READINGS FOR DECEMBER 25-31
DECEMBER 25
Hebrews 10:19-20
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy
Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through
the curtain, that is, his body,
That's why the curtain was ripped in two at the crucifixion. The torn
curtain figuratively gives us direct access to God through Jesus, without going
through the Levitical regulations.
Matthew 27:50-51
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom.
How did the
priests react to this???
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds.
The phrase
"to spur" means "to pointedly direct someone so much so that it
becomes almost an irritation", as one would do with spurs on a horse, or
to use a goad on an animal to cause it to go in a certain direction. So if we
spur one another, using truth as our goad, we will irritate a person with the
truth in order to move that person into a different understanding or action, to
move that person to understand the truth, of course this is to be done with
gentleness (not an easy thing to do) and respect.
Hebrews 10:26-27
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of
the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of
judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Very potent
words! The writer (s) of Hebrews addresses those who hold on to the Old
Testament rules concerning animal sacrifices for the atonement of sin.
People have received the knowledge of the truth, that Jesus became the
sacrifice for atonement of sin. Once Jesus came, then the Old Testament
rules concerning atonement of sin no longer apply. (Colossians 2:14, 2
Corinthians 5:17). Those who don't accept Jesus as personal Lord and
Savior will have only a fearful expectation of the judgment to come.
Hebrews 10:38
But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not
be pleased with him.”
The phrase
"shrink back" implies a "falling away" or apostasy. It can
also imply hiding, retreating, or being timid. So, if we shrink back, God isn't
pleased with us. On the other hand if we take to heart the words in Hebrews
concerning the ancients who lived by faith and live our lives by faith, He will
be pleased with us and will not be ashamed to be called our God. In fact He has
even prepared a city for us.
Hebrews 11:1-2
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Remember the
“shadow” from yesterday’s reading? The ancients believed that the “shadow”
represented the real thing that they could not see. This was credited to them
as righteousness. They believed in advance in the Messiah yet to come.
Matthew 13:17
For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what
you see but did not see it, and to hear what
you hear but did not hear it.
John 1:45
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses
wrote in the Law and the Prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him.
This reward comes
to those who “seek”. This is not just the reward of eternal life (though that
would certainly be enough) but He rewards us now with the joy we have in
reading and studying His word and being in a personal relationship with Him.
Hebrews 11:17
By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who
had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,
Wait a
minute…didn’t Abraham have a son before Isaac? Ishmael? Why is Isaac called his
only son? And interestingly, Abraham had other sons after the death of Sarah by
his wife Keturah. Isaac, however, was the son of promise.
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because
they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's
edict.
In Chapter 106 of
the extra-biblical, non-canonized book of Enoch, it gives great detail about
the appearance of Moses when he was born. No question, according to Enoch that
Moses was not “ordinary”!
Read Hebrews 11:32-38 again concerning the judges, kings, and prophets and the
persecutions and sufferings they endured. And we think we're being persecuted
because we can't say "Merry Christmas". By the way, the phrase
"Merry Christmas" first started with the poem A visit From
St. Nick, a very secular writing. So if we insist on saying
"Merry Christmas", we are in effect giving the phrase a secular
meaning. But more importantly, most of the references in the Bible using the
word merry are associated with drunkenness and revelry, so maybe we shouldn't
even be saying "Merry" Christmas. (see KJV Gen 43:34, Judges
9:27.16:25, 19:6, 19:9, 19:22, Ruth 3:7, 1 Sam 25:36, 2 Sam 13:28, 1 King 4:20,
2 Chron 7:10, Est 1:10)
More information
can be found in the book, The Journey of Jesus from the Manger to the Mansion
by Phil and Patti Moore available on Amazon.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let
us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Interesting phrase " great cloud of witnesses" . This word witness comes from the Greek word that means martyr, as in those who have been murdered for their faith in God, all the way from righteous Abel to Zechariah. It of course includes those who are being murdered today for the cause of Christ.
let us throw
off everything that hinders We are in control of throwing off things that hinder us. We must get
rid of the sin that captures and holds us hostage so that we may be
unencumbered to “live a life worth of the calling we have received”.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…”Run the race with the prize in mind.
