Short Reflection from Revelation 1-22

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (BRU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[9:54 pm, 21/05/2022] S.R:

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙:𝟟

"BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen."

Clouds should help us remember that Jesus is coming soon! 👍

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟚:𝟙𝟛

''I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells."

It's God's world. And Satan is God's Satan.

But Satan is against us and is indeed the king of this world. All the rulers of this world serve him!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟛:𝟙𝟡

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

When you sin, remember there will be a chastening hand of God. Confess and humble before God accepting the chastisement!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟜:𝟙-𝟚

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne."

Heaven has to be up because John was called to come up.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟝:𝟙𝟘

"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

We were made to rule this earth. Adam and Eve spoiled the opportunity. That's why we toil and labor for survival.

We work hard and many times we don't get even what we have worked for. This is a fallen world.

Most of us aren't even living life, we are just surviving life— doing things not because we are alive but to survive.

Jesus' second coming will reverse the curse completely. We shall get more than what we work for. We shall not do things to survive but we shall do them because we are alive. We will enjoy life as no man has ever had or imagined.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟞:𝟙𝟝-𝟙𝟞

"Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;"

Indeed, it's terrible to have the God of the Universe mad/angry at you!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟟:𝟙𝟝

"For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them."

Those who don't enjoy worshiping God or serving God here on earth will not want to live in heaven.

Those who hate to play or watch football will also think that Ronaldo and Messi are living a very boring life.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟠:𝟙𝟛

"Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!"

Great shall be the judgment upon the earth. However, the redeemed shall be delivered from it.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟡:𝟙𝟝

"So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind."

God is loving but He is wrathful also. On the day of Judgment, He shall kill people like sports.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟘:𝟜

"When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’"

There are some things we are forbidden to know.

Curiosity is not always good!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟙:𝟙𝟟-𝟙𝟠

"saying, 'We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.'"

Surely, God shall judge the earth fairly and justly: punishment and death for the wicked; life and reward for the faithful.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.’"

Don't undermine the effort of Satan. He works against you day and night!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟛:𝟞

"And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven."

Many anti-christs (forerunners of the Antichrist) are already doing what he will do! The time is nearer than before!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟜:𝟟

"and he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.’"

1. Fear God

2. Give God the glory

3. Worship God

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟝:𝟜

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."

God will not only be acknowledged as Lord by all human beings. He will be feared, and will be acknowledged as just, good, and great!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟞:𝟚𝟙

"And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, *came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague *was extremely severe."

The world is using the name our Lord as a cuss word like anything, not surprising, if the judgment has come now, they would do more rather than repent of it!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟟:𝟞

"And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly."

Christians are not exempted from suffering and death, rather are told to expect and endure faithfully even to the extent of death!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟙

“Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.'”

The wicked shall be forgotten someday. Only the memories of the good shall survive!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟜

"And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses."

War is necessary to defeat evil!

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟜

"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

The second death is the death of the death. After which no more shall die.

 

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟚𝟙:𝟜

"and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

The place which God prepared for is a wonderful place.

 

[5:42 pm, 11/06/2022] S.R: ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟚𝟚:𝟚𝟘

"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Do we desire fervently the appearing of our Lord? We ought to...!

Bible Reading Reflection from Revelation 15-22

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (KD) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟝:𝟠

"And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished."

No one has seen God and lived. No mortal man has the capacity to behold the glory of God. Even the Seraphim covered their eyes.

And yet, there are some who claimed to have seen God! They really have no idea about the glory of God.

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟞:𝟡, 𝟙𝟙

v9. "And men were scorched with fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory."

v11. "and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds."

They didn't repent! Rather, they blasphemed God!

We see the precursors now already. When something bad happens, people are already saying, "Holy S*** or "Jesus Christ"

Even OMG! Huh!

Blaspheming God instead of praying!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟜

"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and elect and faithful."

War is coming! Yes! Christ will defeat them. And we will be on the winning side! We are known as

1. The called

2. The elect

3. The faithful!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟠:𝟟

"In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’"

Supreme Court doesn't [cannot, will not] give enough justice. Even we, ourselves, do not know how to give enough justice. When God judges the world, it will be proper and satisfying. No one will want more or less!

Even the guilty will not say anything. Remember that guy in the parable of the wedding feast? He was just speechless: no protest, no excuse, not even begging for forgiveness. A time will come when people realize that they ought to be condemned and sent to hell.

Interesting world we live in here now. We love to justify ourselves. We don't own responsibility. We want only excuses, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

Peter was not praying for deliverance, forgiveness, or grace. Rather, he requested to be crucified upside down.

Paul engineered the stoning of Stephen to death. Paul was quite willing to be beheaded.

A time will come when everyone will submit to God's will to perish or to flourish!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟡:𝟡

"Then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’"

How wonderful that there are some blessed people in the midst of severe judgment! This vision is given as if to calm us and reassure us that God is not out of control. He is wrathful, but not with everyone. He is in perfect control that there can be a party in heaven and torment in hell without losing His composure! 🙂

Well, how blessed is the one who is invited to that marriage supper of the Lamb!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟛

"And the 𝕤𝕖𝕒 𝕘𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 which were in it, and 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤 𝕘𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds."

