LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:12, 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 am known.

 

1 John 3:2, Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall see, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall see Him as He is.

 

I hope you have gotten the point of walking the narrow way in order to get into the kingdom of God after receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord is to be with Him.  All of heaven revolves around God the father and the Lamb of God.  Everything else about heaven is added blessing.  Have you considered what you will do when you see Jesus in heaven?

 

Right now, we see Him through the “mirror” of the Word of God.  We see Him by faith as we read and study what the Bible says of Him.  The more we study and meditate on His Word the more clearly we see Him.  I wonder if we miss much when we rush too quickly through our daily reading without meditating on it.  Or are we seeing “dimly” when we put Jesus in a particular category that fits our own desires.  Or do we look at an artist’s interpretation of Jesus and agree or disagree with it.  Or do we limit Him when we say He does not care about such a little thing, a little need we have.  Our vision of Jesus is more often imperfect because we live in a world flawed and stained by sin. 

 

There is a day coming when we see Him clearly, “we shall see Him as He is”.  There will be no need of writings that try to help us see Him, all the doctrines the Bible has discussed will be wide open in Him.  There will be nothing to interfere with our thoughts and interpretation.  We will see Him clearly!  Have you ever considered your reaction when you see Him?  What will you do?  If you have listened to Christian music, you have heard the song I Can Only Imagine.  It asks this same question.  I have no imagination to my reaction – I’m going to fall at His feet in awe and thanksgiving.  I know what His grace has meant to me, what He has forgiven me of thinking and saying and doing. 

 

David Jeremiah states this in the DJSB, “When Christ makes all things new and His followers are ushered into the eternal state, faith will no longer be necessary because the redeemed will see face to face.  Hope will no longer be necessary because their hope will be perfectly realized.  But love will remain, and it will be known without taint of sin.”  The DJSB also states,  “Remembering that one day every one of God’s children will be with Jesus and be like Him – resurrected and without sin.” 

 

I am reminded of the song that says; “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!  Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So, bravely run the race till we see Christ.”  Walking on the narrow way is not something that happens in heaven; it is to be our daily walk now! Yes, walking the narrow way will be worth it all!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible. 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 17:7-8, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.  Also I give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession and I will be their God.”  God

 

A covenant is a formal and binding agreement; in this case God made a covenant with Abraham that He will not break.  This covenant was to give Abraham and his descendants the land He called the Promised Land.  The land included in this area today include land from the Nile River to the Euphrates River which includes the nations of Eastern Egypt, the Saini Peninsula, Jordan, part of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, part of Iraq. Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.  The biblical account is given in Genesis 15:18. Only a quick glance at a map would show this has not happened yet. 

 

When the wandering group of Hebrews crossed over the Jordan river they were to get rid of all the people who inhabited this area and they were to possess it.  They chose to not do so and their disobedience caused God to eventually remove them from the land.  But, because of His covenant with Abraham, God began to bring the people back to Israel.  He will still honor His covenant to give the descendants of Abraham this land.   

 

Why is this important?  Glad you asked!  If God does not honor His covenant, will all other promises made by the prophets and to John the Revelator be kept?  Again, the answer is God keeps His covenant.  That means He is not through with the Jewish people, His people yet!  Again, you are probably wondering why this is important.  I recently ran across a term called replacement theology.  It is the thought being promoted by some that the Church has replaced Israel as His chosen people; the belief is that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plans, prophesies, and blessing.  It is a dangerous belief system that has caused divisions and is simply false.

 

Let me remind you that The Revelation is about God dealing a last time with His chosen people, the Jewish people.  Who is brought up to the Lord in the rapture?  The answer is the Church, all those who have given their life and who have been faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.  That includes Jewish people who have done that.  But, for the most part the Jewish people have kept their faith based on the Old Testament teachings.  The Tribulation is about God dealing with the Jewish people who need to be saved.  Remember the 144,000 set apart to be missionaries during the Tribulation?  They came from the twelve tribes of Israel.  Jewish people sent to Jewish people to speak of the gospel.  God has not forgotten them nor replaced them with the Church.

