Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Category: Revelation at a Glance Page 1 of 6

The Time of JACOB’S Trouble

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On January 29, 2025

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Jer 30:7a  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;

What a blessed day it is!! Are you excited? Are you afraid? There is no greater way to start your day than to be in the Word and listen to God as He speaks to you. This series may be an eye opener for some, and a refresher course for others. In my previous post, we touched a bit on the “time of Jacob’s Trouble.” In a few Scripture references, the Bible refers to the Israel’s great tribulation as this time of Jacob’s trouble. This phrase refers to the descendants of Jacob so it stands to reason that it is meant for only the Jews, not the Church. Just as the Church isn’t mentioned in the Old Testament, the Church won’t play a role in the “time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Their will be people who will come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period but they will not be referred to as the Church, but as Tribulation saints. Today’s verse states that this trouble will come just before the Lord Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, returns to save them at His Second Coming.

That final week of Daniel’s 70th week hasn’t taken place yet. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined upon thy people” (Dan 9:24).

Dan 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

The Bible doesn’t say that the Tribulation is meant as a time of testing and judgment for the Church. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and, therefore, our sins have been judged already. (Romans 8:1) Our sins have been washed away once we receive salvation through Christ and eternal life with Him. The Bible does say that God’s wrath will be upon the “children of disobedience.” The Tribulation period will begin after the Rapture of the Church. We do not know how long it will be after the Rapture, but the Tribulation won’t start with the Church still on earth. We know this because God’s wrath is not meant for the Church but for those “children of disobedience.”

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

(Nah 1:2)  God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

The phrase, “children of disobedience,” appears three times in the KJV Bible. The first appearance explains exactly who these children are:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Satan is this prince – it is his ‘spirit’ that lives within the children of disobedience. God gave us plenty of warnings in the Scriptures. He gave us a pattern for living. He gave us His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, the devil wants nothing to do with Jesus Christ and he is adamant about taking as many souls with him to Hell! Is it any wonder that the devil has managed to cause Christians who used to believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church to change their views? The devil does not want believers to concentrate on Christ but to concentrate on the horrible events of the Tribulation! Satan wants believers to take their eyes off the Lord and prepare themselves for his (Satan’s) reign! Satan will go from being the prince of the power of the air to the reigning antichrist!

Some proponents of the post-Tribulation viewpoint claim that Christians will be tested during the Tribulation. To make this fit into that viewpoint, they have to “spiritualize” the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. If the Church was to go through the Tribulation, don’t you think the Apostle John would have used the word “church” here as he did in chapters one through three? The Post-Tribulation proponents are forgetting the different dispensations. Before the Ecclesiastical Dispensation (the Age of Grace or the Church Age), there was the Legal Dispensation, the Age of Law. After the Church Age, God is dealing with Israel once again and only Israel. That is why references to the Age of Law (i.e., the temple), are made in Revelation. The post-Tribulation view tries to combine these two dispensations of the Law and Grace into the Tribulation. Only one age can happen at a time so this does not jive at all! Revelation is filled with judgment and the Scriptures tells us that God’s wrath is not upon the church.

1 Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

This is why Paul said that we have the blessed hope, Christian! (Titus 2:13) This is such a positive and powerful verse.  Does it even resemble Paul trying to tell us that we would go through the judgments of the Tribulation? Not to me, it doesn’t! The judgments of Revelation are severe and horrifying! Paul wanted to make sure that his followers were well taught about what was to come so they wouldn’t fall for every wind of doctrine.

(Tit 2:13)  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The three verses above about the children of disobedience aren’t the only verses that speak of the wrath. God is very clear on who will receive that wrath during the Tribulation:

(Joh 3:36)  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

(Rom 1:18)  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

(Rev 14:10)  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

(Rev 14:19)  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

(Rev 15:1)  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

(Rev 15:7)  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

(Rev 16:1)  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Logically speaking, if the Church is to go through the Tribulation, they would also receive God’s wrath. Why would the Lord do this to His Church if we are not appointed unto wrath? Why would the Groom, the Lord Jesus, allow His wife, the Church, to be tortured and killed? Would any husband allow this in his home? Of course not!

1 Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

To the one who is not saved, this is a scary time. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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Revelation at a Glance – Day 49

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On August 10, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 22:1-21  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  (3)  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  (4)  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  (5)  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.  (7)  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.  (8)  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.  (9)  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.  (10)  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.  (11)  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  (12)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  (13)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  (14)  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.  (16)  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.  (17)  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.  (18)  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  (19)  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  (20)  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  (21)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

I pray this series has blessed you and helped you to gain a sense of urgency in telling others about the Lord. May you not let a day go by without telling others about His saving power. ❤❤

So as we end with this last post, let’s see how the Lord finishes this wonderful Book. This is a completely new beginning; it’s not a “makeover” at all. Heaven literally comes to earth! We see this also spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 65:17-19 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  (18)  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Isaiah saw this and now we will see this in our lifetime! (Read 2 Peter 3:10-13) Through Jesus’ infinite mercy, He gives us one last opportunity at the end of the Book of Revelation to tell us what is in store at His Second Coming.

What wonder we see in store for us in the Holy City, New Jerusalem!! We see:

  • The description of the city: Beautiful; adorned with every precious stone
  • The population of the city; Believers are present and unbelievers are absent
  • The invititation to the city; “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

We see in Revelation 22:6 that everything that has been said are faithful and true. John also tells us that the things that are going to happen will shortly be done. Some of you may doubt that this is within our generation (Since 1948) and probably won’t occur for a while like quoted in 2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. However, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation. Jesus said in:

Luke 21:29-33  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;  (30)  When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.  (31)  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.  (32)  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.  (33)  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Israel is known as the fig tree and Jesus said that when the tree should “shoot forth,” summer is now nigh.” Jesus also said that “this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” Whatever generation exists on May 14, 1948, that generation will see Christ’s return. Whether you experience His return in the clouds for the Rapture or experience His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation, your generation will be the one to see it. Praise the Lord! \o/

Most importantly, Friend, let Revelation 22:7 be an exhortation to you. Jesus says that we are blessed if we keep the sayings of this Book. He also stated it in Revelation 1:3! I truly believe with all my heart that as believers and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our responsibility to know the Book of Revelation so that we are able to be witnesses for Him. Our testimony is one thing, as well as our efforts in leading others to Christ, which must be our priority. It does not matter how you do it, just do it!