Hebrews 12:7
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is
not disciplined by his father?
Discipline is
used as instruction to bring about a change. Punishment is a penalty for wrong
doing that doesn't necessarily have a change of behavior as the ultimate
outcome, it is just the consequence of doing wrong. Both hurt. Jesus took our
punishment so that God would only discipline us from time to time.
Remember God is the perfect parent!
DECEMBER 26
Just to put a
timeline to this writing, John wrote this letter about 30 years after Paul was
killed. The other 11 apostles have no doubt also been killed by now.
Again, as in all the other letters, there are warnings about false teaching.
Remember the Gentile church has a pagan influence background which has
infiltrated all the churches. Not much has changed. Churches today have
also been infiltrated with pagan influences.
This first letter of John is all about contrasts; light and dark, good and
evil, love and hate, truth and lies. John makes it clear that anyone who is
against Jesus is an antichrist.
John mentions the devil has been sinning from the beginning and Jesus appeared
to destroy the devil's work. Satan's sinning began in heaven and started on
earth with Eve and of course continues today.
John warns about worldly doctrines. These had infiltrated the churches then as
they have now. How often do we hear "powder puff" theologies that
lean to the ways of the world and all the sinful desires associated with
it? 'Cotton candy" preaching like carnival cotton candy looks good
and tastes good but has no nourishment. It leaves us satisfied for the
moment but has no lasting nutritional value.
This letter ends with the assurance that we have security in Jesus Christ.
It seems that there is mixed interpretation from biblical scholars as to who
the “chosen lady” is in 2 John. Some think it refers to the church
as a whole. Others, such as John Wesley, believe it to be a specific person.
The word "lady" is the Greek word "kuria" and means "a
specific woman". Most likely a leader of a house church or a woman whose
home was used as a house church. Contrast the word lady with the word sister at
the end of the letter. "Sister" is the Greek word "adelphe"
and means "one connected by tie of Christian religion".
II John 1:9
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does
not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the
Son.
Do we sometimes run ahead of God? Are we impatient? Do we try to put God on our
timetable? Do we sometimes embrace teachings that are not biblical? Isn’t it
hard to wait???
In 3 John we see a great contrast between two individuals. John is warning
against being like Diotrephes and is encouraging being like Gaius. “…do not
imitate what is evil but what is good.”
Attributes of Diothrephes:
1. Loves to be first
2. Gossips maliciously
3. Refuses to welcome the brothers
4. Stops those who want to welcome the brothers and puts them out of the church
Attributes of Gaius:
1. Faithful in doing for the brothers, showing hospitality
2. Loves the brothers
3. Sends the brothers on their way in a manner worthy of God
We end this blog entry the way John ends 3 John, Shalom Alechem “Peace to
you.”
DECEMBER 27
Better take a
deep breath as we plunge into the deep waters of the book of Revelation.
For more details, see the book These Last Days Second Edition by Phil and Patti
Moore. Available on Amazon.
There are many Bible versions that begin this final book of the Bible by
writing that this is the Revelation of St. John the Divine. The
revelation is from Jesus to the apostle John. This was not John's
revelation and John is not divine. That title is reserved for God.
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are
those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is
near.
Scripture tells
us that we are blessed if we read and hear words of prophecy. But we must do
more than read and hear these words of prophecy; we must take them to heart. We
must internalize them, believe them, know them and live them.
Why? “because the time is near”.
Revelation 22:18-19
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone
adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away
from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are
described in this book.
