For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. – 2 Timothy 1:7

One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

Her masters’ hopes of wealth were no shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. – Acts 16:16-19

There were several things that popped for me this morning as I read through this passage in Acts. My first thought was for this servant girl. She was possessed by a demon and made to behave in a way that was out of her control. Jesus Christ set her free by His power and I wonder where the celebration is. Those around her are angry and they are dragging her rescuers to the marketplace to be punished, but who is celebrating her new freedom? I long to believe that someone wrapped their arms around this wounded young woman and celebrated the healing that had just taken place. I long to believe she began a new journey of faith that day.

My thoughts go next to Paul. How many people had just accepted this young woman’s fate and were so used to her plight they no longer thought much of it? But Paul was “exasperated” with the situation. Other translations describe Paul as annoyed or fed up with her yelling. How often are we so fed up with a situation we see daily that we seek to do something to change the situation? Just like Paul, God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. Do we love those around us enough to reach out in love? Do we truly understand the power of Jesus’ name and how He desires to make a difference in the lives of others through us?

A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! – Acts 16:22-26

Doing something good for this young woman did not gain Paul and Silas popularity or praise, just like God moving us to someone else’s rescue does not always gain us points with others. Instead we are sometimes faced with criticism and negative remarks, misunderstandings and consequences.

Paul and Silas could have felt sorry for themselves. They could have become angry with God for not rescuing them from the physical beating and imprisonment that had followed their act of obedience. Instead, they chose to pray and to sing praises to God. The result of their response: other prisoners were listening, the earth moved at God’s command, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The young woman was not the only person who received freedom that day. Lives were changed and chains fell off because Paul and Silas chose to trust God and worship Him, even in the most difficult of situations.

The story goes on – more captives are freed! The jailer woke up and assumed all the prisoners had escaped. In his horror and knowing what his fate would be once the authorities showed up, the jailer drew his sword to kill himself. Paul again spoke boldly and the course of a man’s life was changed, as was the lives of everyone in his house.

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. – Acts 16:30-34

The chains of every prisoner fell off! The slave girl is set free from the demon tormenting her, chains fell off of those in captivity, and the jailer and his family found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. None of that would have happened if Paul and Silas had given in to fear. But instead they recognized the power of speaking the name of Jesus Christ, they saw the earth move when they chose prayer and praise over pity and panic, and they forever changed the lives of those around them because of their faith in God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. – 2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. – 2 Timothy 1:7

After Saul received his sight back, he was baptized – not just by water but by the Spirit. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately began to preach about Jesus. First he went to the Jewish synagogues saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” It was like this big “aha” moment he wanted everyone to know about. He had persecuted the Christians because he really did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but now he has experienced Jesus first-hand and he wants everyone to know that he was wrong – that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

Of course, the people recognized him. They didn’t see him for who he had become but could only see him for who he used to be. His reputation of persecuting the believers was well known and they did not want to accept these changes as real. Oh how guilty we can be of this in the church! How often we continue to define new believers by where they have been instead of looking to see where God is taking them. Oh, how guilty we can be of doing this to ourselves! We continue to define ourselves by our past mistakes and sins, holding on to the guilt instead of letting the Spirit completely fill us and make us into a new creation.

Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful. No matter how hard the Jews in the synagogues tried to prove that Jesus was not the Messiah, they could not argue with the proof that Saul had. They had a choice – join him or kill him. They chose the latter. When they heard the Jews were plotting to kill Saul, watching for him day and night so they could murder him, the believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall so he could escape (Acts 9:20-25).

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he faced the same kind of opposition. This new life of faith was not coming easily for Saul. The believers were afraid of him and the Greek-speaking Jews tried to kill him. But Barnabas (this was the nickname the apostles had given him because he was a man of encouragement – Acts 4:36) stood in the gap for Saul. He told the believers how Saul had changed and how boldly he had been preaching in Damascus. The believers helped Saul escape to Caesarea and then to his hometown of Tarsus.

(Maybe God is calling us to be a “Barnabas” for someone today. Perhaps He will ask us to stand in the gap or be a source of encouragement before the day is over.)

