Burunche’s Blog

A PREVIEW OF REVELATION 19, 20, 21, 22 (Source: William Barclay)

Before we begin to study the last four chapters of the Revelation in detail, it will be well to set out their general program of events.

1. They begin with a universal rejoicing at the destruction of Babylon, the power of Rome.

2. There follows a description of the emergence of a white horse and on it him who is Faithful and True.

3. Next comes the assembling of hostile powers against the conquering Christ; then the defeat of the opposing forces, the casting of the beast and of the false prophet into the lake of fire, and the slaughter of the rest.

4. Revelation 20:1-15 opens with the binding of the devil in the abyss for a period of a thousand years.

5. There follows the resurrection of the martyrs to reign with Christ for a thousand years, although the rest of the dead are not yet resurrected.

6. At the end of the thousand years Satan is again loosed for a brief space; there is

final conflict with the enemies of Christ who are destroyed with fire from heaven while Satan is cast for ever into the lake of fire and brimstone.

7. Then comes the general resurrection and the general judgment

8. and finally the description of the new heaven and the new earth to take the place of the things which have passed away.

Revelation 19:19:1-2 “After these things I heard what sounded like a great voice of a vast multitude in heaven. “Hallelujah!” they were saying. “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and just, for he judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged upon her the blood of his servants.”

“Hallelujah” literally means “praise God!” Salvation and glory and power belong to God! Salvation – only God can save fallen mankind. We are saved by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood has paid the price for our sins. All glory belongs to God. There is nobody else so worthy of praise. Only God truly has glory. The Romans had a phrase “Sic transit gloria mundi,” “so passes the glory of the world.” 1 John 2:15 – 17 says that “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.”

God’s judgments are true and righteous. We live in an age in which leaders in all spheres are failing, having sold themselves to the highest bidder. There are those who attempt to argue that there are no moral absolutes and that each situation must be judged on its own merits; however, if there are no moral absolutes, what parameters will you use to assess a given situation? You are left with nothing more than shifting moral sand.

God has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication. For eons, God has withheld judgment but now the time has come to make an end to all corruption. Although those who murdered believers have rejoiced in their foul deeds, God has been watching. Now God is avenging every drop of blood that has been spilled. The same God who has every hair of each person’s head numbered certainly knows the names of the martyrs, the manner in which they have suffered, and those who have made them suffer and who have failed to repent. Judgment is the inescapable consequence of sin.

The Creator of the Universe has called all the stars by name; how much more will He treasure those who have loved Him so much that they have laid down their lives rather than compromise? Make no mistake! God is NOT Santa Claus; neither is He some distant figure on Mount Olympus as the Greeks imagined. Barclay comments, “There is one other reason for the rejoicing. The judgment on Rome is the guarantee that God never in the end abandons his own.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are TRULY the Lord of the Universe! Thank you that you are true, just, perfect, and glorious! Lord, help us to praise you and to value you as we should. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 18:21- 24 “Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.”

Barclay comments: The picture is of the final desolation of Rome. It begins with a symbolic action. A strong angel takes a great millstone and hurls it into the sea which closes over it as if it had never been. So will Rome be obliterated. John was taking his picture from the destruction of ancient Babylon. The word of God came to Jeremiah: “When you finish reading this book, bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates: and say, Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the evil that I am bringing upon her” (Jeremiah 51:63-64). AND THIS REALLY HAPPENED TO ANCIENT BABYLON! In later days Strabo, the Greek geographer, was to say that ancient Babylon was so completely obliterated that no one would ever have dared to say that the desert where she stood was once a great city.

1. Never again will there be any sound of rejoicing. The doom of Ezekiel against Tyre reads: “And I will stop the music of your songs, and the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more” (Ezekiel 26:13). The harpers and the minstrels played and sang on joyous occasions; the flute was used at festivals and at funerals; the trumpet sounded at the games and at the concerts; but now all music was to be silenced.

2. Never again will there be the sound of a craftsman plying his trade.

3. Never again will the sound of domestic activity be heard. Grinding was done by the women at home with two great circular stones one on the top of the other. The corn was put into a hole in the uppermost stone; it was ground between the two stones and emerged through the lower stone. The creak of stone on stone, which could be heard any day at any house door, will never again be heard.