So many people
are afraid of studying the book of Revelation, in part because of these verses
in Revelation 22. Yet God tells us that we will be blessed if we read it and
hear it. A general attitude today is that much concerning these last days
cannot be known. This attitude is designed by Satan to keep us from receiving
the promise. God has promised us that He will tell us great and unsearchable
things. Satan wants to keep us from understanding these great things and to
keep us from receiving the blessing.
Revelation 1:1-2
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what
must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant
John, who testifies to everything he saw-- that is, the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
God sent His
angel (His son, the messenger Jesus) to reveal His plan to John, His servant.
John has revealed God’s great plan to us. John saw the Word of God, Jesus. The
testimony is what John heard. This was written about 96 AD, yet God said that
this plan “must soon take place”. There is an element of
urgency in this Scripture as there are elements of urgency in much of Scripture
concerning the coming Kingdom and these last days.
Revelation 1:10
On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice
like a trumpet,“
The Lord’s Day”
does not mean that what John saw was on Sunday. John was in the Spirit.
In order to understand what John said we must know where John was in time. The
language of the following verse identifies past, present and future tense.
Revelation 17:8
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the
Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have
not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be
astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and
yet will come
The beast John
saw was (past), and now is not (present), and will come (future). The latter
part of the verse also tells that the beast “once was, now is not, and
will come”. There is a time in which the beast, Satan “once was”. This time
begins on earth in the Garden of Eden and it ends with the time yet in our
future when he will be thrown into the Abyss. The time that the condition
exists when the beast “is not” is when Satan is confined in the
Abyss only during the Millennium. The future tense of that verse “will
come up” tells us that he will come up out of the Abyss at the end of
the Millennium (for a little while). Satan will be thrown into the Abyss right
before the Millennium begins. So from this we know that John has been moved to
a point in time somewhere during the Millennium, a time yet in our future. He
is looking back in time to eternity past, to a time before the creation of the
world. In looking back John was allowed to see the war in heaven when Satan was
thrown like lightning and took 1/3 of the angels with him. (Luke 10:18, Ezekiel
28:12-17, Revelation 12:7-9, Revelation 12:4a) He is also looking forward in
time to eternity future, to a time beyond the end of the Millennium when Satan
is thrown into the lake of fire to stay for all eternity. John saw everything
from eternity past all the way through history and into eternity future. His
vantage point in this timeline has been identified. John is in the spirit world
and advanced in time to the Millennium during the thousand year Lord's Day.
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is,
and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Jesus is the great “I Am!” He Is, He Was, and He Is To Come! Jesus’ kingdom,
unlike Satan’s kingdom will never be destroyed. There will never be
a time when Jesus “is not”.
Revelation 1:19
"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take
place later.
This is the timeline in which the book of Revelation is written; past,
present, and future. John is directed to write what he sees in imagery and
symbolism and to send it to seven churches in Asia. The first three chapters of
Revelation primarily concern the letters to seven specific churches in John’s
time. Each of those churches had a specific nature about them. Today these
natures exist in the churches that call themselves Christian. The natures exist
in the large church denominations as well as in individual local churches.
These natures also exist in the people within these churches. The message is
not just to those seven churches in John’s day. Neither are they about
churches or movements in the past; however their characteristics may fit any number
of churches or movements. Those letters are there for the churches today. They
are there for us as individuals today. They are there to encourage us and at
times rebuke us for things we are doing or things we are allowing to happen,
things that are contrary to the teachings of Scripture. We are admonished
through these letters to become the church and the people that Jesus wants us
to be.
DECEMBER 28
Revelation 4
begins with a description of the throne in heaven. Surrounding the throne
are 24 elders. Just who are these elders? Elders, elsewhere in Scripture,
refer to men of spiritual standing worthy of great respect and given authority
to rule. They are dressed in white which signify righteousness and they are
wearing crowns which signify authority. So, perhaps they are entities
whom we do not know. What we do know is that these elders surrender all
authority to Jesus by casting their crowns of authority before Him.
And, then, there are more questions. Who are the four living creatures?