 

God’s promise for the Jewish people to occupy this land is yet to be fulfilled.  The Jewish people need to be saved just like everyone else who will be part of the new heaven and earth.  God did everything to the Jewish people He said He would do to them through the prophets.  That is important because if that is true, He will do everything He promised in the future.  They will inhabit the land as He promised.  Their return to Israel in 1948 was the beginning of this occupation and will continue until the Lord Jesus returns to Jerusalem to establish His 1,000 year reign.  The Tribulation that we have just studied is about drawing His people, the Jewish people, to Him.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 22:20, He who testifies to these things says, “Surely, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

 

Three times in the last verses of The Revelation Jesus, Himself stated He would be coming quickly.  The word quickly has been interpreted to mean within the life time of whoever is reading it.  Paul thought that the return of Jesus might be in his lifetime.  Because He has obviously not returned yet, the apostle Peter writes there will be “scoffers in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4).  He goes on to say that we are not “to forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance.”  (verses 8-9).  The Lord is waiting for as many as would give their lives to Him would do so; only He knows who that it is and when the last will do so.  “Quickly” will be determined from God’s perspective.  We know that He is never early and never late.

 

The last verses of The Revelation reflect an urgency for people to give their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ – to do so and then to walk on the narrow way that leads to God’s kingdom and life lived for eternity with Him.  Notice in these last verses that the words of this prophecy are to remain open so all can see; it is to be proclaimed to all Believers and in all the chapters.  When was the last time you heard a message in your church on this prophecy?  The Lord knows that there will be those who scoff at these words and will reject it as nonsense; the result is they will continue in their sins.  Those who read it, study it, reflect on it and will look forward to the coming of Jesus.  You and I do not need to live in fear of death or what is to come because we are armed by the truth.  “When we understand what God has prepared for those who love Him, we need never fear again (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  If we have heaven clearly in our minds, then our only other concern is for those we love and those who have yet to hear of God’s eternal plan.” (DJSB). 

 

So, what is the take away from doing this study?  John gives a warning to neither take away nor add anything to this prophecy.  You and I and every other reader must take what is written in absolute seriousness.  If we do, we live our lives in such a way that we will be ready for the trumpet that sounds to meet the Lord Jesus in the sky.  You live your lives on the narrow way.  There is an urgency, in my opinion, to be cleansed of all unrighteousness through repentance and to be alert.  There is absolutely nothing else that needs to be fulfilled so the trumpet can sound.  There is “every reason to believe that the day is fast approaching when He who is called “the word of God” will come from heaven to take His faithful bride from the earth to His Father’s house after which He will triumphantly return in glory to reign forever as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.  This is our unfailing hope and joyful expectation (2 Peter 1:19).” (LSSB).

 

I am so looking forward to that day; this world no longer has any hold on me.  I am trying to stay on the narrow way, ask for forgiveness when I get off of it (and I do!) in order to found ready when the time comes to either be part of the rapture or when He takes me home through death.  What about you?

 

“Even so, come Lord Jesus.”  

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 22 1-4, And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God.  In the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Gentiles.  And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and His servant shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

 

Heaven.  If we could grab hold of what little the Bible tells us about this eternal place, our desire would be to be there.  The unknown of the life after death would cause us not to fear death.  For the Christian, the death of the Lord Jesus on a cross and His resurrection has defeated death and its sting.  David Jeremiah calls heaven paradise, a return to the Garden of Eden.  Everything has become new or like what God first created.  Perhaps the river is symbolic; I prefer to believe it is a “literal river that symbolizes the life-giving abundance of God’s blessings and provisions that flows from the throne in the eternal state” (LSSB).  The river flowing from the throne of God shows that He is the source of life eternal (John 4:14). 

 

Remember Eve eating from the tree and giving the fruit to Adam to eat?  They were removed from paradise and it was locked up.  Now the tree of life will always be in bloom; even though we will have spiritual bodies, eating from this tree is our dependence on the Lord for life and strength and health.   The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Gentiles.  This shows the absence of anything that brings physical or spiritual harm.  In the holy city, there is no sickness, no disease, no evil, no tears, no death.  Eating from the tree of life must refer to the idea of spiritual blessings.  Believers live in God’s Paradise for eternity.

