5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 22
Meditation: Revelation 22:5

“And they will reign forever and ever.”

Shift Your Focus… Today we come to the end of the Bible, and in this chapter, the description of the beginning of the rest of eternity. As beautifully alluring as John’s words are, they certainly cannot capture what it will be like in God’s presence for all eternity.

But we do know that no longer will there be the taint of sin’s curse:  “No longer will there be any curse.”  (verse 3).

We know that evil will no longer be permitted in God’s recreated world: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (verse 15).

We know that God himself will physically be among us: “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” (verses 3-5).

We know that God will assign us to eternally rule over his boundless creation, universe beyond universe, as his partners in Divine love, grace and justice: “And they will reign for ever and ever.” (verse 5)

We know that in God’s eternity, we are invited to experience the full satisfaction of our beings that only God can supply: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (verse 17).

And we know that even though time no longer exists there, we will be no closer to exhausting God’s love and grace a billion years into eternity than when we first begun.

The end will just be the beginning of dwelling with God himself in the perfection of his glorious presence.

And all we can say is what John said, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (verse 20)

“One should go to sleep as homesick passengers do, saying, ‘Perhaps in the morning we shall see the shore.’” ~Henry Ward Beecher

Prayer… Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 21
Meditation: revelation 21:6

“It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.”

Shift Your Focus… The Great Finisher—that’s who God is.  What he begins, he finishes, and what he finishes he finishes well.

It Is Finished—Part I: In Genesis 2:2 we read that “on the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” For six days, God had created the universe, and after he had finished each day’s work, he pronounced, “It is good.”

Especially good was God’s divine artistry with the earth itself. It was the perfect environment for the highest of his creation, man. It was a place so amazing that God himself physically strolled with man and woman every day in the wonder and beauty of the divine creation. But then the human couple messed it up by rebelling against God, choosing to sin instead of trusting their Creator.

It Is Finished—Part II: Fast-forward thousands of years to Christ, when in the fullness of time, God stepped back into his creation to recreate what man had corrupted. The Bible calls Jesus “the second Adam.” The second member of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, became a man, lived a sinless life, and died the perfect sacrifice to redeem what man had lost in Eden—a right relationship with Creator God.

When Jesus hung on the cross, paying the awful price for the sin of the world, he breathed his last breath and said, “It is finished.” He had fully transacted the work of redemption, and as indescribably painful, physically, emotionally and spiritually as that was, it, too, was good.

It Is Finished—Part III: But that’s not all—fast-forward at least two thousand years into the future to a date not yet set but quickly drawing near.

After Christ’s sacrifice, there was still a world with whom this Good News needed to be shared. Opportunity still had to be given for sinful man to repent, experience redemption and be brought back into that perfect place God had originally intended in the Garden.

Sadly, much of the world would stubbornly reject this great redemptive “do-over”. Satan, the god of this world, had blinded the eyes of sinful man. So after the appropriate time had been given for repentance, God brought judgment upon sin, Satan, and stubborn humanity. Everything that had stood in rebellion against this gracious, patient God was cast into eternal punishment. And the sin-corrupted earth—what was once God’s most perfect creation—was destroyed by God’s holy fire.

Then the God, who always finishes what he begins, said once again, “it is finished.” And what is revealed next is so good that it defies description: a new earth. Read John’s description slowly, and as best you can, picture in your mind what God has in store for his redeemed—which includes you and me:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” (Revelation 21:1-3)

Best of all, once again, you and I will walk personally and physically with God himself. As Adam and Eve once enjoyed unhindered, uninterrupted fellowship with their Father Creator, so shall we.

And if you have any doubts about the truth of this promise, hear the words of the Great Finisher himself,

“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:5)

Blessed is the one who hears God say, “it is finished” for the third time, for it too, will be “good!”

