Come!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 21-22; Psalm 48

TO CHEW ON: "And the Spirit and the bride say 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17

"Come over for coffee."
"Come shopping with us."
"Why don't you come for dinner?"

How sweet the word "come," that tells us we're included, we're invited, we're wanted! That word features prominently in this last chapter of Revelation - the last chapter of the Bible. But it also occurs in other places. Let's take a little trip through the Bible to see other places this one-word invitation was given.

"Come into the ark," God says to Noah, inviting him into a place of safety (Genesis 7:1).

"Come to the house of the Lord." Hezekiah's letter summons the tribes of Israel to a renewed Passover celebration. It is an invitation to revival (2 Chronicles 30:1).

"Come now and let us reason together," begins God's invitation to Israel in a call to receive cleansing (Isaiah 1:18).

"Come to the waters…come buy and eat. Yes come buy wine and milk…" is God's enticement to all who want lasting satisfaction (Isaiah 55:1).

"Come to Me," says Jesus to the weary and burdened, "and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

"Come to the wedding," says the king in Jesus' story about the wedding feast. "Come for all things are now ready," is the summons in another one of Jesus' stories. They are invitations to the gospel feast (Matthew 22:4; Luke 14:17).

And then there's this invitation from Jesus in Revelation. It's from God the Spirit and His bride, the church. It's also from those who have already responded ("him who hears").

It is to anyone who is interested. There's nothing exclusive about this invite.

It's for the one who thirsts - who recognizes a need for water that is life-giving. It's an invitation to take an initial drink of that water and to live on that water.

What are your needs today? Whether for safety, revival, spiritual sustenance, or rest, God's invitation is always "Come."

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for this warm and wonderful invitation. Help me to take you up on it in all the circumstances of my life. And help me to extend it unceasingly to others. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 48

The Bible Project VIDEO: Heaven and Earth (Theme Series)

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Contemplate Jesus

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 19-20; Psalm 47

TO CHEW ON: "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God" - Revelation 19:11-13

What a wonderful opportunity we have to contemplate Jesus in these verses. Let's look at the various images and what they tell us about Him (using help from Earl Wesley Morey, the writer of my Bible's notes on Revelation, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1842):

"…a white horse…" - The white horse symbolizes victory. Jesus will be victorious!

"… called Faithful and True …" - That is the name of the One riding that horse, or one of His names. He is called that because His judgments are right. "His standards and methods are qualitatively different from those of the dragon and his allies." Isaiah gives a fuller description of what characterizes the judgement of this descendant of David: The Spirit of the Lord rests on Him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. He judges not according to appearances but with righteousness and faithfulness"(Isaiah 11:1-5).

" … He judges and makes war…" - His final victory in war makes clear to earth-dwellers the victory of the Cross and Resurrection, long acknowledged by believers.

"His eyes were like a flame of fire" - We think of what fire can do: illuminate, warm, purify, destroy. Our Bible commenter says of His flaming eyes: "(They) symbolize eternity, wisdom and omniscience" - Op. Cit., p. 1818.

"… on His head were many crowns" - "Many crowns represent unlimited diadems of sovereign authority (Revelation 11:15)" - As I'm writing this, the old hymn is playing in my head:

"Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne:
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own!
Awake my soul and sing of Him who died for Thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity" - Matthew Bridges

"… He had a new name written that no one knew except Himself" - "The fullness of Jesus is beyond human comprehension." (See also these references to our new name - Revelation 2:17; 3:12,13.)

"He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood" - Not the blood of battle, for the battle has not yet happened, but His atoning blood—the blood that fulfilled and was necessary as God's requirement as a sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22).

"His name is called the Word of God" - Another name. We recall the many other times Jesus is called the Word as He reveals the character and purpose of God - John 1:1,14,18; 10:30; 14:9-10; 1 John 1:1.

What a picture of our victorious Saviour and King. The  last stanza of "Crown Him With Many Crowns" is  a fitting response as we offer Him our hearts' adoration and worship:

"Crown Him the Lord of heaven: One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit thru Him given from yonder glorious throne.
To Thee be endless praise, for Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, thru endless days adored and magnified."  

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, these verses paint a complex and awe-inspiring picture of You. I worship You for who You are and what You have done. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 47

MORE: Revelation 19 in Handel's Messiah

We readily recognize words from the Hallelujah Chorus taken from Revelation 19

"KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS" - Revelation 19:6.

Here is the "Hallelujah Chorus" sung by the Tafelmusik Chorus and Orchestra.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

The Christmas story with prequel and sequel

The woman and the Dragon - Rev. 12 (Artist unknown)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 12-13; Psalm 44

TO CHEW ON: "She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and His throne." Revelation 12:5


After our Christmas focus during this month, do you recognize the Christmas story in today's reading? John skips telling the story of the Nativity in his gospel, but he gives his version of it here in Revelation. As we read, we see that he puts the events of Jesus' birth into a far larger story.

It's a story told here in apocalyptic literature style using lots of symbols. But they're not hard to unlock. Even common readers like us can get their meanings.

• The woman (Revelation 12:1 and on) is Israel ("garland of twelve stars" = the twelve tribes of Israel).

• The child to which she gives birth is Jesus.

• The fiery red dragon is Satan.

