Tag: Book of Revelation Page 4 of 5

Revelation at a Glance – Day 19

On June 1, 2022

Rev 7:9-17 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; (10) And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (11) And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, (12) Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (13) And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (14) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15) Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (16) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (17) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Good morning, dear Reader. This morning, I’ve awoken with a tremendous burden on my heart. The thought of people dying is bad enough. But those who are born again during the Tribulation will go through a time that today’s Christians can’t even fathom in their brains! If you live in a free country, you have not experienced persecution to the point of torture and death. As the Church of Philadelphia, we are promised protection from the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Does your heart weigh heavily with the thought of people being tortured and killed for their faith? If not, your love for the Lord is weak. He loved us so much that He was tortured and killed for us! (Romans 5:8-9) This is why I study God’s Word regarding this topic. I realize we are in the end times and I want to reach as many people as I can through this blog so I can tell them the truth! Reader, are you saved? If yes, I rejoice with you that we will be counted worthy to experience the Rapture! If you are not, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God pricks your heart to continue to read on. Please, I beg of you to do so. Learn what will happen to those who get saved during the Tribulation; don’t be one of them! Today’s blog is packed with Scripture and I pray that the Holy Spirit opens your eyes and heart to understand them.

Here we are covering a sort of parenthetical time where God’s judgment is paused and we see a glimpse of what is going on in Heaven. The Tribulation saints (also mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11) are those who are saved during the Tribulation and they will be martyred for their faith. John sees a great multitude (that no one could number) from every nation and all races and tongues standing before the throne. Notice that they are clothed with white robes which represents they are covered by the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 7:14). These saints will serve the Lord in His temple (Revelation 7:15). This reminds me of Habakkuk 3:2, that in the midst of wrath is God’s mercy. God has to show His love through justice.

We see repeatedly that these Tribulation saints will more than likely face martyrdom under the wicked rule of the Antichrist. Remember, this is a time which has never been seen on earth. If you have ever read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, you’ve seen man’s inhumanity to man. If you paid attention during History class, you’ll remember learning about the Holocaust and what Hitler did to the poor Jews! The Tribulation will be much, much worse. Why do I know this? Jesus said:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

These Saints will pay the ultimate price for loving the Lord and living out their faith. (Revelation 13:7, Revelation 13:10, Revelation 13:15, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4) These dear saints won’t hide their faith and will be bold for loving the Lord Jesus Christ. I write this because it stands to reason: how would the Antichrist know about them and why would he martyr them if they were silent? The only encouraging thing for these Saints at this point is that they will see Christ face-to-face and He will reward them for their boldness. They will serve Him day and night in His Temple and He will wipe away all their tears!! (Revelation 7:15)

Friend, the Tribulation will be so horrible and trying that it is said there are some Christians today who are actually leaving encouraging notes, Bibles and food in places where these Tribulation saints can find them in a city called Petra. How bold are you, dear Christian? Are you afraid to speak out to those God has placed in your circle? Share the Gospel now so they can be included in the Rapture. Don’t be shy or afraid – just think of that unsaved person you love dearly and imagine that person going through the Tribulation! Your heart should be breaking!

If you are not saved but have managed to find this blog, ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins, repent of those sins (this means to turn from your sins and live for Christ) and ask the Lord to save you. Get your hands on a Bible, if possible the King James Bible (having 66 books). Then start reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to learn about your Saviour. Then learn all you can about the end times (from the Rapture to Christ’s Second Coming) and what is in store for you in the books below:

Verses dealing with the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; 2 Timothy 4:8; Ephesians 5:25-27; John 14:1-3; Luke 17:26-37; Luke 21:29-33; Mark 13:28-37; Matthew 24:32-44; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 3:10-11; Revelation 9:11-21; Revelation 12:12 Revelation 19:6-16; Revelation 22:12; Romans 5:9; Romans 8:1

Verses dealing with the Second Coming (this is what you will be waiting for if you are saved during the Tribulation): 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Acts 1:9-12; Daniel 7:13-14; Daniel 9:24-27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11-12; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Hebrews 9:28; Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 35:1-6; Joel 2:31; Jude 1:14-15; Matthew 24:3-39; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 11:2-3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:3-5; Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 14:1-5; read all of Revelation chapters 6 through 18.

I realize this list has a LOT of Bible verses, but if you’re anything like I was after I was first saved, you will have an extreme desire to read your Bible! You should learn about what lies in store for you so you can be prepared. If you are saved at the beginning of the Tribulation, you won’t have anyone to teach you. All you will have is a Bible so read, read, read! All Christians will have been raptured prior to the Tribulation and there will be no one left to teach you from the Bible. A Bible will be your only life source and you will need to spiritually feed yourself. The churches on the corner will be empty and there won’t be Pastors to help you. Therefore, feed yourself and read the Bible as much as possible. You may be the person God will use to lead others to Him.

Friend, 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 18

By Kate Plourde

On May 30, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 7:1-8 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (2) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (3) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (5) Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. (6) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. (7) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. (8) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

It’s a new day and people are scurrying around getting their tasks accomplished. Some are going to work; some are retired (like me) and enjoying a slower-paced life. But what will it be like for those who are alive during the Tribulation?

