Category Archives: Revelation

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Jesus, Risen and Exalted One

Read Revelation 19:1-21

“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…”
(Revelation 19:11-12)


Thoughts… It is only right that all of creation see Jesus 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 all alone and was buried in a borrowed tomb, and in the eyes of the world, that was all there was to that.

Of course, what the world saw as the humiliation of the Son of God, we saw 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 they need to see, because God’s justice demands it, that Jesus is 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 is describing, 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!

Prayer… Lord Jesus, you are King and Lord of my heart, and one day you will rule and reign as King and Lord 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.

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

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Let The Punishment Fit The Crime

Read Revelation 18:1-24

“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 which they are intended 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 same thing 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, economic 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 (Luke 16:13, Matthew 6:19-20, Luke 19:21):

“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.”

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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The Lamb Is A Lion

Read Revelation 17:1-18

“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 very discreet in talking about the coming judgment of that 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 his victory he secure 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 once and for all in the final judgment.

Unfortunately in our time and 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 ultimately destiny. May we take to heart the Apostle’s words from another of his letters:

“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 John 1:15-17)

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 and sophisticated clothing of a 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 12:18-13:18

“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, taking in the panorama of the Rocky Mountains from Pikes Peak to Long’s Peak, gazing at the unmatched wonder of a Pacific sunset from Maui beach, 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 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 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 destroy this altar of idolatry like he has destroyed every other god and godless system that has set itself against him. God will tolerate no other god before him. Never forget the first of the ten great commandments his gave his people:

“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 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 15:1-8

“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 God’s will. Obey God’s Word. Love, serve and forgive the people God has placed in your life. Put God’s kingdom first in everything you say, think and do, and by so doing, you cause Satan’s defeat.

When you die to yourself and live for Christ, you cause irreparable harm to Satan’s cause. Surrender to God and refuse Satan, and the Evil One is defeated. 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… I say “yes,” Lord, “yes,” to your will and to your way!

One More Thing… “If God is for us, who can be against us? … We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” —Romans 8:31 & 37

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666

Read Revelation 12:18-13:18

“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.”
(Revelation 13:18)

Thoughts… Revelation teaches that half way through the seven-year period known as the great tribulation, everybody will be required to take the “mark of the beast” in order to buy and sell. Revelation 13:11-17 says that the beast will force everyone, without exception, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless without the mark.

Verse 18 talks about something that has been speculated on and twisted and contorted more that anything else in the Bible: The beast’s number: 666.

So just what does 666 mean?

Someone pointed out years ago that in the name of the former president, Ronald Wilson Reagan, each name contains 6 characters. Throughout history, this 666-theory has been attributed to various popes, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, JFK, Kissinger, you name it. Someone once called me to let me know that George Bush, Sr. was the beast.

I’m not sure who now is the beast du jour!

There’s also speculation that the “mark” is your social security number, or credit cards, or the bar codes on products—so people look for 666 imbedded there.

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; the triple 6 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 scary 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…”

It will be a time when the wages of sin will be paid out in the currency of God’s wrath. Then this great tribulation will end with the battle of Armageddon, in which Jesus returns to earth to defeat the armies of darkness, and then establish his 1000-year reign.

That’s what the future holds.

Most people think how nice it would be to look into the future to get a glimpse of what’s going to happen? Have you ever wished for that ability? Have you ever thought, “If I had only known what those Microsoft stocks would do…why was I so mean to that nerdy guy, Billy Gates, in high school? Why didn’t I come up with the idea for Ipod?”

Wouldn’t it be nice to see into the future! Or would it? After getting this sneak preview here in Revelation about the great tribulation and the rule of the beast, you may change your mind about knowing what will happen next. This future looks pretty scary.

There’s a story about a frog who went to a fortune-teller. The fortune-teller looked into her crystal ball and said, “You’re going to meet a beautiful young woman. And from the moment she sets eyes on you, she’ll have an insatiable appetite to know all about you…she’ll be compelled to get close to you…you will fascinate her.”

The frog was beside himself with excitement. “Where will I meet her? At the gym…at a single’s bar…where will I meet this beauty?”

The fortune-teller replied, “In a high school biology class.”

Sometimes, it’s better off not knowing the future, especially when you preview the tribulation and the reign of the beast. From a purely human perspective, the future is frightening. But here’s the deal: We don’t have to fear the future—either the prophetic future or the future we’ll wake up to tomorrow.

We don’t have to fear what is going to happen in Washington, or Baghdad, or Teheran, or in he Middle East …or the doctor’s diagnosis or the pink slip at work, or what is going to happen to social security in 20 years.

When we to come to the point of faith that understands God is the God of history—past, present and future, we can place all of our worries and concerns in his hand. He rules over all. Daniel 2:21 reminds us that God changes times and seasons, he controls world rulers, and he is orchestrating the events of the future in order to bring about his plan for the ages…and for my life.

And though we don’t know all the details of the future, nor even agree on the details we do know, we do know the bottom line of the future: God rules!

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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The Unseen Realm

Read Revelation 12:1-17

“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 this invisible realm will be one of the chief 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.

But in the meantime, the battle rages, and we would do well to stay alert to it, armor up, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 6, 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