“If our Creator has so bountifully provided for our existence here, which is but momentary, and for our temporal wants, which will soon be forgotten, how much more must He have done for our enjoyment in the everlasting world!” ~Hosea Ballou

Prayer… Father God, I can only imagine what my future home will be like. And best of all, I will be able to commune in perfect fellowship with you, just as Adam once did. Until that day, I will faithfully love, serve and obey you, and long for your appearing.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 20
Meditation: Revelation 20:4

“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been who given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Shift Your Focus… At the end of the earth’s time, after the battle of Armageddon, the most amazing epoch of human history will be ushered in—the millennium.

It will be a time when Satan will be bound for a thousand years and thrown into the bottomless pit (verses 1-3). He will no longer be able to deceive the nations, manipulate institutions to do evil, and tempt people into sin. Imagine that—a world without the devil’s manipulations. That is a perfect world—heaven on earth.

It will also be a time when the people of God rule the earth with Christ’s authority (verses 4-6). They will judge—what they will judge is unclear. It may mean sitting in judgment over all created beings, or it could mean having authority over the nations that have survived the great tribulation. Whatever the case, they will reign with Jesus Christ on Planet Earth for one thousand years.

Then at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit for a short season (verses 7-9). How long that season will be is unclear, but it will be long enough to deceive many people from among the nations over whom the saints have been ruling and reigning during this millennium period.

Amazingly, after living in the perfect conditions of peace, prosperity, health and happiness during the thousand-year reign of Christ, some people will still turn back to Satan. Such is the power of his deception (he truly is the “father of lies” as Jesus called him) and the power of sin in the heart of unredeemed humanity. I agree with C.S. Lewis, who believed that “the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside.” The millennium will be not all that unlike the Garden of Eden—perfect in every way, and yet man still chooses sin.

Perhaps that is the main purpose of the millennium: for God to test the hearts (free will) of those who came out of the great tribulation—to see if they would truly love and serve him and choose righteousness when given an alternative.

At the end of this season, however, God will quickly dispatch Satan, this time for good, into the lake of fire (verse 10). And then the final judgment begins—the Great White Throne judgment. This will be a time when the wicked are judged, from all of human history, and they, like the beast and the false prophet, like Satan himself, will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.

And last of all, both death and the grave will be tossed into that eternal lake as well (verse 14). Sin’s worst consequence, man’s worst enemy—death itself—will be banished forever and ever.

So ends the millennium, wrapping up all the loose ends of sin and its consequences. And now, we are ready for the great “do-over”. Chapters 21-22 will describe life from eternity forward as God originally intended, now recreated for those who have loved him, this time without the possibility of Satan, sin, and suffering.

To be continued…

“Satan, as a master, is bad; his work much worse; and his wages worst of all.” ~Thomas Fuller.”

Prayer… Lord Jesus, how grateful I am that I have been redeemed, and as such, I have no fear of the final judgment and no part in the second death. Your blood has fully and forever covered my sin. Now I am safe and secure for all eternity.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 19
Meditation: Revelation 19:11-12

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself…”

Shift Your Focus… It is only right that all of creation will look upon Jesus Christ as the risen and exalted One. God’s justice demands that those who killed him, literally and figuratively, should one day see him, as verse 16 describes, as “The King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.”

The last time the world had looked upon Jesus, he was hanging on a cross. He had suffered the humiliation of death by crucifixion. He had been whipped, beaten, pierced, and nailed naked to a tree like a common criminal. His executioners mocked him, the crowds jeered him, the religious leaders clucked their self-righteous tongues at him, and Satan laughed at him. He died alone, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and in the eyes of the world, that was the end of the story.

Of course, what the world saw as the humiliation of the Son of God, believers see as God’s perfect plan of redemption: The sacrifice of the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. We love him for willingly enduring the pain, shame and sorrow of the cross. We worship him as the crucified but resurrected Lord. We know that death could not contain him; that he rose victorious over sin and Satan. We know that he is the Master and Ruler of all.

But the world rejects what we know. They still reject Jesus as the Son of God and rightful ruler over all creation, and will continue to do so right up to the end of time as we know it. So God’s justice demands that they see Jesus as the great Spoiler of Satan’s plans, the great Judge of sin, the great Redeemer of those who put their hope in him, the great God and King of all the universe.