We have seen through this series thus far, God’s reasons for allowing the Tribulation to occur:

to wake up unbelievers
to shake up the nation of Israel, and
to make up the Kingdom of God

Each judgment is progressively worse. Just as a crescendo indicates an increase in loudness, during a piece of music to capture the listeners’ attention, so will each of the judgments. Here’s a short review of what we’ve covered follows:

The Antichrist rises to prominence (Revelation 6:1-2)
Wars (Revelation 6:3-4)
Famine and economic collapse (Revelation 6:5-6)
Death of many unbelievers (Revelation 6:7-8)
Death of some believers (Revelation 6:9-11), and
Universal natural catastrophes (Revelation 6:12-14)

Chapter 7 and 8 seem to remove the focus from earth’s judgments and appear parenthetical, a pause if you will. But this pause packs quite the punch! Judgments on earth have ceased in order to introduce a special people; they will receive the seal of God on their foreheads. It doesn’t say what the seal will look like. But we do know that it will set them apart from everyone else on earth. We will see later that the Antichrist’s mark will be on the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16). The devil’s attempt to be “god” is revealed as he tries to duplicate his own counterfeit mark. Who are these people? This chapter introduces them as the 144,000 who will be anointed in a unique and powerful way in order to preach the Gospel.

At the beginning of this chapter, we read that John has two visions. He sees four angels holding four winds; wind is often an indication of judgment, as we see here. However, we don’t see any mention of judgments in this or the next chapter. John then hears the number of those who will be sealed. Notice these are 12,000 men from each tribe of Israel, except the tribe of Dan. These are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, as believed in their doctrine. (They cannot be Jehovah’s Witnesses as they are not form the twelve tribes of Israel.) Since the tribe of Dan is not included, it makes me wonder if this is a fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy over each tribe (Genesis 49:17): Dan shall be a serpent? Very interesting 😀

These 144,000 will be redeemed from the earth (as told to us in Revelation 14:3), and nothing will be able to overcome them until their evangelizing mission is complete. Because they are men from the tribes of Israel, they will be evangelizing to Jews. Naturally, Gentiles will hear the Gospel and will get saved as well but the main target will be Israel. The whole purpose of the Tribulation is to call the Jews back to God. This parenthetical chapter once again reveals God’s mercy in the midst of judgment! What a loving God we serve! People look at the negativity of the judgments rather than the Lord’s beautiful mercy! We will see later what will happen to those people who accept Christ as the Messiah. It will not bode well for them at all.

Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, serving Satan and his beast? Friend, 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 17

By Kate Plourde

On May 27, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Good morning, Reader! Has the sun risen in your part of the world yet? Mine has and with it comes the promise of Christ’s return for us at Rapture! I often wonder if Tribulation believers will be able to experience some of these beautiful days or will they be constantly watching their backs. Will they be able to sit and enjoy each other’s fellowship over a meal as we experience today? Will they be able to worship together and share the Scriptures with one another in order to encourage each other? Or will they be in hiding, constantly afraid, at this point of this series? You and I have no idea what it would be like without these blessings. But the Tribulation believers will have challenges you and I can’t even imagine!

Today’s devotional covers the sixth seal. This seal unleashes universal natural catastrophes and disasters that will cause havoc to the entire earth. There will be occurrences which the like has never been seen. A good example is a volcanic eruption. In 1883, the volcano in the Krakatoa Islands erupted and was heard 3,000 miles away!! Tidal waves went as far as 1,500 miles away and it changed the tides 7,000 miles away! Just this eruption alone changed the weather for two years; and this is only one volcano! 😮

According to history.com:

But in 536 A.D., much of the world went dark for a full 18 months, as a mysterious fog rolled over Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The fog blocked the sun during the day, causing temperatures to drop, crops to fail and people to die. It was, you might say, the literal Dark Age.
Now, researchers have discovered one of the main sources of that fog. The team reported in Antiquity that a volcanic eruption in Iceland in early 536 helped spread ash across the Northern Hemisphere, creating the fog. Like the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption—the deadliest volcanic eruption on record—this eruption was big enough to alter global climate patterns, causing years of famine.
What exactly did the first 18 months of darkness look like? The Byzantine historian Procopius wrote that “the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year.” He also wrote that it seemed like the sun was constantly in eclipse; and that during this time, “men were free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to death.”
Accounts like these weren’t taken very seriously until the 1990s, says Michael McCormick, a history professor at Harvard University and co-author of the Antiquity paper. That decade, researchers examined tree rings in Ireland and found that something weird did happen around 536. Summers in Europe and Asia became 35°F to 37°F colder, with China even reporting summer snow. This Late Antique Little Ice Age, as it’s known, came about when volcanic ash blocked out the sun.
https://www.history.com/news/536-volcanic-eruption-fog-eclipse-worst-year

Imagine this event during the Tribulation, but on a much greater scale! The above will be miniscule compared to these end times. Why would a loving God allow this to happen if He supposedly loves the world? It is because of the world’s love of sin and unwillingness to repent! Each year, their sinful hearts get harder and harder; it takes more judgments in order to turn their hearts. God could easily just destroy the entire earth and be done with it. But because He loves each soul so very much, He gives them repeated opportunities to be saved. This is true love!