Many people who committed suicide thought that suicide was the ultimate painkiller, the ultimate solution to the problems of life, the ultimate escape, the ultimate peace at last! Really?

Dead is not the end. Death itself will give up the dead on the last day of judgment. There's a life beyond death. Death itself will die and cease to exist.

The ultimate solution to the problems of life, the ultimate painkiller, peace, and escape is Jesus Christ! He is the only Way!

In Jesus, we have the sufficiency of His grace to endure all things in this world and even in the coming judgment!

Sure, Death, the consequence of sin wrought by Satan shall accomplish nothing in the end. For Death will give up in the end to everlasting life in hell or heaven!

What a loser is Satan, huh! 🙂😂👍

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟚𝟙:𝟚𝟛-𝟚𝟜

"And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it."

There will be no sun. Good news for Delhiites. Summer is hot. I won't be sweating, dehydrating there! And no humidity! 😎

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟚𝟚:𝟚𝟘

"He who bears witness to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

It is the desire of Jesus to come soon. It was the desire of John as well. I also join with them, and say, "Come soon, Lord Jesus!"

Bible Reading Reflection from Revelation 8-14

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (KD) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟠:𝟙

"When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."

This is the famous text some people use to prove that heaven is only for men, not for women! 😂 Because it is said that when 2 or more women come together, they can't stop gossiping around. They always talk and talk! 😂

And in heaven according to this verse, there was a silence for about half an hour, which means women were not there, because it is impossible for women to maintain silence!  What do you think so @_______? 😂😂😂

I think it's true yaar! 😎😂

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟡:𝟚𝟘-𝟚𝟙

"And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥 of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥 of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts."

The pathetic state of the wicked world. Even in the midst of fearful judgment, they did not repent. If they don't repent now, they won't repent even if they see a miracle or judgment.

When a lump of clay is dry you cannot reshape it again.  A lump of clay must be moulded into any shape one likes before it is not hardened. Someday every heart will be hardened, and there will be no repentance and will perish in the judgment of God.

Praise God for us and our friends who have repented now, and we must ask people to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus in faith now. Or else, their hearts will be hardened!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟘-𝟙𝟙

"And I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they *said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

The scroll was sweet and bitter. The news of judgment against wicked people is welcome news for righteous people. But when we really understand what that means, it's sad.

Yesterday, as I was teaching about heaven in Gopalpur Bible Study Group, I attempted to bring out the greatness of Heaven by comparing [contrasting] it to the miseries of life on earth. Suddenly one person got sad and asked, "What will happen to my mom?" Her mom had passed away a few months ago without knowing the Lord.

When we think through the reality of the fate of non-Christians whom we know and love, the judgment of God, the consequence of the Gospel is also bitter, it’s not only sweet.

That's why John and all of us must continue to share the Gospel and pray for our unsaved friends all the more.

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟙:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟠

"And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

God is lovely and beautiful when He saves us, and He is equally lovely and beautiful when He damns some. The 24 elders confirmed that truth.

On the last day, there will be judgment for the unbelievers and rewards for the believers, what a contrast! Do I really deserve any reward? Salvation is His gift. Even all my good work is His doing. What rewards should I be expecting? That's why the 24 elders laid down their crown in chapter 4:10, knowing everything belongs to God.

In a sense, I really appreciate and agree with some theological illiterate when they say, "I will be so happy to sit in the corner of heaven; I don't need rewards." Actually, they don't know what they are saying 😂 but they are saying something profound to deny something profound!

 

R𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. "

Satan stands before God, day and night, accusing us. Wow!

But in 1 John 2:1, we see Jesus also standing before God as our advocate.

Now, if we don't have Jesus as our advocate, wouldn't the devil ask God for the maximum punishment against sinners? And so, will be!

Not only Jesus is in Heaven. Satan is there too. We read that from the book of Job. But he will be thrown down soon!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟛:𝟠

"All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain."

What a terrifying chapter! But what a wonderful verse inserted in this!

Believers are protected by the power of God. They won't bow down!

Daniel didn't bow down to the King's edict. His three friends didn't bow down before the image.

The land of Goshen was spared when Egypt was plagued!

God did it and He will do it again!

God knows how to preserve His people! What an assurance that believers will not fall away!

 

ℝ𝔼𝕍𝔼𝕃𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝟙𝟜:𝟟

"And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”

God is not losing the battle when sinners rejected Him. He was equally glorified in the condemnation of sinners as in the justification of believers. Both Hell and Heaven shall glorify God. We are created for the glory of God. Everyone will glorify God either in Hell or Heaven.

I prefer to glorify God in my salvation than in my condemnation. I prefer to confess Him, Lord, now and be in heaven than to reject Him now and confess Him in Hell. For Philippians 2 says that one day, every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord. There's even a song from that verse!