Revelation 22:10 exhorts John not to seal the sayings in this Book because the time is short. Use this Book wisely and let it move you to tell others what is in store for them should they neglect such a precious gift! Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God has given each human being every opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Yes, even the native in the deepest jungles of South America! If that person looks at the heavens and God’s creation and his heart is stirred, God will send someone (possibly a missionary) to reveal His Word to that native! (Romans 1:20)

The urgency of the rest of the verses in this chapter alert us that Christ is coming quickly once we see all these things come to past. Israel is a nation, wars and rumours of wars (Matthew 24:6-7) are currently under way. Earthquakes are occurring on a daily basis now (Matthew 24:7) and in multiple places, volcanoes are getting ready to erupt showing significant earthquake activity, famines and pestilences are everywhere (Matthew 24:7). But Jesus said in Matthew 24:8 that these are the beginning of sorrows. Just as birth pains during childbirth, the pains come quicker and they are stronger before the big event of birth occurs. Take this seriously! It is no joking matter – you will not be in Hell having a party with your friends!

Please, dear Reader, if you are not born again as you read this, consider your future in eternity. It will be filled with pain, burning and regret for all eternity. Jesus said three times in Mark chapter 9:

(Mar 9:44)  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
(Mar 9:46)  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
(Mar 9:48)  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

That “worm” is symbolic. Just as a body decays in the ground and worms slither in and out, you will not die but you will be writhing in excruciating pain; the fire won’t be put out for all eternity. As much as it hurts when you burn yourself, imagine this same (but greater) pain all over your body, for… all… eternity! There won’t be anyone there to give you a drink of water to quench your thirst. There won’t be anyone to relieve your pain. (Luke 16:23-25) Satan and his demons will be there with you making your life there a nightmare for all eternity.

The Lake of Fire is the final destination of those who have been in Hell. Those who are there now know what is in store for them. They must be afraid of what’s to come. The day they are released from Hell to attend the Great White Throne Judgment is the day that they will see everything they have done as written in the Books described in Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Unsaved royalty and leaders, lawyers, doctors, the rich as well as the poor, teenagers, engineers, etc. will all go through the same process. To those who had greater opportunity, they will be held accountable for every thought and action as revealed in the Books. Christ’s Word is a two-edged sword which will reveal even your deepest, darkest thoughts (Hebrews 4:12).

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. As I wrote above, remember Lazarus? He was in Abraham’s bosom while the rich man was in Hell. The rich man couldn’t even buy a drink of water and he begged Lazarus to bring some to him. But once a person is in Hell, it’s too late. (Luke 16:24)

King Jesus will not be mocked. The Word, His two-edged sword, will judge us. Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

What a person suffers in Hell will not outweigh what is to happen in the Lake of Fire. The rich man could see Lazarus afar off. But the Lake of Fire will be in outer darkness. Jesus stated this three times in Mark 8:12, Matthew 22:13 and in Matthew 25:30. He also says that tears and pain will accompany the darkness. What an awful thing to experience for all eternity: which is, dear Reader, without end!

Jesus does not want you to suffer this end. 2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He has prepared a beautiful place for those who believe on Him. We will live for all eternity in peace and beauty if we make Him our Saviour! Friend, you either believe now and go to Heaven or find out on that day of Judgment at His Second Coming that everything you believed was a lie. These lies will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 48

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On August 8, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 21:9-27  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.  (10)  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  (11)  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  (12)  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:  (13)  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  (14)  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.  (15)  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.  (16)  And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.  (17)  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.  (18)  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.  (19)  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  (20)  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.  (21)  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.  (22)  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.  (23)  And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.  (24)  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.  (25)  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.  (26)  And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.  (27)  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Rev 22:1-5  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  (3)  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  (4)  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  (5)  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Good morning, Reader! We are quickly approaching the end of the Book of Revelation. It has been such an eye opener for me. I thought I knew a thing or two but, as with all of the Word of God, the Holy Spirit illuminates something new each time I read my Bible.

Today, we will look at the New Jerusalem and how God plans to build it. In my opinion, the layout is absolutely awesome! 😀 God doesn’t just do a makeover of Heaven and earth; He builds everything new, from scratch! If you recall the Garden of Eden, God walked in the garden (Genesis 3:8) amongst His creation, Adam and Eve. Both literally had God dwelling with them and yet they chose to disobey Him. I’m sure everyone who is willing to admit it would say in their heart that they would have never given in to Satan. But, remember, Adam and Eve were created as perfect human beings. We are far from perfect so we cannot say that we would not have listened to Satan. We are descendants of Adam and Eve’s fallen and sinful nature. There is no way we could have done better than they did.

They had access to the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Once they understood the difference between good and evil, in God’s mercy He had to kick them out of Eden before they ate of the Tree of Life. Think about it, if they had eaten from the Tree of Life, they would have been forever lost in their sinful condition. In His mercy, God kicked them out of the Garden of Eden and set a cherubim with a flaming sword to prevent their re-entry. Thus began God’s redemptive plan! Praise You Lord for interceding at that very moment! This whole account just gives me goosebumps!

So let’s see what the Apostle John was experiencing in this chapter. John tells us about the New Jerusalem and he calls it the great city, holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God. This city’s light was like a jasper. One has only to do a Google search for “jasper” to see all the various kinds there are. It is normally a multi colored gem, like quartz. Of course, if it’s in Heaven, it will be like something we’ve never seen according to 1Corinthians 2:9. This particular jasper is as clear as crystal. Can you imagine?

Now, let’s jump ahead to Revelation 21:16-17 to see the size of the city before we move on to what it is made of. The Bible says that it is actually shaped like a cube because it speaks of the “length and the breadth and the height” all being equal. Each measured 12,000 furlongs which can be anywhere from 1,280 to 1,500 miles, depending on which commentary you read. But let’s just round it up to 1,500 miles on each side so we can get a mental picture. That’s roughly the size of the moon!!! A pastor that I follow recounted this story from his youth. He told us about Dr. Henry Morris of the Institute for Creation Research. He passed away in 2006 but in the 1960’s, he was Dean of Engineering at Virginia Tech. He did a mathematical study to “guesstimate” how many people this 1,500 mile cube could hold. He took a guess at what the total population had been since the creation of man and as well as into the future. He came up with roughly 100 billion… remember that’s past, present and future. The current population is 7.9 billion. He’s not trying to pinpoint an exact number here. He’s just trying to give you an idea so you can get a picture in your mind. Personally, I think we have to remember that God designed this city knowing full well how many people it will have to hold. 😁 Then Dr. Morris calculated that possibly 20% of that 100 billion would be saved. Again, remember this is only a projection to see what the population of the New Jerusalem could possibly hold. That came up to 20 billion people. Dr. Morris said that since the city is a cube, we would not necessarily be living side by side but up and down, diagonally, etc. It’s hard to get my mind around it but I get the picture. One could also presume that there aren’t as many as 20 billion true Christians past, present and future. If you recall, the road is narrow that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:14) but broad is the road that leads to destruction.