And on the day John describes in this chapter, the One riding the white horse whose name is Faithful and True will make a grand entrance onto the great universal stage, and everyone—saints and sinners, demons and the devil, himself—will know Who is really in charge. The saints will be vindicated, sinners will be judged, the beast and the false prophet will be sent packing for all eternity, and Satan will be quaking in his boots—because he knows what is next.

Aren’t you glad you worship Jesus, the risen and exalted One!

“The Lord Jesus Christ would have the whole world to know that though He pardons sin, He will not protect it.”  ~Joseph Alleine

Prayer… Lord Jesus, you are King and Lord of my heart, and one day you will literally rule and reign as King and Lord of all. I worship you now in anticipation of the day when the entire universe will bow its knee and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 18
Meditation: Revelation 18:7

“Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself..”

Shift Your Focus… God’s judgments are never random and thoughtless; they are quite purposeful and specific to the wickedness and idolatry they intend to punish.

When God poured out the ten plagues on Pharaoh and his people during the time of Moses, each divine blow struck right at the heart of Egypt’s worship of their gods. We witness that throughout the Old Testament:  When godless, idolatrous Israel was punished, God’s judgment was never vague as to the reason for the Divine discipline.

We saw previously in Revelation 16 that in the end times, the physical world will be catastrophically shaken as God releases his displeasure on those who have worshiped creation over the Creator. And now, once again, we see how Divine justice will fit the crime as punishment is meted out against the world’s economic system here in Revelation 18.

Perhaps the greatest sin of mankind from time immemorial has been the worship of mammon—money, and the vast and varied evils that have arisen from it.  Empires, nations, systems, businesses and individuals, motivated by greed, the desire to amass wealth and the insatiable lust for more, have perpetrated indescribable wickedness through the history of humanity—slavery, exploitation, the sex trade, poverty, ecological ruin, bribery, injustice, pornography, and war.

But in his final judgment against the humanity, God will bring these economic systems low in a display of Divine shock and awe that will cause humanity to drop its collective jaw:

“When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’  They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’” (Revelation 18:18-19)

God will again strike the world where it hurts—and this time, he will go right for the jugular of human sin:  man’s worship of mighty money.  The punishment will fit the crime:  “God has judged her for the way she treated you.”  (Revelation 18:20)

Of course, this will come at the end of time, but there is a message for believers here and now.  Jesus said it best:

“You cannot serve both God and money…So don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…The judgment will be upon anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 16:13, Matthew 6:19-20, Luke 12:21)

The 18th century Anglican clergyman and hymn-writer, Augustus Toplady, put it this way, “Since much wealth too often proves a snare and an encumbrance in the Christian’s race, let him lighten the weight by ‘dispersing abroad and giving to the poor’; whereby he will both soften the pilgrimage of his fellow travelers, and speed his own way the faster.”

Not a bad way to handle your money in light of what is coming!

“A dreadful thing is the love of money! It disables both eyes and ears, and makes men worse to deal with than a wild beast, allowing a man to consider neither conscience nor friendship nor fellowship nor salvation.” ~John Chrysostom

Prayer…  Father, help me to reject the god of this world—unrighteous money—and store up for myself treasures in heaven.  Help me to be rich toward you with the use of my wealth now.  No matter how much I have, may it always be used to glorify you name and advance your kingdom in this world.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 17
Meditation: Revelation 17:14

“Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

Shift Your Focus…  John uses the names “Babylon” and “the prostitute” symbolically to describe the Roman Empire, which in his day, was Christianity’s fiercest enemy.  In the first century, and in the two that followed, the godless powers of Rome had humiliated, abused, imprisoned, tortured, and mercilessly executed thousands upon thousands of believing men, women and children.

In our day, we may not understand or identify with the early church’s contempt for Rome, but if believing members of your family, or your church family, were being hauled off to prison, persecuted and sent to a slow, tortuous death like in John’s day, you would probably have a strong desire for God’s judgment to be administered as well.

John couches his description of the coming judgment in these cryptic terms so as not to bring any more trouble upon the churches to which he was writing.  Remember, he is writing from the Isle of Patmos, where the Roman government had exiled him simply for declaring his faith in Christ.  In writing this letter to the churches of Asia, he had to be extremely discreet in talking about the coming judgment of that very same Rome.

