REVELATION

Today, I wrap up another time of reading the Bible through.  Three times so far this year, and three more to go.  It is amazing what you will learn if you just read and read God's Holy Word.  Here are just a few thoughts from such a profound book:   Revelation is a book that means "the unveiling".  It is a book of seven sevens.  1) The message to the seven churches; 2) The seven seals; 3) The seven trumpets; 4) The seven personages; 5) The seven vial judgments; 6) The seven dooms; and 7) The seven new things of Heaven.  Along with these seven sevens, there are 5 parenthetical passages as well. (these are verses or chapters that tell of things not in a time line as the others are.)  Here are some thoughts:   1) PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE  This is how Jesus is described several times in Revelation.  In Ch. 1:4- "from him which is, and which was, and which is to come"; 1:8 "saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." ; 2:8 "These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive."; Just ways of saying something fresh and revealing about Jesus Christ!!  We love Him! 2) THE SEVEN CHURCHES-- Wow! to think that these seven churches were around what we know as Turkey today.  They were not that old, but already they were finding themselves being corrupted!  We had best remember that most churches don't stay true for a hundred years before they decline and fall away into being a liberal church.  That is the death of a church when that happens.  I hope to keep our church doctrinally sound, and evangelistically fresh and alive!!  We are on a mission of winning souls and pleasing the Savior!! 3) THE LION AND THE LAMB-  Both are a picture of Christ.  Rev. 5:5 says He is "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David"  but verse six says: "a Lamb as it had been slain".  Yes He is the Lion, and Yes He came as a Lamb to be sacrificed.  A contrast.... yes, but another way of telling us about the complexity that is Jesus Christ.  Simple yet Profound. Loving yet Judging!  Righteous yet Merciful!  LORD of ALL yet Lamb slain for our sins!! No wonder in chapter 5:14 the elders "fell down and worshiped him that liveth for ever and ever."  We should too!! 4) OUR ENEMY- Chapter 12 tells us of our enemy.  He is called: "the great dragon", "that old serpent", "the Devil", "Satan", and "the accuser of our brethren".   Yes, he is a great enemy and adversary, but verse 11 tells us: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony".  Yes, we can defeat our foe through Christ and our confession of Jesus Christ as our Savior.  5) HELL FOR EVER!  Rev. 20:10 says: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."    Yes, hell is for all eternity!!  I'm glad I'm heaven bound, but many, many are not and we need to warn them. 6) HE IS ON HIS WAY!!  Rev. 22:20 says: "Surely I come quickly."  That is Jesus' last words to us in the Bible.  He is coming again!!  We had best be ready and serving when our Master shows up to take us home!!  Have a blessed day! Pastor Mike Mutchler