Category: Revelation

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 18 before reading the devotional below.

Since the earliest of Bible times, people claiming to follow God get caught up in earthly things. Aaron led the Israelites in worship of a golden calf while they all doubted whether Moses would ever come back down from the mountain. God’s people demanded an earthly king and had a slew of bad ones that led them farther away from God. The Pharisees dismissed Jesus because he didn’t come with earthly political power. How are you going to accomplish anything if you don’t rise to power here on earth? I bet many of us would also wonder why Jesus didn’t try to become popular or overthrow the Romans oppressing the Jews in his day.

Today’s passage shows us the great demon called “Babylon” will be destroyed. She represented lust, power, fame, and wealth. Verse 14 should convict every single American Christian: “The fancy things you loved so much are gone.” We may claim to follow Jesus, but we need to honestly and humbly check our hearts. Where do we really think we will be satisfied and safe? A nice neighborhood? The right political party? The latest tech or the nicest clothes?

If you value the comforts of this earth, you will be in anguish when they are taken from you. A simple, quiet life is one of the most un-American ambitions. Even those of us who think we value simplicity are often fooling ourselves. We have been lulled into complacency but we are falling for the siren songs of wealth, fame, and power. Babylon looks inviting until she is destroyed in a single day. What are you afraid to lose in your life? How might you choose to live like Jesus, who had nothing on this earth that he wasn’t willing to give up?

Take a moment to read Revelation 19:1-10 before reading the devotional below.

As we near the end of the book of Revelation, we will begin to see more about who God is, what has motivated him to bring judgment to the world, and what his final victory will look like. In today’s passage we see a celebration of God’s defeat of Babylon, the personified city of evil. It’s interesting that in verse 2 it says, “He has avenged the murder of his servants.” God is seeking to reclaim what has been taken from him. Once again, he’s on the side of his creation and is angry at what evil has done to his world.

Next in the celebration is the preparation for the great wedding of the Lamb. The bride, which symbolizes the church throughout the Bible, has been clothed in white. The passage tells us that the good deeds of God’s holy people are the stunning wedding dress. Those who are invited to this long-awaited wedding are called “blessed.” We know from Jesus’ teachings (using weddings as parables) that those who were initially invited chose not to come, but those who were society’s outcasts ended up taking their place. Also note in verse 10 that when John attempts to worship the angel he is corrected, and again we see Jesus’ divine nature proclaimed as those who have faith in Jesus must worship only God.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are part of this bride of Christ. What you do becomes the adornment for the wedding day. Think of yourself as a fashion designer — what bits of beauty do you want to bring to the bride’s glorious dress? What bits of lace or sparkle will your good deeds add?

Take a moment to read Revelation 19:11-21 before reading the devotional below.

Most Christians imagine Jesus riding into victory on a white horse in the final battle to defeat Satan. Today’s passage is where that image comes from. Notice the various names given to Jesus: Faithful and True, Word of God, King of kings, and Lord of lords. The wrath of God is expressed through his use of the sword to strike down nations. When Jesus’ killing spree is over, the angels call the vultures over to devour the dead bodies of the beast, the false prophet, and their entire army. It’s a bloody scene, and even Jesus’ robe was dipped in blood (likely his own).

Most people don’t imagine Jesus as one who avenges his enemies by a sword. In fact, he corrected Peter when he used a sword to slice off a guard’s ear during Jesus’ arrest. Is Jesus out for blood and revenge? Ultimately, yes. He’s not out for humans to die, here he is avenging humanity by slaughtering the beast, the false prophet, and their demonic army. Remember from Ephesians 6:12 that the battle is not against humans, but against the powers and authorities of darkness.

Before Jesus was born, many religious leaders were looking for the Messiah to come as a governmental king or ruler. They very much expected a sword in his hand and a bloodbath to conquer their earthly enemies at the time: the Romans. They could not believe that Jesus was their guy. He spent more time healing people and casting out demons than trying to overthrow kings. Why? Because Jesus knew that his real enemy was Satan. He didn’t waste time fighting earthly fights because the supernatural battle was too great to lose. He stayed focused on his mission and fought in ways that most didn’t fully understand. In your own life, be sure to fight the right fight. If you are battling against a person, you’re off track. Wage war against the demonic powers that surround us rather than the people who get caught up in Satan’s grip. And when you look for Jesus to come again, don’t replace his supernatural horse and sword for an earthly one or you won’t even recognize him.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 20 before reading the devotional below.

