkness and burning away all the veils that would hide their evil, and with feet like bronze to trample on all the evil that was going on. (18)

He in fact warns that because Jezebel refused to repent despite multiple warnings, he would make her and those who followed her suffer until they repented. And if they would not repent, they would die. (22-23)

Did Jesus mean this literally? I think he did. We see this in Acts 5:1-10, I Corinthians 5:5, and I Corinthians 11:27-30.

For while we may be “tolerant” of evil, Jesus is not when it is infecting his church.

But if we will fight and overcome this evil in the church, Jesus says that he will give us some of the hidden manna and a white stone. (2:17)

The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, the Ark of the Covenant would reappear and all would eat manna at his banquet.

In that context, the white stone could refer to the stone given to victors at games for entrance at a celebration banquet.

More, Jesus told the Thyatirans that he would give them authority over the nations when he comes back to rule as king. And he would also give them the morning star.

Jesus himself, is called the morning star (see Revelation 22:16), and so perhaps this is a reference to a close relationship with Jesus himself.

But for those who refuse to repent, only judgment remains.

As bad as “tolerance” is right now in the church, it will only get worse when antichrist and his false prophet appears. When that happens, the only thing that won’t be tolerated is the true faith that we preach.

And if we are tolerating evil now, what will happen when antichrist comes?

How about you and your church? Are you tolerating evil in your midst?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, evil, Pergamum, Thyatira, tolerate

Revelation

Though we may go through trial and tribulation

Post author By Bruce
Post date April 1, 2016
No Comments on Though we may go through trial and tribulation

I mentioned a couple of blogs ago that these letters to the churches were meant to prepare us for the antichrists and tribulations to come .

And again, I know many of you who read this believe that we won’t see the final antichrist when he comes or have to endure the great tribulation.

But as I read through Revelation and the other books of the New Testament, I don’t see that at all. What comes through time and again is that we will go through trial and trouble in this world, and particularly when antichrist comes.

I don’t see anything in scripture that makes me believe we’ll escape these things entirely.

What I do see is that though we may not escape these things, that God will never abandon us. That these things are only for a time. And that God calls us to keep holding onto him no matter what happens.

And we see all these things in this passage.

Jesus is talking to a church called Smyrna. And as Jesus addresses them, he refers to himself as the first and the last, the one who died and came to life again. (8)

That latter is particularly interesting because Smyrna itself died and came to life again. It was destroyed in 600 BC and remarkably restored in 290 BC.

Now, the Christians in Smyrna were facing death because of their faith in Christ.

And so Jesus encourages them by reminding them that no matter what happens, he is in control for he is the first and the last. He had the first word when this world was created, and he will have the last when all is said and done.

More, he was the one who conquered death. And though these Christians were facing death, like Jesus, they too would rise again to eternal life.

He told them,

I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!

I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9)

Apparently, these people were being persecuted by the Jews.

By this time in history, the Jews were starting to tell the Roman Empire, “These Christians are not a sect of Judaism. Many are not Jews at all. They’re Gentiles. So when they refuse to worship the emperor like your law requires, they are not under the same religious protections we are under. Go after them.”

As a result, persecution was starting to come to the Christians.

But Jesus tells them, “Don’t let them tell you that you are not true Jews. You are. You are the true descendants of Abraham because you have come to me by faith just as Abraham did.

“They are the false Jews. And their synagogue is not a synagogue of God, but of Satan.”

Then he tells them, “Don’t worry, persecution won’t come your way. I’ll rescue from all trouble that may come your way.”

Is that what he said? Hardly. He said,

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. (Revelation 2:10a)

In short, “You will suffer. But don’t be afraid. Satan will have his way with you, but it won’t be forever. It will only be for a little while.”

The same is true today and the same will be true when we face antichrist. We will face suffering. But Jesus reminds us, “It’s only for a moment.”

And so he admonishes us,

Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:10b-11)

Jesus said pretty much the same thing to his disciples when he was still on earth. He said,

He said,

Don’t be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One (God) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

If you fear God, you need not fear anything else, not even death. For though people can destroy your body, they can’t touch your soul. And Jesus says the second death, that is hell, won’t touch you.

Instead you will have life with him forever in heaven.

