Again, as our series on Revelation continues, we do not study evil to entertain ourselves as some sort of macabre obsession like binge-watching zombie movies.  We study what is good and when Scripture leads us to protectively recognize evil when we see it, we do well to pay attention.

Revelation 13:11 “Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.”

Satan mimics, trying to craft “a close” even if it’s “no cigar.”  Two horns like a lamb (like the Lamb?) but it spoke like Satan (not like God).  Definitely not that close.  This twisted mimicry continues:

Revelation 13:12 “It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

Time out:  Kind of like Jesus exercised authority on behalf of God, to bring people back to worship God, and Jesus’ crucifixion fatality was “healed” by His resurrection, and He still bears the “stigmata”—the wounds of crucifixion.  Let’s continue:

Revelation 13:13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.”

This beast is sometimes called the false prophet.  Like a prophet, he exercises power on behalf of someone else.  He performs great signs, fire from heaven even, just like Elijah called upon God to do.  Just as prophets of Baal could deceive people with their idolatry for a while, this false prophet mimics signs, and points to the false god to worship.  Part of how he accomplishes his task is through intimidation: he forces them to worship or be killed.

Thoughts for today:

Do you value your life?  Is losing your earthly life worth it to hold onto your faith and eternal life? 

Or if someone (or some government) forced you to worship the antichrist, would you have the resolve to refuse?

I’ve been thinking a lot about COVID and the pressures it placed upon average people.  Mandate this, mandate that.  Closures of businesses, little mom and pop shops.  Closures of churches and definitely no singing.  Driving everyone to using credit and debit, the so-called cashless society.  Every place I went asking for exact change if using cash because of a national coin shortage.  How people treated each other who didn’t want to comply with gym closures or still today in corners of the nation and world, demanding wearing masks everywhere, even after the pandemic is behind us.  The pressures people put on other people, demanding to know one’s vaccination status or you can’t go to a concert, go out to eat, buy food, and some championing the idea of not receiving medical treatment if you didn’t comply with the government edict.

The point is:
if you think it can’t happen here, IT ALREADY HAS as a trial run. 
Time for each of us to search our hearts, our consciences,
and know for certain where our allegiances reside.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Our adversary, Satan, appears as a dragon and he’s got a couple of sidekicks, the first of which is the “beast coming out of the sea. “It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name… The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”  (Revelation 13:1-2)

Right now might be a good time to say that as much as we don’t want to fill our brains with studying evil, if Scripture itself leads us there, God has a purpose of preparation in letting us know what to look out for.

Revelation 13:3 “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.”

Our adversary cannot do creative endeavors, only mimic. 
Here he’s mimicking the “stigmata”–the wounds of Christ.

Revelation 13:3b “The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

People will blindly follow
worldly powers proclaimed by echo chambers of cheerleaders. 
For the Christian, it calls for discernment.

Revelation 13:5 “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.”

As Lord Acton famously said,
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

World powers and political leaders too often
have no place for a higher power than themselves. 
No place for God.

Revelation 13:7 “It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.”

It was given power—straight from the pit of hell—power to wage war against God’s people (and everything/everyone seeking good). It’s a spiritual battle.  A holy war with good guys (who follow Christ as His witnesses) and some very bad guys who persecute and kill them. 

It will not be a beautiful middle ground world where everyone is the same
…a world in which tolerance is a virtue. 
No. Tolerance is a weapon of deceit
used to level the playing field between good and evil. 
It’s a world of power and submission,
right vs. wrong, good and evil,
and victory and defeat.

Thoughts for today:

Are we ever asked to “tolerate” anything clearly good or holy?  What types of things are we pressured to tolerate?

If it was good, would there be any need to tolerate it or be commanded to?  Wouldn’t people embrace it naturally?

Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast– all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.  9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

What group do you think are the “inhabitants of the earth”?

Regarding God’s people, read Revelation 13:10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” 

When everything hits the fan, there will be a great divide some being inhabitants of the earth who worship the beast and God’s people on the other side.  Knowing this is how Scripture describes the end, are you preparing your heart for this patient endurance and faithfulness in case it happens in your lifetime?

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Remember Woe, woe, woe?  Three of them.  So far, we’ve seen woe number two ending with resurrection of the two witnesses who preached with fire and power who had been killed by the beast. Resurrection, terror among the inhabitants of the earth, and the second woe passed.  But it doesn’t end there. Now we’re on to trumpet number 7 and the bowls of judgment and things get even more intense.

Revelation 11:15 “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

Do you find it interesting that there’s worship just before Judgment?

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small– and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” 19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.”