See Ezekiel 1 for comparisons of the living creatures. There are some
similarities and some differences.
Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and
on the sea and all that is in them...
Imagine every creature singing praises to God.
All of creation has been waiting in eager expectation to be free from
corruption and to know the children of God.
Romans 8:19-22
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of
God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set
free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the
children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together
in the pains of childbirth until now.
More questions.
What are the seven seals? People explain the seals in the book of
Revelation in many different ways and have them mean many different things.
Labeling, and placing things in categories is not what's really important.
Essentially, the seals are just a way of explaining some ongoing events. There
is nothing really mysterious about it. What is really important is how we live
our lives in anticipation of these last days. For more details, see the book
These Last Days Second Edition by Phil and Patti Moore. Available on
Amazon.
The mystery surrounding the seven seals and especially the first four seals,
also known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, can be incredibly confusing
and also very frightening. There are many who equate the word apocalypse
to mean doom and gloom when literally the word means "an uncovering".
Apocalypse is a disclosure of knowledge or revelation. For
clarification concerning the four horses see Zechariah 6:1-8.
God allows some terrible things to happen to fulfill his purposes. God
continually gives humanity a choice. How are we to choose if there is only good
and no evil from which to choose?
The process of winemaking illustrates the point. A vintner will pour the juice
of crushed grapes into a clean container. According to his recipe he will add a
certain amount of sugar to the grape juice. If nothing else is added to the
recipe there will be no wine. It will eventually be only vinegar. In order for
the grape juice to make wine another element must be added to the recipe and
that element is yeast. Yeast is an agitating force in the making of wine just
as evil is an agitating force in the human condition. The vintner separates the
dregs from the good wine at the end of the winemaking process. Our struggles
between good and evil on the earth are nothing more than the fermentation of
the plan of redemption. Whether we live in a condition of eternal death or
eternal life depends on how we react to the yeast that God puts into our lives.
God will separate the righteous from the unrighteous at the end of days. God
gives us the choice.
God has a plan. Satan tries to subvert that plan with his own plan…a devious
plan…a clever plan. He is a master at marketing his demon resources. Satan is
dealing with a finite number of evil spirits and demons. If his goal is to
deceive a thousand people, which would be more resourceful and time efficient…
to send out a thousand evil spirits or one powerful evil spirit who would
inhabit a religious leader who would deceive a thousand people? All Satan has
to do is influence one strong leader who will deceive and influence many
people. The choice is set before us. We can choose to believe Satan’s lie or
God’s truth. The choice is ours.
The first five seals are ongoing and have been since Adam and Eve sinned in the
Garden. False teaching (the white horse) began in the garden and has plagued
mankind since. Satan taught Eve that God did not have ultimate authority. She
believed it. That is the spirit of the white horse. False religion is any spirit
that teaches against God. That is exactly what Satan did to Eve. While
professing to teach the truth he taught against God and she believed it. This
is what is symbolized in the first seal.
Our world has been inundated with satanically-led oppressive governments (the
red horse) and greed (the black horse) that takes many forms. All these choices
made by mankind illustrate man’s freedoms to choose. These choices have
consequences. The consequences of all three horses are illustrated by the
fourth horse, the pale (green) horse, representing death and destruction. The
fifth seal also is ongoing as more and more people are murdered for the cause
of Christ.
The evil spirits of the four horses are the mixer, the yeast in the wine that
God has put in place to keep things agitated so that humanity has an
opportunity to choose between God and Satan. These spirits are catalysts that
God has put in place to give us a legitimate choice.
What will we as Believers in Jesus choose?
The 144,000 that are sealed are not all Jews. They are from the house of
Israel, 12 tribes, of which Judah (Jews) is a part.
Revelation 7:9-17 is a parenthetical and is out of order in the sequence of
events in the book of Revelation. There are several events that are not in
chronological order, which makes it a little more difficult to understand.
Revelation 8 picks up with the seventh seal. Why was there silence in heaven?