Now back to verse 12, this city has a great and high wall with twelve gates which have the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel; three gates on each side. The foundation of the city has twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb! Then in Revelation 21:21, we see that each of the twelve gates are made of one pearl! Think of it!!! One huge pearl makes up a gate! It reminds me of the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:46. I love allegories and this particular passage makes me think of this: The entrance to the New Jerusalem’s gates, which have the names of the twelve tribes, point me to the Messiah. John 4:22 tells us that salvation is of the Jews. Jesus Christ was born a Jew and through Him is the only way we can enter Heaven. Next, we look at the wall built with the 12 foundations of the apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:14). Jesus built His church upon the rock that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The twelve apostles took that message out and did exactly that – they built Christ’s church! Therefore, the New Jerusalem is all about the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ! Some think that Christians replaced the Jews but this passage clearly depicts the twelve Tribes of Israel as well as the Apostles!!

Revelation 21:21 is so beautiful! We see the street of the city pure as gold, as it were transparent as glass. Since eye has not seen what God has in store for us, we cannot imagine gold being transparent as glass. But we will because the Bible is truth! What I found very interesting is that the New Jerusalem won’t have a temple! Old Jerusalem sure did and it was everyone’s goal to have the temple rebuilt after 70AD. But New Jerusalem won’t have one because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. On a side note, the phrase “Lord God Almighty” is only used five times in Scripture and they are all in the Book of Revelation. The number 5 symbolizes God’s grace, goodness and favor toward mankind!

  • Revelation 4:8 says Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
  • Revelation 11:7 says Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come.
  • Revelation 15:3 says Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
  • Revelation 16:7 says Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And, here
  • Revelation 21:21 says Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Don’t you find that interesting??? Now we see that there is no need for the sun or the moon because the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light! Everyone will walk in the light they shine!(Revelation 21:23-24)

Lastly, God reaches out one more time to readers across the ages through the Scriptures and gives us a warning.

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

God makes it perfectly clear that no one who defiles, works abomination or tells a lie, or whose name is not found in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed into Heaven. God in His infinite mercy never ceases to show that mercy, even at the end of this wonderful Book!

New Jerusalem contains beautiful and amazing things. One of which is found in Revelation 22:1. We see the water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. This water is crystal clear! Jesus Christ is our living water! On either side of the river is the tree of life which bears twelve fruit. Even the leaves were for healing the nations. The curse has been lifted and all we be experiencing is seeing God’s face and His name will be on our foreheads! Praise the Lord!

Our last post in this series is going to be about the Lord Jesus’ coming and the final warning to mankind to be saved! Philippians 2:10 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Friend, you either bend your knee now and go to Heaven or on that day of His Second Coming, which will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 47

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On August 5, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 21:1-8  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3)  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (5)  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  (6)  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  (7)  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  (8)  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Good morning, Reader!!! Oh how wonderful today’s post is on Revelation 21!!! I could not find a graphic that would accurately depict this event so the graphic I used at the top will have to suffice, LOL! I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us during that period of time!

The world may not believe this, but this event was all prophesied by Jesus, Isaiah and Peter. Jesus told us that the new heaven and earth would happen in Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Isaiah said it in Isa 65:17-19  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  (18)  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  (19)  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Lastly Peter stated in 2Pe 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Revelation 20:11 also gives us a glimpse of this. In today’s verses, Revelation 21:1-8, we see that everything will be made new. In fact, the new Heaven and earth will not have a sea. Hmmmm … that’s something to think about. Is it because Jesus is the “Living Water” from John 4:10 and John 7:38? In Revelation 21:6, Jesus says that He will give those that are thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Imagine the world depicted in Revelation 20:4!!! This is way beyond my imagination. There are a few things in life that I have regretted. I have dear friends who have chronic illnesses, including my husband! These things will all be gone! Praise God!

1Co 2:9-10  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  (10)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

First of all, God will be present, as we read in verse 3. The Apostle John told us in John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. That word “dwelt” in the Greek is:

G4637
σκηνόω
skēnoō
skay-no’-o
From G4636; to tent or encamp, that is, (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specifically) to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion): – dwell.

Strong’s Concordance

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

God will dwell with us! Is it any wonder that one of Jesus’ names is Emmanuel (or Immanuel) Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Emmanuel means “God with us”! Everything in the Bible intertwines. Isn’t it wonderful?? (Wonderful is also a name for Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 😀)”

Moving on, Revelation 21:4 tells us that there will no longer be any death, pain or sorrow! All these will be absent and former things are passed away. It makes me wonder if all my tears of my past will disappear. Will all my memories be wiped clear so they don’t make me cry anymore? … It’s something to think about.

We see in Revelation 21:7 that it declares to us those who inherit all things (those are the born again believers) will be God’s sons!! We are His children – is it any wonder that Jesus forbid the disciples to keep the children away (Matthew 10:13-16)? Jesus said: Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom is coming whether you like it or not.

Just so God makes it perfectly clear who won’t be entering into His Kingdom of Heaven, He lists the sins of the unbelievers so they are without excuse in Revelation 21:8:

  • Fearful: Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God will judge righteously because He is Holy. Lev 20:7  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. 1Pet 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 1Pet 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
  • Unbelieving: Mat 12:31-32  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.  (32)  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
  • The abominable: Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
  • Murderers: Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
  • Whoremongers: Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. The Greek word for whoremonger is G4205 πόρνος pornos por’-nos From πέρνημι pernēmi (to sell; akin to the base of G4097); a (male) prostitute (as venal), that is, (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine): – fornicator, whoremonger. As you can see, “pornos” is the word pornography is derived.
  • Sorcerers: Mal 3:5  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • Idolaters: 1Co 6:9-10  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  (10)  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
  • Liars: 1Ti 1:9-10  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,  (10)  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Friend, you can give to charity as much as you want but if you are guilty of any of those sins above, it just won’t matter. If you are not born again, no amount of good works or philanthropic deeds you do will gain you entrance in Heaven (Jas 2:10)  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. You must be born again! Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 46

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On August 3, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 20:7-15  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  (8)  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  (9)  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  (10)  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  (11)  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Grab your favorite beverage and let’s take a look at the defeat of Satan, the Lake of Fire and the Great White Throne. This is where everything comes to a halt for the devil and he finally receives his just desserts. We are introduced to him in the Garden of Eden and he will end his earthly reign of wickedness in today’s verses! Please, this is a longer than usual post but it is packed with information that is vitally important. I ask for your patience as well as grace. I pray you will bear with me and read through its entirety.

For 1,000 years Satan has been under lock and key “in the bottomless pit.” During this time frame, people will be living longer in a beautiful earth similar to the Garden of Eden. They will be having children and everyone will still be born with a sinful nature. Although there won’t be Satan’s influence, sin will be in people’s heart. Satan will be released so people will have to make a choice between Jesus and Satan; even though they will be living under the rule of Jesus in a perfect world!

We read in Revelation 20:8 that all the nations will be deceived by him from the four corners of the earth, having the spirit of Gog and Magog. He will be inciting nations (numbered as the sands of the sea) to rebel. Once they go to advance against Israel, God breaths out fire! It doesn’t say how long “a little season” will be (Revelation 20:3). But we do know that it’s long enough to gather the world together to go against King Jesus!