3. Never again will there be light on the streets or in the houses.

4. Never again will there be any sound of wedding rejoicing for even love will die.

Rome is to become a terrible silent desolation. And this punishment will come for certain definite reasons.

**It will come because she worshiped wealth and luxury and lived wantonly, and found no pleasure except in material things.

**It will come because she led men astray with her sorceries. Nahum called Nineveh “graceful and of deadly charms”(Nahum 3:14). Rome flirted with the evil powers to make an evil world.

**It will come because she was blood guilty. “Woe to the bloody city!” said Ezekiel of Tyre (Ezekiel 24:6). Within Rome the martyrs perished and persecution went out from her all over the earth.

Everything that could possibly make any city attractive is to be stripped away from the cities of the world in an instant. All signs of life are to be obliterated. In the process, all those people involved in these activities will also vanish. On that fateful day, God will bring all normal human activities to an end. How is all of this supposed to happen? We have no idea. But the same God who spoke the universe into existence can easily stop all activities with a single word.

This last year, many people have lost things they thought were necessary, only to find that other more eternal values mattered the most. As we come to the end of 2020, what is important to you? What do you worship? On what do you spend your time?

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us. Thank you that we do not have to fear whatever the future holds, because you are already there and you have already made provision for us, if we will only trust you and serve you. Let your light shine in our hearts and let us truly know you and follow you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 18:9 – 19 “Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out:

“Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo— cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.” The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn, saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. ‘What city was ever like this great city?’ they will exclaim. Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

“WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND!” “YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!” The mighty city of Babylon/Rome that represents all the cities of the world, is being destroyed. God is punishing the pride. The Greeks had a term hubris, that is, overweening pride and arrogance that feels it has no need of God. Now God’s punishment has come, judgment for the immorality and the corruption of centuries. Kings, merchants, shipmasters, and sailors are all lamenting the fall of this great city that has made them all rich.

The detailed description of all the wealth that is being destroyed in an instant seems almost unbelievable; however, historians of the time have born out the fact that there was immense wealth in Rome, just as there is immense wealth in any of the big sites of the world today. We have just passed through Christmas, and many families have posted photos of their Christmas trees surrounded by mounds of presents. While most of these families would describe themselves as middle – class, the variety of gifts described in their Face Book posts is staggering. And these are only middle class people, not the very wealthy. Given that level of modern – day wealth, it is not difficult to understand why all these different groups involved in trading are grieving the loss of Babylon, their market and their supplier. Barclay comments: “There is something almost pathetic in these laments. In every case the lament is not for Rome but for themselves. It is one of the laws of life that, if a man places all his happiness in material things, he misses the greatest things of all–love and friendship with his fellowmen.”

v. 20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because for you God has pronounced His judgment against her.”

These are the cities that have persecuted the saints and apostles and prophets. Jesus himself grieved over the prophets who had been murdered in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome, and Peter was crucified there. Innumerable believers were torn apart by wild beasts or used as human torches in Nero’s gardens, or tortured to death in other ways by later rulers.

2 Peter 3:9-10 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.” God is patient; however, for thousands of years, His prophets have warned men that a day of judgment would eventually arrive. Peter continues: Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

2 Peter 3:11-13

God has given John this vision for many reasons, not the least of which is to warn mankind of His provision and eventual punishment should they refuse that provision. Truly, God is patient, and He does not SEND anyone to hell; people choose to go there.

None of us knows the day or the hour of our death. The only time we have is now. The question before us remains: will we worship the One True Living God, or will we turn away from Him?

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Lord, help each of us to realize that riches and power can be gone in an instant and that only YOUR salvation is sufficient. Let all who read this turn to you. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 18:1-3 “After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”

The date was August 24, A.D. 79. The place was Pompeii, a seaport of 20,000 on the banks of the Sarno River and on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Around noon, a huge eruption from Mount Vesuvius showered volcanic debris over the city of Pompeii, followed the next day by clouds of blisteringly hot gases. Buildings were destroyed, the population was crushed or asphyxiated, and the city was buried beneath a blanket of ash and pumice. (Encyclopedia Britannica) All the inhabitants of Pompeii and several surrounding communities died where they were, smothered in ash or asphyxiated by the hot gases. Although Pompeii was later forgotten for centuries, at the time this tragedy was well known throughout the Roman world. As God was giving John this part of the vision, God might have quickened the story of Pompeii to John’s mind as an illustration of what was to happen to Babylon the Great.