• Revelation 12:7-9 is a flashback scene (the prequel) of Satan being cast out of heaven to earth. (Remember Jesus' words: "'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'" Luke 10:18?)

• Satan's current battle is with Israel and her offspring (Christians) - Revelation 12:7.

This view of history explains so much. It helps us understand:

• The persistent persecution of the Jews and their survival (Revelation 12:13-16). 

• The force behind all the evil on earth—the bloodshed, hatred, natural disasters, sickness, interpersonal conflict in wars and terrorism etc. Our world is in its desperate state because it's under the influence of Satan "… who deceives the whole world; he was cast to earth and his angels were cast out with him. … For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time" - Revelation 12:9,12 (emphasis added).

• Where we fit in. This story isn't finished. We are right now part of the sequel of the Christmas installment, involved in the thick of the battle of the last verse: "And the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" - Revelation 12:17 (emphasis added).

However, victory over this red, angry, teeth-gnashing, tail-lashing dragon is possible. How?
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" - Revelation 12:10 (emphasis added).

Our weapons are the blood of Jesus painted on the doorposts of our hearts that keeps out the death angel and the word—God's plan in history and our own involvement in it ("the word of their testimony" in both the Bible and our lives). When we find ourselves in the thick of any battle, let's not forget what our weapons are and not cease to use them.

 
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us this behind-the-scenes glimpse of history. Help me to keep this big picture in mind and my weapons in hand when I'm in the thick of battle. 


PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 44

The Bible Project VIDEO: Revelation - Part 2 of the Read Scripture series





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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus reigns

"The Two Witnesses"
Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, 
Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, 
Emory University

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 10-11; Psalm 43

TO CHEW ON: "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'" Revelation 11:15
 
In the midst of all the surrealistic happenings of today's reading—John told by an angel to measure the temple (Revelation 11:1,2); two men, witnesses, wearing strange clothing wreaking havoc with fire-breathing mouths and plague-producing powers that remind us of Elijah and Moses (Revelation 11:3-6); the witnesses killed and the whole world seeing and rejoicing (Revelation 11:7-10 —trending on Twitter for sure); a great earthquake destroying a tenth of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13-14)—we hear an angel shouting a familiar message: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).

We've heard this or similar before:

• "He shall have dominion from sea to sea" - Psalm 72:8 and Zechariah 9:10.

• "For unto us a child is born …. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…" - Isaiah 9:6-7.

• "His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And His dominion from generation to generation" - Daniel 4:3.

• The devil's offer to Jesus: "…all the kingdoms of the world and their glory ….' will I give you if You fall down and worship me'" spurned - Matthew 4:8-10.

Because Jesus had the authority that came from His Father:

• " Even the winds and sea obey Him" - Matthew 8:27.

• "'… with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him'" Mark 1:27.

• "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand" - John 3:35.

• "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him" - 1 Peter 3:22.

There may be much about coming events as predicted in Revelation that we don't understand. But one thing is clear, not only from Revelation but all of the Bible: Jesus wins and will be the ultimate ruler of the kingdoms of earth and heaven! Let's take heart as we live with that fact in mind today.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the theme of Your victorious kingdom that threads through the Bible. Help me to live by faith in the fact of Your ultimate victory. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 43

MORE: Hallelujah - Handel's Messiah

Words from today's reading are part of Handel's magnificent Hallelujah Chorus:

Revelation 11:15 15. . . the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.

Here is a flashmob rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus, performed in 2011 by the Cowtown Opera Company, Calgary, Alberta Canada

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Light some incense today!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 7-9; Psalm 42

TO CHEW ON: “Then another angel having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3-4

In John’s vision, events in heaven continue to play out. He (the Lamb) opens the seventh seal to reveal an expanding vista of seven trumpets. The seven judgments they announce (8:2-11:18) are cataclysmic. The first four (found in our reading today) affect the natural world and remind us of the Egyptian plagues (hail, blood, polluted water, death to living creatures, darkness).

What I find fascinating are the two verses about the saints’ prayers that precede the fateful trumpet blasts. They seem almost out of place. Here, as earlier (Revelation 5:8), an angel presents these prayers to God as incense.

Incense has been associated with deity and worship since ancient times. Divination by interpreting the shapes that rose from incense smoke was an inexpensive way for poor people to determine the will of the gods. The Egyptians and other Gentile nations used it in their worship. Still today it is part of the practice of Buddhism, Christian Orthodoxy and other religions.

• In Old Testament religious practice, only the priests were allowed to offer incense. Moses’ instructions to Aaron included strict regulations concerning its makeup and use (Exodus 30:34-36). 

• God specifically forbade the personal mixing and use of the incense designed for worship (Exodus 30:37-38). 

• David first likened prayers to incense (Psalm 141:2). 

• God warned the Israelites through Isaiah that offerings, including the burning of incense, done while clinging to known sin were offensive to Him (Isaiah 1:13).  

• In Malachi its use symbolized the universal worship of God: “In every place incense shall be offered to My name…” Malachi 1:11

That the prayers of the saints (us!) should be equated with something as integral to worship as incense tells us how important they are to God. Here they are directly connected to the judgments that follow. For after presenting the incense prayers to God, the angel takes the golden censer that held them, fills it with fire from the altar, throws it to earth, and the action begins.