The heart is deceitful even in a perfect society (Jeremiah 17:9)! The nations will abandon all that to follow Satan! Can you believe it? Here is what we can learn from the release of Satan after a thousand years:

  1. The heart is depraved
  2. Satan is powerfully deceptive to lure people away from a “perfect” world
  3. God is just in His judgments

We see in Revelation 20:10 that the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. He was only put into the bottomless pit, if you recall. But notice that the Antichrist and the False Prophet have already been cast alive into the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 19:20). The end of Revelation 20:10 tells us that they all will be tormented day and night for ever and ever!!!!

We must remember that the Lake of Fire is not Hell. It is referred to eleven times in the gospels. The Bible tells us that all of the unsaved people are kept in a place called Hell until the Millennium Kingdom is over. Hell is a temporary place of torment where these souls are kept until they have to appear before God for the final White Throne judgment. This judgment will then determine their eternal fate once and for all. Books will be opened which will contain everything they ever did and spoke. Then Jesus will look in the Book of Life and will tell them that their names are not found in it. This Book determines their future.

Today’s verses (Revelation 20:11-15) give us the details of what will be happening to all of the unsaved in this final judgment. Notice that Revelation 20:13 states that death and hell gave up the dead and their judgment will be taking place. Revelation 20:10 calls this the second death and that results in being cast into the Lake of Fire. To review, the first death is when all the unsaved die a physical death and are cast into Hell. There they remain until the Millennium is over. The second death is showing us that when the unsaved’s names are not found in the book of life, they are cast into the Lake of Fire where they will remain for all of eternity.

Many preach that there is no Hell, but there is! Do not be deceived by what some “spiritual” leaders say that contradicts the Bible! We must believe the Bible, especially when man says differently. Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. It doesn’t say that Joel Osteen’s words or the Pope’s words are what will keep you from sin. It is God’s word that keeps us from sin – and notice, we must hide it in our hearts so we can refer to it when the Bible is not available. A good example of this is the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Out of earth’s population, it is said that 16% are Catholic! Here’s what he said during an interview with the Pope’s favorite interviewer:

Published a new interview by Eugenio Scalfari, Francis’ favorite conversation partner.

The Rorate Caeli blog has just provided an English translation:

[Scalfari:] Your Holiness, in our previous meeting you told me that our species will disappear in a certain moment and that God, still out of his creative force, will create new species. You have never spoken to me about the souls who died in sin and will go to hell to suffer it for eternity. You have however spoken to me of good souls, admitted to the contemplation of God. But what about bad souls? Where are they punished?

[Francis:] “They are not punished, those who repent obtain the forgiveness of God and enter the rank of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls.”

The Pope is misleading these poor Catholics and leading them straight to the gates of Hell! Dear precious Catholic soul, it is not just a trivial matter! It is of GREAT importance in the Bible. Jesus preached a lot about Heaven and how to get there. When He spoke of Hell, He did not mince words. Seven times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus spoke of Hell’s consequence of “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It’s not coincidence that it is mentioned seven times! Seven is the number for perfection; the fact that Jesus used “weeping and gnashing of teeth” seven times reveals God’s perfect judgment!

Luk 13:25-28  When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:  (26)  Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.  (27)  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.  (28)  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

The Pope is dead wrong! Catholics need to wake up and follow God’s Word, not the traditions of the Catholic Church where they believe whatever the Pope says takes precedence over the Bible. Here’s a quote from Pope Francis:

It is precisely because the Word of God embraces and extends beyond Scripture that, in order to properly understand it, the Holy Spirit’s constant presence, who guides us “to all truth,” is necessary. It is necessary to place ourselves within the great Tradition that has, with the Holy Spirit’s assistance and the Magisterium’s guidance, recognized the canonical writings as the Word that God addresses to his people, who have never ceased meditating upon it and discovering inexhaustible riches from it.

https://www.learnreligions.com/pope-francis-word-of-god-3970724

But friend, the Bible says:

Mat 15:3, 6b  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?   (6b)  Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mat 23:24-27  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.  (25)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  (26)  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.  (27)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the Son of Man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My Mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Jeremiah 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My Word to perform it.

God will have the final word, reader, as we see in today’s post. There IS a Hell; there IS a Lake of Fire. Make no mistake, whether the Pope says there is or not, it doesn’t matter. It is what GOD says that matters.

It’s known that if you are born again, you only die once (your physical death) and you live for eternity with Christ. If you are one of the believer’s who will take part in the Rapture, you won’t even experience the first death! Glory!!! But the unsaved will die twice: once for their physical death and then this second time when they are cast into the Lake of Fire. Can you imagine burning in Hell until you’re released to stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment only to be cast into the Lake of Fire (which is far greater punishment)? Here you experience bliss when you are released from Hell, only to be shown every single sin you ever committed! You are shown every opportunity that was given to you to become a believer and follower of Jesus. You won’t be able to deny that those opportunities were never presented to you because your life will be shown to you. Your own selfish pride meant more to you at this point than salvation. After your judgment, you are placed in the Lake of Fire for all eternity! You will wish at that point that you had accepted Christ as your Saviour while you had the opportunity. Some say that these are fear tactics used by Christians so they can increase their numbers. However, I would rather be known for telling the truth of where one will spend eternity than neglecting my duty to spread the Gospel!

Philippians 2:10 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Friend, you either bend your knee now and go to Heaven or on that day of His Second Coming, which will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 45

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On August 1, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 20:1-6  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  (2)  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  (3)  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.  (4)  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  (5)  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  (6)  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Good morning! It’s a beautiful but hot day in Culpeper, Virginia! I love starting my day with the Lord and gleaning from His Word! There’s nothing like it! When do you do your Bible reading? Some like to end the day, some read segments throughout the day. I’d love for you to share what your schedule is for your devotional time.

Today we are going to cover the Millennium Reign of Jesus! How exciting is this topic!! Did you know that there are three common beliefs of His Millennial reign?

  1. Amillennial is the concept there won’t be a literal reign. The thousand years are symbolic and they believe Satan is currently bound. How can Satan be bound at this moment? Look at all the bizarre evil works occurring right now!??? Saint Augustine held to this view, and so does the Roman Catholic Church, and even some Baptists. We know that Satan is definitely not bound today because of: 1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: So exactly where does it say in Scripture that Satan is bound? We will see this at the beginning of the Millennium in Revelation 20:1-3!
  2. Postmillennial is the belief that Christ returns after the Millennium. There’s a problem with this belief, however: 1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; and Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. The Bible teaches a great apostasy and falling away before His return, despite the fact that technology currently contributes to the spreading of the gospel! The Millennium is to be a thousand years of peace with Jesus ruling. How can He return afterwards if He is already on earth?
  3. Premillennial is the belief that Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation before the thousand year Millennial period. I believe this view is accurately depicted in the Bible.

