Day 359: Revelation 16:1-21

“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”- Revelation‬ ‭16:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In each of John’s three visions (seals, trumpets, bowls), there is an interlude between numbers six and seven. Each of the pauses hammers home the idea of us all taking time to think about how we are living now, given the future.

In this interlude in Chapter 16, Jesus presses pause on the intensity of the bowls filled with wrath to give us a picture of whom He sees as blessed.

SIDE NOTE: These bowls also resemble the plagues in Egypt as you unpack them.

The word Jesus uses here for blessed is makarios, the same word He used during His famous beatitudes of Matthew 5. It means, in a fuller sense, someone whom God looks at and says, “How happy, how lucky, how fortunate!”

We are blessed, in Jesus’ eyes, if we do two things:

1)   Stay awake >> Be among those who will not be surprised at His thief-like coming.  We are ever watchful.

2)   Keep our clothes on >> In Galatians 3:27, Paul says that when we were baptized into Christ, we clothed ourselves with Him, and this by faith in Jesus.

May we keep this especially in mind with Christmas being today!

“Those, then, who are aware of the fact that Christ could come at any moment and therefore stay and maintain watchfulness and vigilance remain clothed in the righteousness bestowed on them by Christ, and they are blessed.” - Paige Patterson, Revelation, page 312

Day 358: Revelation 15:1-8

“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!’” - Revelation‬ ‭15:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This chapter in Revelation is soaked in Exodus language. One of the more vivid pictures is the church standing beside the sea of glass (verse 2). Moses had commanded the Israelites to “stand by and see the salvation of the Lord.” (Exodus 14:13)

In the same way, God, in a final act of judgment, will be setting all things right. There will be no more martyrs to make out of the chosen.

It is a powerful song that we will sing, accompanied by our harp playing. If you’ve ever wanted to play guitar and just never took the time to learn — your day is coming.

We will declare that our God is not just our King, He is also the King of the nations. We, as the church of Jesus, are the most diverse group on the planet, but not everyone will choose to worship beforehand.

There is not an inch on this earth where God is not King, but not everyone acknowledges that truth (yet).

What can we do right now? Let’s start practicing now for what we will do then. May we praise the King of nations and give him our hearts this Christmas.

Every knee will bow; the question is, will we wait till it’s too late, or will we confess Jesus as Lord now? (Psalm 86:9, Philippians 2:10)

”The song of Moses commemorated the greatest deliverance in the history of God’s people; and the victorious martyrs, brought through the sea of persecution to the promised land of heaven, sing that song.” - William Barclay, Revelation, Vol. 2, page 135

Day 357: Revelation 14:1-20

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” - Revelation 14:13

Before we get to this verse and the overall scope of chapter 14, I wanted to drop a quote in here about verse 4. It is one that may be confusing and derail us from getting what we should out of the rest of the verses.

“Verse 4 does not mean that all of the ‘144,000’ redeemed saints are celibate males, or that sex itself is sinful. We have seen that, throughout Revelation, adultery, fornication, prostitution, and sexual promiscuity are common images for idolatry—that is, for relationships with gods other than the true creator and Lord of all. By calling them ‘pure/virgins,’ John characterizes Christians as persons who shun the kind of idolatry involved in Roman emperor worship and other pagan religions.” - Christopher A. Davis

Now, back to the full scope of the chapter. In chapters 12-13, we are given a close-up of the events to happen just before Jesus’s return. Chapter 14 zooms in on the final judgment between those who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” and those who follow themselves (ultimately, the Devil).

What we do now will follow us into eternity. What we want now will determine what we receive after this life.

While an eternal hell seems like an extreme punishment to most of us, we need to keep in mind that God will give us what we want. Life apart from Him is no life at all. We may be able to fake it here and now as long as our health and finances hold out, but that won’t be possible at the end of our time on earth.

I pray this gives us all more of an urgency to follow Jesus and help others do the same. It is the best life possible, both now and for eternity.

Day 356: Revelation 13:1-18

“…and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” - Revelation 13:8 ESV

This chapter in John's Revelation has run wild with various interpretations. Not only that, but each generation of Christians seems to be ready to identify someone in their context as the beasts pictured here. To make matters more confusing, John takes the four beasts of Daniel 7 and he melds them into one with the first beast he describes.