Many times, God’s prophets had predicted destruction for great cities full of corruption. In Isaiah 13:19-22 we have the doom song of ancient Babylon:

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or dwelt in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. But wild beasts will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there satyrs will dance. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged. Jeremiah predicted very similar things for Babylon (Jeremiah 50:39 and 51:37) Other prophets decreed similar things for Nineveh and for Edom.

 The angel making this pronouncement is descending from heaven with great authority, accompanied by so much glory that it illuminates the whole earth. This angel is coming from the Lord God Almighty with His Authority. God has given Babylon and all represented by the Babylon figure time to repent. Now judgment has come.

17:4-8 “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day— death and misery and famine— and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Somehow, there is still a believing remnant left within this horrible place. Now God is repeating His Command that He has echoed throughout generations for believers to flee, to separate themselves before they wind up sharing in the sins and spiritual plagues. When Abraham and Lot had to choose where they would live because their herds were too large for the land, Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself because it looked so good. But Lot failed to realize that he was about to settle in the hideously immoral city of Sodom. The land that Abraham chose was not as well watered; however, spiritually it was far safer. Herein lies a warning for believers: many times we fail to pray before taking major decisions, relying instead of the advice of friends or family members. But in the end, Lot lost everything apart from his two daughters – the herds and home for which he was so concerned were consumed in the Lord’s wrath.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Today the news is full of reports of politicians and judges who may have compromised themselves by accepting money from various sources, including foreign governments. At the same time, people of faith are finding themselves under attack for hewing to their beliefs. Throughout the ages, from time immemorial, those who serve the One True Living God have never found it easy. But God has promised and is promising that their faith will be rewarded. To compromise or not? Each of us has a choice, but choose well! You are choosing for eternity!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help each one who reads this devotional to feel your calling to righteousness. Empower each of us so that we will follow hard after you, no matter how hard things become. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 17:14 – 18 “They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.” Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

“They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.” The Crucified, Risen, Victorious Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, leads his armies into battle. With the Lamb are the saints and martyrs, those who have been tried and have been found faithful despite their sufferings. Barclay states, “One of the great conceptions of Jewish thought was that the saints and the martyrs would share in God’s final triumph.”

C.S. Lewis in his great classic The Screwtape Letters quotes a senior tempter advising his nephew, a novice”At any rate, you will soon find that the justice of Hell is purely realistic, and concerned only with results. Bring us back food , or be food yourself.”

As this victorious army of righteousness advances, meanwhile, the very beings whom the prostitute has corrupted turn against her. These rulers hate the prostitute so much that they tear at her flesh and burn her with fire. Hell is demanding results, and the Enemies of the Lamb are turning around and destroying the very system that has given them power and riches. The mention of burning the body of the prostitute with fire refers back to Leviticus 20:14 and 21:9, both passages indicating that the complete destruction of a body by fire was the most severe punishment that could be meted out.

17;17 “For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.” Amazing! These kings think that they are uniting with the beast to try to conquer the Lamb; meanwhile, God is the One who has given them this idea! Barclay concludes his comments on this section by saying the following: “The truth behind this is that God never loses control of human affairs. In the last analysis God is always working things together for good.”

This last part of Revelation 17 should give all those who seek to serve God incredible hope. No matter how difficult things are, no matter what you might suffer, IN THE END, GOD WILL TRIUMPH! One faithful believer used to tell me, “I’ve read the last chapter in the Book, and we win!”

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you so much for coming to us as an infant, for living as a man, for dying for our sins, and for conquering hell, death, and the grave. Lord, help us to see you as you truly are, the Risen Spotless Lamb and Victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords! And help us to truly follow you and truly serve you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 17:6 – 13 “I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and of the witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her. “Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be. This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction. The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast. These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast. “

The Book of Revelation has confounded Bible teachers for years. There are all kinds of charts, time lines, and diagrams that have been used in attempts to explain these parts of the vision. Rather than get too bogged down in specifics, let’s look at the overall picture.