This focus on prayer makes me want to spend more time on this aspect of my relationship with God. As Barbara Billet expresses it:

“I ask You, Lord, that You would fill me with Your consuming fire today. I desire to be used as a house of prayer so that I can pray heartfelt, fervent, effectual prayers that will cause my prayer life to have much power, available, dynamic in its working.” Barbara Billet, Praying With Fire, p. 19

PRAYER: Dear God, please teach me to pray. Amen

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 42

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

No-holds-barred worship

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 4-6; Psalm 41

TO CHEW ON: “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne saying”
‘You are worthy, O Lord
To receive glory and honor and power
for You created all things
And by your will they exist and were created.’” Revelation 4:10-11

The scene John describes in today’s reading is beyond comprehension and difficult even to imagine. It is not unlike other glimpses we get of God and the activity in heaven. There are striking similarities. Note the “sea of glass” in Revelation 4:6 and the sapphire-like pavement under God's feet when He showed Himself to Moses (Exodus 24:9,10) and the 70 elders on Mount Sinai. Note the exotic creatures (Revelation 4:7,8) here and described similarly in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 1:10). Note the abundance of eyes in both places.(Revelation 4:8; Ezekiel 1:18)

What does it all mean? An end-note in my Bible suggests that the sea of glass denotes the unapproachableness of God. The four creatures speak of majesty (lion), courage and strength (ox), intelligence (man) and speed (eagle) “in the service of the Creator.” The abundance of eyes symbolizes God’s unceasing watchfulness.(New Spirit Filled Life Bible p.1824)

These visions evoked fear, awe and above all, worship in those who saw them.

Worship (proskuneo; pros= toward, kuneo = kiss; kiss toward - "to kiss like a dog licking his master's hand") means to prostrate oneself, bow down, do obeisance, show reverence, homage, worship, adore. We worship only God and the risen and ascended Jesus – not angels, saints, shrines, relics or religious people.

Although we’re not currently in heaven, privy to these description-taxing scenes, where worshipers fall down before God and present their crowns to Him, we can also worship on earth in the here-and-now.

1. We can assume physical postures of worship as twenty-four Elders do here – kneeling, bowing, lying on the ground before God during our times of private prayer and even in church. Perhaps it would do us good to remind ourselves of our lowness in relation to God in this way more often than we do.

2. We can give our everyday lives to God (Romans 12:1) – your “ordinary life – your sleeping eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Message). This is called your “reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” (Amp)

3. We can adhere to His standards and live obediently as people of His covenant - Isaiah 56:6,7 (inviting people of all nations to Christ, observing the pattern of life He has set out - like keeping one day of rest - and preserving our assembly place as a "house of prayer for all nations.")

4. We can be part of His plan by aligning ourselves with other Christians as “living stones” (1 Peter 2:4,5 NIV) members of His spiritual house.

Will we do these things with the same willingness and abandon that the saints in heaven worship in the awe-inspiring presence of God?

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me a sense of Your otherness. I so easily take You down to my level. Help me to worship You with all I am and have. Amen.
The Bible Project VIDEO: Day of the Lord (Theme series)




MORE: I love John's comparison of God and heaven with precious gems, stones, and metals. Trouble is, I have no experience with many of these jewels. Here is a little about the ones mentioned in this passage.

Jasper

Sardius (similar to Carnelian, only harder and darker)

Emerald


Gold

Crystal

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Jesus - the A to Z

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 1-3; Psalm 40

TO CHEW ON: “’ I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come…. I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.’” Revelation 1:8, 11


God’s plan in time and space is wonderfully wrapped up and tied together in Jesus. Here He is called Alpha and Omega – the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet – the beginning, ending and everything in between.

As the beginning, Jesus is the creator (Genesis 1:1)  – the One through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3).

He is the first communicator – the Word (John 1:1-3).  In John’s vision  a “sharp two-edged sword” comes out of His mouth. Sound familiar? It’s right here (Hebrews 4:12).

He is the ever-present one – “who is and was and is to come.” Remember the strange name He called Himself to Moses: “I Am” (Exodus 3:14),  echoed by Jesus in John 8:58? What better explanation of that name than “the One who is and who was and who is to come.”

He is the end. He is the end of the law (Romans 10:4).

He is also integral to end-of-time events as the Bible predicts them – the time of harvest (Matthew 13:39) and judgment (Matthew 13:49,50). The end is the culmination of our opportunity (Matthew 24:13,14) to obey Jesus’ last command (Acts 1:8).  We have the promise of Jesus’ presence with us (Matthew 28:19,20) till then. But also until then our endurance and ability to stay true to Him will be tested (Mark 13:13).

Thinking about these things is like doing brain stretches. It’s almost impossible for our human minds to comprehend these dimension-challenging ideas – present before time, after time, ever present in time…

But we can grasp that here and now Alpha and Omega is the I Am to us. He can be present in our lives. He can help us endure. He  can enable us to live daily in obedience and on-task.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, be my Alpha and Omega. Live in my life as I Am today. Help me to fulfill my role in Your eternal plan. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 40


The Bible Project VIDEO - Revelation - Part 1 (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's seal--our identification and protection

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:1-17

TO CHEW ON: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” Revelation 6:2,3

What does the forehead seal in Revelation 6:2-3 remind you of? The forehead seal from the dark side? “He [the beast] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads’” - Revelation 13:16,17.

