Category Archives: Revelation

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Let The Punishment Fit The Crime

Read Revelation 18

“Give her as much torture and grief as the
glory and luxury she gave herself..”
(Revelation 18:7)

Thoughts… 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 19:21)

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!

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.

One More Thing… “One verse in every six in the first three Gospels relates either directly or indirectly to money. Sixteen of our Lord’s forty-four parables deal with the use of misuse of money. A loving, joyful, liberal giving to the Lord’s work is an acid test of a spiritual heart, pleasing to God.” — William Allen

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Lamb Of God—Lion of Judah

Read Revelation 17

“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.”
(Revelation 17:14)

Thoughts… 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 2:15-17:

“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.”

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.

One More Thing… “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

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Hitting Them Where It Hurts

Read Revelation 16

“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…”
(Revelation 16:1-2)

Thoughts… 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 Milkyway 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 alter 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)

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!

One More Thing… “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

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Satan’s Achilles Heel

Read Revelation 15

“And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and,
standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious
over the beast and his image and over the number
of his name. They held harps given them by
God and sang the song … of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 15:2-3)

Thoughts… 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 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.

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.

One More Thing… “Death stung himself to death when he stung Christ.” —William Romaine

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It Won’t Be Easy, But We Win!

Read Revelation 14

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.”
(Revelation 14:12)

Thoughts… 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’ve 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’s 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. Likewise, the Apostle John, the human author of this book, was trying to find language to describe future events for which there had been no previous human experience. Can you imagine someone in 90 AD in exile on the Island of Patmos seeing into the future during the year 2008 and trying to describe computers, the Internet, cell phones, airplanes, electricity, Costco, and so forth? No wonder John’s language here in Revelation 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 between God and Satan. The object of Satan’s murderous rampage is the complete and utter annihilation of Christ and his people. God’s objective is to bring evil to an end, and launch a fully redeemed and recreated universe. And even though we may not be able to accurately discern the details of John’s writing, we can certainly grasp his bottom-line regarding this cosmic conflict:

God rules, Satan loses, and we win!

I like that, don’t you? If you have any doubts about that, just go to the end of this book and you will find that Jesus wins. And if Jesus wins, so do we.

We’re going to win, my fiend. It won’t be easy, but the outcome of the final battle has been predetermined. Now that you’ve been reminded that you’re on the wining side, get out there, exercise some patient endurance, and bring this victory home for Jesus!

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.

One More Thing… “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

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666

Read Revelation 13

“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.”
(Revelation 13:18)

Thoughts… 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 is 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!

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!

One More Thing… “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” —Corrie Ten Boom

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What You Don’t See

Read Revelation 12

“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels
fought against Satan and his angels.”
(Revelation 12:7)

Thoughts… There is an unseen dimension that is just as real as the seen. And it is filled with warfare. The cosmic conflict between God and Satan rages all around you all the time.

And, by the way, in a very real sense, you are the object of this war. Satan hates God, and everything of God—and that includes you. He works tirelessly and cunningly to defeat and destroy you.

You can be totally unaware of it—although you would do well to wise up to it; you can ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist; you can call those who acknowledge it kooky charismatics and hyper-spiritualists—but that does not diminish the reality of spiritual warfare.

Daniel 10:12-14 refers to it as the cause for delayed answers to prayer. Ephesians 6:12 says that it is the true source of conflict in the Christian life. And here in Revelation 12, we see that it will be one of the battlegrounds in the ultimate fight for control over the future of this present world.

Until Satan is finally thrown into the lake of fire, spiritual warfare in the unseen dimension will continue to be a reality of life. The good news is, as I’ve just mentioned, we know the final outcome. God wins—Satan loses! And all who belong to God will be victorious.

In the meantime, as the battle rages, we would do well to stay alert to it, armor up, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 6:13, and fight the good fight!

Yes, the battle rages—all round you. So be careful out there today—and go give ‘em heaven!

Prayer… Lord, before I begin my day I put on the whole armor of God. I am ready for battle, and I will not be unaware of the devil and his devices. I will fight the good fight and I will walk in the victory that you have already secured for me. I will overcome.

One More Thing… “There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan” — C.S. Lewis