In today’s Scriptures, John sees an angel come down from heaven to bind Satan for 1,000 years. Have you noticed that the word bottomless pit is used a total of eight times in the Bible? (Luke 8:31, and seven times in Revelation: Rev 9:1-2, Rev 9:11, Rev 11:7, Rev 17:8, Rev 20:1 and Rev 20:3.) Luke 8:31 calls it the deep and all the verses in Revelation call it bottomless pit; but the same Greek word is used, which is abussos, for all eight verses.) Jude 1:6 speaks of angels which rebelled with Lucifer against God (one third in Heaven). Not all angels are chained. It appears that only the worse of them are. Note that the demons in Luke 8:31 were afraid to go to the abyss.

We see in Revelation 20:2 that God wants us to know He is most certainly speaking about Satan here. He calls him “that old serpent” from Genesis 3. He will be bound and sealed in the bottomless pit for a thousand years and released for a little season. Why!!!??? We see in Revelation 20:7 that Satan will go out and deceive “the nations” from all four corners of the world! This will be Armageddon 2.0! Stay tuned for more of this on your next visit.

Jesus will rule from Jerusalem. The judgment of those surviving the Tribulation will take place; the saved will be placed on His right hand and the unsaved will be placed on his left hand. (Matthew 25:31-34). The saved will be welcomed into Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom. The unsaved, however, will be judged and sent to everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41-46).

Revelation 20:4 reveals to us that John is seeing thrones and those who sit upon them giving judgment. The saints will be judging the world, according to 1Cor 6:2. We will be understudies, if you will, of King Jesus and He will be our example of how to rule and reign. The second group John sees are those who died during the Tribulation. If you recall, Revelation 15:2 describes this group as a sea of glass with fire, having harps of God; they are rejoicing around the throne of God! Revelation 20:5 states that the rest of the dead (the unsaved) lived not again until the thousand years were finished. John shows us that this is the first resurrection. Those who died in Christ (were born again) have the first resurrection and the second death has no power. Rev 1:5-6  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,  (6)  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. and Rev 5:9-10  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  (10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. We shall reign on earth with Christ.

When we enter the Millennium, there will be survivors from the Tribulation. The only difference will be that there won’t be anymore political powers. We will have One Great Monarch, King Jesus! With Satan being bound, his sinful influence won’t be present. However, people will still have a sin nature, despite all the perfection they will be experiencing! The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 9:27 that men will receive judgment after they die. Can you believe that people will actually be choosing to sin despite living in a world of peace and harmony under the Lord’s reign?! We also read that during the Millennium, the animals will be tame, as seen in Isaiah 11:1-10. The Prince of Peace’s influence will be so penetrating that even the animals will be peaceful. I look forward to hugging a lion around the neck 🥰 It will also be a time of longevity according to Isaiah 65:19-25. As well, it will be a time of worship according to Zechariah 14:16-21. There is a return of the Feasts for Israel where they will be looking back to their Messiah and what He has done for them. This will be similar to what communion is to us: a time of remembrance and contemplation.

So, again, why release Satan at the end of the Millennium? Even though people will be living in a perfect world, they will have a sinful nature (Jer 17:9). They will still have a choice between right and wrong; whether to serve the Lord or Satan. You have to realize that with Satan out of the picture, mankind really has only one choice of whom they will serve during the Millennium. Although Satan’s massive evil influence is not present, the wicked heart is still within the unsaved who are born during this timeframe. King Jesus is right there amongst them but yet they will choose to sin. It always boils down to choice. This will result in nations which will be ready to turn against King Jesus and follow Satan when he is released. We will cover more of this in our next post.

Philippians 2:10 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Friend, you either bend your knee now and go to Heaven or on that day of His Second Coming, which will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 44

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On July 29, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 19:11-21  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  (12)  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  (13)  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  (14)  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  (15)  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  (16)  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  (17)  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;  (18)  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  (19)  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.  (20)  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  (21)  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Oh dear reader, we have reached the point where we will read about Christ’s Second Coming!! \o/ Every believer is looking forward to this day. Yes, the Rapture is important to us as well but the Lord’s Second Coming will mean that His Millennial Kingdom is about to begin! Praise the Lord!! Let’s buckle in and get underway! 🙂

This is the event when Jesus actually comes back to earth with His Saints (born again believers) where we have been with Him in Heaven up until that point. If you recall, the sounds that John heard were in Heaven (see Revelation 19:1-10). Today we will be looking at what John sees will be happening on earth, including the punishment of the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

Citizenship in America is only as long as we live in that country or death takes us. But citizenship in heaven is eternal. We are born with a physical body and an eternal one, our soul. Your soul will spend eternity somewhere. From the moment of salvation, we become a heavenly citizen. Our bodies die but our souls are eternal. Once Adam and Eve sinned, their bodies lost that wonderful gift but their souls remained eternal. This was their choice, not God’s. God gave them eternal bodies and a beautiful place, the Garden of Eden, in which to live. But Adam and Eve chose Satan rather than what they already had experienced with God, which was perfection!

The situation for you now is where will your soul spend eternity? Unless you are born-again and you are alive to experience the Rapture, your body will die but your soul will go to one of two places. What place are you a citizen of: Heaven or Hell?

As we read in Revelation 19:11, John sees the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the “Faithful and True” sitting on a white horse. His first coming was as a sufferer and he rode a colt or donkey; while during the Second Coming, He will come with power as a warrior and will ride a white horse! Do you recall Revelation 3:14 in the letter to the Laodicean church? He used the same title “Faithful and True” there. Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings will come in righteousness and power, ready to judge!

We see an odd description of Jesus in Revelation 19:12. He has eyes of fire, which signifies justice. We also see that He wears many crowns. The Greek word for crown is diadem, while the Antichrist’s was just a laurel wreath. Jesus is portrayed as Kingly with majesty and power. His written name, no man knows but Jesus Himself. I wonder what it will be, don’t you?

The next verse, Revelation 19:13, says His garment is dipped in blood and His name is The Word of God. Jesus’ blood was shed on the people below His cross during His first visit. But this time, the people’s blood will be on His garment! The Word of God is an important title for the Lord Jesus. The Greek word for “Word” is logos. It specifically means “Divine Expression.” Jesus is the Divine Expression of God Himself. John also used it in John 1:1. Here we see that God’s “Divine Expression” came prior to all creation and existed from the beginning! Glory!

Revelation 19:14 gives us a picture of who will actually be accompanying Jesus when He returns at the end of the Tribulation. Some believe that He returns with His angels. However, these are not angels. Look at Revelation 19:6-8. They are arrayed in white fine linen and are so arrayed here in verse 14. This is the Church and we’ll be riding white horses as well 🙂 I am not very good at riding a horse but I suppose I will be at that time! 🙂

The next verse is quite interesting. Revelation 19:15 says that out of His mouth is a sharp sword. He will judge by the sword of His Word. (Hebrews 4:12) He will also judge the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27) that gathered against Him at Armageddon. This is a picture of the Messianic rule, Psalm 2:7-9. We also see a winepress of fierceness (treading the grapes); Isaiah 63:1-6 reveals to us that they will be crushed like grapes and it comes to fruition in Revelation 19:15. The Lord’s garments will be stained with their blood.