The seal of Revelation 6 is not that seal. It is God’s seal of identification and protection on those who are His. My Bible’s study notes explain:

“Those sealed by the Holy Spirit are God’s possession, in dramatic contrast to those who bear the mark of the beast - Revelation 13:16,17)” Earl Wesley Morey, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1827.

God placing a seal on those who are His occurs in other places in the Bible as well.

• In Ezekiel it marks those who are troubled by and grieve over Israel’s idolatry - Ezekiel 9:4.

• Paul mentions a seal on Christ-followers several times in his letters. He sees this seal as the Holy Spirit:

“God … who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” - 2 Corinthians 1:22 (all emphases added).

In Him … also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise - Ephesians 1:13.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption - Ephesians 4:30.

• Then we have these believers sealed in Revelation by God against the apocalyptic events to come.

“He who overcomes, … I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God the New Jerusalem … And I will write on him My new name - Revelation 3:12.

• Scorpion-like locusts are released by an angel but not allowed to harm any with the seal of God on their foreheads - Revelation 9:4.

• Those 144,000 sealed in Revelation 6 (our passage) appear with the Lamb before God on Mount Zion “… having His Father’s name written on their foreheads” - Revelation 14:1.

• Finally, John in his Revelation vision sees God’s servants, the sealed, assemble before God in the New Jerusalem: “They shall see His face and His name shall be on their foreheads - Revelation 22:4.

What a grand thread to follow today! May we all rest secure in our identification with the name of Jesus and its power and protection, stamped on us by the indwelling Holy Spirit!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, though I only understand imperfectly this concept of being sealed by You, help me to enflesh what I do understand of it. Thank You for Your powerful name and Your Spirit and how You have sealed me. Amen.  

MORE: All Saints’ Day

Today the church celebrates All Saints’ Day. The day’s liturgy begins with this prayer:

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The first thing God looks at on your resumé

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 1:12-26

TO CHEW ON: "And they prayed and said, 'You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.' " Acts 1:24

Peter instigated the choice of another disciple to take Judas Iscariot's place. It's interesting to read how the early believers went about doing this:

1. They didn't choose just anyone, but someone who had been a faithful follower of Jesus to the extent that the original twelve were: "… who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us" - Acts 1:21.

2. They picked two men and prayed " 'O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.' "

3. They cast lots (drew straws, flipped a coin, however they did it; it's interesting to note that after the Pentecost baptism of the Holy Spirit there is no more mention of casting lots in the Bible) believing that the outcome was a revelation of God's choice.

I wonder, are we as focused on who God has chosen for a job as they were? When we need to fill a ministry vacancy, what's the first thing we look at—talents, appearance, experience, or the person's heart toward God? Maybe that should be the thing we ask for help with and pray for insight about above everything else.

The story of Samuel at Jesse's home on the assignment of anointing a new king comes to mind. When he sees Eliab, Jesse's handsome oldest, Samuel thinks, surely he's the one. But God says to him: " ' Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' " 1 Samuel 16:7 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me on two fronts: to be the person with the right heart for ministry, and to get Your insight on workers whenever I am tasked with finding someone for a job. Amen.

MORE: Eliab revealed
Eliab. David's oldest brother who Samuel thought was such great king material, shows his heart in the next chapter of 1 Samuel, when David (the youngest son of Jesse who Samuel anoints as the next king) comes to the battlefield and suggests the army should do more than quake in fear over Goliath's appearances. Eliab reveals himself as a carnal, sarcastic, bitter, and faithless man - 1 Samuel 17:28. Good thing Samuel didn't follow his original instincts to anoint him king!

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Will our work be rewarded?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 22:6-21

TO CHEW ON: “‘And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.’” Revelation 22:12.

Though the Bible is clear that our work doesn’t save us (Titus 3:5-7), work is mentioned often in the Bible. So, if we are not working to gain heaven, what compels us to work?

Here are a few of the motivations the Bible mentions;

• To be a bridge between God and a hurting world - Isaiah 50:4.

• To serve Jesus, who comes to us as the hungry, thirsty, homeless stranger - Matthew 25:35-40.

• Because as God’s children, we see the world, and the people around us through our Father’s eyes of compassion so that our neighbour’s need becomes our assignment - Luke 10:30-37.

• It is our way of following, obeying, and mimicking Christ in spirit and deed, as Paul explains it in Philippians 2:3-15.

Our passage implies that all work is not equal. We may be driven by wrong motives (for example, to be seen and praised by others) to do good things. And so this end-of-time reward ceremony is a revelation, an unveiling of our work’s quality: “… to give to everyone according to his work.”

[The word “reward” (misthos) means pay, salary, recompense for service. “The word especially describes wages, divine rewards given to believers for the moral quality of their actions” - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1847 - emphasis added.]

May this someday heavenly reward ceremony compel us to examine our own actions or non-actions and the attitude we have when we do act.

I confess this is convicting. Just yesterday on my way to the track where I walk on rainy days, I passed a homeless camp-out right on the sidewalk of a busy street. The cheery “good morning” from one of the street dwellers elicited a grumpy reply from me. I felt annoyed and irritated, for though our city has worked to house these folks, many insist on living outside.

