Tag: Revelation 22

Any Day Now – Day 61

On July 22, 2024

2 Pe 3:3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

It’s sad that those who are doing the scoffing, as Peter points out in the verses above, are in the Church! How sad is that?!

The end-time period began with Israel becoming a nation on May 15, 1948. Jesus taught us that when the fig tree’s (Israel) branch was yet tender, we should know that summer is near! Israel’s statehood is yet tender. It is only 76 years old as of this year! But for the believer, this means that summer is near! The harvest has yet to come but it will come at the end of summer.

Mat 24:32-35 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (34) 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.

The harvest time, as Jesus referred to in Revelation 14:14-20, occurs during the Tribulation. Unbelievers will not enter the Millennium.

Jesus continues to tell us in Matthew 24:34-35 that this generation, that witnesses the fig tree’s putting forth leaves, SHALL NOT pass away until all these things be fulfilled. What things? Jesus lays them out in the verses below:

Mat 24:3-31 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ( 8 ) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. (10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (20) But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (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. (22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (25) Behold, I have told you before. (26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. (27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

We are seeing some of these events today. They are happening more frequently and in greater intensity. But Jesus said that we should know that the end is near. The rest of his prophecy deals with the Tribulation time as we see in verse 15. Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Tribulation period begins with the signing of a treaty between Israel and the Antichrist. This is when the man of lawlessness is finally revealed. The Church is gone before this occurs and we see in the rest of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 that He is referring to the Jewish people, verses 15-31. Life won’t be easy for those who follow Christ during the Tribulation.

There is a reason why the Church is not mentioned after Revelation 4:1 until Revelation 22. The Church was important enough to appear 20 times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. If she were to go through the Tribulation, she would be mentioned again. We must remember that those seven years of tribulation are for Israel, the Jews specifically. (Jeremiah 30:7) The Church is Christ’s body and the Lord won’t bring judgment upon His own body since He paid the penalty with His own blood!

Friend, you must be born again in order to participate, no matter what viewpoint you hold. Friend, if you are not born again, 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. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) 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 49

By Kate Plourde

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!