Moving on, we see at this point during the Tribulation, as if this isn’t enough, stars will be falling from the sky! These could possibly be meteorites or comets. Earthquakes will be so strong that the Bible says all the mountains and islands will shift positions! Just think of Hawaii changing locations and no longer located at 18°55′ N to 28°27′ N Longitude – 154°48′ W to 178°22′ W Latitude! Think about it! This will horrify people so badly that they will seek shelter in rocks and mountains and will want the mountains to fall on them so they can escape this judgment through death! Wow!

If these are only the first six judgments – can you imagine what’s to come? Each one gets worse and worse because it’s taking stronger punishments to wake up the sinful world! Hearts have hardened so much, they no longer are tender to the Scriptures.

Friend, don’t delay if you are not born again! Do not trade eternal life in Heaven for a few years of pleasure on earth. 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 16

By Kate Plourde

On May 25, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

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.

Good morning! If you’re anything like me, you try to start your day with time in the Word. The early morning is usually pretty quiet and it allows me to concentrate without distractions. I love the sounds of nature and watching the sunrise. It’s so peaceful and encouraging to me. But there is coming a time when one won’t be able to say this as we are seeing during this devotional series. Those who are born again during the Tribulation will be dealing with things that have never happened before! I can’t even imagine! I’m thankful for my salvation and the fact that I will be included in the Rapture when Jesus calls His Bride Home!!!

Today we are covering the fifth seal. This is an extremely sad seal to me because it depicts those who are born again during the Tribulation. What’s wrong with that, you may wonder? Unfortunately, these dear brothers and sisters in Christ will be martyred for their faith! It is at this point that the Antichrist will impose on all people to receive his mark (Revelation 13:16) and will force them to worship him as God. All those who refuse the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him will be killed. This alone should draw the unsaved to the Lord now so they don’t have to experience this horrifying time! This very topic is exactly why I was saved! This is not something that was taught to me in the Catholic church. I was so scared to be martyred and I was definitely open to hearing about the Rapture! We see that these martyred souls remain under the altar until the end of the Tribulation when the remainder of those who will die for their faith will join them. These souls under the altar are wanting justice but that justice will have to wait until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming.

My heart actually hurts when I read about these souls under the altar. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ after all! I’ve never suffered persecution because of my faith. I’ve been privileged to live in a country where we are free to practice our faith; at least, for the time being. Currently, Christianity is the main religion suffering persecution and martyrdom in other countries. I will be in Heaven and seeing these beautiful souls under the altar with my own eyes! I can see myself crying because they cannot experience justice just yet nor can they take part in being the Bride of Christ. 😥 But the Lord’s mercy is great and He will reward them soon!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 15

By Kate Plourde

On May 23, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:7-8 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

It’s a rainy day in Northern Virginia! The warmer temperatures have finally arrived and it feels so good! But I sit here meditating on what the Tribulation’s judgments will bring and how the sun will lose some of its power. I can’t even fathom this in my mind but I trust God’s Word and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this will happen. Interestingly, I have not read any account of torrential rains (other than hail stones) in Revelation. My prayer is that God uses this blog to draw souls to Him before it’s too late.

As we’ve read above, this fourth seal reveals a pale horse will arrive. This is not a pasty white horse, as we think when someone has a pale complexion. The Greek word is:

χλωρός
chlōros
khlo-ros’
From the same as G5514; greenish, that is, verdant, dun-colored: – green, pale.

This is where we get the English word chloroform. When one thinks of the color green, we think of God’s green earth and how it grows and blooms. A green plant or tree is a healthy one, growing and producing leaves and flowers. A brown or withered plant shows it is no longer healthy but dying. This horse is pale and is not vibrant in color. I think of the Laodicean church being lukewarm and not vibrant for the Lord.

We read that this horse’s rider has the name of Death. Many will die on earth at this point. The Word also says that Hell follows this horse, which indicates these people who will die are unbelievers because it says Hell follows him – believers go to Heaven, not Hell. Revelation 6:8 reveals that a fourth of the earth will die and go to Hell 😥. This seal also tells us that this horse will be given the power to kill by the sword (wars), and with hunger (famines), and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. As if wars, hunger and death aren’t enough, the Scriptures say people will be killed by beasts of the earth. I have no clue what this means but could it be that the animals are also starving and they turn to human flesh to feed? A lot of death is happening during this seal as we can certainly see!

According to Wikipedia, the population of this earth as of November 2021 was 7.9 billion. I have no way of knowing how many people will be raptured prior to the Tribulation. So let’s just use this particular number of 7.9 billion for calculation purposes. If the population holds at this number when the Tribulation begins, that means there will be a loss of 1,975,000,000 people who will die during this seal alone! That’s nearly two billion people!!! That’s a lot of people dying from wars, famine and beasts! To give you some perspective at the enormity of this number, an estimated total of 40-50 million people died during World War II – that number includes all nations involved. This WWII total is peanuts compared to the nearly 2 billion deaths during this seal alone. At no time in history has this many people died during a specific timeframe. It will make all the Black Plague seem miniscule. This plague killed as many as 50 million people in Europe. This seal will kill 1.975 BILLION people.