Lord, please give me Your eyes and a heart of compassion—even when I don’t understand.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to face and understand my own motives. Replace my judgemental heart of stone with a heart of flesh - Ezekiel 11:19,20. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Exploring some Bible images

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:22-22:5

TO CHEW ON: “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” Revelation 21:23

One of a poet’s tools to enrich and thicken a piece of writing is to plant within it allusions to past works of great literature and art. In that department, John’s vision of the New Jerusalem here is a visual poem that has those of us who love the Bible and its images in a tizzy of making connections. Here are a few, made with just three images from this passage:

LIGHT - Revelation 21:23,24; 22:5

• Light is the first thing God created - Genesis 1:3.

• God led Israel through their wilderness wanderings with a cloud that lit up at night - Exodus 13:2122.

• Light shone from Moses’ face after he had been with God - Exodus 34:29-35.

• Lights accompanied the announcement of Jesus’ birth - Matthew 2:1,2; Luke 2:9.

• Jesus declared Himself the light of the world - John 8:12.

• Light shone brilliantly at His transfiguration - Matthew 17:2.

• The light was snuffed out at His death - Mark 15:33.

NO MORE EVIL - Revelation 21:27; 22:3.

• The “curse” (Revelation 22:3) was first pronounced in Genesis 3:14-19.

• The giving of the Ten Commandments that help us understand God’s standard of right and wrong - Exodus 20:1-17.

• The rules of washing and purification that accompanied the Jewish sacrificial system (found throughout its descriptions, e.g. Numbers 8:6,7,15,21).

• Christ’s higher-than-the-law standard of right and wrong - Matthew 5,6,7.

• Christ’s blood shed to wash away and cleanse the stain of our sin - 1 John 1:7.

WATER - Revelation 22:1,2

• The river of life-giving water in Ezekiel’s vision - Ezekiel 47:1-12 (this vision also has a temple and healing trees in it).

• Jesus promised the Samaritan woman living water - John 4:13,14.

• Jesus invited all to come to Him to drink and themselves become sources of living water - John 7:37,38.

I'm sure you could find more connections to the items I've chosen and we could choose more items and continue to make connections. The Bible has many references to the temple, gates, nations, healing, the Lamb’s Book of Life, the Tree of Life. (Maybe you'd like to work on those!)

These connections are what make the Bible such a rich and exciting book. They leave me in awe and wonder and praise—what depth, what a consistent message flowing through 66 books despite a variety of writers, what a Master Author!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your amazing Word, presented to us through so many writers. Help me to hear what You are saying—today about light, purity, living water—and apply these things to my life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A wedding made in heaven

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:1-21

TO CHEW ON: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God.” Revelation 21:9,10

Imagery of God taking a bride is present already in the Old Testament. The book Song of Solomon—a celebration of married love all the way through—is interpreted on one level as “… the covenant love relationship enjoyed by God’s church” Donald Pickerill, “Introduction to the Song of Solomon,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 860.

Isaiah prophesied a time when the relationship of God and His people would resemble a marriage. About Zion (Jerusalem) he said:

“For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you” - Isaiah 62:5.

Bride imagery comes to us again through Jesus. When John the Baptist’s disciples came to Him and asked Him why His disciples didn’t fast while they and the Pharisees did, Jesus’ answer (“‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they they will fast’” - Matthew 9:15) implied that He was the Bridegroom and was not going to be around forever.

John the Baptist also recognized Jesus as the bridegroom. When people came to him (John) wanting a reaction to Jesus’ success at attracting crowds, John said, “‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled’” - John 3:29,30.

Paul picked up this imagery in his letters. In writing to the church in Rome, he spoke of their life of faith in Christ:

“Therefore my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead…’” - Romans 7:4.

And to the Corinthian church he wrote:

“For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” - 2 Corinthians 11:2.

Finally, in Revelation, John had several visions that included brides, weddings and wedding feasts. Among them is the vision of Revelation 19:7,8  when he heard the multitudes of heaven proclaim:

“‘Let us be glad and rejoice to give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

And then we have the beautiful image in our passage of Jerusalem, descending from heaven like a bride - Revelation 21:2,9,10.

Several thoughts come to mind in response to this:

1. The Christian community’s outrage at changes in society’s definition of marriage is easily understood in the light of the sacred covenant and union marriage symbolizes in the Bible. It’s one of the reasons some of us will never give in to demands that we change our stand on this.

2. The beauty and purity of the Bride, as pictured here, is a challenge to each one of us to keep ourselves ready, dressed in that “fine linen clean and bright,” our wedding garment, gifted and made possible through the shed and cleansing blood of our Bridegroom.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live in a spirit of repentance and purity, always aware of whose I am. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A church's personality

Detail from a church in Elora ON (V.Nesdoly)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation :1-17

TO CHEW ON: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 2:7, 11, 17


Those of us who have attended a variety of churches know that they have personalities as defined as any person’s. These church personalities come about because of various forces. The three letters to the churches in Revelation 2:1-17 and beyond illustrate what some of these forces are:

Location: The church at Pergamos was known to dwell “… where Satan’s throne is.” - Revelation 2:13.