God’s temple is open, and He sends an earthquake and a hailstorm upon the earth, but our adversary, Satan, isn’t going to go down without a fight.  Satan doesn’t care how many people die in the process, or how many he takes to hell with him—in fact the more the merrier.  As far as the devil is concerned, robbing God of any of His Image-bearers is considered a satanic win.  Even though he knows he’s defeated, it’s still war.

If Satan and the unbelieving world weren’t angry enough at the first 6 six trumpet plagues, or at the resurrection of two of God’s best and brightest who had pronounced the plagues, Revelation 12:13-17 tells us,

“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth…[he] was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring– those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

Satan’s rage compels him and his followers to bring war against God’s people.  Looking for a peaceful ending and the world becoming a beautiful place?  Give up those thoughts.  It’s not going to be pretty. 

But God always gives us hope. 
All because of the resurrection. 
It was a game changer, the tipping point in the spiritual war,
and the final blow in God’s holy arsenal
ensuring His total victory.  

Thoughts for today:

Read Revelation 12.  If you’d like to read the devotional that I wrote on that in 2019 and speaks still today (and including today’s supplemental graphic), you can find it at The Dragon, the Woman, and Rage.

What is it about resurrection that enrages Satan so much?  How did human death make Satan feel like his victory was complete?  How did the Cross give him the delusion that he’d defeated God?  How did the resurrection change all that?

Revelation 12:4 The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.  5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”  Who is that Child?

How do we overcome?  Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.’”

Things will not improve, ascending to a glorious perfection by man’s efforts at negotiation.  Satan is mad.  And he’s not going down alone.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

All seemed lost. 

Resuming our study of Revelation in 40, let’s pick up where we were before our Sabbath. The faithful witness of two of God’s best and brightest ended in a seeming triumph of evil as they were left for dead in the public square of sin.  Among the infidels, there was gloating, a gift exchange, and celebrating all around! And all that scoffing “Where was God? Where is your God now?”

Don’t worry.  He’s just getting started.

Revelation 11:11 “But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.  2 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

Resurrection beats death. 
Every time. 
There’s nothing, absolutely nothing,
that anyone in the world can do to stop it.

Revelation 11:13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Hey infidels, be afraid.  Fear this.  Their terror is, in a sense, backdoor glory to God.  Their terror acknowledged God’s power. They couldn’t help themselves but acknowledge that resurrection vindicated the two witnesses and everyone else who gazed in a gleeful gaper’s delay, spiked the football, and scoffed up a storm was in deep trouble. 

God wasn’t absent,
He was just biding His time
to prove a greater victory,
and to the infidels, theirs was a demise proved certain.

Revelation 11:14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”  16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,  17 saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small– and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

The true victory celebration is in heaven. 
Resurrection triumphs over death.
It all started with Jesus’ resurrection!
Our hero is none other than God Himself.

Thoughts for today:

Revelation 11:19 “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.” Why the ark of the covenant?

Think about all the various pride parades in today’s public square.  How do you think God feels about all that?

The victory of heaven is both past and future.  What secured it in the past? What secures it for the future?

How is the resurrection key?

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

“Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.  And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.  And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:5-10)

This year’s Lent Devotional Series “Revelation in 40” resumes tomorrow after today’s Sabbath rest to meditate and worship as they are presently doing in heaven.

Spiking the football.  The victory lap.  The evil beast killed two of God’s finest.  Acting like “Ding Dong the witch is dead!”, people all over decide to treat the dead with indecent indignity. They begin celebrating. 

“Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city– which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt– where also their Lord was crucified.  For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.  The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.  (Revelation 11:7-10)

Refusing burial in the Ancient Near East was considered indecent, an indignity one only did to true enemies. 

So, these two of God’s finest, the “two witnesses” having done such powerful preaching, are now left as corpses to be baked in the hot sun and turn to carrion for vultures.  I don’t read that any vultures came.  Do you?

But people came from all over and gazed at them.  Gloated over them. 
And celebrated their death. 
They even sent “Beast Wins over Witness” gifts,
believing they had been liberated
from those prophets who had tormented everyone. 

Liberated? Tormented.  Really?

Their bodies were in the streets of a place (fortunately referred to as figuratively) called Sodom (land of sexual perversion) and Egypt (land of idolatry).  Three and a half days was enough time for the two witnesses to be truly dead.  And the whole world came to gloat.

Sometimes gloating is short-lived.

Thoughts for today:

Why would it be important to God that these witnesses would have been persecuted to death, actual death, and by standards of that day be observed by people (from every corner of the world) as dead?  For a hint, jump ahead to Revelation 11:11 “But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet.”