Jesus will reveal that He is the only King of Kings and Lord of Lords! It will be written on His thigh for all to see. Then John sees a second vision in verses 17-18. This is the second time we see “supper” in Revelation. However, this one is the supper of the Great God! John sees an angel as the brightness of the sun who cries with a loud voice; the birds will feast on the carcass of the fallen. Look at Revelation 19:18 for a moment. The word flesh is used five times in this verse alone! Judgment comes to all who are not saved, who are not born again. They will suffer the consequences for their sin.

John’s last vision in Revelation 19:19-21 is where we finally read about the punishment of the Antichrist (the Beast) and the False Prophet. They made war against Jesus and the saints and now will receive their just desserts. They are cast alive into the Lake of Fire – their role is over – their work for Satan is paid with punishment of burning and pain for eternity. However, the rest of the nations will be killed with the sword. The devil isn’t cast into the Lake of Fire until chapter 20. Did you know that the Lake of Fire is different from Hell? Hell is where unbelievers go to when they die. Once the Great White Throne Judgment comes in Chapter 20, they will then be cast into the Lake of Fire (which is their second death). Every soul has to live somewhere – they are not annihilated as some believe. It’s just a question of where the soul will be – perpetual suffering for all eternity – never ending burning, darkness and pain.

Philippians 2:10 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Friend, you either bend your knee now and go to Heaven or on that day of His Second Coming, which will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 43

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On July 27, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 19:6-10  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  (9)  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.  (10)  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Good morning to all! I’m currently listening to calming guitar music with a thunderstorm in its background. Being outside and in nature is one of my favorite places to be. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I love camping so much. Another reason is because my father introduced me to camping and it was where I felt the closest to my Dad. Now that he is gone, I love being a part of nature; it draws me away from the cares of this world and keeps me focused on my Heavenly Father, Abba!

So as we move on with our study in Revelation 19, I wanted to pause to give you a beautiful depiction of what we can expect of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In many ways, the Word of God gives an account to teach us something. For example, the whole marriage topic can be seen a different light when you know the culture and history behind the topic. The Jewish wedding of the Old Testament, along with the New Testament wedding banquet, is divided into three parts:

  1. Betrothal period: This involved a marriage contract. The father of the groom would pay a dowry to the father of the bride. Marriages were arranged in those days and the bride and groom could be as young as two years old! Mary, Jesus’ mother, was probably around 15 years old, according to some historians. So how does this fit into the bride of Christ? Our bride price, the dowry, was Jesus’ own shed blood. The marriage itself was not yet consummated but they were considered husband and wife. Then the groom would go to his father’s house and work on adding an addition for he and his bride. This was called the betrothal period and would last for one year. Did you know that three to four generations lived in the same “house”? Each had their own addition. Also, Levitical law had a provision that a man would not go into military duty during this time.
  2. Groom returns for his bride: Matthew 25:1-13 gives us the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The bridesmaids were responsible to watch for the groom’s return. When they saw the groom approaching, they would take their lanterns and go meet the groom to illuminate the groom back to his bride. Of the ten, only five had oil. Jesus said there would be those who won’t be reading; they would not be watching (Mark 13:35). They asked the five who did have the oil to give some to them but were told no. You can’t get to Jesus on borrowed faith. It has to be your own. You can’t buy your way to Heaven. It is a personal choice for each individual.
  3. Wedding Banquet – The guests would hoist the bride onto a banner and lift her up; taking her to the father’s house for the banquet. The banquet was a great seven-day celebration with the invited guests. The couple would then consummate their marriage.

So what is the parallel with Christ Jesus? Jesus came to pay the dowry for His bride. The bride’s price was purchased by Him with His shed blood. We entered into a covenant with Jesus at the moment of our salvation! The bridegroom then returned to his father’s house to prepare a place for His bride. We see this “marital language” in John 14:1-3. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house. He’s gone for a time, which makes the time between His resurrection and His return at the Rapture the “betrothal period.” We have to be ready for the Groom’s return, people! We must be watching for Him. We must be busy doing the Father’s business and that is to lead as many to Christ as possible!

We see in Revelation 19:6-10 that the banquet is about to happen. Christ returns to celebrate this feast with the Saints, the Church for the Millennium! Praise the Lord!! Are you ready, Reader? Are you ready for the Marriage Supper? Are you one of the five virgins who has oil in her lamp? The oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and He only dwells in born-again believers. Or will you be one of the five virgins who didn’t have oil? Don’t be caught unawares!

So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 42

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On July 25, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 19:1-10  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:  (2)  For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.  (3)  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.  (4)  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.  (5)  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  (6)  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  (9)  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.  (10)  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

It’s a new day and I thank the Lord for His many blessings on this daughter’s life! I lack nothing and praise Him from whom all blessings flow! How about you, Reader? Is their joy in your heart because your sins have been forgiven? There is nothing like it! The Lord removes the guilt and weight of our sins and replaces it with joy!

Oh what great joy is about to be experienced as we cover this next chapter! After all the death and destruction from the judgments, it is time for rejoicing! There’s a whole of that happening here! We see in Revelation 19:1-5 that the time has come for this evil world to be judged and the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour is about to be established!

There is a drastic difference between Christ’s first coming and His Second Coming! Let’s take a look:

First ComingSecond Coming
Gentle, riding on a donkey (Matt 21:5)Making war, riding on a white horse
(Rev 19:11)
Weeping (Luk 19:41)Eyes ablaze with fire (Rev 19:12)
Wearing a crown of thorns (Matt 27:29)Wearing many crowns (Rev 19:12)
Jesus’ blood on His enemies (Matt 27:25)His enemies’ blood on Jesus
(Rev 19:13-15)

What a stark difference, amen? The suffering Messiah will return and will be a conquering King!

This chapter is all about sight and sound. We see in the first ten verses there will be sounds of worship and rejoicing. These sounds describe events happening in Heaven. We’ll cover what the Apostle John sees in the second half of this chapter on the next post. The sights involve events that will happen on earth. Events will move from Heaven to earth and they will culminate into the Second Coming of King Jesus and the destruction of the Antichrist and False Prophet! \o/

But for now, let’s read about what he heard. It begins in Revelation 19:1 where John hears rejoicing in Heaven over the destruction of the great whore. In Revelation 19:6, we hear the rejoicing over the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

After the religious and economic/political destruction of Babylon in Chapters 17 and 18, John hears Alleluia! This word only appears four times in the entire Bible and found only in this chapter! What does that say to you? The time of God’s judgment has come to all inhabitants of earth and also to the Antichrist and the False Prophet! The time of judgment for Jeremiah’s question has come:

Jer 12:1-2  Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?  (2)  Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

The wicked will no longer prosper. Their time has come! Heaven is rejoicing and say Alleluia! The word is actually Hallelujah which in Greek is divided into two parts: Hallel meaning to worship and Jah which stands for God! Praise the Lord!!!