DECEMBER 29
The seven
trumpets in the book of Revelation are details of what happens in the seventh
seal. The trumpets show that Satan will be allowed to perform counterfeit
miracles, signs and wonders in the last days. God will not cause these things
to happen but He will allow them to happen. Satan will be able to accomplish
many of these counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders through the False Prophet
first and then later through the Antichrist. Some of these signs and wonders
will be from the realm of nature.
Satan has been allowed to control nature before, such as described in the book
of Job. Satan used raiding parties to take Job’s livestock and kill his
servants. Satan used fire from the sky to destroy servants and sheep. He used a
mighty wind to kill Job’s children. God has allowed Satan, in the past, to
cause natural disasters. In the last days Satan will be allowed to control
nature again.
God will allow some true believers to feel the wrath of Satan. Believers in
Jesus are however always protected from the wrath of God.
Some of these trumpet events appear to have already happened. However, they may
be a foreshadowing of things yet to come. For example, in the third trumpet a
star is named wormwood. The word wormwood in the Ukrainian language is
Chernobyl. They both mean bitter water, each in a different language. At
Chernobyl many people died because of bitter (radioactive) water.
Antiochus Epiphanes' desecration of the temple during the Greek occupation of
Israel (which took place less than 200 years before the birth of Jesus) is a
foreshadowing of the abomination of desolation which is yet to come in our
future as per the prophecies of Daniel.
The atrocities committed against the Jews during the Holocaust and the
persecution of the Christians during Nero’s time are foreshadows of atrocities
happening now and which will be committed by Satan through the Antichrist
during the covenant period of the last days.
When the seventh angel is about to sound the seventh trumpet, the mystery of
God will be accomplished. The mystery is "Christ in you, the hope
of glory", according to Colossians 1:27. So, this mystery will
be accomplished when the last soul is saved.
There is much imagery and layered meanings found in Revelation 12 concerning
the woman and the birth of the child, and the dragon. Some meanings are literal
and some are obviously figurative.
Satan is known by many names, among them “dragon” found in Revelation 12 and
13.
For more details see the book These Last Days - Second Edition by
Phil and Patti Moore. Available at Amazon.
DECEMBER 30
On the Great Day
of the Lord’s wrath, God will shield from the firestorm all believers on earth
(Isaiah 26:20 Go my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind
you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.)
When God's wrath is accomplished, then believers will come out from their hiding places and leap like calves in the ashes. (Malachi 4:2)
Specifically singled out are a select number of extraordinary people…the 144,000.
They have a specific number…144,000, 12,000 from each of all the tribes of
Israel. They are not all Jews. They will have the seal of God on their
foreheads. It seems that there is a foreshadowing of these 144,000 in the
writings of the prophet Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 9:4
and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on
the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things
that are done in it."
In Revelation, the 144,000 are listed as pure and not defiled by women. They
will not participate in the activities of the false and apostate church. They
will be of a pure heart and mind and that is why they will be selected.
Since the word woman often refers to the church in Biblical analogy, not being
defiled by women could mean that these select few will be repulsed by the
activities of the false church and absolutely incensed at the abominations that
have been committed in God’s name. If it is a mark placed on the forehead it
would be conspicuous, and would be something which could at once be recognized
designating them as true servants of God. Figuratively speaking, the sealing of
the 144,000 could be a protection for them. These exceptional ones will be
protected from the wrath of God and the wrath of Satan. Their purpose is to
follow Jesus and serve Him personally in the Millennium.
Keep in mind the book of Revelation is not written in chronological
order. Verses 17-20 come first in the timeline and then verses 14 through
16. There are two separate harvests will be approximately a thousand
years apart.
Revelation 14:17-20
And another angel came out of the temple in Heaven, also having a
sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had authority
over fire. And he spoke with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle,
saying, Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the
earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle
into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great
winepress of the anger of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the
city, and blood came out of the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses,
for the space of a thousand, six hundred stadia.