It is good to remember that this was originally written to first-century Christians in Asia Minor (Turkey). They were finding it harder and harder to hold to their faith in Jesus and survive. 

Roman taxation and the vanity of the current Caesar, Domitian, made life difficult if you followed Jesus. Domitian insisted on being called "lord," "savior," or "son of the gods." Sound familiar?

The biggest tactic of the Devil is to produce a faux Jesus for us to follow, but we know that the imitation never holds a candle to the original.

If it hasn't already, following Jesus will cost you dearly. You will lose friends, financial gain, and perhaps your own life.

Even so, we know our place is secure. Verse 8 declares that before God said, "Let there be light," He knew you would turn to Him in complete faith. Soak this in. He even wrote your name down. Before you had a name, He knew it.

So no matter what following Jesus will cost us, we know it will be completely worth it.

"John wants his little handful of persecuted Christians to see that the thing that matters is the sovereignty of God, not the power of evil. When a man’s name is written in the book of life he will not be forgotten. His place is secure." - Morris, L. (1987). Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 20, p. 164)

Day 355: Revelation 12:1-17

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testim loved not their lives even unto death.” - Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our reading for today is a timeline roller coaster, and it can be confusing to identify the characters in play. One of the characters that is pretty easy to identify is our enemy. In this passage alone, he is called:

• Satan (accuser/adversary)

• Devil (slanderer)

• Serpent (Genesis 3)

• Deceiver (leads the whole world astray)

• Dragon (great shimmering serpent)

Wow, this is pretty daunting to think about us having to deal with an enemy who has been at his game for so long. How are we supposed to resist such an opponent that aims to destroy us?   (John 10:10)

John makes it clear as he writes how Christians did and will overcome our enemy:

1. Blood of the Lamb

2. Word of our testimony

3. We do not love this life too much that we refuse to lose it.

Jesus “threw down” the Devil and his demons when He shed His blood. This sacrifice allows us to come to Him by faith. When God saves us through Jesus, it produces for us a testimony to share. As we grow in our faith, we will get to the point where dying for Jesus is something we would welcome and see as an honor.

With these three, the Devil cannot cope. Jesus is too strong, and our testimonies of His work among us are irrefutable. Victory is found in Christ alone.

"Unless people are certain that they have been justified through faith (to use Paul’s language, Rom. 5:1), they have no hope of standing up against the devil’s accusations." - Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 212)

Day 354: Revelation 11:1-19

“Then 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 ‭ESV‬‬

The big question of Revelation 11 is, “Who are the two witnesses.” We don’t really know. Moses and Elijah? Joshua and Zerubbabel? Maybe a touch of all four?

We do know that a lot of the language used to describe these two witnesses is the same that was used earlier in Revelation in describing the church, especially the martyrs (the same Greek word for witness—martys). So these two could very well represent the church. Deuteronomy 19:15 shows that the law required a testimony to be confirmed by two or three witnesses.

Regardless, as we come to verse 15, we get yet another angle on what the return of Jesus will be like.

Heaven and earth will become permanently merged.

Christians, for almost two thousand years, have prayed the Lord’s Prayer, which was taught by Jesus. The seventh trumpet being blown is a fulfillment of that prayer:  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

When Jesus returns, all wrongs will be made right. There is something deep inside all of us that groans and longs for this to take place.

"This statement, which inspired the great 'Hallelujah Chorus' of Handel’s 'Messiah,' offers one of the best definitions of the consummated kingdom of God in Revelation. All worldly authorities must step aside as God and his Christ mount the throne, bringing everything in the universe under their sovereign will." - Davis, C. A. (2000). Revelation (p. 243)

Day 353: Revelation 10:1-11

“I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.” - Revelation 10:10 NIV

To start today's post, it is fitting to share Eugene Peterson's quote (from “Eat This Book”):

“The reading that John is experiencing is not of the kind that equips us to pass an examination. Eating a book takes it all in, assimilating it into the tissues of our lives. Readers become what they read. If Holy Scripture is to be something other than mere gossip about God, it must be internalized. Most of us have opinions about God that we are not hesitant to voice. But just because a conversation (or sermon or lecture) has the word ‘God’ in it, does not qualify it as true. The angel does not instruct St. John to pass on information about God; he commands him to assimilate the word of God so that when he does speak, it will express itself artlessly in his syntax just as the food we eat, when we are healthy, is unconsciously assimilated into our nerves and muscles and put to work in speech and action."