What will people be thinking at this point? Will they start to see their need for repentance? Will hearts be turned to the Lord? If hearts are turned, what will happen to those who are born again? We’ll see that in our next post where we will cover the next seal.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 14

By Kate Plourde

On May 20, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:3-6 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. (4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Rise and shine, Reader! Grab that favorite beverage and let’s read about what’s to come. It almost sounds like a work of fiction, doesn’t it? Don’t be mistakened, every prophecy from the Bible either has come to past or will come to past! Jesus made this exact comment:

Mat 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

If you think that the Bible is a work of fiction, you will be rudely awakened! Your ignorance does not negate the Bible and all its prophecies. Your ignorance only manages to lead you to a Christless eternity, burning for all eternity! Please, I beg you, ask God to open your eyes and soften your heart toward Him and His prophecies. This time period (the seven-year Tribulation) will be like no other and God’s wrath will be poured out! Please, become part of the Lord’s Bride who will be protected from God’s wrath because we are covered by the blood of His precious Son, the perfect Passover Lamb!

In today’s post, we will cover two seals. These “Horsemen of the Apocolypse” are an overview of judgments to come. In this seal, we see a red horse coming into the picture. Red is the color for terror, blood and carnage. It’s no surprise that there will be much bloodshed at this point. This will be when the Antichrist takes away the peace that started the Tribulation. At this point, there will be all out war on earth and many will die. Notice it says in Revelation 6:4 that a great sword is given to this red horse. Since the judgments are going to be so much worse during these seven years, many will die. We will see this in a later post.

3rd Seal, Famine - Scriptural Interpretation, Picture ...

Revelation 6:5-6 reveals a black horse who holds a pair of balances. Scales were used in those days to measure money and crops. Notice that during this time, a measure of wheat will cost a penny! It may not seem like much to you but in John’s time, a quart of wheat was a day’s wage. In today’s standards, it would be about $200 for a loaf of bread! Once reality sets in, you’ll be able to put two and two together and see what is in store for the godless world.

If you think food and gas prices have soared in 2022, it will be much worse during the Tribulation. I went grocery shopping last week and two plastic bags from Walmart cost me $80, and that did not include meat! Just at the beginning of these seals, we are seeing a drastic increase in hardships!!! Recession has been brought on by a godless government with no care for this country’s inhabitants. The current cost for fuel in May 2022 has gone up 44% in 16 months. Can you imagine the cost of living for an average family during the timeframe of this seal?

In John’s day, only the wealthy could afford oil and wine so it stands to reason that they will continue to eat well, but not so with the rest of the world. The Bible contains truth – all truth! This will be a very difficult time for those who are mid-income level wage earners. And you can forget about the poor! How will they be able to eat? If you think we have a lot of beggars on the street corners, you haven’t seen anything yet. There will be an economic collapse like never before. I can’t even fathom this and it grieves me that people will be so sinful and hard-hearted that they still won’t seek the Lord. It is because of this sinful and hard-hearted people that the judgments will only get worse. They will refuse to turn to God, therefore it will take harsher judgments to get their attention. 😥 It is very much like a child who is raised by parents who do nothing but scream commands. Eventually, the child becomes deaf to his parents’ screaming and only becomes more rebellious. One can see how the world will still have a blind eye toward the things of God.

Dear reader, if you are not saved, it’s not too late to get saved! Salvation is there for the taking if you will choose repentance over earthly and worldly pleasures. The Lord is waiting, knocking at the door of your heart!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 13

By Kate Plourde

On May 18, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (2) And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Good morning! ☕ I’m sipping away at my coffee and enjoying the peace and quiet that come before the sunrise. I await with an anxious and fearful heart for what is about to happen in our next series of verses. I’m anxious because I am weary of this sinful country in which I live and I long for my heavenly kingdom. I’m fearful because I know that there are family members who are not saved and will have to go through the worse period of time our earth has ever seen. It’s hard to have these mixed emotions. It reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words:

Php 1:22-24 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. (23) For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (24) Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

I long for Heaven but if we are raptured today, there will no longer be an opportunity for my family and friends to be included! The longer the Rapture is delayed, the longer believers have to tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ! So I totally understand what Paul was saying – spreading the Gospel is our number one priority, friends! If anything can light a fire under you, it is this devotional series! It should motivate every believer to share Jesus, amen? If you aren’t actively talking about salvation, you don’t have true compassion for lost souls. This should convict your heart and I pray that it does! There is no better “shot in the arm” for any Christian than to lead someone to Christ! It is a joy like no other.🧡

So, are you ready to see what is about to be poured out on the entire earth? We are now going to be witnessing, through John, the beginning of the judgments that will be sent to the earth and those who dwell in it. Life as you know it now will never be the same once this seal is opened! The scroll’s first seal is opened by the Lamb and followed by thunder: it’s like a loud siren blasting its sound to get everyone’s attention. At that moment, John sees a white horse. This is not the white horse that Jesus comes to earth riding on in Revelation 19:11. This is an introduction to the Antichrist coming on the scene. We see that he is not going to wage war just yet because his bow is not bent nor do the Scriptures say he has arrows. He will be a leader because he is wearing a crown which is given to him. The Antichrist will rise up and be appointed to be a leader who brings peace to Israel.

