Devotionary

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Ep 523 – Revelation 19:11-16 May 23, 2018

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The return of Christ. If we had to boil down the message of the book of Revelation to one single point, that would be it. The entire book, up to this point, has been like the opening act for the star attraction. All that John has witnessed and written down for our benefit has been nothing more than a lead-up to the main event: The long-awaited and eagerly anticipated return of Jesus to earth. The second coming of Christ has been talked about for generations. Countless sermons have been preached, thousands of books have been written, and endless debates have been waged concerning this day. But contrary to what we may think about His return, there are a variety of things that must happen once He comes back, before the curtain finally falls on this era called the age of the Gentiles. His return will set in motion a series of predetermined, God-ordained events that will help usher in the close of the tribulation and the beginning of His Kingdom on earth. And Revelation 19:11-16 provides us with an exciting glimpse into the last moments of the last days, revealing the climax to the story, with Christ revealed in all His glory.

Ep 522 – Revelation 19:1-10 May 22, 2018

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While the book of Revelation is full of images of judgment, it is also filled with songs of praise and celebration. And no other place do we see this truth evidenced like Revelation 19:1-10. In these ten verses alone there are five different songs of praise recorded. And they provide a stark contrast to all the misery, devastation and destruction taking place on the planet. While God is judging mankind for its rebellion and rejection of Him, there is reason for rejoicing because God is accomplishing His divine will and bringing the day of His Son's earthly reign to its long-awaited fruition. It's sometimes difficult to resolve the seeming contradiction of joy in the midst of judgment, but it is an acknowledgment of God's goodness and grace. He is doing what He has long promised to do. He is bringing an end to sin and ushering in the righteousness of His Son's Kingdom on earth. God is going to resolve the irresolvable. He is going to recreate what has been marred by sin and restore His creation to its former glory. The work of God is just, righteous, holy and unstoppable. And that is something worth singing about.

Ep 522 – Revelation 18:21-24 May 21, 2018

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Verses 21-24 of Revelation chapter 18 provide us with one more glimpse of Babylon's fall. This great city, the headquarters and capital of the Antichrist during the days of the tribulation, and the symbol of all that is immoral and godless during those days, will be destroyed by God. And its destruction will be so complete, that no one will ever inhabit it again. Its pride and prosperity will be devastated. Its reputation as a mighty city and as the home of the Antichrist's godless government will be wiped out. The entire city will simply cease to be. In many ways, this is reminiscent of the scene that happened during the Old Testament, when God stopped the people of Babel from building their tall tower. They were attempting to make a name for themselves by building a great tower that would reach into the heavens. But that building project was brought to an abrupt end by God. And the city of Babylon, rebuilt and restored to power and prominence during the tribulation, will also have its days of glory cut short. Its wealth, renown, power and prestige will be destroyed by God. Never to be seen again.

Ep 520 – Revelation 18:9-20 May 20, 2018

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It is not a minor thing to be judged by God. Whether you are an individual, a nation, a king or a false religion, as the author of Hebrews states, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Throughout the book of Revelation, we have seen what the judgment of God looks like, and it is not a pretty picture. God is holy, righteous and just, and He cannot and will not tolerate the rebellion of mankind forever. He has been patient. He has endured their ridicule and rejection of His rightful place as the God of the universe. He even allowed them to crucify His own Son. In fact, it was His plan that His Son die so that sinful men might have a means of being restored to a right relationship with Him through faith in His Son's sacrificial death. But for all those who refuse His gracious offer of salvation, He will bring judgment. Their crimes against His sovereign rule will demand it. And as we will see in Revelation 18:9-20, the city of Babylon, capital of the Antichrist's kingdom during the tribulation, will also come under the wrath of God, suffering utter destruction at His hands. Long the symbol of immorality and rebellion, Babylon will be laid waste, the well-deserving recipient of God's righteous wrath.

Ep 519 – Revelation 18:1-8 May 19, 2018

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There is only one God. While that point may sound quite plausible and acceptable to us, there are many who live as if it is anything but truth. And Satan himself has made a career of establishing himself as what he believes to be a competitive alternative to God. He sees himself as a god, on equal terms with God Almighty, and won't be satisfied until he replaces God as the only god. But as we will see in Revelation 18:1-8, Satan's plan for world and cosmic domination is going to fall short – far short. His plans to supplant God will end in defeat. And all those who choose to associate themselves with his false kingdom, false messiah and false prophet, will find themselves facing the truth of God's judgment and the coming reality of Christ's Kingdom. Babylon, the earthly kingdom of the Antichrist during the tribulation period, will find itself destroyed and its former power and prominence lying in rubble. While the world deceives itself into thinking it can stand opposed to God and live to tell about it, the book of Revelation lets us know that the Lord our God alone is mighty.