Leadership: John scolded the weak leadership of Thyatira for allowing an evil Jezebel prophetess to teach and influence the congregation - Revelation 2:20.

History: The church at Smyrna had a history of tribulation, poverty, and persecution - Revelation 2:9.

Culture: The church at Ephesus had a culture of untiring work, patience, and holiness - Revelation 2:2,3.

Doctrine: The church of Pergamos tolerated bad doctrine - Revelation 2:14,15.

Let’s look at these aspects of our own churches as we seek to understand them, join ourselves to them, and represent them to the world.

• Where a church is located physically—town, city, country, near a university, in the middle of a factory town etc.—and the spiritual climate of that place will have a huge effect on what kind of a church it is. (Imagine belonging to a church like Pergamos, known to be situated in a hotbed of satanic activity!)

• A church with strong leaders that guard the congregation against false teachers will differ from one where leadership is easily persuaded and permissive. For Thyatira John prophesied sickness and death as God’s discipline for tolerating this false teacher - John 2:22,23

• A church’s history—the stories of its founding, growth, even its building, do much to determine its outlook. It sounds like the persecution Smyrna had gone through in the past had left a residue of fear in the congregation - Revelation 2:10.

• The culture of a church is often more caught than taught. It can easily become automatic and emotionless, as we follow along to fit in. It seems that may have been the case in Ephesus where the church had a reputation for good but the love had been squeezed out of its good actions - Revelation 2:4.

• The doctrine of a church—what it teaches as truth about God, the Bible etc.— may well be what draws us to a particular denomination and its neighborhood representative. I believe that must remain a foundation for us. We must not let a church’s other good qualities—its closeness to our home, its friendliness, its history, its beautiful building, overshadow our desire to be part of a congregation where truth is taught.

Let’s evaluate our churches objectively and compassionately with a view to understanding them, and helping to make them bodies that a modern John would praise and encourage.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for my church. Help me to understand it, pray for it, and take my place in it. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Word's power

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 1:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” Revelation 1:16

This first chapter of Revelation has so many imagination-stirring images, it’s hard to pick just one. I’m going with what immediately jumped off the page at me on first reading this morning—John’s image of “One like the Son of Man,” focusing on what comes from His mouth.

It’s a two-edged sword - Revelation 1:16.

Where have we seen that before?

“For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” - Hebrews 4:12.

In this verse I’m snagged by another word: “word,” which brings to mind:

“In he beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” - John 1:14.

So we’ve come full-circle back to Jesus, the word and glory of God (John 1:14 compared with Revelation 1:16).

Other Bible verses that elaborate on the God's word show us that it is:
- Like fire - Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29.
- Life-bringing - Ezekiel 37:7.
- Prevailing and victorious - Acts 19:20.
- Salvation bringing - Romans 1:16.
- Our spiritual weapon - Ephesians 6:17.
- The implement God will use to enforce His rule on the nations - Revelation 19:15.

How exciting to have access to something so powerful! But also, what a privilege and responsibility to accept and respond to that word sword’s piercing, dividing, thought-and-intention-discerning work on us now, in this age of grace.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please make me sensitive to Your piercing, probing, and discerning word on my thoughts, motivations, and actions. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus asking Peter who He is - Matt. 16

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' " Matthew 16:16


Peter's confession of who Jesus was is classic in its simplicity, directness, and boldness. Author Matthew relates it in the chapter that follows Jesus'  feeding of four thousand (Matthew 15:32-39) and another sparring match between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4). When Jesus and His disciples were alone again, Jesus warned them, " 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees' …" (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples puzzled over what He meant. Was He referring to the fact that on this particular day they'd forgotten to pack bread for lunch?

I can just see Jesus giving a bit of an eye roll and saying (in my words), "You've just seen me feed crowds of people. I can take care of you in the physical bread department. It's the leaven of bad doctrine I'm talking about" (Matthew 16:8-11).

What was the bad doctrine? Legalism and strict adherence to tradition by the Pharisees, and materialism and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural by the Sadducees (J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1320).

Peter's answer to Jesus' question: "'Who do men say that I am?'" would have scandalized both parties.  When he said, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" he acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (Christ) that every Israelite was longing for, and as supernatural i.e. God (Son of the Living God).

I can just imagine Jesus' smile of congratulations. Yes, Peter, you got it!

Jesus then said two more important things to Peter:
1. God showed you this (Matthew 16:17).
2. Your realization comes with a responsibility and mission (Matthew 16:18,19).

Our relationship with Jesus starts in the same way as Peter's, by acknowledging Jesus for who He is—the fulfillment of the world's need of a Messiah and Savior from our sin. After we've found Him, there's no more need to go seeking after someone else to follow, to pattern our lives on, to do life with.

Like Peter, for us this "aha" moment is also engineered by God and communicated in ways as various as we are individuals.

After we've recognized Jesus and crowned Him king of our hearts and lives, we too have a responsibility. We're partners with Peter and every other believer across the ages in building Jesus' church and doing the "binding and loosing" work of His Kingdom.

