DECEMBER 29, 2021 READINGS... Revelation 11:1-14:20
I am sorry I have missed that last few days of writing…home with the flu. You are coming to the end of your readings, and soon you will have read the entire Bible…that is a great accomplishment. Don’t forget on Monday we start reading through the New Testament in 52 weeks. It will be a slower pace, and a blessing.
The book of Revelation is a scary book to many, but it should not be so for the believer. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and His literal plan to bring all things to the place they should be. John uses figuratively language, but he speaks of literal events that shall take place. It is a mistake to approach this book as merely an allegory…it speaks of that which will take place. In our reading today John introduces us to some of the personalities that play a roll in the end times. He speaks of the two witnesses, who stand and prophesy in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half years. No one can touch them during this time, and if someone tries they die. These two were spoken of by the prophet in Zechariah 4:2. Antichrist will kill them when their work is done, and their bodies will lie in the streets…the people will celebrate…but after three and a half days they will stand up, and ascend to heaven.
Chapter 12 begins with the the picture of a woman, and child and a dragon. From John writing it is clear who each of these are…the woman is Israel…the child is Jesus…and the dragon is Satan. Satan is thrown out of heaven and Israel is continually persecuted by Satan and his followers. We now are introduce to two beasts. One from the sea, and one from the earth. The beast from the sea comes from the Gentile nations…he is the Antichrist. The beast from the earth comes from Israel…he is the false prophet. We now have the unholy trinity, Satan the dragon…Antichrist the beast from the sea…the false prophet the beast from the earth. These three take over the whole earth, even to the point of requiring every person to take a mark in order to buy sell or trade…literally to live. Chapter 14 deals with the coming final judgment of God. (I have detailed teachings of this book on the churches website if you want to go deeper).
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READINGS… Revelation 15:1-18:24