He chose “Babylon” to describe Rome because the believers would have made the connection, knowing well that Babylon had been Israel’s most destructive enemy.  The historic Babylon had leveled Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, put a stop to Israel’s worship, and carried off God’s people into captivity.  Babylon was a center of godless paganism.  Though she had been an instrument of God’s judgment upon Israel, she was godless, seducing mankind into the worship of false gods.  Thus she was also “the prostitute.”

These terms aptly described Rome, and all that Rome represented.  But John was also writing prophetically of a future time and judgment.  In the greater sense, “Babylon” and “the prostitute” represented the godless world system that had persecuted the church and perpetuated evil over the millennia right up through the end of time.

And at the end of time, this world system will rise up and make war against the God of the universe himself.  But the Lamb of God, who died for the sins of the world as God’s perfect atonement for sin, thus defeating the devil, death, and hell, will now put the exclamation mark on the victory he secured at Calvary by finally and forever defeating this evil world system at Armageddon.

Jesus may be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, but he is also the Lion of Judah who will destroy sin and the world system that perpetuated it once and for all in the final judgment.

Unfortunately in our time, especially in our western culture, many believers have become far too cozy with the world. May John’s words reawaken us to the world’s true identity, and it’s ultimate destiny.  May we take to heart the Apostle’s words from one of his letters, I John 1:15-17:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

I am going with the Lamb of God!  How about you?

“I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer…  Dear God, open my eyes to see the true wickedness of this world system; that in reality, it is nothing more than the ancient Babylon dressed in the seductive clothing of modern culture. Remind me daily that it is destined for destruction.  Transform my desires into an unquenchable thirst for another world, the world that you have reserved for me, and for all who love you and are called to be your children.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 16
Meditation: Revelation 16:1-2

“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.’ The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land…”

Shift Your Focus… The earth is going to hell in a handbasket! Just you wait and see.

Now don’t get me wrong—I love our planet. My primary pathway of worship is through nature. I love the outdoors and I feel closest to God when I am in the wonder and beauty of his creation. I love the smell of a cedar forest, hiking through the awe-inspiring majesty of the redwoods, rafting Class 5 rapids on a pristine mountain stream, gazing at the unmatched wonder of a Pacific sunset, gazing at the Milky Way Galaxy on a clear night from the Arizona desert…

You’ll get no argument from me that God was at his finest when he created the earth.

But have you noticed in the last few years how man’s appreciation for the beauty of nature has turned to earth-worship. Stewardship of the environment has turned to radical environmentalism. Eco-terror is on the rise. The new political muscle of the green movement now thwarts common sense use of the earth’s resources at every turn.

We are living in a time when man worships the creation more than its Creator.

So we shouldn’t be surprised that when God brings final judgment on the wickedness of mankind, he will hit where it really hurts—in the very area where we have become most idolatrous: The earth.

The very planet that is now worshiped is going to take a beating. God will give the seven angels who administer his judgment power to harm the earth. Plagues will break forth, the oceans will become polluted like never before, rivers and streams will turn putrid, global warming will become global baking, the cosmos will be darkened without remedy, massive earthquakes will destroy great portions of the developed world and everyday weather patterns will become man’s worst enemy.

In short, God will turn the physical world upside down as punishment for those who have chosen to worship it over him.

Keep that in mind in the coming years as the environmental movement grows stronger and stronger, when it turns from a movement into a religion, when you will face increasing pressure to bow at the altar of environmental consciousness, and when coercion and isolation are imposed on those who do not take such a view of the earth. That day is coming, friend, so don’t be caught off guard.

But keep in mind also that God will take down this altar of idolatry like he has with every other god and godless system in the past that has set itself against him. God will tolerate no other god before him.

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”?(Exodus 20:3-6)

Enjoy earth—while it lasts—but worship God.