1. The woman spoken of is an arch – demon representing every city and every economy in the world in which Christians have been persecuted in any fashion. As mentioned yesterday, this figure is a satanic counterfeit of the Virgin Mary but is Mary’s exact opposite in every detail. Where Mary is pure, this figure is called “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” According to this name, this figure represents the source of corruption, fornication, and perversion throughout the earth.

2. This figure is referred to as being carried by the beast, that is being supported and transported by thebeast. At the same time, references are made to the woman sitting on seven mountains. Ancient Rome was built on seven different hills; this reference obviously indicates Rome as a center of corruption. As Roman society deteriorated, the city became incredibly corrupt and perverted. Does this mean that ONLY Rome can be represented here? Remember that God was giving John a vision using images that John would recognize. It’s likely that Rome is being used as a symbol for all the cities of the world.

3. The mystery of the seven heads: This reference was made to the first five emperors of Rome, who were already dead at the time of this vision. The one emperor who was ruling at the time of the vision was Vespasian, who was succeeded by Titus, who only reigned for two years. Barclay comments: The beast which was, and is not, is itself the eighth. It proceeds from the series of the seven, and is on its way to destruction. This can only mean that the emperor who followed Titus is being identified with Nero redivivus(re-born) and Antichrist; and the emperor who followed Titus was Domitian. Domitian was an incredibly evil ruler, described by a writer of the time as “an object of terror and hatred to all.”

“But,” you might ask, “all this refers to ancient Rome. What does that have to do with us?” Visions operate on several different levels, particularly when they are giving information about the end times. While on one level this vision appears to be speaking about the Roman Empire, please remember that Satan repeats patterns. If Satan was able to inspire one man to be as evil as Domitian, why can’t he inspire another man, or other men? Who are the ten horns? There have been all kinds of explanations for those figures, but what is important is that they are political leaders who will appear at the same time as the beast and who will have brief terms of power. 7:13 says, “These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast. “

Today we live in an age in which governments of various countries are attempting to undermine governments elsewhere. The events of Revelation 17 are becoming more believable. Today more than ever before, Christians are being persecuted. Pastors in China are going into hiding. In 2020 alone more than 2200 Christians in Northern Nigeria have been killed for their faith.

Hundreds of years before John received this vision, God also gave the prophet Daniel a vision of the end times. Speaking of the persecution of believers, the angel giving the interpretation to Daniel told Daniel that an evil ruler would arise and, “With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered. Now when they fall, they will be granted a little help, but many will join them insincerely. Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” Daniel 11:32-35

We have no choice over the time in which we have been born. The major choice each of us must make is this: Will we serve the One True Living God, or will we reject Him? The choice is not necessarily an easy one: choose to follow God and possibly suffer here on earth or reject God and suffer for eternity?

PRAYER: Father God, we are afraid! It has already been a difficult year, full of pain, suffering, loss, and sometimes death. Help us to realize that You are our only Hope and to choose to follow you, no matter what. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 17:1- 5 “Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and told me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth were sexually immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.” And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. On her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

One thing about Satan is that he is not original; he copies the things of God, twisting them and perverting them if possible. At Christmas time we celebrate Mary for her faith, her obedience to God, her purity, and her perseverance in believing what God had told her. So if there were to be a satanic counterpart to the Virgin Mary, that female would have to be the worst whore ever imagined, someone without a shred of decency. For two thousand years, Mary has given us an example to follow. It only makes sense that Satan would attempt to create something that would be the exact opposite, and he did. In these last few chapters of Revelation, the imagery can become confused and confusing. For the purposes of this study, it is not necessary to attempt to go into excruciating details.

One of the angels shows John “the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.” Although parts of the description would certainly fit the city of Rome, please remember that there are major cities throughout the world that sit on major rivers or next to major seaports. So this “great prostitute” might be the spirit of all the world cities that intoxicate rulers and ordinary people with the wine of immorality. Perhaps each of these world class cities might have its own “great prostitute demon,” with the woman shown to John being the chief. Even the name on her forehead suggests this: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

This arch – demoness is dressed as the most important courtesans in every age have dressed – with fine clothing, jewels, etc. On her forehead she bears her name. The prostitutes in ancient Rome wore signs on their foreheads with their names inscribed. 1. She encourages gross immorality wherever she operates. 2. She holds a golden cup of abominations of all kinds – anything that can be used to entice, seduce, undermine, pervert, or corrupt is in that cup! The outward appearance of gold is only to deceive.