Om Sanningen ska fram............: Ryttaren på den vita hästen

The Antichrist will come to power sometime after the rapture of the church. We don’t know the date of the rapture but we do know that the Antichrist will sign a treaty with Israel and it is at that moment that the prophetic time clock begins to count the seven years of Tribulation. At the beginning of his reign, he will bring peace to Israel. He will have everyone but Tribulation believers deceived. The Antichrist brings with him havoc and death. He lives up to his names: he is known as the son of perdition, the abomination that causes desolation, and the beast. (2 Thessalonians 2:3, Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 13:2) The word “Antichrist” is not used in Revelation. As a matter of fact, John speaks of him in 1 John 2:18 and 1 John 2:22. But in Revelation, John refers to the Antichrist as the Beast 32 times in 25 verses! Suffice it to say, Satan is at the center of chapters 6-19 until King Jesus returns! I can see Satan’s pride all over those chapters, can’t you?

So what do we have to learn about the Antichrist? The Antichrist’s goals are to blaspheme God, oppose Him and exalt himself. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 19:19) Half way through the Tribulation, he will stand in the Temple proclaiming to be God! (Daniel 12:11) Satan’s sinful pride got him kicked out of Heaven and thrown to earth. Now he is trying to be head honcho on earth! King Jesus will put an end to that pride after His millennial reign! \o/

Dear reader, if you are not a born-again child of God and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you should be very concerned about living through these times. At the moment, God is giving mankind every opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. When that last person accepts Him at Saviour, the door will open for the Rapture and your opportunity to be rescued from what lies ahead will come to a close. Should you get saved during the Tribulation, you will be martyred for your faith. We will cover this later on in this devotional series. But please, do not wait, I beg of you!

2 Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Revelation at a Glance – Day 12

By Kate Plourde

On May 16, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 5:1-14 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. (5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (8) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. (9) 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. (11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Good morning, reader! Every day brings with it a moment that excites my spirit! If it’s not during my morning devotions with the Lord, it’s through prayer time! These moments remind me that this is a glorious day and we are one day closer to the Rapture of the Church by our Wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!! King Jesus will reign forever more! What a day that will be!!

We are in the last chapter of Revelation before God’s judgments are unleashed upon a sinful and rejecting world. If you don’t think we are in the end times, let me refresh your memory as you read the following verses and compare it to today’s events. There’s no other time in history that can capture these sins in the severity with which they occur today:

2 Ti 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves (selfies and videos posted on social media – people in love with their own image), covetous (wanting what others want – paying thousands of dollars for sneakers and cell phones), boasters (proclaiming their own “goodness” and tooting their own horn – behaving in an extravagant way in order to attract attention), proud (not willing to be meek – having a high opinion of oneself), blasphemers (cursing and filthy conversations; blaspheming God and using His Name irreverently ), disobedient to parents (kids rule the home today and get whatever they want), unthankful (ungrateful for what they have), unholy (anything opposite of righteous living – people actually brag about their unholy acts), (3) Without natural affection (not loving their own flesh and blood – women having abortions because it’s not convenient for them; children not loving their parents but rebellious), trucebreakers (marriages dissolving and families failing; people make promises to others but never intend on fulfilling that promise), false accusers (lying against one another and trying to ruin someone’s character), incontinent (cannot contain their sinfulness, no self control; they can’t control their appetites, such as with alcohol, drugs or sex), fierce (savage toward others – think of the knockout game and the rebelliousness of people during riots; they are wild and impetuous), despisers of those that are good (persecution in China and other countries toward Christians, people in your own family hate you for being a Christian who wants to live a righteous life; people who do love what is good and wholesome are radically bad), (4) Traitors (people who betray others, even in their own families), heady (recklessly jumping the gun without thinking, headstrong and inconsiderate), highminded (thinking they’re better than others, self righteous), lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (selfish pleasures take priority over spiritual matters; lovers of the flesh rather than of God); (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (appear to be spiritual but aren’t; I was raised in such a church – we prayed the rosary over and over but never loved God or His Word): from such turn away.

Wow … just … wow! You can see that we are most certainly living in the end times and what is about to happen in the remaining chapters could include you if you are not saved. Submit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept that He is the only true Saviour of the world. (John 14:6)

At this point in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the words “church and churches” are no longer mentioned. These word(s) won’t be found until the very last chapter of Revelation! If you will notice as you read chapter 5, a barrage of magnificent sights and sounds hit John; he has never seen or heard these things in his life! Let’s also take note that the Scriptures do not show that John is fearful. Why? He’s not because he is safe in Heaven being protected by God Himself!

The chapter opens with John witnessing a “book” in the right hand of God the Father, which had the seven seals. Strong’s Concordance gives us the Greek word used for book:

βιβλίον
biblion
bib-lee’-on
A diminutive of G976; a roll: – bill, book, scroll, writing.

This particular scroll had seven seals (like the wax seals in the picture above). Seven seals will bring forth God’s perfect, righteous and complete judgment on a sinful world.