We will now see that the Lord Jesus Christ will avenge and vindicate! Justice has been a long time coming. We see in Psalm 73 how David wrestled with the sinfulness of men and how they did not get judged but yet he was punished. The wicked prospered but now God is coming with His judgment. Remember the souls of those under the altar in Revelation 6:9-10? Their blood is now avenged. Again, John hears rejoicing and voices saying Alleluia because Babylon has been destroyed and her smoke and ashes are rising. They can all say that justice is being served, finally!

Let’s take a look at Revelation 19:4: The 24 elders and the four beasts fall down and worship God saying, Amen; Alleluia. The Raptured saints and the four beasts fall down and say that God’s Word is trustworthy and firm. This is it – it’s the end of the devil’s reign of terror during the Tribulation and they worship and glorify the Lord God!

amēn
am-ane’
Of Hebrew origin [H543]; properly firm, that is, (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially surely (often as interjection so be it): – amen, verily.

Strong’s Concordance

Next John tells us about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This is what every born-again believer is looking forward to since Christ’s return to Heaven; as well as today, and after the Rapture! Glory! John hears a great multitude! To him it sounds like the “voice of many waters” and the voice of mighty thunderings, saying Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. I can almost hear Handel’s Messiah being sung, can’t you? I find it interesting that John compares it to the voice of many waters and mighty thunderings. I’ve entered a huge auditorium totally filled with people talking to one another. It almost sounded to me like the ocean’s roar. I can understand why John chose this wording! Countless born-again believers will be participating here. How do I know this? Revelation 19:8 says that she was arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. (also see 2 Cor 11:2) The New Testament church is pictured as a bride and Jesus as our Groom. Our Groom is also known as the Lamb. This is the Lord Jesus’ favorite term for Himself. He wants to be known as the redemptive Lamb of God. It is His redemptive power that gives us the wonderful opportunity to be saved from our sins!

In the last verse, Revelation 19:10, that we will be covering today, we see John being overwhelmed by the glory he is seeing! It is as though it is too much for him to take in. So much so, he bows down to worship the angel! The angel tells him not to do this because he is John’s fellowservant. The angel tells John to worship God. Even in his joy and exstacy, John’s “flesh” is evident here.

Friend, I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Your eternal future is at stake if you are not 100% certain that you are going to Heaven. Once you are born-again, your eternal soul is bound for Heaven and is no longer destined for Hell. Please, I beg you, settle this matter once and for all … right now. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself, the Perfect Lamb of God whose shed blood is for all sin. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 41

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On July 22, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 18:9-24  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,  (10)  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.  (11)  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:  (12)  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,  (13)  And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.  (14)  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.  (15)  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,  (16)  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!  (17)  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,  (18)  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!  (19)  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.  (20)  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.  (21)  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.  (22)  And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;  (23)  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.  (24)  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

What a beautiful morning it is! There’s something about the sunrise and its promise of a new day! I love the smells of the outdoors; I love the chirping of birds; and I love the sun as it makes its appearance! As a born-again child of God, I know that should I not open my eyes here on earth, I most certain will open them in Heaven, forever to be with my Lord and Saviour! Oh how I long for the day where I may not taste death but will be wondrously raptured! Despite all the joy in heart, I also feel overwhelmed with grief knowing that there are some in my circle of friends and family who will not experience the Rapture. I’m not even sure if they will experience salvation during the Tribulation. This breaks my heart and it should break yours if you’re in the same boat that I am.

This post will be a tad long. To show you what will be in the heart of man during the Tribulation has to be prefaced by what is in their hearts today. Mankind has wandered so far away from God that his own pride blinds him from anything spiritual. We see it today in people’s attitudes! The Bible says in 2Timothy 3:1-7 that in the last days, people would display the following traits:

  • Lovers of their own selves – Social media has created a generation of self obsessed people! One only has to go on social media for a few minutes to see that this is a true statement. Because the internet didn’t exist before the early 1980’s, we didn’t hear about this type of behavior. But now, we see people with their noses in their phones.
  • covetous – As soon as the newest iPhone comes out or a new pair of sneakers, people line up and wait in line because they “just have to have it”! Even if they can’t afford it, they’ll charge it so they can have it right now!
  • boasters – Boasters want you to know everything about them and what they have accomplished. Their self pride comes through.
  • proud – As I wrote above, pride is prevalent in the end times. No more do we see humbleness. Man has to take credit for everything and no longer give glory to God. (1John 2:16 and Ps 10:4)
  • blasphemers – We are a world of blasphemers. Not only is God’s name blasphemed, but anything that is holy is blasphemed. The life of an unborn child, the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, Christ Jesus’ shed blood on the cross.
  • disobedient to parents – This one breaks my heart! Today’s children are so disrespectful and disobedient. It is not their fault, of course. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach them to be obedient and respectful. Adult children who criticize their parents will have children who will criticize them. I would never have thought to correct my parents or grandparents. I was taught to keep my opinions to myself and respect my elders. The Bible says to honour your parents (Eph 6:2-3). The Greek word for “honour” here is timao, which means to prize, that is, fix a valuation upon; by implication to revere: – honour, value. It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with them or they do something wrong. They are to be honored and revered by the child. Why? the verses say so things will go well for the child and they can have long life! Let the Lord deal with your parents if you disagree. Just be obedient to the Lord. We are not each other’s personal “little holy spirits.” It is this disrespectful type of attitude that makes people think they have the “right” to do so.
  • unthankful – People make their demands known to God and expect to have their prayers answered. But do they thank Him for what He has blessed them with? It’s worse with the unsaved today! You have a party and receive gifts; but do you send out a thank you note or email? Do you take time to actually thank someone for the time they have spent helping you with a task? Do you keep in mind the kindness of those people when emotions run high? People are so ungrateful today and it will be worse in the next few years.
  • unholy – Oh my word, don’t even get me started. Think about this word for a moment; it is the total opposite of what is holy. Righteous living in one’s home, righteous speech, righteous actions in one’s own life is the opposite of unholy. Wicked people live wickedly in their homes, they speak wicked words and their actions are wicked. We see this even more so today. Cursing abounds today – troubled teens harm the weak – people mistreat others – commercials on television reveal the depravity in men’s hearts… I could go on and on.
  • Without natural affection – What do you think is meant by natural affection? Natural affection is what a husband and wife have for each other; also what a parent has for their child. Today, people don’t get married but live together instead. As well, women feel they have a right to abort their own baby!
  • trucebreakers – When a couple gets married, they sign a marriage contract. The divorce rate in the United States is said to be about 45%! That number has gone down over the years because people live together rather than get married. People sign contracts when they purchase a house yet they default on that contract and go bankrupt. And this is only a couple of examples!
  • false accusers – How many times have we seen lately of people wrongfully accusing law enforcement officers of crimes they did not do? Most were unsubstantiated but the media did not cover the fact they were exonerated. Even if they are exonerated, the damage has been done and all people remember is the bad publicity. The media dove right into the water with both feet and made a spectacle of them. It is not just with law enforcement, women who falsely accuse a man for raping them. There are countless stories of men serving prison time only to get out years later because it was proven they were not guilty. Well, friend, it will get much worse as we draw closer to the Tribulation.
  • incontinent – It used to be this word was only used for people who could not hold their bladder so it was said they were incontinent. However, the term originally meant “powerless, without self control.” Wow, are we ever experiencing that today! People do not have any self control in many aspects of their lives. They over eat, they are alcoholics, drug users, uncontrollable tempers, just to name a few!
  • fierce – This word is defined as “savage.” It was said in early America that the Natives were fierce and, therefore, were called “savages.” Today we see people acting like savages – angry and hot headed. They are not brave at all. In fact, they prey on the weak in order for them to feel “strong” about themselves. Remember a few years ago when New York City was experiencing teenage boys going around knocking out people? They would swarm upon an elderly lady and punch her in the face and knock her out; or any other person who was alone.
  • despisers of those that are good – Christians are ridiculed by Hollywood and the media today. It’s awful when a Christian is depicted in a movie or show, they are crazy, weak and silly. They are made fun of and ridiculed. We see the hatred for anything “holy” in today’s world – the secular church welcomes homosexuals without repentance – the world welcomes drag queens to read to their children! And when a person takes a stand for God’s Word in these matters, they are attacked!
  • traitors – There have been traitors since the Old Testament, but none like we see today. We’ve seen it with our recent Covid battle. Vaccinated people would turn against those who were not vaccinated. We saw this even within families! Scripture says that unsaved children will turn in their saved parents to authorities during the Tribulation. Today’s events are moving toward this for sure!
  • heady – Have you ever made a rash decision and regretted it later on? That’s the definition of “heady.” People jump in headlong into situations that they did not pray over, or seek advice from someone they trust and respect. They act now and think later; then they wished they had never bought that house or car; married that person, etc.
  • highminded – This is much like the sin of pride but even more so. Someone who is highminded has an inflated sense of self conceit. Nothing they do is wrong – they are always right. Life is all about them and not about others.
  • lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God – Well this is pretty self explanatory. People would rather stay home than go to church. People would rather indulge in things that bring them pleasure than to deprive themselves in order to help those in need.  
  • Having a form of godliness – I was raised in a religion where the hierarchy appears religious but they don’t read God’s Word nor do they practice it. This is a good example but it’s not just for religious leaders. It’s for all those who pretend they are Christians on Sunday morning and then they live in sin the rest of the time. Hypocrites in sheep’s clothing, practicing what appears good.

