Meditate.
Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6
John was given
several visions from Jesus that are compiled in the Book of Revelation. At the
beginning of that Book it says…
God blesses the one who reads the words
of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message
and obey what it says, for the time is near. Revelation 1:3 NLT
Listen and obey. That is a familiar theme in the Bible. You will be blessed. Don’t be afraid of the symbolism that is represented in that book. Don’t ignore the fact that God wants us to read and understand what is going to happen…and that He will bless those who listen. That verse above also says…the time is near. Those words were written almost two thousand years ago…but it is likely today that truly the time is near. Israel is back in the land and there is so much tension in the Middle East right now that it is very possible that a war could start very soon. There are numerous earthquakes and volcanos as well as unusual meteorological storms occurring daily. Check YouTube for coverage on the earthquakes which are more than three hundred each day at a magnitude over 2.5. My family in South Carolina even had one earlier this month. Amazing! So, when all this happens, the rapture won’t be far behind and then the Christians will be gone from earth.
John’s vision
of the First Resurrection with the thrones takes place after the rapture and is
actually focusing on those Christians who lived through the Tribulation. Those
who were beheaded for their belief in Jesus Christ…and their refusal to believe
in the beast.
Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, "Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter.” Revelation 7:13-15
White robes?
Revelation can
be very confusing, but it is essential to understand it is written in layers,
with focus on trumpets, bowls, resurrections and the ultimate powerful reign of
Jesus Christ and the Almighty God the Father. That is the important part. Jesus
is the King of kings and Lord of lords…and He shall reign forever and ever. Those
believers of that first resurrection will reign on earth with Jesus Christ
during the thousand years serving as priests and kings. What an honor that will
be…to serve alongside Jesus.
I want to be a servant of our risen Messiah—Jesus Christ—the Son of God. How about you? Do you consider Jesus Christ your Messiah? Do you want to serve Him during His millennium reign and for all of eternity? Seek Him as your Savior…today. The time is near.
The same
warning near the end of Revelation…
Then he instructed me, "Do not
seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. ….“ Revelation
22:10
Read Revelation
for yourself…and be blessed.
Prayer ~ Lord God, please give me insight and understanding as I read Revelation…and come quickly, Jesus.
Verse of Salvation ~ I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! Genesis 49:18
Bible Trivia
Answer to the Question: What does it mean to be Redeemed?
·
And now you Gentiles have also heard the
truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in
Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he
promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the
inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He
did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:13-14
·
For he has rescued us from the kingdom
of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased
our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14
·
He gave his life to free us from every
kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally
committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:14
·
With his own blood--not the blood of goats
and calves--he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our
redemption forever. Hebrews 9:12
·
For you know that God paid a ransom to
save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom
he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the
sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the
world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. 1 Peter
1:18-20
All scriptures underlined for emphasis to describe “redeemed” in regards to Jesus saving us from our sin.
Bible Trivia
Question for next week: What is the “number of completion” in the Bible? Give
several examples.
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