What a heritage! What a responsibility!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to recognize and acknowledge Your presence in my everyday life. Help me to give my life to Kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: Confession of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates Peter's confession in the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. The day's liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Revealing thoughts and words

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 139:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "You understand my thought afar off….
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether." - Psalm 139:2,4


Have you ever had thoughts or spoken words that surprised you by what they showed you of the state of your own heart? Even though some things are against your most dearly held convictions, you've thought or said words like "separate," "divorce," or "leave the church."

After the heat of such a moment you and I may feel surprised, disturbed, and disappointed that we actually thought or said such things. And what about God? Surely He was surprised too.

That last possibility is impossible. Our reading today assures us that we can never surprise or shock God with our thoughts and words.  In fact, I would suggest that the words we were shocked to hear ourselves say may have a divine purpose.

It's easy to cram into our heart's closet and close the door on negative thoughts about people, our marriage, the church. We may ignore our deteriorating relationship, handling it with avoidance ("I don't want to go there") or self-deception ("It's really not that bad"). But when we've heard ourselves think or say the words we vowed we'd never think or say, we are forced to face the problem in a new way.

Our thoughts and words can be part of how God answers the psalm's request that God "search,"  "know," and "try" our hearts. They may uncover "anxieties" that color our entire outlook. They may be God's painful revelation of  some "wicked way" in us.  They surely show us that there is a problem that needs our attention. As we acknowledge these issues and deal with them, God can continue to lead us in the "way everlasting."

PRAYER: "Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting." Amen. Psalm 139:23,24.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Jesus—revealed in Revelation

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! 

"I am...the Bright and Morning Star" (Pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 22:6-21

TO CHEW ON: " 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. … I Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.' " Revelation 22:13,16

Since back in the beginning of April this year we have been reading, from time to time, in Revelation. Today as we come to its concluding words, I recall a challenge I put out on April 4th. It was to search through Revelation to list the names and titles that describe the divine-human relationship and the redemptive work of Christ.

I started my list on that day and over the last couple of days have skimmed through the book to complete it. What an inspiring survey!

I'm going to share my list with you today (though that makes this a very long devo—sorry about that!). Several disclaimers:
- I may have missed some names.
- I included descriptive passages that were not names per se.
- I used my simple understanding of the text to compile this list (didn't go to Bible commentaries and scholars).
- Of course I found lots of repetition so didn't mention each recurrence (the name or title of "Lamb," for example, recurs repeatedly).

These titles and descriptions suggest big-picture facts about Jesus. I have organized them in this way.

In Revelation, Jesus is revealed as:

• Creator:
• "Him… who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it" - Revelation 10:6.

• Eternal:
• "Alpha and Omega" - Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13. 
• "Beginning and the End - Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13. 
• "Who was and is and is to come" - Revelation 1:8; 16:5. 
• "the First and the Last" - Revelation 1:11,17; 22:13. 
• "Him who lives forever and ever" - Revelation 5:14; 10:6.

• Omnipotent:
• "… firstborn from the dead" - Revelation 1:6 
• "Almighty" - Revelation 1:8. 
• " 'I have the keys of death and of Hades' " - Revelation 1:18 
• "He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens" - Revelation 3:7
•  "The Lord God omnipotent" - Revelation 19:6.

• Righteous:
• "He who is holy, He who is true…" Revelation 3:7. 
• "The Faithful and True witness" - Revelation 3:14. 
• "Faithful and True - Revelation 19:11.

• Lord:
• "Our Lord" - Revelation 11:8. 
• "He is Lord of Lords …" - Revelation 17:14. 
• "The Lord God omnipotent" - Revelation 19:6. 
• "Lord Jesus" - Revelation 22:20. 
• "Lord Jesus Christ" - Revelation 22:21.

• King:
• "Ruler of the kings of the earth" - Revelation 1:5. 
• "… having on His head a golden crown" - Revelation 14:14. 
• "He is … King of kings" - Revelation 17:4.

• Communicator:
• "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…" - Revelation 1:5; 3:14. 
• "Alpha and Omega" - Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13 (I include this here because these are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and imply communication in writing or speech.)
• "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" - Revelation 19:10. 
• "Word of God" - Revelation 19:13. 
• "He who testifies to these things" - Revelation 22:20.

• Descended from God:
• "Son of God" - Revelation 2:18. 
• "He who has the seven Spirits of God" - Revelation 3:1. 
• "The beginning of the Creation of God" - Revelation 3:14.

• Human being:  "You shall call His name Jesus," the angel told Mary of the child she would birth (Luke 1:31). Repeatedly the name of Jesus occurs in Revelation.
• "Jesus" - Revelation 1:1,2,5 
• "Son of man" - Revelation 1:13; 14:14. 
• "her child" and "male child"  Revelation 12:4,5.

• Human being who was also called Messiah (Christos = anointed one):
• "Jesus Christ" - Revelation 1:1,2,5; 12:17.

• A Jew and source / descendant of David's royal family:
• "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of Jesse" - Revelation 5:5. 
• "I am the Root and the Offspring of David" - Revelation 22:16.

• Sacrifice (Lamb):
• "a Lamb as though it had been slain" - Revelation 5:6. 
• "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world - Revelation 13:8. 
• "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them" - Revelation 17:14. 
• Said of the New Jerusalem: "The Lamb is its light" - Revelation 21:22.

• Ascended:
• "And her Child was caught up to God and His throne" - Revelation 12:4.
  