A strong angel loudly speaks up asking Who is worthy to open the book and to unseal the seals!!! We see that no man in Heaven, earth or under the earth was able to! The scroll has judgments for earth and those who dwell on it. There is no other Judge who is qualified to open these seals and John begins to cry because no one is worthy. An elder speaks up and tells him that the Lion of the tribe of Juda and the Root of David is able! Now we behold Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and our King of Kings making His entrance! Only HE is able to cast judgment on the sinful earth. (2 Corinthians 5:10) The Lamb is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself and is used 29 times just in this Book! He is the perfect Passover Lamb for Jews and Gentiles alike! He is a direct descendent of Boaz and Ruth: Boaz was a Jew and Ruth was a Moabitess! Do you know what the Moabites were famous for? They are descendents of the incestuous act between Lot and his daughters! Can you see the God’s redemptive plan for all mankind in this? Furthermore, if Jesus had not shed His blood and risen from the dead, we would not even be reading this book!

Let’s move on. Verse 6 tells us that the Lamb stood in their midst as it had been slain; this bears the marks of His crucifixion. It further describes the Lamb as having seven horns, seven eyes, and seven Spirits of God. The number seven in Scriptures means perfection and completion; and the horns are indicative of authority. Jesus appears with perfect authority, perfect knowledge, and perfect Spirit! John describes this beautifully, in my opinion. There is no imperfection whatsoever in God – He is holy and Almighty – He is omnipotent! Jesus takes the book out of the right hand of the Father and everyone falls down before Him with harps and the vials of odours, which the Scripture explains are the prayers of the Saints. Isn’t it wonderful that all prayers ever prayed by the saints are recorded in Heaven? Praise Him!

A lot happens in Revelation 5:8-14. The twenty-four elders sing a new song, angels are singing, all creation sings, and the cherubim say Amen! Picture, if you will, as if it is a chorus and orchestra!!! First a few are singing, then more join in; building into a beautiful worship service to the Lamb of God! All are worshipping the Lord! I always think about Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus at this point. I know I’ve said this before but it sure is apropos right here! I get so excited in my spirit when this song is sung! It is divinely inspired, for sure! I’m a walking goose bump right now! 🤗

Next, the cherubim’s final Amen occurs. It’s like the final curtain call and afterwards the wrath of God will be unleashed on earth. Both the earth itself and the people will undergo God’s great wrath. This parenthetical time between the Rapture and the beginning of the judgments will end and there’s no turning back. Praise the Lord that we, the Bride, will be safe in Heaven, protected by the Lord, our Groom, from the horrific judgments about to give way! Again, I cannot stress enough that Jesus said it would be as the days of Noah! (Matthew 24:37-39) Just as God protected Noah and his family from the world-wide flood, so will He protect His church. As well, just as Lot and his family were taken out of Sodom and Gomorrah before they were totally destroyed, so will God protect His Bride.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 11

By Kate Plourde

On May 13, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 4:5-11 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (6) And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (7) And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (8) And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (9) And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, (10) The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Good morning to you, dear reader! With your cup of “something” in hand, let’s dive into the Word of God and see what’s in store in these verses! They excite me because we believers will be in attendance for this! We must understand that Westerners’ see things in a chronological order but Easterners see things in a circular fashion. The Bible is not in chronological order. A good example is that the book of Job is the oldest book in the Scriptures. Its location is toward the middle of the Bible itself. So as you see, it’s the same with the book of Revelation. It is, on the most part, chronological but there are parenthetical pauses (as we see here in chapters 4 and 5) as well as repeating topics in separate chapters. I hope that makes sense to you readers. I hope to make this understandable when we reach those verses. So let’s move on! 😃

Today’s verses open with John seeing seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. He tells us that these lamps are the seven Spirits of God. As you know, the number seven is the number of perfection. The seven Spirits represent God’s perfect Holy Spirit. Seven is also the number for completion and reveals the Spirit’s completeness in His ministry, according to Isaiah:

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

In Isaiah’s verse, we see the Perfect Holy Spirit’s role: (1) shall rest upon him (2) wisdom (3) understanding (4) counsel (5) might (6) knowledge, and (7) the fear of the LORD! I’m so thankful Christ went to Heaven to prepare a place for us so that the Holy Spirit could come to help His Bride!!! This wonderful Holy Spirit (1) rests upon us (2) gives us wisdom through the Word (3) gives us understanding of the Word (4) provides us with counsel when we don’t know what to do (5) provides us strength to overcome temptation as well as the evils of this world (6) gives us knowledge of the Word when we need it, and (7) teaches us the fear of the LORD! I don’t know about you but I feel well equipped to be a child of the King, amen? We have all we need; the Holy Spirit equips us so we can handle whatever task the Lord gives to us! In today’s verses of chapter 4, the Father is on the throne, the Holy Spirit is before the throne and later Jesus will make His glorious entrance to open the scrolls! \o/ The beautiful Trinity!

