Revelation 22

Revelation 22:11

Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."

I'm surprised it seems to be commanding that those who are in the wrong should not change.  This book has just finished telling of what will happen at the end of time, and who will be there to see it.  You would think it would end with a command to change if you are going down the wrong path.

Perhaps the implication is that these events will happen without warning, and therefore when the time comes there won't be an opportunity to change.  If that's the case, then the entire book may be seen as the warning for those who would not be in the new heaven if it came now.  You now know everything that will happen, so live your life such that when the time does come, you'll be caught unawares while doing good.



And with that, I've run out of chapters.  I'm not sure what I'll do for my next read-through; maybe work with a study guide of some sort.  That's for tomorrow to decide...

Revelation 21

Revelation 21:3

And I heard a loud voice from the throne; saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,

Interesting that here God says the tabernacle will be among men, but later in the chapter it says Jerusalem will have no temple.  I'm not sure why one will exist and the other will not.  The tabernacle is a movable place where God manifests, which He won't need to do; a temple is a more permanent structure.  But if the New Jerusalem will be permanent, why would God's place need to be temporary?

Also, note the final phrase, that God will be among them.  Normally when the phrase before happens, the final phrase is some thing like "and He will be their God."  Now, the interface between the people and God doesn't need to exist, and so God does not have need to hide or obscure Himself.

Revelation 20

Revelation 20:5

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.  This is the first resurrection.

I've always been taught that Christians, dead and living, will be Raptured into heaven before the Tribulation, and then we will return with Christ when He comes back to conquer the beast and establish the Millennial Kingdom.  In the previous chapter, I examined a verse that suggests the Rapture will happen at the end of the Tribulation, not before.  Now this has me wondering about who will return for the Millennium.

In my reading of this, it seems very clear that whoever dies before the Rapture will remain dead, until the end of the Millennium and the time of the Great White Throne Judgment.  That would mean only those are alive to be Raptured will return with Christ for Armageddon, and the previous verse said those who are killed by the beast during the Tribulation will be the only ones who reign with Him.  I've never been fond of the idea that I might still be here for the Rapture, and reading this makes me think even more that what I've been taught about all this doesn't add up when compared to the Scripture.

Revelation 19

Revelation 19:10

Then I fell at his feet to worship him.  But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.  For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

We often find ourselves giving praise where it is not deserved.  We revere leaders, and geniuses, and entrepreneurs, and relatives, but they are all inadequate beings.  While some may be worthy of our respect, and all are worthy of our love, none are worthy of our worship.

We need to remember this angel, who stops John from worshiping him.  He rightly points John to God, the only one who is worthy.  When we find ourselves giving undue honor to someone, we need to turn to God instead and keep the focus on Him.

Revelation 18

Revelation 18:4

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;"

The common view I've always been taught is that there will be a Rapture of believers, and that it will happen at the beginning of the Tribulation.  I've personally been kind of skeptical on that, for two reasons.  First, there's nothing in the Bible to give a time frame for when it will happen; second, it seems a bit too convenient that we'll be pulled away right before the bad stuff happens, and feels like it's a result of wishful thinking.

I wonder if this verse is hinting at when the real Rapture will occur?  If so, this is at the end of the Tribulation, shortly before Christ's return.  Therefore, believers will have gone through all the terrible things that happen during that time, and we should be prepared for that instead of blindly believing we'll be spared.

Revelation 17

Revelation 17:17

For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.

This seems like another one of those verses where God is causing people to sin.  It appears that He is directly influencing people to do evil, for the purpose of punishing them and those around them.  This doesn't sit well with me, since it seems to go against what we're taught about God's character.

I have to assume that there's some kind of poetic license being taken here, and that God is not actually stripping people of their free will to make them choose evil.  My best guess is that He's removing any influences He may have put on or around them, so that they are much more likely to choose the wrong thing.  That still makes me uneasy, but it's the option most in-line with what I've been taught about God's character.

Revelation 16

Revelation 16:9

Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.

The people seem to recognize that these plagues were from God.  They are aware of God, but have turned their backs on Him.  They consider the beast to be more appropriate to worship than God, whether because they think he is more powerful or they simply like his way better.