 

All that is great and wonderful.  Here is the reason to be faithful while we are alive on this sinful and unrighteous earth.  Here is the reason we do all we can to live a life dedicated to living life on the narrow way that leads to God’s kingdom.  Here is the ultimate goal for living the life God wants us to live.  Are you ready?  On the new earth the saints – that’s you and me – will see and live with Jesus, the Lamb of God. Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God!”   1 John 3:2-3, “Beloved now we are children of God; it has not yet been revealed to us what we shall be, but we know when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” Live your life on the narrow way.  Do not turn your head to the left or right – just focus on living for Him.

 

What will we do in heaven?   Don’t expect to be on an eternal vacation, sipping iced tea and laying back in a lounge chair soaking up the sun (actually that should be Son since He provides the light!).  No, do not miss the last words of verse 3, “and His servants (that’s us) shall serve Him”.  Serving Him. Worshipping Him because we are His special people.

 

Go back and read Revelation 3:21. The Lord Jesus made a promise to all those who are overcomers.  They will rule with Him.  I look forward to the time when I can be eternally with Him, giving Him my total worship and serving Him as He desires.  What about you? 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 21:9-10, Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven 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.

 

The old heaven and earth are destroyed and there is no more sin; “the affects of sin will be absent from the New Jerusalem” (DJSB).  All of us have heard expressions of pearly gates and golden streets.  Those expressions come from the description of the city.  There are twelve gates and twelves foundations based on the twelve tribes of Israel which is continuity between the Old and New Testament (LSSB).  Notice the immense size of the city; it is shaped like a cube.  The length, breadth, and height are equal in length – twelve thousand furlongs or about 1,500 miles in length.  DJSB notes this to be ”1,960,000 square miles (about four times the size of Alaska)”.   Revelation 21:17 states the height of the wall around the city is 144 cubits (216 feet) high.  That is much shorter than the height of the city; its purpose is to outline the city’s limits (DJSB). 

 

Revelation 21:22 states that there is no temple to worship in.  There is no need since the entire city will be filled with the presence of God – filled by His glory and His holiness.  John states that the city is “illuminated by he light of the Lamb”.  Its main characteristic is holiness.  The next verse is interesting.  It tells us that there will be nations outside of the walls of the city on the new earth.  The nations are made up of people and kings who are free come and go through the gates in order to give glory and honor to the Lamb.  The gates to the city are never closed because there is no fear of any attack.  Perhaps we can say the New Jerusalem is the capital of the new earth. 

 

I have done some research on who the people are that make up the nations outside the walls of the New Jerusalem.  I must admit I have been left scratching my head.  There are some pretty strange thoughts about this.  Revelation 21:26-27 says, “And they shall bring the glory and the honor into it.  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”  All I know is that Believers, those whose name are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be inside the city serving and worshipping God. 

 

What will that be like?  Tomorrow we look at the blessings John saw in the New Jerusalem.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 21:1-2, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also there was no more sea.  Then I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 

We have gotten to the both a conclusion and a new beginning.  No sadness only joy.  After the Great White Throne Judgment comes the creation of a new, transformed, redeemed world; The Lord Jesus Christ lives with His people and righteousness in perfection.  Did you notice in the verses above that John saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven?  Does this not change our mind regarding where our eternal home is?  “Heaven” comes down to earth; we do not go “up” to heaven.

 

The old order of earth and heaven is replaced with a new earth and a new heaven.  Also, notice there is no sea with the new earth.  What is this all about?  The earth was Satan’s second habitat; when Satan was judged, the earth was judged as well.  A new earth and a new heaven is created and the New Jerusalem will come down to settle on it.  David Jeremiah’s Study Bible gives help in understanding the absence of the seas. “For ancient readers, the sea was a raging, threatening, and fearful place that the lord had to calm.  Furthermore, for them the sea signified chaos, disorder, and evil.  In Revelation it is the home of the dead (20:3) and is also associated with the abyss – the place from which the beast comes.  Therefore, when John says there will be no more sea in the new heaven and earth, he is saying that there will be nothing to harm or cause God’s people fear: no chaos, death, or evil.  Everything will be created equal.”