This book that John eats is at first sweet and then turns sour. God is calling back to Jeremiah 15:16 and Ezekiel 3:1-3 (they were also commanded to eat Scripture). In those messages, the prophets were not given an easy task. They had to communicate the ins and outs of God's judgment to Israel.

Though God's word satisfies the deepest longing of our hearts to be loved (it is sweet), it also confronts us in our darkness and won't be content with seeing us languish in our sins.

Every time we choose to open our Bibles to read, study, meditate, and apply, we know that Jesus will not leave us where He found us. He loves us too much to do that. There is no other meal on earth that can offer this kind of experience.

You are loved. Still, there are changes that must take place.

Day 56: Mark 8:11-38

“And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?”' - Mark 8:17 ESV

What Jesus has done (past tense) in our lives is always an indicator of what he can do right now (and in the future). But we are so quick to forget. A lack of memory when it comes to God's faithfulness causes us to panic. Just like the disciples (who were wondering about the next meal), we often wonder if God cares enough to sustain us for today. Jesus said them (and says to us today), “Do you not remember?” (vs 18)

Recently, I was preaching at a church nearby. You always notice those who are really affirming as you speak. One older lady in the 8:30 am service was especially tracking what I was saying. I made a point to thank her after the service for being so encouraging as she sat in the audience. She said something that I'll never forget: "I still remember what God saved me from." What God had done in her life decades ago was still playing on a loop in her heart and mind.

What was her secret? It was clear: Daily interaction with God through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Christians.

May we never let the worries of today keep us from remembering the supernatural provisions of yesterday.

Cole's comments on this verse are especially helpful as we close: "It is not their discussion which is being condemned, but the lack both of faith and of spiritual perceptiveness which had given rise to the discussion in the first place. They are still as blind and spiritually obtuse as ever: This is what grieves Jesus. Even the experience of God’s provision of their physical needs during their preaching trip of chapter 6 (note especially v. 8 no bread), had left no mark on them." - Cole, R. A. (1989). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 202)

Day 311: Hebrews 8:1-13

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” - Hebrews 8:12 ESV

This section is a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34. The theme of that Old Testament passage is centered around the promise of the Israelites' return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile. Yet Jeremiah (by the Holy Spirit) is intentionally overshooting in his prophecy to the time when the Messiah (Jesus) would arrive to set up a new covenant.

The way he speaks of sin here would have been mind-blowing to a Jewish reader, largely because of their continued need for sacrifices. The cycle for them included piles of sin that would need rolling back regularly. Sin was never truly satisfied and driven out by "the blood of bulls and goats” (Hebrews 10:4).

Does God really forget our sins when He forgives us via the blood of Jesus?

God is omniscient (all-knowing), but now our sin account is paid in full. Donald Gutherie writes that this passage "is reassuring because it means that forgiveness is complete. There will be no possibility of sins, once forgiven, being brought against the people of God."

May this motivate us to avoid all that for which Jesus has paid the price. Nothing is worth compromising the lavish act of grace that was made on our behalf, especially the temporary thrill that sin offers.

Day 310: Hebrews 7:18-28

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” - Hebrews‬ ‭7:25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have you ever done something halfway but knew there was enough time to go back and do it the right way? Maybe this is because of a deadline or due to your procrastination. Some of us are perfectionists. Therefore, we won’t do anything unless it can be done to our standards. So, in this case, it is either 100% or 0%.

How does Jesus do things? In our passage today, it says that he does them “to the uttermost.” That is to say, “to the max.” This is the description of the way He saves His people, you and me.

Not only that (I mean, can there be more?), but Jesus also lives to pray for us, to be our Advocate.

This truth should make us feel loved today. Have you had a bad week or a bad year? Jesus is for you. He proves this in the way He interacts with us.

Grace
Mercy
Righteousness
Prayers
Fighting for us every day.

Donald Guthrie is right on as he writes, ”The meaning seems to be that as long as the high priest functions, he is able to save, a thought which is strengthened by the words he always lives (pantote zōn).”

All that’s left is for you to draw near to God through Jesus. Confess, repent, be baptized, or come back. He’s waiting to fight for you with open arms.