Then John describes what he sees as a “sea of glass like unto crystal.” I once read that “finite human language cannot fully describe infinite things” and this is absolutely true! Most of the time where a body of water (as the sea here), it does not refer to actual water but to a “sea of people.” I can just imagine John wondering how he was going to pen what he saw. This is also true for the entire book of Revelation! John had to describe what he was seeing and hearing with words he knew! It would be like you and I trying to describe something that was going to happen a thousand years from now. What do you picture in your mind’s eye when you read this? I envision it as possibly the calming peace provided by God’s Word (not a tumultuous sea) – as well, the Word is living waters, amen? John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. It also reminded me of Psalm 23:2b he leadeth me beside the still waters. Or this could be referring to the sea of humanity that came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The sea of humanity appears “calm” because they have peace in their salvation. Furthermore, it is as a crystal, John says. I used to have a small Swarovski crystal pin that was absolutely beautiful. If I held it up to the sun, the rays would go through it and would reflect the sun off the walls with vibrant colors bouncing all over – it was so beautifully bright and shiny! I picture the Word of God illuminating in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Perfect Light, the Lord Jesus, could be a representation as well. Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

How wonderful it will be to be in the presence of God at this point – the Lord will keep us safe from the great Tribulation that is coming upon the earth, just as God kept Noah and Lot safe (read Matthew 24 and Luke 17), even so will He do for the Church, His Bride! Just as a groom would not allow his beautiful bride to undergo beatings and persecutions, neither will the Lord Jesus allow His Bride to go through the great Tribulation! We are promised to be protected from God’s wrath in so many scriptures. One of these:

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

Not only do we have this promise, but as we see here in Revelation 4, we will be with the Lord God Almighty sitting on the throne and we will be able to behold the beauty of Heaven! I can just imagine myself coming completely undone before my Lord!

Next, we see that John is trying to describe something quite bizarre! He sees four beasts and his description is unbelievable. I have quite an imagination, but even in my wildest dreams would I ever be able to picture this. These four beasts (lion, calf, man, and eagle) are very similar to the ones Ezekiel describes in chapter 10. These beasts have six wings, which we know are the seraphim. Their job is to continually go around the Throne of God singing: Holy, Holy, Holy!! Did you know that the word “holy” is the only word used in triplicate and it is used to describe God? Praise Him!

Verse 10 speaks of twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment and having crowns of gold on their heads. Some believe the apostles are not included here because John is the one who is seeing these visions and he was an apostle. Others say it could be referring to the Old Testament priests who were in groups of 24 (1 Chronicle chapters 24 and 25). It may also be referring to the saints of the Old and New Testaments as they are all wearing crowns of gold. These crowns are not like Christ’s crown (a royal diadem). These crowns in Greek are “stephanos” and are more like the ones given to Olympic athletes, a lesser or inferior crown made of gold. Strong’s defines it as:

στέφανος
stephanos
stef’-an-os
From an apparently primary “stepho” (to twine or wreathe); a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238), literally or figuratively: – crown.
Strong’s Concordance

If you’ve ever done a study on the different crowns that a Christian can earn (during his/her ministry on earth) for Christ, you see that there are five crowns that can be earned:

1 Cor 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. Our crown will never perish – it is eternal.
1 Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? We will rejoice when the Lord comes for us! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. The saved look forward to King Jesus’ coming! This crown is one of righteousness and there’s only one righteous One and that is the Lord Jesus. It’s by HIS righteousness we are saved!
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. This crown is a reward for believers who love the Lord and endure the temptations of this world.
1 Pet 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. When the Lord appears, our chief Shepherd, we will receive a crown of glory! It reminds me of Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Amen and amen!

What will we do with these crowns, Christian? We will cast them at King Jesus’ feet and give them all back to Him! It is because of Him that we are included in this chapter, friend! Without His death, burial and resurrection, we would not be able to celebrate this holy and blessed event! We didn’t earn those crowns – He is rewarding US for something HE did! Those crowns belong to Him and only Him! There is no other King!

We end this chapter with praise and honor to the Lord our God! Only He is worthy to receive glory, honour, and power! The Creator of all things created all things for His good pleasure, and this is when we can tell Him face-to-face! I do not know if I’ll be able to do this without crying! I don’t know if I could even stand up to praise Him. I think I’ll be totally undone and on my face adoring Him and praising Him!

I have been reading Amir Tsarfati’s book entitled Revealing Revelation. In it, he gives a beautiful scenario of what we’ve covered in this post. I’ll quote it here:

It reminds me a bit of the flash mob fad of a few years ago. Someone would walk into a busy public place and begin singing loudly. Not many would pay her notice initially, but then out of the crowd two or three more would join in the song – possibly incorporating choreography. Then out of the crowd more and more would join until there was a large group of performers surrounded by admirers, most with their cell phones out recording the event.
The first groups have started the song, and the praise is building. Very soon, the performance is going to hit its crescendo as a special guest makes His appearance and brings down the house.
Revealing Revelation, page 82.

Jesus will make His appearance in chapter 5 and the Bride will finally meet her Groom face-to-face! Friend, if this doesn’t get you unglued, your “blesser” is broken, LOL! What will I do when I see Him? I would like to think that I could run to Him and hug Him because of all that He has done for me. Then again, meeting the Lord God Himself will probably overcome me and I’ll be laying flat on my face adoring Him! Either way, I’ll be safe in Heaven with my Lord and Saviour rejoicing with all the Saints!

