Beginning of the End

 

There are many interpretations of Revelation and much disagreement. I have a commentary that looks at this last NT book through OT thinking. It helps with the symbolism. Also, someone recently pointed out that what John saw could be tanks, helicopters and other items that were not in existence at that time so he described them the best he could. 

However, God always reveals what His people need to know; therefore, I can trust Him to do that. He also says I will be blessed as I read this NT book. Today, it is chapters 7 to 12.

John saw 144,000, sealed from every tribe of Israel and then: 

A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 

One of the elders said: “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” My commentary says these were the martyrs of John’s time, but the text does not confirm this, only that they worshiped Jesus Christ.

Then an angel offered incense and prayers of all those before God’s throne and this rose before God. Then seven angels with seven trumpets begin to cry out. The first four told of woes that would destroy one-third of almost everything. Another angel cried, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (Revelation 8:13)

The first of these last three woes is described with detail:

Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. (Revelation 9:3–6)

The next woe was the release of four angels to kill one-third of humanity, but even those who were not killed “did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood. . . . nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20–21) Such a horror!

Then, as John was about to write what he was seeing, he was told, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 

There is more. Two witnesses show up “who will prophesy for 1,260 days” then be killed by “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit” and those still alive will, “make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.” 

Then an earthquake and more deaths, and the third woe soon to come, without any description, except the the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying: 

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

More severe cosmic events and a war in heaven follow as the angels fight the “dragon” and defeat him. Then Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, is thrown down with his angels. Then John hears this: 

Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:7–11)

PRAY: Oh Lord, after this, another war ensues, but its meaning and symbolism are not clear to me. What is clear is that those enemies — the world, the flesh, and the devil — are defeated and You win and all who trust You are conquerors also.

God's Patience

Some say that the world is in rebellion against God. This is based on media reports. However, in Christian circles the news of thousands putting their faith in Christ does not get reported by secular media. 

This is one reason for caution in predicting the return of Christ. However, Scripture does give hints that His second coming is marked by current events. The NT gives a description that could be contemporary:

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. . . . And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:3–12)

God still remains to be patient, yet as one author says, He might be holding back His visible wrath, yet that delay could be more dreadful than a quick punishment for sin. In not striking down those who rebel against Him, He is allowing them to do their own thing out of the hardness and corruption of their hearts without any striving with them, therefore making themselves even more fit fuel for his vengeance. “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:12)

Even though this seems like patience, it is part of God’s judgment in that increased sin will certainly give those who are judged an eternity to reflect on the length of His divine patience on earth, and their inexcusable abuse of it.

As for God's patience, He reigns in the midst of his enemies to show his power over Himself, as well as over sinful rebels. He suffers a great interval of time between the saying what He will do and the performance of it — to show that He has not forgotten His word, or repented of it, or neglects it that sinners might not perish, but change their minds. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God would rather be pleased with a conversion than the destruction of rebels. 

It is a terror that God has anger, but a deep hope for me that He is slow to it in the lives of those on my prayer list. Jesus died for my sin and faith in Him assures me of no more condemnation, yet I shudder for those who resist His saving mercy. However, I cannot save them, only share Jesus with them, pray and do whatever God asks of me.

I’m to pray for those who also share the gospel — that the word of the Lord may be honored, and that God will protect them from evil and from those without faith. God is faithful and will guard us. May we who do believe have confidence concerning His power in our lives so we will do what He says and direct our hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. I’m not to get tired of doing good, and that includes kindness to those who have not yet arrived where God wants them to be. (2 Thessalonians 3:1–17)

PRAY: Thank You Lord Jesus Christ for loving me and giving me great hope through Your patience and grace. Please continue to comfort my heart as I pray for others to be brought to faith and then established in every good work and word.

Don’t put it off . . .

 

READ Revelation 15–19

We all have days when life is no fun at all and the Second Coming has great appeal. I feel like that today. No energy. No appetite. Body feels as if it is floating in mud. A good day to read about the last days of earth and be reminded that this no-fun-Covid thing will pass, but when God pours out His end-of-time wrath, nothing will ever be the same again.

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. (Revelation 15:1)

Those seven plagues began with the sanctuary filled with smoke from the glory of God and no one could enter it until the plagues were finished. Soon the first angel poured out his bowl and all who worshipped the beast were covered with sores. The second followed by pouring his bowl into the sea. It became like blood and every living thing in the sea died.

The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water and they became blood. Then John heard the angel in charge of the waters say that this was justice from God for those saints and prophets who were slain. He was giving their persecutors blood to drink.

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. (16:2–9)

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast with a similar result. Its (note: beast has no gender) kingdom was plunged into darkness, but while people were in anguish they cursed God for their pain and did not repent.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Then out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, came unclean demonic spirits who went to the world’s kings and assembled them for battle at a place called Armageddon.

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (16:10–21)

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more” (18:21) and after this John heard loud voices cry out: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” (19:1–2) There was more shouting:

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (19:6–9)

John then sees the beast and kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the Lord and His army. The beast and false prophet were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire and everything else was slain by the sword from the mouth of the Lord. (19:19–21)

Even though I’d like the evil of sickness gone now, knowing evil will be destroyed is an assurance and guarding against evil seems easier. How pointless that some think ‘have fun while there still is time’ as if this is a worthwhile trade for the results. The only trade for ‘fun’ is eternal torment.

Besides, the minor torment of being ill is nothing compared to the wrath of God against sinners. This gives me a greater burden to share the good news. No one needs to face the wrath of God because God sent His Son to bear the wrath we deserve. This is His incredible gift of grace, but it must be received before those awful days come that John describes in Revelation when it is too late.