December 28, 2016
John saw the curtains of heaven drawn back and Christ making His triumphal entry. The former entry that Jesus made into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was a foreshadowing of this. On that day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, coming as the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world. Yet, John saw a day coming when Christ would appear riding on a white stallion as the Lord of lords and King of kings, sent to judge and make war against those who have rebelled against God and rejected His Son. Jesus has already won the victory against sin and Satan on the cross. The final skirmish will soon be here.
December 27, 2016
“Another” voice called out, perhaps the voice of Christ to His people. He warned them, like the angel who told Lot to get out of Sodom, to come out of Babylon. Many have offered opinions as to the identity of Babylon, but the most convincing view is that it represents a future worldwide government, economy and religion. The warning from heaven to come out of Babylon included a two-part reason:
(1) “Lest you take part in her sins” – Those who continue to live in Babylon will be tempted to indulge in her sins.
(2) “Lest you share in her plagues” – Those who stay in Babylon after the Lord’s warning, will experience the plagues that follow.
Although this speaks of the end times, this two-part warning can still help guide believers today. If you are in a situation that continually tempts you to sin, come out. Leave Babylon before you take part in her sins and share in her plagues.
December 26, 2016
The book of Revelation speaks of a time when there will be a united world government and world religion ( called “Babylon”) that will “make war” against the followers of Jesus (“the Lamb”). But they will not prevail, for when Jesus returns, He will come as “Lord of lords and King of kings.” No nation nor power will be able to stand against Him. Nor will they be able to overcome His followers, who are …
(1) “Called” – They have heard the gospel call of Christ and have believed, confessing Him as Lord and Savior.
(2) “Chosen” – Having answered the call of the gospel, they realize that they were first chosen by the Father before they ever knew Him and that they have been adopted into His family.
(3) “Faithful” – They will persevere in the faith because they are sealed with the Holy Spirit who keeps them through all things.
When things in the world seem to come against the followers of Christ, stay awake and stand firm! For these things must come. And remember to rejoice, for Christ has already overcome the world!
December 25, 2016
Advent means “coming.” On this Christmas day we celebrate and remember Christ’s coming unto us in the city of David as Savior and Lord. Yet, this day should also remind us that He is coming again. So, let us look back to celebrate His first coming while also staying awake to look forward for His soon return. Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2016
Those who will come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah during the tribulation will sing a song of Moses and a song of the Lamb. These are Messianic Jews. The song of Moses may refer to the song that the Israelites sang in Exodus 15, a song of deliverance from Egypt. However, now they have believed in the Messiah of whom Moses was only a type. So, they also sing a song of the Lamb, celebrating the One who is both Savior and King. The ones singing this song of Moses and of the Lamb are the focus of the Great Tribulation. For while the seven years of tribulation are a time of judgment, they are also a time of great revival among the Jews who finally embrace Jesus as the Lamb of God. For some of us, the only way to get us to consider faith in Jesus, is to go through a time of tribulation. Many of us have to hit bottom before we will ever look up.
December 23, 2016
John saw an angel flying with the “eternal gospel” proclaiming it to everyone on earth during the time of tribulation. Even as the great majority of humanity had chosen to follow the antichrist, God still made sure the good news was heard, so that they were without excuse. This gospel is “eternal” because… (from Barnes Notes)
(1) “its great truths have always existed.”
(2) “it will forever remain unchanged.”
(3) “its effects will be everlasting” for those who believe.
It is this “eternal gospel” that God has given in order to rescue us from sin, separation and death.
December 22, 2016
John’s prophecy tells of a figure that will recover from a “mortal wound” (Rev. 13:3), that will unite the world in worshiping him. This individual is sometimes called the Beast or the Antichrist. He is a counterfeit christ sent by Satan to deceive the world during the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation. Yet, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s “Book of Life” will not worship him, for they know and follow the true Christ. How do you keep from being deceived by a counterfeit? By knowing and believing in the genuine article.
December 20, 2016
Who are these two “prophets” (witnesses)? As a rule, the Old Testament is best understood through the lens of the New Testament. But an understanding of the book of Revelation often requires a reversal of this approach, as it is filled with Old Testament imagery and reference. The description of the “two prophets” is a clear allusion to the “two olive trees” found in Zechariah 4. There, the angel told Zechariah that these two are “the anointed ones who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth” (Zech. 4:14). Those with a historical view of Revelation have named various heroes of the faith in the early church as the identity of the two witnesses. But holding to a futurist view of Revelation, I believe that these two witnesses are yet to come. Their identity is not named, yet their description brings to mind the ministries of Moses and Elijah. Certainly, they are the two who stood with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. Perhaps, they will be the ones who stand for Him again in the future at the end of days.
December 18, 2016
Six of the seven trumpets have been blown, yet humanity “did not repent.” If God’s singular purpose during the Great Tribulation would be to judge humanity’s sin, then a single, swift flood like in the days of Noah would suffice. But God’s activity is aimed at repentance. He wants to bring the remnant of His people to repentance and saving faith. The means may seem harsh, but they reveal the depth of sin bound up in human hearts. Even after six trumpets of judgment, the “rest of mankind” continues wallowing in sin and false worship. The horror of this segment of Revelation is not God’s judgments, but humanity’s lack of repentance.
December 17, 2016
Seven is a significant number in the Bible. The Bible opens in Genesis with the seven days of creation and it begins to draw to a close with the seven trumpets of judgment in Revelation. The number seven signifies completion. The apostle John wrote of seven signs and seven “I AM” statements in his gospel, and in his vision on the Isle of Patmos he was commissioned to write to seven churches, symbolized by seven lampstands. He saw seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, seven plagues… and here, he saw “seven angels” who were given “seven trumpets.” The trumpet is a unique instrument, sounding a loud, piercing tone that demands attention. It is a symbol of considerable consequence in the Bible. It was used to sound an alarm of war, a call to assemble, or a command to march. Yet here, it announces the release of seven plagues or judgments upon the earth. These seven trumpets are not blown simultaneously, but sequentially, giving fallen humanity time to repent, just as the ten plagues of Egypt were given in ever-increasing sequence to call Pharaoh to repentance. This Day when the seven angels will be given seven trumpets has not yet come. It is still future. It stands as both a prophetic warning to sinners and a promise to the saints, whose prayers ever rise like “incense” (Rev. 8:3-4) before God’s heavenly throne.