How about you? Are you facing persecution because of your faith? Remember that it is but for a short time. And no matter what people may say or do to you, they can’t touch what’s really important.

So be faithful. For even if you should die for his sake, yet shall you live. (John 11:25)

Tags antichrist, Bible Original, Bible verse, faithful, Fear, persecution, second death, Smyrna, trials

Revelation

If the church has not love…

Post author By Bruce
Post date March 31, 2016
No Comments on If the church has not love…

We now come to the first admonition to the church in Ephesus.

Jesus actually has a lot to praise them for. They were working hard for him. In the face of hardships, they persevered and didn’t grow weary. (Revelation 2:2a)

More, they were quite vigilant against false teachers, testing those who claimed to be apostles but weren’t. And when they were found to be false, the church kicked them out. (2b)

They simply wouldn’t tolerate any kind of false teaching. (6)

But still there was a problem. Jesus told them,

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:4-5)

Too many churches are like this today. They work hard in their ministries. When persecution comes, they endure.

More, they are very vigilant in their doctrine. They are quick to warn against false teachers. And they refuse to tolerate sin in their midst.

But they’ve lost what is most important: their love for God and their love for others. And without that love they become a shell of what God wants them to be.

And God tells them, “Repent. I don’t want you to simply be hardworking servants. I don’t want you to simply be patient martyrs. I don’t want you to simply be vigilant soldiers.

“I want you to be a people who actually love me. And I want you share the love I’ve given you with those I’ve put around you.”

If we don’t?

I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (5b)

Remember here that the lampstand represents the church, not salvation.

So when he says this, he’s saying, “If you, my church, don’t return to its first love, I will remove you from its place. Oh, you may still have your church services, but I will no longer use you as a light in this world.”

I think of I Corinthians 13 as I read this. Let me paraphrase.

If our churches are sound in their doctrine, calling out false teachers and kicking them out, preaching holiness and denouncing sin, but they have not love, they are only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.

If our churches are hardworking, giving to the poor and doing all sorts of ministry within the church and without, but have not love, they are nothing.

If our churches endure persecution and stand fast in the midst of it, but have not love, they gain nothing.

Antichrists are here. The antichrist is coming. And many troubles will come along with him. But if we have not love, we are not ready to deal with any of these things.

How is your church? Is it ready to deal with these things? Or is it about to be removed from its lampstand?

And how about you? Have you lost your first love?

Jesus says,

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (7)

This word is for you and your church.

If you can overcome antichrists, troubles, and persecution, all without losing your love for him and others, Jesus says he will give you the right to eat from the tree of life, which in the paradise of God. (7b).

What will Jesus say to us when we stand before him on judgment day?

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Ephesus, first love, judgment, love

Revelation

In order that we might be prepared

Post author By Bruce
Post date March 30, 2016
No Comments on In order that we might be prepared

I was intending to dive straight into chapter 2 today, but I felt there was something that I needed to say before we started.

By far, the parts of Revelation that are preached most often in churches are chapters 2 and 3. Why? Because they’re probably the “easiest” to understand. They sound very much like the other epistles that Paul and the other apostles wrote to the churches.

But I think there’s something we all need to keep in mind. There was a reason that Jesus spoke these messages to the church. The reason? The end is near.

I’ve mentioned before that we are in the last days, and we’ve been in the last days since the days of the apostles. (Acts 2:16-17, Hebrews 1:2, I John 2:18).

And as John mentioned in his letter, while an ultimate antichrist will someday come, there will be many antichrists in the meantime. In fact, many antichrists had already come in John’s time. (I John 2:18)

And we are warned that with these antichrists will come false prophets and teachers. People will go about deceiving and being deceived. If that weren’t enough, God’s people will be persecuted for their faith.

Because of all these things, God will pour out his judgment on the earth. Some of it will come through people, as in wars and violence. Some of it will come through natural means, such as natural disasters and plagues.

These are things that are mentioned time and time again in the book of Revelation.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? It should. We’ve seen it throughout the history of the church. And it’s happening even now.

And God’s word to the church in John’s time is the same as it is now. Because the problems plaguing the church then in the face of their antichrists are basically the same problems that plague us now as we face ours.

So these letters to the churches are not just meant to be ordinary “peacetime” admonitions.