Today is Christmas. Many people only think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as one of the figures in the Nativity scene. But Mary is worth far more than that! Consider Mary: Isaiah 9 foretells the coming of the Messiah: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned…. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.” The great prostitute exists only to corrupt, but Jesus, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, has come to set people free, to purify their hearts.

We make a terrible mistake if we fail to value Mary as we should! Luke 1:26 – 39 “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,b you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!” “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her”.

Mary had a choice: she could have refused to bear the Messiah, but she said yes. In agreeing, Mary opened herself to public ridicule and gossip. As events developed, Mary was denied the opportunity to deliver at home with her mother and friends around her; instead, she had to endure a donkey ride of 70 miles and deliver in a dark cave that smelled like manure.

From the very beginning, Mary knew that one day she would face unimaginable suffering. Simeon warned her of that when he took the Baby Jesus in his arms in the temple. Luke 2:34-35 “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed— and a sword will pierce your soul as well.”

Today as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us thank God for Mary, the pure – hearted, faithful, and holy woman who gave us our Savior. O come, let us adore Jesus! And let us thank God for Mary!

PRAYER Father God, thank you! Please let the peace of Christmas rule and reign in our hearts and let us follow hard after you all the days of our lives. Amen.

“Revelation 16:13 – 21 “And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God, the Almighty. “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.” And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”

And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found. And huge hailstones, about a hundred pounds each,a rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.”

The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet each have a demonic spirit coming forth from them that resembles a frog. Barclay comments:

(i) Frogs are connected with plagues. One of the plagues in Egypt was a plague of frogs.

(ii) Frogs are unclean animals. Although not mentioned by name, they are included by definition in the list of unclean things in the water and the sea which begins in Leviticus 11:10. The frog stands for an unclean influence.

(iii) Frogs are famous for their empty and continuous croaking-The sound the frog makes is the symbol of meaningless speech.

(iv) In Zoroastrianism, the Persian religion, frogs are the bringer of plagues and the agent of Ahriman, the power of darkness, in his struggle against Ormuzd, the power of light. God might have reminded John of this story.

So, then, to say that frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet is to say that their words were like plagues, were unclean, were empty futilities, and were the allies of the power of the dark.

The kings of the earth are being summoned to a final showdown! Where is this battle to take place? Many feel that the final battle will be fought on the Plain of Esdraelon before the ruined city of Megiddo. The location is not as important as the fact that absolute good and absolute evil are to fight one last battle and evil will be defeated.

The seventh bowl is poured on onto the air and the weather goes crazy! Thunder and lightning and earthquakes rock the earth! Rome, here represented by the term “Babylon,” is split into three parts. These earthquakes sink the mountains and level the islands. In the last catastrophe, huge hailstones weighing roughly 100 pounds pummel the earth, reducing it to rubble. Do any of these natural disasters cause men to repent? No! Once more, men respond by cursing God.

Years ago, Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled, How Shall We Then Live? That question remains valid today. God warned mankind in Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”

Now is the time to seek the Lord! Now is the time to call on Him. God wants fellowship with us; this is why He sent Jesus to be born as a man and to live as a sinless man and to die for the sins of all mankind. But we must recognize that we are sinners and accept what Jesus has done for us. God has given us a marvelous earth and friends and family, but His greatest Gift of all is Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, Jesus, we confess that we are sinners. By ourselves, we cannot earn our way into heaven. Thank you for loving us and for dying for our sins. Please forgive our sins and help us to follow you for the rest of our lives. Thank you that if we do follow you, you have promised us eternal life. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 2:1 – 20 “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire. This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the City of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the City of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.”

It was quiet that night. Well, it was quiet in that cave outside Bethlehem. The cave was one of the places where the lambs were kept wrapped in swaddling cloths, the lambs that would later be used for sacrifices. Bethlehem itself was a mad house! Who knew there were so many people who claimed to be descended from King David? And who knew there were so few inns in Bethlehem?