 

To erase all traces of sin, there will be destruction of the earth, stars, galaxies - heaven and earth will be shaken and the new earth will be inhabited by humans -the redeemed – and God.  The disappearance of death, sorrow, sin, crying, pain is the reversal of the curses found in Genesis 3.  All the redeemed will possess glorified bodies.  Think back to when Jesus met with those in the Upper Room after He was resurrected; He just appeared to them.  His body was real, visible and physical, but it was incorruptible and immortal (read Romans 8:23 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 to better understand this).

 

Revelation 21:8 once again speaks of those who are not included.  If the Holy Spirit believed this to once again be mentioned, I will mention it as a warning.  Do not be included in this group.  Repent and be forgiven and get back on the narrow way to God’s Kingdom.  The fearful and unbelieving are those who fear the disapproval and threat of people more than the value to Christ and His Word.  They include those overcome by former sins due to unbelief and disobedience.  One cannot be a true child of God and continue to be sexually immoral, a liar, a homosexual, or a murderer.  One must also consider how Jesus defined this way of life in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).  I have had to examine my life and had to repent of my words, thoughts, and things I have done that He considers sinful.  Sadly, I have to do this every day.  He is faithful to forgive and His grace is sufficient.  Take time to be with the Lord right now and be truthful with Him about what you need to be.  Heaven is worth the time and the honesty!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 20 11-12, 15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.  And there was found np place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

The Bible tells us of the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment (GWTJ).  The Judgment Seat of Christ occurs after the rapture of the Church during the seven-year period of the Tribulation.  Its purpose is to give rewards to Believers based on the work they did that honored the Lord (Read 1 Corinthians 3).  The judgement of nations takes place at the end of the Tribulation.  The GWTJ takes place at the end of the Millennium after Satan is finally put into the lake of fire for eternity.  This is the time unbelievers will be judged.  There will be no jury, no defense, a sentence is handed out with no appeal.  Unbelievers will stand before a holy and righteous God to give an account of their sins.  Most people only want to read and hear about a God of love; they must read and hear about a Righteous Judge who must deal with sin and sinners as well.

 

Believers have had their sin already dealt with by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.  That is what He offers to anyone who would believe that He took their place on the cross.  Therefore, their works are judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ and rewards are given based on that which glorified Him – not us!  It is extremely important for to give your life to Jesus Christ now; let Him judge your sin now not later.

 

There are several verses of Scripture that trouble me.  In the space I allow, I need you to go to the verses yourself and read them.  Read Matthew 7:21-23; 18:3.  Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Read Galatians 5:19-21.  This goes back to staying on the narrow way to God’s kingdom and eternal life.  Do not be deceived into thinking that you can be a Believer and then live anyway that you want!  It does not work that way.  This is going to be hard to read – but better for you to be mad at me than face the GWTJ and be sentenced to eternal hell and torment!  The Apostle Paul states clearly, as did the Lord Jesus Christ, spiritual death is the result of habitual sinning – even for the Christian.  The verses I want you to read above state no one can live for immoral gratification and still inherit the kingdom of God.  Salvation without the regenerating (when we begin to do the things that help us stay on the narrow way – living as Christ wants us to live) and the sanctifying (a process by which Believers live freed from sin) work of the Holy Spirit has no place in the New Testament.  Believers are going to sin.  The difference is not using God’s grace and forgiveness to do so.  When you sin, pray 1 John 1:9.  Jesus forgave sinners and told then to go and sin no more.  My guess is those who say they are a Christian and continue to sin using God’s forgiveness were never really saved.

 

This second resurrection and the GWTJ is for the unsaved dead from Adam to the end of the Millennium.  Revelation 20:15, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 

Forgive the length of this today.  I pray I have been clear.  “In the judgement of the unsaved, the Christian finds a foundation for forgiveness and hope for justice.  When it seems that the wicked of the earth enjoy unfettered privilege and unrestrained license, and when it seems that those who mistreat us escape punishment, it takes a reminder of the coming judgement to make us give up thoughts of vengeance, hatred, or lack of forgiveness.  Then, in front of the His white throne, God the Judge will settle all accounts of those who would rebel against His righteous ways, bringing a holy justice that will make all things right.”  David Jeremiah Study Bible

 

And I wonder how much longer, Lord?!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 20 11-12, 15’ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose  face the earth and the heaven fled away.  And there was found np place for the.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

On May 1, 2020 the blog was about the books that were opened.  I am going to repost what I wrote then about these books.  I know you do not remember what I wrote – I don’t remember what I wrote. 