“Now if I believe in God’s Son and remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a hundred times more beautiful to me than before. Then I will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, apples, as I reflect that he is Lord over all things. …God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” ~Martin Luther

Prayer… Lord, you are the Creator of all. You alone are worthy to be praised and adored. I give you glory and honor, and I worship you in the splendor of your creation. You rule and reign over all that exist. You are Lord of all!

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 15
Meditation: Revelation 15:2-3

“And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and it’s image and over the number of its name. They held harps given by God.”

Shift Your Focus… Satan is a powerful foe, and the pure wickedness of his being will be fully unleashed during the great tribulation.  He will dominate the world through his deception, destroying anything and anyone who stands in his way.  Countless numbers of lives will be lost in the most horrible way by those who refuse to worship him.

Ah…but there’s his Achilles Heel:  Those who “refuse” to worship him.  Satan is powerfully evil, make no mistake about that, but he holds no power over those who refuse him.  And when he destroys them, he actually releases them to their ultimate victory—Christian death, which happens also to be his worst defeat.

John wrote in the previous chapter, Revelation 14:13, “Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.”  Satan can dominate, he can deceive, he can tempt, he can inflict harm, he can destroy the body—but he cannot kill the redeemed spirit.  And with the simple refusal of a believer, the mighty Satan is felled.

John is describing what will happen in the end times, in the great tribulation, but do you want to see the devil’s defeat now?  Simply refuse him.  Refuse to give in to that temptation you are facing.  Refuse to give into the anger you feel rising in your spirit.  Refuse to gratify your flesh.  Refuse to allow Satan to sow doubt that would cause you to question God’s Word.

Refuse Satan, and press in to God like never before.  Surrender to his will. Obey his Word.  Love, serve and forgive the people in your life.  Put God’s kingdom first in everything you say, think and do, and by so doing, you cause Satan’s defeat.

Die to yourself and live for Christ, and by so doing, you cause Satan’s defeat.  And should the time come when you face physical death for your faith, gladly and bravely die the blessed death, for by so refusing to give in to Satan, your death releases your greatest victory and the devil’s worst defeat.

“Death stung himself to death when he stung Christ.”  ~William Romaine

Prayer…  Lord, should it be your will, I would consider it a privilege to join the ranks of those who handed Satan his worst defeat.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 14
Meditation: Revelation 14:7

“The Angel said in a loud voice, ‘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.’”

Shift Your Focus… If you have taken the time to read Revelation over the past few days, you probably got to the end of these chapters and said, “Huh?”  Don’t feel bad, so have I.  I have actually had to reread some chapters two or three times, and even then, I’ve needed to consult some of my commentaries just to make some semblance of sense out of them.  That is one of the reasons why, on the one hand, some believers are completely intimidated by Revelation specifically, and Bible prophecy in general, and on the other hand, why some believers come up with such far-fetched ideas about the end times. It is not the easiest book in the Bible to wrap your brain around!

Obviously, an extraordinary amount of symbolism is used in these chapters, and likewise, the Apostle John was trying to find language to describe future events for which there had been no human experience. Can you imagine someone in 90 AD in exile on the Island of Patmos seeing into the future during the 21st century and trying to describe computers, the Internet, cell phones, airplanes, electricity, and so forth?  No wonder his language seems pretty strange!

Suffice it to say that what John is describing in these chapters is the final knock-down-drag-out battle that occurs in heaven between God and Satan.  The object of Satan’s murderous rampage is the complete and utter annihilation of Christ and his people.  And even though we may not be able to accurately discern the details of John’s writing, we can certainly grasp his bottom-line:

God rules, Satan looses and we win!

One of the things historians, political commentators and sportscasters love to do is to do post game analyses on significant contests—wars, elections and Superbowls.  Revelation 12:10-11 affords us a rare post-game analysis before the event even happens.  It tells us how the spectacular defeat of Satan and the unlikely victory of the church takes place. And the Apostle John, the human author of this book, gives us two critical game-changers:

First, the game was already won before it got played when Christ died on the cross and rose again the third day.  He says, “they [that is, the church, followers of Jesus, you and me] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb.”  When Jesus spilled his pure, sinless blood on the cross for the redemption of mankind, the dye was cast.  When he rose from death on that first Easter morning, Satan’s doom was sealed.  Checkmate!  Game, set and match!  Game over!