Moreover, they cursed God for causing the plagues.  They acknowledge He is the creator of them, and implicitly that the beast can't stop them.  But while they seem to know that repenting will end them, they refuse to do so because they don't want to give Him the acknowledgement that would implicitly result.

Revelation 15

Revelation 15:2

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea on glass, holding harps of God.

I wonder what is meant here by having been victorious.  If the book is in chronological order, the east has not yet been defeated, and basically holds undisputed control over the world.  By most standards, he hasn't been defeated at all.

One possibility is that this is somehow out of chronological order, and it's some kind of jump to the future where the beast is defeated.  Another possibility is that this takes place in a narrow time frame between the defeat of the beast, and his being locked in the Abyss.  The third, and I fear correct alternative, is that these are the martyrs who refused to follow the beast or his rules, and were killed for their faith by him and his followers.

Revelation 14

Revelation 14:4

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste.  These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

This appears to mean that all of the 144,000 saved from among the Jewish tribes will be men.  I'd never realized that before, and it bothers me a little.  I'd never considered that there would be no women among God's witnesses during the Tribulation.

Maybe it's a sign of how current culture has affected me, but I'd always assumed that the 144,000 would have at least a fair number of women who had been faithful to Christ.  Does this mean that in the Tribulation, all women will abandon God?  Or does it just mean that they will be persecuted for following Him, like the men who are not among this number?

Revelation 13

Revelation 13:7

It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

It will not be a good time on Earth for believers when the beast arrives.  From how I read this, his reign over the world will likely begin with his defeating and killing the two prophets.  This amazing act will apparently so galvanize the population that they will follow him without hesitation.

We've gotten a very small dose of this recently, with our current president and how some people regard him (probably our previous president, too, but with different people).  When some people have a singular goal of what they want, they are willing to accept anything that comes with it as long as they get that desire.  After the previous years disasters, what these people want may well be security, and the idea that one person can give it to them and has the power to overcome any obstacle (such as messengers direct from God) will lead them to accept all the tyranny and suffering of others that will result.

Revelation 12

Revelation 12:17

So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments o God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

This may be one of the most clear statements in the book.  Satan can't get at his true target, so he attacks those he can get at.  I'm not clear on who the woman is supposed to be specifically, since it's generally considered to be Israel but the Jews are not faithful to God anymore.

I also think this is an indication that today's view on the Rapture may be wrong.  If this is in chronology, this war occurs during the second half of the Tribulation.  If the Rapture happened, there should be very few Christians left to make war on, unless perhaps masses were being saved by the testimony of the two witnesses?

Revelation 11

Revelation 11:7

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

Most of the dramatizations of the two prophets' death is fairly simple.  The antichrist comes and confronts them directly, and kills them without much resistance.  That fits the general view modern Christians have of what good behavior looks like, offering no physical resistance to enemies.

However, that's not what this passage says will happen.  These two have the ability to kill those who wish them harm, by miraculous means.  When the antichrist comes, it sure looks like this is going to be a battle royale, which will probably not leave Jerusalem unscathed.

Revelation 10

Revelation 10:10

I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

I'll admit, the symbolism here is sailing over my head.  First, I'm not sure what the book is supposed to represent.  My only guess is that it's a telling of what's to come, but I don't see why they would tell him to eat it.

I'm similarly baffled by the effect the book has.  I can understand something tasting good but messing with your stomach, but what would do this about a future prophecy?  Is it some kind of signal that what's coming will sound good and we'll cheer its arrival, but when it actually happens we'll realize the consequences of it and be remorseful it had to happen?

Revelation 9

Revelation 9:1

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

So, this set off the English alarm that my mother drilled into me in school.  To whom is the ending "him" referring to?  The obvious choice would be the angel blowing the trumpet, but why would one of God's angels, important enough to have this duty, be given control over what seems to be death?

I'm wondering if it's actually a reference to the star.  We call demons fallen angels, or talk about them falling from Heaven to Earth, and that being the highest they can go.  So what if this is a reference to Satan, and he's the one being given some control over death here?

Revelation 8

Revelation 8:10

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.

This one always sounded like a major meteor impact of some sort.  An asteroid falling through the atmosphere would look like a star.  If we think like a sci-fi novelist and imagine an asteroid made of toxic materials, its impact on the earth could pollute water sources.