God the Father
will give Jesus the word that the harvest is ripe. The trumpet will sound.
Heaven will stand open. Jesus will thunder amid billows of smoke at the head of
his vast army of warrior angels as they leave the clouds of heaven. Their
numbers will be beyond measure. Their mounts will be white horses, primed and
geared for battle. These warrior angels will be dressed in fine linen, white
and clean. Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be dressed in a robe
dipped in blood, with eyes of blazing fire. On His head will be many crowns. He
will come with burning anger to execute the wrath of God. (Joel 3:13,
Revelation 14:14-16, Matthew 24:14-16, Luke 3:17, Matthew 24:30, Revelation
19:11-15, II Thessalonians 1:5-7, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 19:12, Isaiah 13)
Revelation 14:14-16
I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was
one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp
sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a
loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and
reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is
ripe." So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.
This is the end of the Millennium.
For the continuation of this narrative, see the book These Last Days Second Edition.
DECEMBER 31
Thank you for
joining us this year in the Chronological Bible Study. We pray that you
will continue your journey for another year.
Please consider giving us some feedback on this study. What have you gained
this year from your study of God's Word? You can email us at
philandpatti@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!
Have a blessed
new year!
Bittersweet! We come to the end of another year long journey. We have gained many valuable insights as we have read, reread, studied, pondered, and meditated on God’s Holy Word. We pray that you will continue on the journey. Allow God to direct your steps! Thank you for making this journey with us.
In Revelation 20:11-15 and in Daniel 7:9-14 there is a description of the judgment that takes place when all the dead will stand before the throne and will be judged according to what is in the books. There are at least three books that are opened; one of good deeds, one of bad deeds, and the book of life. From this judgment all are sent to their eternal destination either with God or in the lake of fire. (see also John 5: 21-29, John 6:39-40, John 6:44, John 6:54, John 11:24, John 12:48)
Imagine this
final judgment.
Within the glow of perfect celestial light, myriads and myriads of heavenly beings stand in worshipful anticipation of what is to come as they encompass the radiant and glorious throne. Around the throne will be twenty-four thrones on which sit twenty-four elders, clothed in white, wearing golden crowns on their heads. All holy ones will be in their proper places as they await the approach of the Ancient of Days.
With eager
expectation thousands upon thousands of holy angels will encircle the throne as
they anticipate His entrance, calling to one another, "Holy, holy,
holy is the LORD Almighty;
With loud voices they will sing, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
All creatures will respond with voices singing, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
Surely a hush will fall over the entire assembly as the Ancient of Days enters. His glory will fill the place of His throne. Robed in majesty and splendor dressed in pure white clothing He will enter and take His seat on a throne blazing with fire. A fiery stream will issue from His throne.
The twenty-four elders will fall down before the One sitting on the throne, laying their golden crowns before Him, relinquishing all authority, rank, and position deferring everything to the Ancient of Days. They declare that He is worthy to receive all authority and glory and honor and power and praise.
Thousands upon thousands will anticipate this final judgment at the Great White Throne. The court will be seated. The books will be opened.
A trumpet call
from the throne will resonate throughout the place. A glowing cloud will
appear from the distant vacant expanse and travel ever closer to the holy
throng. This glowing cloud, a multitude of angels who are His holy army, will
escort Jesus as He makes His exalted entrance before the mighty throne.
He will approach the Ancient of Days and will be ushered into His
presence. Jesus, accompanied by the heavenly throng will announce that He is
victorious over all dominion, power, and authority. He will proclaim that
all enemies are defeated, including death.
In response to this declaration, the Ancient of Days, God the Father, will hand over to God the Son, all authority, glory, and sovereign power as judge of all.
The archangel will give the loud command and all people who have ever lived on earth both alive and dead good and bad will be changed into spirit, in the twinkling of an eye, and brought into His presence to be held to account for all their works. Only judgment and eternity awaits for all.