The book of Revelation is hauntingly specific, but we have to be careful when we interpret what we read. Is today’s chapter talking about a literal 1,000 years? Will the cities be called Gog and Magog or is that a symbolic reference? No matter how we choose to read it, interpretation is required. If I decide that I believe it is a literal 1,000 years, that is my interpretation. If I decide to read it as symbolism, that is my interpretation. I would encourage you to think for yourself, read a variety of different opinions and scholarly ideas, and hold loosely to your interpretation. We all need a healthy appreciation for the fact that we can get it wrong.

Let’s zoom in on a few details that aren’t focused on the exact timeline of the end times but are interesting nonetheless. My first observation is that an angel is assigned with throwing the great dragon (Satan) into the bottomless pit. If I were God, I might not delegate that one. I continue to find it interesting the various jobs that angels do, both in Revelation and throughout the Bible. We know from chapter 19 that the beast, the false prophet, and their demonic army were all killed with Jesus’ sword and their carcasses eaten by vultures. Now the ultimate ringmaster — Satan himself — will be taken down. We also again see that those who were killed for their faith have a special place in ruling with Christ. Meanwhile, those not in the “Book of Life” are thrown into a lake of fire, along with death itself.

Death is awful. I’ve sat with a lot of grieving people who have been impacted by the deaths of loved ones. We’ve all seen people die too young and we know that life is too short. From an eternal perspective, we have hope that death is not the end of our story and that we have eternal life with Jesus. Jesus is going to kill the very concept of death itself. I don’t know what the “Book of Life” is or how that connects to humanity versus demons, but I know that evil will not remain when Jesus wins the final victory. If my heart is attached to evil and if I participate in systems of death, it seems that I will not have Jesus’ heart. Let’s be careful not to narrow the definition of “life” too much — sometimes American Christians use this argument for the abortion debate but ignore everything else that “pro-life” means. There are so many oppressive, death-filled systems we need to oppose so let’s not just choose the convenient ones that don’t impact our lives. Who makes your clothes, who builds your phones, who’s allowed to seek refuge in your town or city? Are we rising to the top on the backs of modern day slaves and closing our doors to the poor and helpless? These are hard questions that we have to tackle when we sit with just how pro-life Jesus is.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 21 before reading the devotional below.

If you have ever seen the Wizard of Oz, you may remember the reaction of Dorothy and her friends when they first spot the Emerald City. They had followed the yellow brick road to get to this place that they had never seen, full of hope that they would be rescued from the Wicked Witch of the West. Sadly, the great Wizard of Oz was just a sham. But the magnificence of the Emerald City is what I think of when I read today’s chapter. God’s ultimate city is full of sparkling gems, gold, and brilliant light.

This chapter also emphasizes what will not be allowed in God’s great city: evil, idolatry, and dishonesty among other things. There is no way to cling to these things and enter God’s presence because they are diametrically opposed to him. This chapter describes what was first established in Genesis 2: total intimacy and connection with God. Psalm 5:3-5 describes that closeness and the way in which evil cannot come into the presence of God. For those who delight in evil, that is a threat. For those who want protection from evil, it is a tremendous gift.

The heart of the Gospel is that it is free to all who want it. Jesus has made a way for you to live eternally with him in the most glorious of cities. If you are looking for a way out of the evil of this world, it’s yours for the taking! If your life has been built on the stuff of this world, then you are probably not interested in what he has to offer. I don’t think scare tactics about the flames of hell are the best way to share the Gospel, though some take passages like this one and use it for that purpose. I’d rather talk about what Jesus has to offer, not just for eternity but for your life right now. Eternal life doesn’t start when you die. You are in the first stages of your life now, and it continues on if you follow Jesus into his city. More adventures await but it starts right here.