Ep 518 Revelation 17:7-18 May 18, 2018

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The further we make it into John's book, the more confusing it can become. There are so many images and visions flying at us, that it requires great effort to keep up. And much of the terminology or descriptors that John uses seem to do double duty, being used on more than one occasion to refer to more than one person or place. We have already seen that John uses the name Babylon in a variety of ways and in reference to a number of different things. The same is true of the designation, "The Beast." So, as we move into Revelation 17:7-18, we have to watch carefully and cross-reference each use of these various terms by John. In the end, part of what we are seeing is the integral and interrelated nature of Satan, the Antichrist and the earthly kingdom over which he rules. It is difficult to separate these three things because they are so closely related and interdependent. But suffice it to say, that God has plans for all three, and John is getting a play-by-play description of their demise, complete with color commentary provided from the throne room in heaven.

Ep 517 – Revelation 17:1-6 May 17, 2018

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False religions. They have been around since the very beginning. From the moment sin entered into the world, mankind developed a fascination with and fixation on coming up with their own gods. The journey away from the garden took them into dark places where false gods were available around every corner. Paul describes the downward trajectory of humanity as they found themselves alienated from God, cast out of His presence, and left with the option of making their own gods. So, Paul says that they "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Romans 1:23). And we know that during the period of the tribulation, the Antichrist will see to it that he becomes the next, and only object of worship on earth. Or at least, he'll try. And his personal assistant, the false prophet, will play a major role in establishing an apostate church that worships Antichrist, instead of God Almighty. In Revelation 17:1-6, John is given a glimpse of this false religion in all its pomp and glory. Designated the great prostitute and given the less-than-flattering name of Babylon, this false religious system will find itself facing the wrath of God and its fall will take place faster than its rise to prominence.

Ep 516 – Revelation 16:17-21 May 16, 2018

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On the cross, Jesus uttered the words, "It is finished." In Revelation 16:17-21, we get to hear His heavenly Father say, "It is done!" Events associated with the tribulation are rapidly coming to a conclusion. God is getting ready to bring the judgments to an end and send His Son back to the earth in order to bring the great tribulation to a dramatic close. The Lamb of God is coming back like a roaring lion, ready to devour and destroy all those who stand against God. They can oppose His Kingdom, but they will find that they are out of their league when it comes to opposing His power. They will stand no chance against the King of kings and Lord of lords. And Babylon, the great city that becomes home to the Antichrist during the tribulation, will find that it incurs a special measure of God's wrath as His judgments come to a close. The final days of the tribulation will be marked by cosmic changes and catastrophic events. Islands and mountains will literally disappear. The topography of the earth will be radically altered. And that will simply be just the beginning of the end.

Ep 515 – Revelation 16:1-15 May 15, 2018

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With the outpouring of the seven bowl judgments, the intensity of the tribulation period picks up dramatically. These judgments come in waves upon the inhabitants of the earth, bring ever-more terrible pain and suffering on all those who have chosen to follow and worship the Antichrist. The sixth bowl will plunge the kingdom of the Antichrist into darkness, a fitting representation of the true spiritual condition of the people of their leader. But throughout all these horrific trials, the people on earth will remain stubbornly unrepentant. The unrelenting nature of God's judgments make no impact on them. They would prefer to bow the knee to Antichrist and suffer greatly for it, than bow the knee to God and receive forgiveness and mercy. And so, God is forced to continue the outpouring of His wrath, until He has dried up the Euphrates River, in preparation for the great day of God the Almighty. There is clearly going to be no repentance on the part of the people. Antichrist is not going to surrender, and Satan is never going to give up his ill-fated quest to replace God. So, the judgments will continue and the suffering will only increase, until the final day of judgment arrives.

Ep 514 – Revelation 15:1-8 May 14, 2018

Show notes

I can't imagine what it was like for John to see vision after vision of God's coming judgment. It must have been overwhelming. But in Revelation 15:1-8, John receives yet another vision, this one described as great and amazing. The intensity of God's judgments increase over time. The closer the end of the tribulation period comes, the magnitude of His wrath grows greater. But there will be an end to it all. The judgments of God have a point of climax, when the full wrath of God will be expended upon rebellious mankind, by the hand of God's own Son, Jesus Christ. One of the things that we must understand when reading this passage is that mankind has been storing up wrath for itself. This has been going on for generations, ever since the fall. The rebellion of mankind against God has been relentless and their determination to resist His will and reject His offer of salvation through His Son has never lessened. God's wrath is not arbitrary in nature. It is the result of man's stubborn refusal to acknowledge Him as God. And God has repeatedly warned the people He created that their sin against Him will come with dire consequences. They cannot escape unscathed or go unpunished for their rebellion against Him. And His deeds will be great, amazing, and well-deserved.

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