• Present with the Church:
• "… who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks" - Revelation 2:1. (The candlesticks or lamp stands symbolize the churches - Revelation 1:20.)

• Harvester:
• "Son of Man … in His hand a sharp sickle" - Revelation 14:14.
  

• Warrior:
• "… out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword" - Revelation 1:16. 
• "He who has the sharp two-edged sword" Revelation 2:12. 
• "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them" - Revelation 17:4.

• The Refined who is now a Refiner (Judge):
• "His eyes like a flame of fire, His feet like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace" - Revelation 1:15,16. 
• "The Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet like fine brass" - Revelation 2:18.

• Light:
• "… and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength" - Revelation 1:16.  
• Said of the New Jerusalem: "The Lamb is its Light" - Revelation 21:22.
  

• Unpredictable and mysterious:
• "Behold I am coming as a thief" - Revelation 16:15. 
• "He had a name written that no one knew except Himself" - Revelation 19:12.
  

• Majestic in appearance and presence:
• "...and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters" - Revelation 1:13-15.

• Ruler over angels and the spirit realm: 
• "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches" - Revelation 1:20.
• "I am … the Bright and Morning Star" - Revelation 22:16. (Compare with the description of Satan's fall from heaven in Isaiah 14 where he is referred to as a "morning star" - Isaiah 14:12-15 NIV.)

• God's final word: 
• "... the Amen..." - Revelation 3:14; 22:20,21.

What an invitation and inspiration to be in awe and worship Jesus—our Saviour, the One who has invited us to call Him friend (John 15:15-17).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I worship with Revelation's thousands and thousands:
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom
And strength and honor and glory and blessing." - Revelation 5:12.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A divine tatoo

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:22-22:5

TO CHEW ON: "And they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." Revelation 22:4

Two wonderful things about the future of the redeemed ones in heaven (our future) stand out in these verses:

1. "They shall see His face…"

Looking at God in the face is certainly something people could not do in Old and New Testament times (Exodus 33:20). Though some prophets had visions of God (Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:1), looking at Him face to face was something Bible writers only anticipated (Psalm 17:15; Isaiah 33:17).

But here, in his vision, John sees what he has looked forward to: "…but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" - 1 John 3:2.

Seeing His face, writes my Bible commenter, means "The redeemed enjoy perfect fellowship with God and the Lamb" - Earl Wesley Morey, notes on Revelation, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1846.

2. "… His name shall be on their foreheads."

A divine tattoo!

We mark things in this way now. Cattle are branded with their owner's mark to show whose possession they are. Slaves were once tattooed or physically marked in some way. Revelation 3:12 also speaks of such a mark: "He who overcomes … I will write on him the name of My God ... And I will write on Him a new name."

Such marks, say my Bible's footnotes, show "… possession by God, a spiritual citizenship, and a reflection of the character of Christ" - Ibid, p. 1822 (emphasis added).

Won't that be grand! No more barriers to seeing Him face to face, but marked as His possession and having His character!

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" - 1 Corinthians 13:12.

PRAYER: Dear God, what a thing to look forward to! Help me to be an "overcomer" in this life as I anticipate perfect fellowship with You in heaven. Amen.

MORE: We Shall Behold Him - sung by Sandi Patti




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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Tabernacle thoughts

Inage: Noel_Bauza / pixabay.com

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 21:1-21

TO CHEW ON: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God.’” Revelation 21:3


Portable homes range from pup tents that weigh ounces to grand motorized coaches that are all but castles on wheels. However, even the grandest doesn’t compare to the tabernacle (skene – tent) of God, shown to John in his Revelation vision.

Throughout the Bible the tabernacle signifies God’s dwelling place. He gave Moses instructions on how to make the first physical tabernacle on Mount Sinai – an elaborate tent made with specific materials and completely dis-assemblable. The Israelites carried it with them during their 40 years of wandering in the desert, putting it up at each extended stop. God’s glory hovered over it and so possessed the Holy of Holies, no unsanctioned person could go into it and remain alive.

When Solomon built the temple, the physical portable tabernacle was retired. But Bible writers continue to refer to it:

• David talks about being hidden in God’s tabernacle in the time of trouble (Psalm 27:5).

• The writer to the Hebrews explains how Christ’s sacrifice on the cross brought an end to the need for the High Priest’s yearly visit into the most sacred Holy of Holies. No longer did he need to go into that room of the tabernacle (or temple) with a blood sacrifice to atone for sins. (Hebrews 9:6-15)

• God spreads his tabernacle over the saints who come out of the tribulation in Revelation 7:15.

• The beast blasphemes it in Revelation 13:6.

• And in Reveation 15:5 “the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.”

In our reading today, a heavenly voice declares to John that God’s tabernacle is with men. Then John sees an indescribably beautiful city – the New Jerusalem – also called His bride, descending from heaven. It’s an incredible sight to picture and even more incredible to think that we will someday be a part of such an event!

Until then, though, God has a far humbler tabernacle. Us. You and me. Though the exact word “tabernacle” isn’t used, we are plainly told in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that we are God’s dwelling place. What an honor, privilege and responsibility!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to begin to grasp the significance of being Your dwelling place on earth. Help me to live accordingly. Amen.

MORE: Michael Card sings “The New Jerusalem”




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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