The one thing I've never been sure of is where it could fall that would affect a third of the rivers and springs?  My first thought would be somewhere like the Yangtze or Ganges in Asia, where the contamination could ruin the water of China or India.  But would even that amount to a third of the waters, unless perhaps it got further through airborne dust thrown up to spread it to multiple basins?

Revelation 7

Revelation 7:10

and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

"Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Why are they giving salvation to God and Christ?  They seem to be suggesting that salvation is theirs to give to God, not something that God gives them through Jesus.  If it were praise or glory or adoration, this would make sense; salvation doesn't.

I think I'm getting stuck on an oddity of the translation, but it's the kind of thing that bothers me.  I remember a praise song from when I was growing up, based on this verse.  It says "Salvation belongs to our God...," which makes much more sense to me.  I wonder why the extra word is omitted here.

Revelation 6

Revelation 6:8

I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him.  Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

I've wondered how this particular horseman will operate.  He is given a wide area to work in, and a variety of tools to utilize in his work.  Of the four horsemen, I think this one will probably be the hardest to recognize.

Also, I wonder how it will work for his actions as far as location.  Is he given a particular quarter of the earth, like the Southwest quarter-sphere and will decimate the southern half of South America?  Or is it just a quarter overall, scattered about, that he can let his instruments loose in?

Revelation 5

Revelation 5:2

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

Interesting that the angel is described as strong, isn't it?  Angels are already being of immense, though limited, power.  To us, they are the most powerful beings short of God Himself, and this angel is apparently stronger than most, but he is still unable to break the seals?

However, I realized that he's not asking who is able to break the seals and open the scroll.  Instead, he's asking who is worthy to.  It's another reminder that God does not operate by physical power, but through those who do His will and He makes worthy.  In this case, worthiness was achieved by dying for all of mankind.

Revelation 4

Revelation 4:10

the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

This is probably where our traditional view of heaven comes from.  The modern thought of heaven among western Christians is that it's all about bowing and worshiping God all the time, for eternity.  As Chip Ingram said in a video series I led recently, it sounds great for worship pastors but to the rest of us seems kind of boring.

What we need to remember is that right before this verse it talks about what causes this to happen.  The elders can't be spending time on their thrones for John to see at first if they're constantly on their faces bowing to Him.  While this worship is certainly due Him, it will not be constant and unending.

Revelation 3

Revelation 3:19

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

I sometimes wonder what's going on with many of us, who seem to be living average lives without much trouble.  If God disciplines those He loves, does that mean that He doesn't love us?  Or does it mean that we're on the right path after all, and therefore don't need discipline?

I have to remind myself that the first term used is to reprove.  He is trying to get our attention, to steer us back onto the right path where we've strayed.  He's trying to give us a nudge back, and we should listen, or He will have to bring the stronger measure of discipline to bear to push us back to Him.

Revelation 2

Revelation 2:10

Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life.

Some say that the letters to the churches are actually speaking to the seven phases the church will go through before the end times.  If that's the case, and I don't particularly think it is, I wonder how they interpret this passage.  The prophecy of being cast into prison for ten days before possible execution seems to be rather specific.

I notice that it doesn't say that they will be relieved after the ten days are over.  Instead, it tells them to be faithful until death, suggesting at the end of the ten days of persecution they will be executed.  This should serve as a reminder that even though God is able to save us from all things, it doesn't mean He always does; sometimes our deaths serve a higher purpose in His plan than our continued lives could.

Revelation 1

Revelation 1:20

As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands:  the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

From memory, I think this may be the only time in the entire book where the symbols used are explained.  Obviously Jesus felt this was important to understand, though I'm not certain why.  With everything else that goes on in this book, why is the meaning of the lampstands and stars around Jesus important to be explained?

I've also always wondered why these seven churches were selected to receive this message.  John surely had a larger influence than merely that small region of the empire; he at least had contacts stretching back to Jerusalem.  Yet, these seven churches alone were granted this glimpse of what was to come, and I wonder why they were so in need of it.

Jude

Jude 24

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

I often don't think of God as being able to prevent my stumbling.  I tend to think of Him as able to see the bumps coming, maybe warning me, but if I keep going that direction it's up to me to get past them without falling down.  The idea that God is able to steady me is an odd idea, as it seems to violate my precept of free will.  Or maybe it's an indicator of seeing the bumps and guiding me to avoid them?