These are admonitions to prepare us for the antichrists we face now, and the ultimate antichrist we will face in the future.

They are to prepare us for the tribulations we face now, and the tribulations we’ll face when the ultimate antichrist comes.

As we look at these letters in the next several days then, keep this in mind. I know many of you who read this don’t think we’ll face the antichrist or the great tribulation. I hope we don’t.

But even if you believe that, remember that the church has always faced antichrists and tribulations.

So even if God in his grace pulls us out before the antichrist shows up and the great tribulation starts, we will face other antichrists and tribulations before then. And these letters are meant to prepare us for them.

Are you prepared? To be prepared, we need to listen to what Jesus has said.

So as Jesus says time and again in these letters,

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:7)

Tags antichrist, Bible Original, Bible verse, judgment, preparation, tribulations

Revelation

The one to whom we must give account

Post author By Bruce
Post date March 29, 2016
No Comments on The one to whom we must give account

Judgment day.

It is coming for all of us. And it comes first and foremost for us who believe. This is something that we see from this passage to the end of chapter 3.

In his vision, John hears a voice call out to him, and when he turns, he sees Jesus walking among 7 lampstands with 7 stars in his hands.

But this is not the Jesus he remembers, at least not entirely. He sees Jesus in his glory.

One thing that I’m not sure of is if John literally saw Jesus as how he describes or if he is simply using figurative language to get across his meaning.

Either way, I think what he is saying is that we as the church are accountable to Jesus, and he will judge us.

There are a lot of symbols in Revelation. Some are explained clearly and some are not.

In this passage, the symbols of the lampstands and the stars are explained. Jesus is walking among the lampstands, which Jesus says are the 7 churches John was to write to, while the seven stars are their angels. (Revelation 1:20)

What he means by angels have been disputed since angels can simply mean “messengers.”

But considering that angels do seem to play some part in the churches (I Corinthians 11:10), I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that there are angels assigned to each church.

But again, the picture is of Jesus walking among the churches, and as we shall see in chapters 2-3 he is inspecting them.

And though he has given charge to his angels to watch over these churches, these angels themselves are in his hands.

As we look at the description John gives of Jesus, we see certain things about our Judge.

First, he is wise. That’s what his white hair symbolizes. Not that he is some decrepit old man, but that he is infinitely wise in his judgments.

Second, his eyes like burning fire symbolize the fact that he sees through everything. (See 2:23). His eyes burn away all the veils that would cover the truth and lay bare the things that are hidden.

Third, his feet are like bronze, crushing everything that is beneath them. In other words, he brings judgment, and it can be hard judgment for those who refuse to repent of their sins. (See 2:21-23)

His voice like rushing waters speaks with the power and authority of the Almighty. (See Ezekiel 1:24).

From his mouth came a two-edged sword. Two-edged because Jesus’s words of judgment to us both cut and heal. They cut those who are in sin, but bring healing to those who are hurting. And we see both in chapters 2 and 3.

And in his face, we see the utter glory and holiness of God.

When John saw Jesus like this, he fell on his face in fear. Most people would when facing a holy judge who is all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful.

But Jesus comforted John as he does us, saying,

Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and Hades. (17-18)

Why did John not need to fear? Because through the cross of Christ, Jesus paid for our sin, and by his resurrection, God the Father showed that he accepted Jesus’ payment. And now he has set us free from death and we have eternal life in him.

So no matter what judgment we may face, we can know that nothing will separate us from his love.

But we will be judged. Jesus is walking among the lampstands. And even among the lampstands, as we shall see in his letters to the churches, Jesus sees each individual in them.

So as we look at these letters over the next several days, let us take them in. Let Jesus’ words cut you and heal you.

If you need to repent, it’s better to let those words cut you now than later. And if you are hurting, let his words comfort you.

But whatever your situation, remember the words of John in his first letter.

We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. (I John 4:16-19)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, churches, Fear, judgment, love

Revelation

The gospel behind Revelation

Post author By Bruce
Post date March 28, 2016
No Comments on The gospel behind Revelation

This being Easter Sunday in the States, I suppose it’s only fitting that we see the gospel here in this passage.

Most people don’t think of Revelation being a book about the gospel. But it is. And we see it laid out beautifully here by John. He says,

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth shall mourn because of him. So shall it be. Amen. (Revelation 1:4-7)

Some things to note about the gospel.