Does this escape plan mean that Saul was scared? Did he run away from God’s call the first time things got difficult? Did he say – “Sorry, God, I tried. I guess you’ll have to find someone else. Maybe this preaching thing was just for a season of my life and it is time to move on.” Not at all. Paul’s testimony of this difficult time in his life gives us a little more information:

“After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’” – Acts 22:17-18

Saul was not running in a spirit of fearfulness. He was doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. God had given him a spirit of power, love and of sound judgment. This decision to leave Jerusalem can probably be placed in the category of sound judgment. God would use this persecution and the need to move from town to town to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across the region. What could easily be defined as extreme persecution was used for God’s purposes and for God’s glory, just as He uses the difficult times in our lives.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. – 2 Timothy 1:7

“…And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant, Jesus.”

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. – Acts 4:29-31

When faced with a very difficult situation, the believers chose to pray. They knew who could take their fear and turn it into boldness. They did not just pray for survival, they prayed for power. They were unsure of the kind of persecution that was ahead of them but willing to be used by God if He wanted. He took their fear of what was ahead, answered their prayer and gave them great boldness through the Holy Spirit.

One of the reasons the believers had to be fearful was a man named Saul. Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them – both men and women – back to Jerusalem in chains (Acts 9:1-2).

But the man causing great fear experienced great fear when a light shone done from heaven and a voice said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” The voice instructed him to go into Damascus until he was told what to do next. When he opened his eyes, he was blind. For three days he could see nothing – he did not eat or drink for three days.

The scriptures do not say how Saul was feeling during this time but I can only imagine how scared he must have been. He knew how vicious he had been towards those who believed in Jesus and now Jesus had come to him on the road to Damascus and said, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (9:5-6). What we know is that Saul spent these three days praying to God (9:11). Just like the believers, Saul chose to pray when faced with fear.

Now imagine the fear of another man – Ananias. The Lord also came and spoke to him, telling him to go to this man who had been pursuing the death and arrest of the believers. The short version of the story:
Ananias – “But Lord…”
God – “Go…”
So Ananias went…

“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.

Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” – Acts 9:17-20

When faced with fear, we should pray. A simple statement but one we seem to forget so easily. Paul was blind and scared, so he spent three days praying to God. Ananias was scared to go to Paul, so he talked to God about his fear. God is waiting to fill us with His Spirit and give us strength for what we are facing. All we have to do is ask.

Fear…Prayer…Spirit …Strength. That seems to be the pattern here. When faced with fear, these believers fell on their knees in prayer to the Source of their strength. God filled them with His Spirit and they overcame their fear and became bold in their faith. What a great reminder for us today. No matter what is causing fear in our hearts, God is willing to fill us with the power of His Spirit if only we will ask.

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment. – 2 Timothy 1:7

And now, as we get to the last 2 chapters of Revelation, we come to some of my favorite verses – the beautiful description of what it will be like when the presence of evil and sin are removed and Christ reigns victoriously!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!…It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” – Rev. 21:1-7

The God of Creation, who existed before the world began and has always existed, is also the God of the End of life as we know it and the God of everything in between. He has plans for our life we cannot fathom and He has a new heaven waiting for us that is beyond what these words can even describe:

The New Jerusalem will shine with the glory of God and sparkle like a precious stone. The city wall are made of jasper and the city of pure gold, as clear as glass. There will be beautiful stones of various colors making up the foundation of the city and the gates will be made of pearls. The main street going through the New Jerusalem will be made of pure gold.

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of the day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty – but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Rev. 21:22-27

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there – no need for lamps or sun – for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. – Rev. 22:1-5

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.” – Rev. 22:7

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” – Rev. 22:12

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. – Rev. 22:17

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. – Rev. 22:20-21

Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. – Rev. 20:1-6

There is little information on what the 1000 years will look like and much disagreement among believers on the order in which all of this will take place. What we can take from this passage for certain is that God rewards those who remain faithful during even the worst of persecutions and trials. The difficult times they endure do not go unnoticed by God, nor are they forgotten. In the same way, those who do evil and who do not remain faithful are also noticed by God.

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations – called Gog and Magog – in every corner of the earth. He will gather together for battle – a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. – Revelation 20:7-15

We serve a just God who deals accordingly with sin. Those who remain rebellious and unrepentant will suffer the consequences of their choices. Rebellion against God does not go unnoticed. God deals sternly with sin. Those who reject what Christ did for them when he died on the cross so they could receive salvation will experience another kind of rejection on the day of final judgment. Those who want to share in everything this world and Satan have to offer will also share the same fate – the eternal lake of fire.

Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen and understand. – Matthew 13:40-43

He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. – Romans 2:7-8

This describes so many of our loved ones – they are living for themselves, refusing to obey the truth laid out for them in God’s word. Do we think about their fate? Do we avoid tough conversations? It is not comfortable to confront sin, but God also calls us to speak the truth in love. If we truly love them, we will pray the Spirit will lead us into opportunities to point them back to the light and away from the darkness and its deceit.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? – James 2:14

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. – Revelation 19:11-13

Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes?
“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me.
In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes.
In my fury I have trampled my foes.
Their blood has stained my clothes.” – Isaiah 63:2-3

The Word of God – John was the disciple who opened up his account of the life of Jesus with a description of Christ as “The Word”, which adds to the personal significance of this moment for John.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5

The armies of heaven, dressed in finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Rev. 19:14-16

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to who we are accountable. – Hebrews 4:12-13

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast – miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Rev. 19:19-21

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon – that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan – and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. – Rev. 20:1-3a

As I mentioned a week ago when I started this study of Revelation, it is a difficult book for me to read. I love the visual descriptions but the harshness of the judgments and plagues are unpleasant to even consider. But in the midst of all the descriptions of evil unleashed, I love that it ends with the glorious victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how dark things get, darkness can NEVER extinguish the light. Christ has already won the victory and the day is coming when evil will be bound and locked up. Praise God!

In the meantime, I pray for those who are currently being deceived. I pray for those who are choosing to enjoy evil and the pleasures of this world instead of believing in the truth and walking in the light. For them, I pray this morning. I pray they will love and accept the truth that can save them.

Judgment is not an easy topic to read about, nor is it very inspiring for me. I have read through the next few chapters of Revelation several times and asked God what I could learn from the passage, what I could use to apply to my life.

The graphic descriptions of the harsh judgment that will be poured out on the earth and on those who have the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue make me cringe. God’s Temple, His Tabernacle, has been thrown wide open. He is no longer holding back His judgment because He is a just God and a Holy God (Rev. 15:5; 16:5).

And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.” – Revelation 16:7

The world tries to entice us with all it has to offer. Society tries to pull us into a new concept of what is socially acceptable and moral. The enemy tries to tempt us to leave our life of righteous living to experience the fun life. But if we choose to experience all this world is bribing us with, if we choose to share in all it has to offer, we will also share in the judgment that will come down on the earth.

One of the seven angels who had poured the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.” – Rev. 17:1-2

This world tries its best to appear beautiful, like the woman described in the next verse: The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality (17:4). But in reality it is grotesque and cruel and uncaring. Those who drink of her passionate immorality and those who have committed adultery with her will fall with her.

But there is a song coming from heaven – a song calling all to flee from the sins of this world and the glory of its riches:

“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.
Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.
She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’
Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day – death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is might.” – Rev. 18:4-8

The world with all of its riches tries to make itself appear so pleasing and wonderful, but it is evil and cares nothing for those who get trapped by its pleasures. The world invites us to sit at its banquet tables but there is another banquet table worth turning down the indulgences of the world for. I long to sit at the wedding feast of the Lamb and hear a voice from the throne say,

“Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.”

“Praise the Lord!
For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. – Rev. 19:5-8

As John’s Revelation continued, I wonder if he remembered back to a day when he sat by the lake with Jesus. A large crowd gathered around Jesus – so large that Jesus got into a boat and began to teach the people as they stood on the shore. He spoke in parables, first of a farmer planting and then of a harvest that comes at the end of the world.

The first parable is one of my favorites. The farmer is planting seed in his field and some falls on the footpath where birds come and eat it. Other seed falls on soil so shallow that the seed are unable to grow deep roots and they die. Other seed falls among thorns that grow up and choke the tender plants. Still other seed falls on fertile soil and produces a great harvest.

“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” – Matthew 13:9

The seed on the footpath represents those who hear but don’t understand. The seed on shallow soil represents those who hear the message, receiving it with joy, but never grow deep roots. They fall away as soon as problems or persecution comes. The seed among thorns represents those who hear God’s word but the message is crowded out by the worries of life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of righteousness. Then Jesus told this parable:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grown and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” – Matthew 13:24-30

Perhaps John was the disciple who spoke up later, after the crowds had left, and asked Jesus to explain the parable.