Why would doing nothing more than simple, powerful preaching feel like “torment” to the inhabitants of the world?  In what way does this show it is a spiritual battle, a holy war? See Matthew 9:29-34

The witnesses are dead.  The infidels desecrate, celebrate, and gloat!  The beast (evil personified and someday an actual person) made his chess move. 

God’s turn…

In the big picture of Revelation so far, we’ve seen that seven churches received letters from God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as warning and encouragement for the days to come.  Why warning? Ah, those “last days”.  The churches are instructed that those who overcome will inherit various blessings belonging to the righteous in heaven.  Overcoming.  Hold that thought.

Then John is whisked up to the throne room of God to see one of the combatants in the great spiritual battle: God Himself who (spoiler alert) wins.  But who exactly is God triumphing over? 

In the heavenly chess match, God made another move:
two witnesses who preach with power from on high.
But this is no actual chess match. 
It’s war.

Revelation 11:7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

Today we have our first introduction to one of the other combatants in the spiritual battle.  John describes it as a beast that comes up from the Abyss. The pit of hell.

Evil personified.

Rather than a pixelated dig into the nuances of who this beast is or speculate who may be or have been the beast in history, let’s let the words of Revelation speak for themselves.  Big picture. He’s evil personified, from the pit of hell and he’s powerful enough to be a real enemy of those who witness.  He attacks.  He overpowers.  And he kills them.

Thought for today:

Digging into the nuances of who this may be…while interesting to speculate… don’t do it. In truth, it serves a very negative purpose and plays into the hands of Satan: It frightens.  Fear is his turf.  Don’t play there.

I do not want you to believe this book of Revelation (and particularly any passage explicitly referencing evil) will be simple, casual reading.  It’s not. 

It’s spiritual and my nightmares for many days writing this particular episode exposed something very important to me:  God wanted me to tell you that words have power to build or destroy.

Fear is a powerful enemy of the Church, of God’s people,
and frankly of people in general.  

How many times in Scripture does God tell His people not to fear?  You may have heard 365, one for every day, but there’s a bit of creative license going on there depending on the translation you use.  Let’s just say, God repeats Himself… a lot… because we need it.

Think back over the past couple years of COVID.  How did fear cause people to do things, think things, close churches, and abandon hope in life that they wouldn’t have done were it not for a pandemic?  A plague giving reason to fear death?

Reading Revelation (even seeing the spiritual battle ahead of us)
should give the Christian hope.  Not fear. 
Hope.  For when all seems lost, it’s not.  God wins this battle and it’s not even close. 
God wins.  Eternal life is real.  And there is hope for you and me.

===

If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

While Revelation was not written as a secret code to predict Jesus’ return, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t mean to inspire study.  Intensive study.  Today’s passage sends us deep into Ezekiel to see how John is recreating a vision and then expanding it. 

Revelation 11:1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers.  2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.”

Wait, I’m a Gentile.  Am I excluded?  Don’t worry, what’s pictured here is a subset of Gentile worshipers of Christ to be distinct from “the Gentiles” used in today’s passage to mean the nations. 

God will protect His people
(both Jewish Christian from covenant promise and Gentile Christian by grace). 
Simple: Christian=protected; unbelieving nations=evil
and the nations will trample God’s people in the last day.

Protection spiritually (measurement of the temple and altar) doesn’t mean physical protection from persecution which Scripture amply indicates will occur. Enter the two witnesses who are two specific faithful ones: 

Revelation 11: 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.  6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.  7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.  8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city– which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt– where also their Lord was crucified.  9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.  10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.  11 But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

Thoughts for today:

Big picture: There is a faithful group of worshipers whom God preserves. 

Big picture: In the end, witnesses bring testimony which results in judgment.  God saves His people yet their testimony—rejected—compiles evidence against the enemies of God’s people.

Big picture:  Remember, the seventh trumpet has not yet sounded.  There are a few things in this passage that display the cruel, irreverent arrogance of God’s enemies which will come in the last days.  How does displaying this treatment of God’s people further harden the hearts of enemies of God and provide the burden of evidence for their receiving the wrath of God and prove how His judgments are just? 

Big picture: God wins and even death is no problem for people who trust the Giver of life. 

Do you see an interesting pattern of three and a half days then the breath of life from God resurrects them?  Three days was assurance that someone was truly dead.  A significance that cannot be overlooked is: How is this similar, but in what ways does this differ from Jesus with the empty tomb?  How was Jesus’ resurrection different?  How was His ascension/timing different?

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If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

“7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)

Continuing our study of Revelation in 40, there are enough odd statements in the lines of Scripture that we don’t need to read between the lines to have our curiosity kindled. “Mystery of God” sounds so…mysterious! What is this mystery of God?  According to this verse, God has already announced it to His servants the prophets.

