Kingdom of Christ

The vision in Revelation 20:1-6 is similar to others John has described; seeing the souls of those who have died because of their testimony for Jesus; a key to the abyss being held by an angel; seeing people sitting on a throne who have been given authority to judge; a serpent or dragon who is satan.

John is referring in this passage to the Millennial (1000 years) Kingdom of Christ. During this time, satan will be bound and not able to promote his evil. It will be a time of heaven on earth with peace, happiness, health, joy in work, and prosperity.

The lesson for us today is to live each day for the Lord with wisdom, patience, faithfulness, and watchfulness for we do not know when He will return. Let us do everything we can to prepare the way for this glorious promise given through this vision.

Each day with God, believe in the great advice of the Bible and know that victory is assured through Jesus Christ. By living this way, we will not succumb to the political, religious, and economic pressures of the beast and be among those of the first resurrection; the righteous helping Jesus reign on earth and overcoming the enemy; including death.

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Questions for Reflection for Study of Revelation 20-22

Over the last few weeks, the journey has taken us through the book of Revelation 17-19. Some say the great harlot in Revelation 17 represents the ultimate in godless world religion. In present times, we are witnessing corruption in local, state and national government. Truth will always be truth and wise leaders realize that honesty is the best policy.

A balance of power is healthy. The framers of the U. S. constitution realized the need for diversity and integrity. There are so many ideas on how best to govern a city, state, or nation but the system that seems to work best is the idea that the power belongs with its people under one God.

In the end, God will reign and the faithful will have the advantage because of trust in Him. We can keep a positive outlook because of remembering that God has helped in the past and believing that good things will happen in the future. 

Revelation 18 introduced us to another angel who many say is Christ himself coming to destroy His enemies. He announces the fall of commercial Babylon; a place where wickedness was prominent throughout the city as it was a godless place. The people worshiped idols, sought luxury, were greedy, and desired pleasure.

Sometimes we get worn out trying to explain the dire consequences of not following God. The Bible lays out a path to follow which leads to peace of mind and eternal rewards but some choose not to follow even when not following leads to stress, chaos, and destruction.

Over the next few weeks, I will finish the journey through the book of Revelation. The Great Tribulation comes to an end and the mood will turn happy rather than somber in the previous chapters because the attention will now be on heaven. As we go through life, things can get messy but we can always imagine a day when we are surrounded by our Savior’s glory in heaven.

As the journey continues through God’s Word, below are questions for reflection to help in the study and to help focus some thoughts which I will share in posts over the next few weeks.

Revelation 20:1-6
How is this vision similar to others John has described (See Rev. 6:9-11; 9:1-2; 11:3-12; 12:9) How do you know you will not succumb to the political, religious and economic pressures of the beast? What is the first resurrection (See Luke 14:14; 1 Cor. 15:20-26; Phil. 3:10-11; 1 Thess. 4:16)?

Revelation 20:7-15
Who will lead the battle here (Ezek. 38-39)? From where will the forces come? What is their target? How far do they get? What can you do to add to the book of life?

Revelation 21:1-8
Describe what John sees (See Rev. 3:12; Is. 60:11-22; 65:17-19; 66:22). What are new (See Rev. 2:17; 3:12)? What prophecy will finally be fulfilled (See Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:23)?

Revelation 21:9-21
How are the bride and Holy City related? (See 19:7-8; 21:2)? Describe the glory of the city. From what source does the city derive its character? What is different about the heavenly city when contrasted with our modern cities?

Revelation 21:22-22:5
Imagine you are being shown around the city. What impresses you the most? What are the city’s provisions (see 7:16-17)? For whom? What makes the separation of God and man unnecessary in this city (See Jer. 3:17)?

Revelation 22:6-15
For whom is the revelation given (see v. 3, 16)? What will be the reward of those who are ready (See 7:14-17; 21:25; 22:2; Is. 40:10; Gen. 3:22)? To what extent is the Lord Jesus the Alpha and the Omega of your days? Of Your life? Of the history of the world?

Revelation 22:16-21
Who is warned? Why is the completeness of this revelation so important? What can you say with certainty about the second coming after reading Revelation?

The above reading plan will be used as I share over the next few posts. It’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as Savior; we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At this link: God’s Plan for Us, is a post about accepting God’s plan or reaffirming our “YES” for Christ. 

Feel free to respond with a short note or a comment about any of the questions above. Also, I welcome any other thoughts or ideas, favorite inspirational videos, photos, or favorite Bible verses. Just add them to the comments or to a Facebook page I’ve set up at this link: This Day With God. 

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts
Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God. Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978
First United Methodist Waco Podcast
Christ Notes
Family Times
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The Double Edged Sword

We face an enemy in our society today but as I wrote about in The Weapon Against Evil, we have been given a weapon. In the war of good against evil, the weapon we have is the double-edged sword or God’s Word.

A war goes on in our world today but everything is going to change and as this video suggest, let us listen to the Voice of Truth –Casting Crowns.

 

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Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the LORD. – Psalms 31:24

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The Weapon against Evil

There are various names given to the rider of the white horse in Revelation 19:11-21; Faithful, True, Word of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The weapon used is the Word of God which is described as a sharp double-edged sword.

We face a war between the forces of good and evil in our daily living. Think of the entertainment industry. Here’s a post from Proverbial Thought about the conflict we constantly have to contend with in a society that praises vulgarity, violence, and vice.

We do not go alone so never fear. Trust in God in rainy days or the heat of a pressure filled day or whatever each day brings. Don’t be shaken. God’s Word is like a sword to protect us against the enemy. Meditate on and memorize the Word to sharpen your Spirit from the attacks of evil.

Here’s one strategy to help memorize scripture:

  1. Read through the scripture aloud
  2. Copy the scripture by hand
  3. Create a short outline of the scripture
  4. Have someone else read the scripture to you
  5. Write down the first letter of each word to help as a tool to memorize

The world says to give up and accept defeat; look for pleasure and live it up right now but Faith says believe in a better day and look forward to a day when there is more joy and peace than we can imagine.

The world says to do what benefits us in the short term but Truth says to be honest with ourselves; call sins by their true names and receive cleansing through Jesus.

The world says you have only one life to live but the Word of God says this is just a short time in our life because our time with God is forever.

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Look Forward to the Future with Great Excitement

We should worship God each day with jubilation and look forward to the future with great excitement. Like looking forward to a celebration such as a marriage ceremony, our future is one to be lived with excitement as we know that God is with us forever.

This attitude of excitement and elation helps us live with abandon and to share with others this great future we have with Jesus our Savior. Here’s a video that emphasizes this attitude in life: Live with Abandon – Newsboys.

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I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. – Psalm 89:1

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