But out in that cave, there was only a small olive oil lamp to light Mary as she gave birth to her Son Jesus. Joseph had never wanted to act as a midwife, but he had no choice. And really, Joseph did pretty well, apart from the time when he thought he would faint. Mary offered the baby her breast and after he had sucked a little he was content. And then these shepherds came blundering in with wild stories of an angelic host that had appeared to them in the sky. Mary looked and Joseph and Joseph looked at Mary; they knew about angelic visitors. And so Joseph brought the lamp closer and the shepherds admired the newborn baby. And then the shepherds thanked Joseph and Mary and went back to their sheep. But for the rest of their lives, those shepherds would hear that song the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You sent Jesus to live as a man, to die for our sins, and to conquer death and the grave so that one day we might be with you in heaven. Lord, help us to always keep that sense of wonder in our hearts. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 16:1-7 “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.” So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died. And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and who was, because You have brought these judgments. For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”

The final plagues have come and they are truly horrible, almost beyond description. Some of these plagues seem very similar to those that afflicted the ancient Egyptians.

1. Malignant sores break out on all those worshiping the beast. As far back as Deuteronomy 28, God warns the Israelites that if they forsake worshiping Him to go after other gods, terrible things will happen. “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God— He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses. He will afflict you again with all the diseases you dreaded in Egypt, and they will cling to you. The LORD will also bring upon you every sickness and plague not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left few in number, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 28:58-62

2. The sea turns to blood and everything in it dies. Many times, there have been recorded instances of huge “red tides” of algae that have decimated the oceans wherever they have appeared. Why not a world – wide catastrophe?

3. All fresh water sources turn to blood as well, forcing those left upon the earth to literally drink blood in punishment for the martyrdom of the saints and prophets.

How can an altar speak? Remember that every part of heaven has angels assigned. The voice coming from the altar is the angel of the altar bearing witness to the greatness of God.

8 – 12 “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues; yet they did not repent and give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.

4. Next the ozone layer that has protected the earth is ripped away, leaving people at the mercy of the sun’s rays. All the time that those who remain on the earth are suffering, not once do they praise God but they rather curse Him!

5. The fifth angel pours his bowl directly on the throne of the beast, plunging its kingdom into darkness. Could this be dust storms and air pollution stirred up as a result of the destruction of the ozone layer and unopposed sunlight?

6. The Euphrates River dries up completely! In the past, armies have diverted the Euphrates, most notably to conquer ancient Babylon. But now with the scorching heat of the sun beating down on the earth, the Euphrates goes completely dry, leaving the countries on the west side of it exposed.

The amazing thing is that as each of these plagues further devastate the earth, those who worship the beast refuse to worship God but curse Him instead. There is no point in cursing someone if you refuse to believe that they exist, so obviously those worshiping the beast believe in God. But these poor people are so deceived that nothing matters to them anymore apart from their suffering and they persist in worshiping the beast.

In the last book of the Narnia Chronicles, C.S. Lewis describes a group of dwarves who refuse to believe in Aslan, the Christ figure, but who persist in chanting that “the dwarves are for the dwarves!” While those around the dwarves are entering into heaven, the dwarves cannot because they refuse to believe.

“Why are we studying such a gloomy book at Christmas?” you might ask. “Revelation is about as grim a book as the Bible possesses. Perhaps our problem is that we have sentimentalized Christmas to the point of the absurd. Jesus did NOT come as a baby so that He could adorn sweet greeting cards 2000 years later. Nor did Jesus confront Satan, death, hell and the grave so that He could simply be made the subject of a few carols, tuneful as they are. Jesus was born as a human baby for one reason: he was to be the sinless blood sacrifice that would pay for the sins of all those who would believe in Him. The red of Christmas originally stood for the Blood of Jesus. And the Green of Christmas stood – and stands – for eternal life. The message of Christmas is that Jesus has made a way for all sinners – and we are all sinners – to have eternal life, if we will accept what He has done for us and will believe in Him. Jesus has given the very best Gift of all – eternal life. But we can choose to accept or reject that gift. The decision is up to each one of us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to live as a man, to die on Calvary, and to defeat death and the grave so that we might have eternal life. Help each of us to accept that greatest gift. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.