But there’s more—the game of all games still had to be played.  The second critical game-changer which secured the victory of Christ occurred as his followers lived out their faith not only in life, but they put their trust in his redemptive work on the line even in the face of death. John says Satan was defeated by the “word of their testimony…they did not love their lives so much as to even shrink from death.”

The blood of the Lamb—that’s accomplished fact!  The word of your testimony—that’s being lived out even as we speak.  It is still “game on,” and we are going to kick Satan’s tail.  It won’t be easy, but go to the end of the book and get a sneak peak at the final outcome:  We win!

Now go out there and win this thing for Christ!

“He who burst the bars of death was thereby declared to be the Son of God with power. Since the resurrection morning there has never been–there could not be–the slightest question as to His final rulership of the world. Death was conquered, Satan was conquered, and He proclaimed the wearer of the name above every name. His final triumph was hence merely a question of the fullness of time. And He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, from henceforth expecting till His enemies are made His footstool. This Easter morning certifies us of that approaching day, and with, as it were, the foregleams of its glory on our faces and the stirrings of its mighty joy in our hearts, bids us watch and pray and look for the coming of the King.” ~E.P. Goodwin

Prayer…  Lord, it is not always easy.  You never promised it would be.  But you did promise to be with us always, even until the end of the world.  Be with me today, and empower me to live out my blood-bought testimony in a way that honors you—even to the point of not loving my life so much as to shrink from death.

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 13
Meditation: Revelation 13:18

“This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”

Shift Your Focus… Revelation 13:11-17 teaches that half way through the seven-year period known as the great tribulation, everyone, without exception, will be required to have the “mark of the beast” on their right hand or forehead in order to buy and sell. Verse 18 then talks about something that has been speculated on, twisted and contorted more that anything else in the Bible: The number of the beast, which is 666.

So just what does 666 mean?

Someone pointed out years ago that there were 6 letters each in the late president Ronald Wilson Reagan’s full name. Throughout history, this 666-theory has been attributed to various popes, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, JFK, Kissinger, and so on. Take your pick—it’s the beast du jour!  There has also been speculation that the “mark” might refer to your social security number, or that it has to do with credit cards, or that it is embedded in bar codes on products.

Here’s what I think: In Hebrew, the number 6 simply represents man, while the number 7 represents God. Done in triplicate, these numbers represent completeness. So triple 7 represents the perfection of God; triple 6, then, represents the ultimate humanist—man totally without and opposed to God—the Antichrist, no more, no less.

Now the prophecy about the “mark of the beast” is exceptionally sobering because the next chapter, Revelation 14:9-11, says, “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…” This is describing that time when the wages of sin will be paid out in the currency of God’s wrath as the great tribulation comes to an end with the battle of Armageddon.

That’s what the future holds—we know that.  But what we don’t know is when that future will become the present.  It could be this year; it might be a hundred years from now. We just don’t know for sure.  Neither do we have a clue as to “the Beast’s” identity, so there is really no need to speculate as to who it will be.

But I do think that it would be wise for us to keep an eye out for the “spirit of antichrist,” because it is already here.  And since it represents the ultimate perfection of humanity independent from God, it is going to seem pretty attractive to this old world.  That’s why we need to be on high alert for anything and everything that betters humanity but leaves God out of the picture.

Just know this: The “spirit of antichrist” now, and the real “Antichrist” to come, is and will be so attractive, not because of pure and obvious evil, but because of apparent “good” … good without God, that is.

And that has always been Satan’s stock-in-trade—from the beginning of human history when he deceived Adam and Eve right up to the deceptiveness of this current day when there is so much potential for the betterment of humanity but so little room for God.

In that sense, antichrist is already here.  So make sure you stay aligned with the winning team—and at all times, keep God in the center of all that you are and all that you do!

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  ~Corrie Ten Boom

Prayer…  Lord, there are many things about tomorrow I don’t understand.  But I know Who holds the future.  And I know Who holds my hand!