First it comes from God in Trinity.

It comes from God the Father, who is, and who was, and who is to come. This title reflects the name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, the great I AM. The Eternal One.

It comes from the seven spirits before his throne, which seems to be a figurative way to speak of the Holy Spirit.

Many scholars think this alludes to Isaiah 11:2, where the Holy Spirit is called 7 things: the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the LORD.

Seven is also the number of completeness or perfection in the Bible, which shows the Spirit’s perfection and completeness as God.

The gospel also comes from Jesus. And it’s interesting what John calls him, for in these titles we see the gospel itself. John calls him the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

The word “witness” comes from the Greek word where we get our English word “martyr.”

Initially, the Greek word simply meant “witness,” but even in John’s time, we start to see a change in meaning to “someone who bears his testimony to the point that he’s willing to die for it.” (See Revelation 2:13).

So John seems to show Jesus as the one who died as a martyr for us.

But Jesus is also the firstborn of the dead. This does not mean, however, that he was the first one ever to rise from the dead. Jesus himself raised several people from the dead.

The word “firstborn” has the idea of preeminence. In other words, Jesus is the preeminent one of all who have ever risen from the dead. Why?

He tells us in verse 18.

I am the living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

While all those Jesus raised from the dead would later die a second time, Jesus never did die again and he never will.

But not only is he preeminent over all who ever rose from the dead. He is preeminent over all who will rise in the future. Why? Because he alone has the keys of death and Hades. He alone gives eternal life to whoever he pleases.

And now, he is king forever, the ruler of all other kings of the earth.

So from God in Trinity, we have this gospel of grace and peace.

What exactly is this gospel?

That God loves us.

That Jesus died for our sins and set us free from them. We are no longer slaves to sin, nor are we condemned for them.

More, we have been made part of God’s kingdom. We are now God’s priests, with direct access to God, and charged with serving him and ministering to the world on his behalf.

And one day, Jesus will return and judge this world.

How can we know these things for sure? Because of what God says in verse 8.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In short, God is in control. He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. And all things are in his hands.

And because of that we have hope.

That’s the message of the gospel. That’s the message of Easter. And that’s the message of Revelation.

To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. (6)

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, Easter, gospel, Jesus

Revelation

That we may know God’s blessing

Post author By Bruce
Post date March 27, 2016
No Comments on That we may know God’s blessing

Happy Easter from Japan! And welcome to the book of Revelation!

I think for a lot of people that try to read this book, they think, “Why Revelation? Why do we need it? It’s so obscure and difficult to understand. Is it really that important?”

In a word, yes.

If there’s one thing in this chapter that strikes me, it’s that despite the fact that many churches (even, admittedly, the one I go to) tend to avoid it like the plague, it was meant to be read to the church. And to be understood.

We see this in the first two verses.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John who testifies to everything he saw — that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:1-2)

We see something of a chain here. God the Father gives this revelation to Jesus Christ, who passes it along to his angel, who passes it on to John.

And now John passes it on to the church. Why? To show us what must soon take place.

I think one reason people tend to skip Revelation is because they think it has no relevance for the here and now. That it has to do with future events that are far beyond us.

But as we shall see, even for John’s readers and all their succeeding generations, Revelation had much relevance to their lives.

When it says, “what soon must take place,” it means what it says. These events John talks about would soon take place.

This is not to say that everything that is written in Revelation would soon take place. There is much that is yet to happen.

But I believe the events John wrote about started within his readers’ lifetimes. We can see them through the lens of history even to the present day.

And like I said, these things are meant to be read and understood. You still don’t believe me? Read John’s words in verse 3.

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (3)

These are not the words of someone who thinks these words are obscure and impossible to understand. These are the words of someone who expects us to read these words and be blessed.

And he expects this because the time for these events he writes about are near. They were near in John’s day, and in part were fulfilled. And in our lifetime, they are still being fulfilled. Perhaps, they will even be consummated.

In short, Revelation is meant to be fiercely practical. And as we will see, it is meant to admonish us and to encourage us as we live each day in this world.

So as Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

And if we do, we will find blessing.

Tags Bible Original, Bible verse, blessing, Revelation