I also have to admit that when I think of being in God's presence, joy isn't the feeling that comes to mind.  Instead, I think of fear and guilt, as I know how unworthy I am.  However, the pronouncement of being blameless will change that when the time comes, and I need to remember that far more often.

3 John

3 John 8

Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

This is one of the first statements to support missionaries in their work.  While we are all commanded to share the gospel in some way (a task I am quite delinquent in), there are some among us that are called to do so "full-time."  Today we call these people missionaries or pastors or preachers.

My parents are part of this calling, though it didn't occur until just before I left home.  And not everyone preaches to unbelievers directly; my parents work for a missions organization that supports locals using radio to reach others.  For those of us who don't have that calling ourselves, we are to help those who do in whatever ways possible, as there are far too many believers who don't.

2 John

2 John 11

for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

This seems like a very harsh pronouncement, that we are not to even offer basic courtesy to someone.  Normally, believers are to be marked by their hospitality, and we are to love everyone who we are near.  Yet here, even something as simple as a greeting is seen as collaboration with Satan.

I guess the key to remember is that this is not merely a greeting to a random person, but to a subversive.  This is an enemy spy, trying to deceive believers into following false doctrine.  As such, any action could be seen by others as an endorsement, and used to trick people into thinking that they should listen and believe what this liar speaks.

1 John 5

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

There are two ways to read this verse, and I think one tends to get more play than the other.  The first is that if we pray with some kind of formula like "may such-and-such, according to Your will, happen," we expect that God will do what we ask.  The problem with this is that it turns God into a vending machine, where we just have to have a coin that says "Your Will" and it'll spit out whatever we want.

The second, and I think correct, way is that we have to be praying in alignment with God and His plans for us.  If we are truly seeking Him, we will want what He wants.  So, even when we want something different, we make it clear that we are bending to His will, not expecting Him to bend to ours.  By repetition and thought, our wills will be reshaped to match His more closely, and we'll find our prayers "being answered" more often.

1 John 4

1 John 4:21

And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Something I've been struggling with for the last couple years is to figure out what love is, and what it looks like in practical terms.  Ideally, it would be the same for and from everyone, but that isn't the case despite our best efforts.  For me, I've come to realize that I don't feel like I'm loved because my "love language" is quality time, which absolutely no one is interested in spending with me.

However, if I'm being honest, as I've come to feel unloved, it's also become a lot harder for me to demonstrate love to others.  I don't feel like I can pour out of an empty pitcher, because there's no one filling my tank up.  I feel like that's a hole God should be able to fill, but my head says that they're different types and therefore one can't really substitute for the other, hence I remain drained.  But am I correct, or just making excuses?

1 John 3

1 John 3:20

in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

I try not to use the rest of the chapter in these thoughts, but this part confuses me.  The surrounding verses seem to indicate that we are condemned if our heart condemns us.  Yet here, it says God knows the truth and is greater than our heart.

So, how do I square this apparent contradiction?  Does the heart only condemn those who are not saved, as it is the Spirit trying to open them up and let Him in?  Or is the Spirit supposed to quiet our hearts if He is in, and therefore true believers will not be condemned?

1 John 2

1 John 2:4

The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

After the previous chapter's verse made me feel a bit better, this one makes me worry again.  I know what His commandments are, I want to want to keep them, but I far-to-often fail to do so.  So, I'm back to the previous question, am I truly saved or am I not?

Everything I've ever been taught says that I am saved, flawed though I may be in my practice.  While there will always be flaws, I find myself fixated on things which are not right, and thoughts turn into actions.  Are these areas that simply need more attention and surrender to God, or are they signs that I am separated and only pretending?

1 John 1

1 John 1:6

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

What is meant by walking in darkness?  I always kind of thought that it meant to still be walking in sin.  However, the later verses in this chapter seem to indicate that sin will always be with us to some extent, so that must not be it.

My best guess is that it means to be false believers, where we claim to be saved when we know we're not, and live like we're not.  In some ways this is a relief to me, as I've always wondered if this was a verse that supports one being able to lose one's salvation.  However, reading it in context indicates that that is not the case, but instead that we will always fight sin but never be conquered by it, if we truly asked Christ to save us.