-May 13, 2022-
Good morning, happy Friday,
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”
(Revelation 11:15).
The Book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible, and is the only book in the Bible entirely devoted to prophecy. It is also the only book that specifically gives a blessing for reading and obeying it. Revelation 1:3 says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Revelation is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is one revelation and should not be called Revelations, but Revelation. It is the culmination of God’s redemptive work and judgment on all those who have rejected Christ.
Revelation is also the only book in the Bible with a warning not to add to it nor take way from it, though that is true of all the Scriptures. John wrote, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the the holy city, and from the things written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
Revelation is thus vital for believer in Jesus. It is important to read it, understand it, and obey it. A proper understanding of prophecy helps us live godly and holy lives now and gives us a great hope for our future as well. Today’s verse can perhaps be considered the key verse in the book. It is also found right about the middle of the book. There are three great judgments that God will pour out on the people of the earth during the Great Tribulation: Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls, each coming with increasing severity.
John wrote, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ…” God will fulfill His word spoken in Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand till I will make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord Jesus Christ, our risen Savior, is seated at the right hand of God awaiting the time He will come again in power and glory. There are many kingdoms in this world, and all are presently under the control of the devil. He is the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the prince of darkness. He was defeated at the cross but he continues to fight until God the day God will cast him into the lake of fire, where all the unsaved will end up also.
After the tribulation, also called Jacob’s trouble, Jesus will come to rule the nations for 1,000 years. Then the Great White Throne judgment will take place. All unbelievers from all time will stand before God and be judged, and the sentence of eternal death or as it is called the second death, will be meted out. We as believers will not be judged because Jesus bore our sins and the wrath of God on the cross.
We are sons of the kingdom of God. Christ is our King and we are His subjects. We rejoice that, “He shall reign forever and ever.” We will praise Him, worship Him, and thank Him for all eternity in His presence in glory. We will sing, we will bow down, and we will serve Him forever. Oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
Let us live our lives now submitting to the authority of Christ and His Word, praising, worshiping, and thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for us. We are sinners saved by grace. Everything that belongs to Christ, belongs to us. We are so incredibly blessed, and thus we should be eternally thankful.
Have a blessed day thanking God and living for Him and serving Him until He comes to take us home to heaven. Stay safe and healthy.
In His eternal kingdom,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 