Is it any wonder that sin abounds during the Tribulation? Christians with Holy Spirit power have been removed during the Rapture and what is left behind is an unbelieving world where the devil’s influence is finally unleashed. Granted some will be saved because of God’s plenteous mercy but most will continue in their sin and their evil hearts will get all the more evil. If believers today stand disgusted what is good and the depravity of our beloved Country, can you imagine during those horrible seven years?

Today’s verses reveal the results of Babylon the Great’s fall. This city and its system comes to its downfall and it proves devastating to the entire world. Events occur all over the world today but they don’t affect the entire world. Revelation 18:9 says that Babylon’s fall will cause kings (and their kingdoms) to “bewail her, and lament for her.” Have you ever wailed in grief over the death of someone you love, Reader? This is what is going to happen here. These kings committed fornication with Babylon and lived deliciously with her. A kingdom usually goes the way of its leader. If the king is depraved, the people more than likely will be also. These were intimately involved with the sins of Babylon but now we see them coming to a realization that this is now over. It reminded me of Lot’s wife. Despite all the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah, as they were escaping before its destruction, she turned back to look. The salt she should have had while living there (to cause others to want and receive her God) must not have caused others to thirst, so ironically God turns her into a pillar of salt. Why salt? I believe with all my heart it is so that people would learn from her sinful mistakes and thirst after the Lord and His Word!

Take a look at Revelation 18:11; it’s not only will the kings mourn Babylon’s fall but the merchants will also be mourning. Not because they have lost a loved one but because they are no longer able to sell their merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, etc.! Just read Revelation 18:12-14 and see just what they were selling! Their merchandise consists of every facet of life. Babylon comes to a dramatic end and everyone on earth is affected by it. Revelation 18:15-23 show the end results and we see that Babylon is not partially destroyed but entirely destroyed!

All has come to nothing (Revelation 18:15). All those “things” they had are now all destroyed. In just one hour, Babylon is made desolate! (Rev 18:19) They are not lamenting over God but, like Lot’s wife, over all their material things! God knocks down every idol in their lives and He destroys both their religious and economical systems!

I find it interesting that in the very next verse (Revelation 18:20), there is rejoicing going on in Heaven! It is such a polar opposite of what is going on here on earth. We see God’s avenging power on earth and all of Heaven is rejoicing. What they have been waiting for is now happening. The souls that were killed during the Tribulation are finally avenged:

Rev 6:9-11  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  (10)  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  (11)  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Wow! The time has finally come for these Tribulation martyrs! No wonder there’s rejoicing!

As we see in Revelation 18:23, “by thy sorceries were all the nations deceived.” The Greek word for sorceries is “pharmakeia,” which means drugs and witchcraft.

pharmakeia
far-mak-i’-ah
From G5332; medication (“pharmacy”), that is, (by extension) magic (literal or figurative): – sorcery, witchcraft.

Strong’s Concordance

Have you ever witnessed someone suffering from the effects of drugs? They literally appear as though they are possessed by demons! Drugs make an “entryway” for demons to enter and control a body. Drugs are also used in various forms of sorcery and witchcraft. All the nations were deceived by these “sorceries.” The chapter ends by telling us that because of Babylon, the blood of the prophets, saints and all that were killed upon the earth during this time, were found in her. This wicked, wicked system and city is finally destroyed! This means that the Second of Coming of Christ is just around the corner! We will be covering this in the next chapter so be prepared! It is what every believer alive during the Tribulation is waiting for with anticipation!

You may be doubting that this is what lies ahead for those who are not born again. God’s Word WILL be fulfilled – every prophecy depicting what will happen during the Tribulation will come to be. No one can escape it. Isaiah said it best:

Isa 14:27  For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

No one, no one, can stop what God ordained to happen during the Tribulation. You can doubt God’s Word all you want, but you won’t be able to stop His Word from moving forward.

Mat 24:34-35  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  (35)  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by Jesus’ sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. One can only be redeemed by Christ’s blood when one repents (turns away) of his sin and accepts the saving grace of Jesus! It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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