 

A quick reading of this portion of Scripture will cause the reader to miss the point that more books than the Book of Life are opened when the sinner is being judged.  Their judgment comes from the books that are opened.  We are used to thinking that evidence must be produced at a trial to declare one guilty; so let’s look at the evidence presented in the books.  Remember those standing before God have never accepted His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.  They are being judged for their sin and sinful life.

The Book of Conscience.  Romans 2:15 directs us to the first book, “who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or excusing them.  The conscience is our moral compass when it comes to right and wrong.  We do have the knowledge of what is right and wrong as part of us; however, we all test it by living on the edge from a very young age.  It is our conscience that justifies or condemns what we do, think, and say.  Be careful when one decides that wrong is right and right is wrong. 

The Book of Words.  Read what Matthew 12:36-37 says about the things we say.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” These are the words of Jesus.  He said a few verses earlier that what is in the heart will eventually come out of the mouth.  Yikes!  This means that one’s core nature will eventually surface.  Remember that old saying about sticks and stone break bones but word will never hurt?  That’s not true!  Be careful what you say.  But, what do you do when the “old you” comes out?  It happens.  Be quick to ask for sincere forgiveness!  Think before you speak!

The Book of Secrets.   Romans 2:16 reveals a third book:  in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” All of us have secrets, those things we do not want others to know about us.  It is foolishness to think that God does not know what has been hidden from others.  This is the time God will judge the secrets kept by His righteousness.  Those things we do for others in secret will be rewarded; those things we do in secret to harm others will be judged.

The Book of Public Works.  The fourth book to be opened is seen in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”  One’s faith in Jesus Christ should be producing good works; the love of God in one’s life is expressed through good works.  Charles Spurgeon once said, “The child of God works not for life, but from life; he does not work to be saved, he works because he is saved.”  Anyone confessing to be saved but ignores or refuses to help another in need casts doubt on their faith.

The Book of Life.  If your name is in this book, you will not be at this judgment for your conscience, secrets, words, and works have already been dealt with by your declaration of faith in Jesus Christ.

Neither you nor I am perfect and we sin.  It is so important to ask for forgiveness when you sin and then to live the very best you can as a Believer and follower of Jesus Christ.  Do not ever give up, for the rewards of eternity are well worth your faith placed in Him.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 20:1-3, Then I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.  But after these things, he must be released for a little while.

 

The battle of Armageddon ends the devil’s reign on the earth.  The beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20) and all those who followed them are killed.  Satan is chained and bound for a thousand years; there is a complete stop of his influence.

 

During the thousand years, known as the Millennium, the saints who return to earth with the Lord will rule the nations with Him.  The nations will be formed from those believers who are alive at the end of the tribulation.  It is important to understand that people who enter the Millennium will be Believers.  During this time “Christ will rule as king over all the earth from His capital, Jerusalem.  The saints of God (that’s us, my brother and sister) who return with Him for the battle of Armageddon, will rule with Him from the New Jerusalem as well, helping to oversee a thousand years of peace and righteousness on earth while Satan is bound” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). 

 

Revelation 20:7-10 tells us that at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from his captivity to once again deceive the nations.  During the Millennium, life will continue without the deception of Satan.  Babies will be born to those Believers (both Jew and Gentile) who entered the Millennium facing death.  Those babies will need to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Here is what Isaiah (65:20) says about this, “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”  Although death will occur during this time, life spans are longer than they are now.  One who is 100 years old is still considered a youth.  And those who die before that age will be considered accursed.  Does that mean they die without acknowledging Jesus as Lord?  Are they the ones Satan is able to deceive when he is released from his prison?  It seems so. 

 

Satan’s release from his prison shows us he has not changed; his ability to deceive shows us that man’s heart is still wicked as many of those born in the Millennium chose to reject Christ and follow Satan.  In verse 9, we see that God’s judgment is total destruction and Satan and those who chose to follow him are thrown into the lake of fire.  There they will be tormented day and night – forever. 