The Lord Jesus
will take His place in court. He will rise to judge the people.
Books will be opened; the books of deeds both good and bad. And the Book of Life will be opened. The dead will be judged out of those things which are written in the books of deeds, according to their works.
Jude 1:14b-15 "See,
the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge
everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done
in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners
have spoken against him."
Matthew 12:37b by
your words you will be condemned."
Psalm 28:4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.
When Jesus rises to judge the people, all will be judged “guilty as charged”. Since all sins require payment for punishment, unbelievers will pay for their own sins because their names are not written in the Book of Life. Their judgment is to suffer eternal condemnation, the second death in the lake of fire. They will be given their just punishment based on what is written in the books of deeds both good and bad. (Matthew 25:41)
Scripture does not say the people will burn forever and ever in the lake of fire says only that the fire burns for eternity. The amount of time unbelievers will spend in the fire depends on what is written in the books of deeds.
When Jesus opens the Book of Life, the names of all the believers will be there.
John 3:36a Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life,
Even though believers will be found guilty at the judgment, their sins will be washed as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) The price will be paid for all sins, big and little, even careless words.
Matthew 12:36-37 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
Jesus takes the punishment for all those careless words each of us has spoken. Jesus paid the price for all the sins committed in the past and all the sins that will be committed in the future. He paid in advance. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be judged and rewarded based on the deeds that are written in the books of deeds.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
It is through belief in Jesus as personal Lord and Savior that gets us through the gate and into the eternal heavenly Kingdom. Then the book of good deeds determines our position in the Kingdom.
Imagine with us
the wedding banquet in the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb
has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Jesus compares
our relationship with Him as a marriage. We can compare the betrothal agreement
in the Jewish and Hebrew wedding ceremonies to the wedding in the New
Jerusalem.
In the Jewish and Hebrew betrothal ceremony the groom would give the bride a
ring. He would confirm his love for her and his desire to be united to her in
the bond of marriage. The ring would be given as a token, a promise of the
wedding to come.
Jesus offers us the engagement agreement. He offers us salvation. We accept and
the promise of our later wedding is confirmed and sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Just as the betrothal agreement in a Jewish wedding is sealed with the giving
of a ring, our agreement is sealed by the indwellment of the Holy Spirit. As
the ring guarantees the marriage, the beginning of a forever relationship, so
the Holy Spirit guarantees our marriage in an eternal relationship to the Lamb.
Our betrothal period, our waiting time, is our life here on this earth until
the day arrives of our marriage to the Lamb. During this time of betrothal,
just as any bridegroom would do, Jesus is preparing a particular, exceptional
sectioned off room just for us in His Father’s house. (John 14:2-3)
We will be clothed with garments of righteousness as we are changed into
spirit. Just as any groom views his bride as beautiful and perfect, so Jesus
sees us as perfect. (Jude 24)
Jesus is the bridegroom who comes for us. He will come to take us to be with
Him. All along the route to His Father’s house the cry rings out from the
great heavenly multitude. The wedding has come. The bride is ready. The Holy
Spirit has guaranteed this marriage will take place. The vows have been made,
we have accepted Jesus’ offer and are secured salvation with Him. The marriage
celebration supper follows as we take up residence in His Father’s house, the
new heaven, the New Jerusalem. In eternity we will know God fully with an
intimacy that we could never have on earth in our physical bodies. (I
Corinthians 13:12) This will be the banquet in the mansion.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jude 1:24 To him (Jesus) who
is able to keep you (put your name here) from falling
and to present you (put your name here) before his
glorious presence (God the Father) without fault and
with great joy—“
Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these
things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The Bible ends the way it
begins…….perfect……and in paradise.
For us as believers it ends with an urgent
note, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
In a dark and evil world with problems, persecution and suffering,
we can have hope.
God is in control.
His will WILL be done!
Revelation 22:21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's
people.
AMEN!