One cannot read about this little scroll (Revelation 10:8) now unsealed in the hand of a mighty angel of God without thinking of Daniel, who, yes, was a prophet. Daniel did not understand the visions and messages he was given but was commanded to roll up and seal the scroll until the time of the end. It would remain a mystery until God partially unveiled it in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, Son of God and powerfully at His resurrection. I wonder if Jesus had a twinkle in His eye when He said, “Go your way, Daniel…”

Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people– everyone whose name is found written in the book– will be delivered.  2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.  3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.  4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”… 8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”  9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.”

Ah, but now they’ve been unsealed in John’s vision. 
Okay, what is the mystery?  The hidden plan of God?

Daniel 12 continues…. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

Thoughts for today:

Read Peter’s assessment:  “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.(1 Peter 1:10-12)

At the time of Daniel, it looked like humanity was totally in a losing game of chess. It was mortality’s checkmate because of sin, and there was no other hope for humanity. No one had the slightest hint that God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ would suffer and die for His beloved Image bearers.  That God Himself would provide (indeed BE) the perfect sacrifice. The Lamb of God sent from God and God’s only Son would receive God’s holy wrath against sin and by His grace, through our faith, many will be purified.  The Gospel-a hidden and awesome plan of God. It is amazing grace!

The verse from today says the “mystery of God will be accomplished.”  In what way has the Gospel been revealed, but not yet been fully accomplished (reserved for the very end as the seventh trumpet is about to sound)?

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If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.

Revelation 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” 5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!”

Uh-oh.  The roar like a lion announces that it’s happening. 
For all those out there who scoff at end times,
there will be a time they will be silenced
as even they will know when it is upon us. 

“There will be no more delay!” 
Yeah, among the scariest words in all of Scripture.

The angel is standing on land and sea.  It’s the whole world.  “There will be no more delay!”  But then the angel continues, “7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)

Then the cliffhanger hangs for a few chapters while the scroll (remember it had been closed with a weeping John distraught that no one could bring about the restoration and vindication of Israel), now appears opened by the Lamb who was worthy.  Now this little scroll rests open in the hand of this magnificent angel and the scroll’s contents are about to be revealed…bittersweet.

To be continued…

Thoughts for today:

“Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow” is the procrastinator’s pledge.  Based upon today’s passage, why is it better to do it now?  Salvation is not something to put off.

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4) How does the angel’s pronouncement, “There will be no more delay!”, reiterate the urgency with which we must share the Gospel?

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If you’re already signed up on my Home Page sidebar to receive posts, you’ll get the 2022 Lent Devotionals automatically. Or you can “Like” Seminary Gal on Facebook and they’ll be delivered to your Facebook news feed. If you haven’t signed up, today is a great day to do so. Advent and Lenten devotionals remain among my most popular offerings. You don’t want to miss this encounter with God to prepare your heart for Easter! Understanding that prior years’ devotionals continue to minister, you may want to have access to a full series ahead of time:

• Lent 2013 looked at The Letter to the Romans: Paul’s Masterpiece to reclaim foundations of our Christian heritage and began February 13, 2013.
•  A very special and ever popular offering was Lent 2014’s Be Still and Know that I AM God  which can be obtained through the archives beginning in March 2014. 
• Lent 2015 began on February 18, 2015 with a series entitled With Christ in the Upper Room: Final Preparations.  We explored what is often called “The Upper Room Discourse” found in John chapters 13-17. 
• ReKindle, the Lent 2016 series, began on February 10, 2016 and encouraged us to rekindle our spiritual lives.
• Light: There’s Nothing Like It was the 2017 Lent series and explored this metaphor often used to portray Christ.  It is archived beginning March 1, 2017.
• Lent 2018, we explored the questions of Pi and Chi (the Greek letter beginning the word Christos, which means Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One). We asked and answered the questions “Why?” from the movie Life of Pi as we discovered the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in a world of many faiths.
• Lent 2019 gave us a deeper window into Easter “More to the Easter Story” since we miss so much when we rely only on a superficial understanding of the work of Christ. These devotionals are archived beginning March 6, 2019.
• Our Lent 2020 devotional series offered prayer points surrounding “Be Thou My Vision” and were aimed at helping us to see God for who He is. The full set of devotionals are archived beginning February 26, 2020.
• The theme for 2021 Lent Devotionals was how to live between two worlds while waiting for Christ’s return. Into the gap between the City of Man and its fixation upon sin and the City of God with its demand for holiness, two words minister peace: But God. Praise God for His intervention! They are archived beginning February 17, 2021.