 

If you want to read more about what life will be like during the Millennium, read the prophecies of Isaiah found in chapters 11 and 65.  I believe it will bring you peace and joy about what we have to look forward to.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 19:11-16, 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 in blood with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.  He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

Here is what we have been waiting for – the good stuff of The Revelation.  Satan and his evil army are defeated and put away for a thousand years.  The KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS wins and the voices of those who asked, ”How long?”,  are silenced. 

 

The armies of Satan and the antichrist have been gathered at the plain of Megiddo to do battle against the Lord and His army.  What arrogance he has to think he can defeat the Lord Jesus. Yet, here he is.  Notice the description of the Lord as heaven is opened!  Remember when another rider on a white horse appeared carrying a bow with the mission to conquer?  Once again an attempt to fool people into believing this was the Lord Jesus Christ.  Heaven opens and the beginning of the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth as the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  This time He comes as a Warrior-Messiah to establish truth and justice, to judge the nations and wage war against evil.  This is what the prophets, apostles and all the faithful saints of followers of the Lord have been waiting for.  There is never any doubt what the outcome will be – this battle is not going to be like anything the world has ever seen.  The Lord comes with his army and with His Word (out of his mouth goes a sharp sword) destroys His enemies.  The army that follows does nothing as the battle is over as soon as His word goes out. 

 

“He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Indicates the fierceness of God’s judgment on sin.  He hates sin!  That destroys the belief that Christ tolerates sin because of His love.  So great is the destruction of the Battle of Armageddon that it will require a great multitude of birds to clean up the battlefield; God will provide the birds of prey to do this cleanup. 

 

The title “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” is majestic and designates Him as the sovereign ruler of the earth.  His iron rod is a symbol of His absolute and righteous reign. When He returns every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the absolute ruler of earth.  This fulfills the prophecy found in Isaiah 9:6-7.

 

Makes me want this to happen soon!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 18:1-2, Them I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon, the great is fallen, fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”

 

In Revelation 18, Babylon is shown as the religious, commercial, and economic center of the antichrist.  There are several thoughts about what this mean.  Is it an actual city that includes the ungodly characteristics mentioned in this chapter?  Or, is it a representation of the entire ungodly system that is under the control of the antichrist?  I remember when American troops went into the city of Babylon as Saddam Hussein’s regime fell.  They found he was trying to restore the city of Babylon to its former glory.

 

Jeremiah 51:7 is prophetic when it says Babylon will be famous around the world and allow all sorts of immorality and depravity to exist.  Jeremiah and Revelation 18:4 calls God’s people to leave Babylon; the reason is pretty simple – when one remains in an ungodly atmosphere, it is almost inevitable that he or she will become partakers in the sin around them.  By the way, everyone of God’s Believers are called to be separate from the worldliness and sin of this world.  This is a central teaching of the Bible.  Our redemption through Jesus Christ must involve no longer being friends with this world.

 

The warning to flee Babylon is for any of God’s people there to flee because the city is about to be destroyed; God does not want them to be there when His vengeance comes.  This time must be considered with the other prophecies of Jeremiah 51.  They are to flee and make their way to Jerusalem.  It is important to note that the “prophecies of the destruction of Babylon have never been fulfilled in the manner required by the statements of Scripture” (Dr. Arnold G. Fuchtenbaum).

 

Revelation 18:9-20 is about the destruction of Babylon’s commercial system.  These verses tell of the tremendous sorrow of the kings of the earth.  They “have committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her (Babylon), The rich and corrupt entrepreneurs who piled up wealth for themselves will no longer have it.  It is pretty clear how God feels toward those whose businesses and governments are founded upon greed and oppressive power.

 

Merchants, kings and those who make a living from the sea mourn for the destruction of Babylon.  But there are three classes of people I heaven who are called to rejoice (see verse 20).  The saints. Apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice and great joy breaks out in heaven as the people of God are finally justified for what they have had to endure. 

 

Revelation 18:20 declares that Babylon shall be found no more.  An angel declares Babylon’s final fall of political power.