If you are not born again, reader, your eternity will be quite different. It will be spent in a pitch black place filled with black fire (the hottest fire there is) and your body will burn without being consumed to ash. Your body will burn and burn for all eternity. 😥 If you’ve ever burned yourself on a hot iron or stove, you know how painful that small area of flesh can be. Now imagine your entire body burning and your flesh not melting away… second after second, minute after minute, day after day, millennia after millennia … without end! As if that’s not enough, you will be tormented by the demons who have been cast there as well. I don’t want anyone to go through this! I have a dear friend who played with matches when she was around 9 years old. She had been taught not to play with matches but she disobeyed her parents. She caught on fire and suffered severe burns on her arm. It took months for her to heal after many grafts. Her arm never looked the same afterwards. The trauma from this event has played havoc on her body and she developed several life long illnesses because of that one act of disobedience. But what is the same is that she relives that moment frequently and regrets her disobedience. Just as Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for their one sin of disobedience, so will the unsaved be kept out of Heaven. It’s the same as dying without Christ as your Saviour. You will be in the Lake of Fire burning for all eternity and regretting every moment there that you rejected His salvation. My heart aches just thinking about it. But this is a choice that you made! You may not believe that God exists but what if you’re wrong? Do you really want to spend eternity in such pain and suffering, forever separated from God, with no chance of getting out of the Lake of Fire?

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Revelation at a Glance – Day 10

By Kate Plourde

On May 11, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 4:3-5 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (4) And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (5) And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Good morning, reader! As I sit here sipping my coffee, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be lost and on my way to hell. 😥 There is nothing that I can do on my own to gain me entrance into Heaven. In fact, no one can say that they can – at least not without Christ. Romans 3:10 says: As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one! If Christ had not come to shed His blood and take our punishment, we would all be goners. Instead, every born-again believer can rejoice because we can now enter into this wonderful place, Heaven, because of what Jesus did for us! John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, can rejoice in the fact that we will have eternal life with Him! What comfort and joy this brings to me every morning! It may be raining outside at the moment, but my heart is lit up with Christ’s light!

As we return to this devotional, we will be focusing on the things which “shall be hereafter” found in Revelation 1:19. We see that chapters 4 and 5 take place in Heaven and the rest of the chapters occur here on earth. Just in chapters 4 and 5 alone, the word throne appears 17 times. It appears 19 more times from Chapter 6 through the rest of the Book of Revelation! These visions speak nothing about the great and terrible day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). John had learned about Heaven and had been preaching about it all his life. Now he was seeing it for himself! Can you just imagine??? Now he was one of the few people in history that was allowed to have a vision of the throne room: Isaiah was one (Isa. 6:1-3); Ezekiel shared in that experience in Ezekiel 1:26-28 and 10:14; Daniel was another in Daniel 7:9 and Daniel 7:13-14; the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2-5; and lastly, John the Apostle here in Revelation!

These two chapters seem to be parenthetical – in other words, they reveal to you what occurs in heaven, not what’s going to happen on earth. We know there’s no date for the Rapture; it could happen today or in 20 years. One thing is for sure is that this generation will not pass away before the blessed event occurs!!! The Tribulation begins the day that the antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). We know that the Tribulation’s start date is certain once that event occurs, as well, seven years later Jesus returns to earth! Between the Rapture and the Tribulation, events occur in heaven with the Saints. It’s a blessing to read these verses describing believers spending eternity with their Saviour!

The Apostle John is in the Throne Room and the first thing He sees is God the Father on the throne. (Jesus will make His entrance later.) He sees Heaven in amazingly brilliant colors. This captures his attention and he describes what he’s seen. He sees Someone on the throne and the throne is like “jasper and sardine stones.” It’s interesting to note that the jasper and sardine (similar to the carnelian stone) in Revelation 4:3 are the first and last stones on the High Priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:20). The sardine stone is the first of the twelve counted in the foundations of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19) and it is also used in the wall of the Heavenly City in Revelation 21:18! It will be exciting to behold this with our own eyes, won’t it? My curiosity will finally be put to rest when I find out from the Lord what each of these stones represent! John also sees a rainbow about the throne. The rainbow is only used twice in the King James Bible – in Genesis 9:13-14, and Genesis 9:16 and here in Revelation 4:3.

We will discuss the twenty-four elders in our next post as verse 10 repeats this. We now read that John hears thunderings and voices along with seeing the lightning. Can you put yourself in his shoes? His senses are barraged! Why do I think that? These visions are nothing like he’s ever seen before. After all, who can say that God has blessed them with a glimpse of Heaven? As I noted above, only five people received these glimpses as indicated in the Scriptures. I’m sure we could do no better at describing these visions than John. We have the privilege of reading about his visions with hindsight. I’m not claiming to know every single meaning of the symbolism described in Revelation because I am far from being an expert. However, I was saved because of this topic in 1980 and have studied and heard many a message on it. I’m certain there will be those who disagree, and that’s OK. I just want to share with you what excites me about what is about to come upon the whole world and to lead as many to Christ so they won’t have to experience these horrible times.