“The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. They enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” – Matthew 13:37-43

I wonder if the memory of this day came back to John as he stood before the throne and watched the Son of Man seated on a white cloud – a crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came from the Temple and shouted:

“Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress outside the city, and the blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle. – Revelation 14:15-20

Then all the people who had been victorious over the beast held harps and sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3-4)

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Rev. 3:22

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.
Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. – Revelation 13:10b

What took place next during John’s Revelation is like something you would see in a science fiction movie. I imagine it was hard for John to put down in writing all that took place. I had to use the notes in my Study Bible to be able to understand it all myself. It makes sense why God had John eat the scroll – by internalizing God’s message, John was able to communicate to us all that he saw.

Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance… – Rev. 12:1a

A pregnant woman with a crown of twelve stars on her head is crying out in labor pains and agony as she gives birth to a son who is to rule all nations with an iron rod. A large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and with seven crowns on his head stands in front of her, ready to devour the baby as soon as it is born. But the child is snatched away and caught up to God and His throne.

Next a war breaks out in heaven – Michael and his angels against the dragon and his angels. I love this part: the dragon lost the battle and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. Satan’s attempts to destroy the child born out of Israel were unsuccessful as Jesus was resurrected from the dead and taken up to heaven. The one who was deceiving the whole world was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

It has come at last – salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth –
the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens!
And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” – Revelation 12:10-12

This explains why Satan pursues God’s people. He has lost the battle and now, in anger, seeks to destroy God’s people. He has waged war against the woman and against the rest of her children – all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus (12:17).

Next a hideous beast rises out of the sea. The dragon gave the best his own power and throne and great authority. The beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God and was given authority to do whatever he wanted for 42 months. The beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And all the people who belonged to the world worshiped the beast.

Then a second beast came up out of the earth performing miracles that deceived all the people who belong to this world. The beast commanded the people to make a statue of the first beast then commanded all the people to worship the statue, which had come to life and now had the ability to speak. The people were given a mark on their right hand or forehead – the mark of the beast (13:17).

Then John saw the lamb standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name on their foreheads. They had kept themselves pure and had been purchased as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. Then the angels proclaimed to all the people of the earth to fear God and worship Him only. They foretold the destruction of Babylon for forcing the nations to drink of her passionate immorality. Those who the mark of the beast will drink of God’s anger and they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur forever and ever (14:1-11).

This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” – Rev. 14:12-13

Again yesterday I heard the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” John’s Revelation holds the answer. For a time the defeated Satan is allowed to unleash his anger on God’s people. God cares for His people and provides escape for them at times (12:6,14), but we live with the understanding that we must endure persecution patiently, maintaining our faith in God at all times. And for this allegiance to Jesus, we will be blessed and there will be rest. And we hold this promise from God:

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to bb e more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. – Revelation 9:6

The next four chapters of Revelation describe seven judgments that will take place on the earth and in the sky. Each time one of the seven angels stands before God and blows their trumpet, another horrible event takes place. Hail and fire fall down to the earth, burning trees and grass. A mountain of fire falls into the sea, killing one-third of all things living in the sea and destroying one-third of the ships. A great star falls on one-third of the rivers and the water turns bitter. One-third of the sun, moon and stars go dark and terror spreads across the earth.

Locusts the size of horses prepare for battle, stinging all who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The sixth trumpet blew and 200 million mounted troops were released to kill one-third of the people on the earth, breathing plagues of fire and smoke and burning sulfur.

But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood – idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21

People experiencing difficulties and extremely hard times have a choice. They can run from God or run to Him. They can hide from Him or trust in Him. They can admit their sin or choose death. God has made it clear in His scriptures that sin is wrong and judgment is coming, yet so many people refuse to repent and accept God’s grace. Those who reject God’s grace will receive God’s judgment. It is inevitable. In the meantime, God is waiting patiently for His people to repent. He continues to extend His grace and offer forgiveness for those who will accept it.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Another mighty angel came down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud with a rainbow over his head – the symbol of God’s promise. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. He said, “There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as He announced it to his servants the prophets.” – Rev. 10:6b-7

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting from heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”

Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of the covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. – Revelation 11:15-19

There will be judgment and there will be reward. There is no need to fear the terror that is ahead when we are walking in the light of our salvation. Remember Jesus’ words:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3:16-21