Our love for God is grounded in His love for us. Elisha was ‘the man of God’ (2 Kings 6:6, 9, 15). This was the important thing about him. More than anything else, he was ‘the man of God’. We find the same phrase in 1 Timothy 6:11 - ‘But as for you, man of …
Category: Revelation
God is so much greater than all of our words about him.
'“I am the Alpha and the Omega, (A and Z)” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty”' (Revelation 1:8). Here, we read about the eternal God. He has no beginning. He has no ending. He is the eternal "I am": "God said to Moses, “I am who I …
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A new heaven and a new earth
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1). What are we to say about this? What can we say? We must surely say that this lies way beyond our line of vision. It is beyond our horizon. When we try to predict what the future may hold for us, we have to …
May the Lord fill our hearts with the spirit of worship, and may he fill our voices with songs of worship.
"Serve the Lord with gladness. Come befpre him with joyful songs" (Psalm 100:2). https://youtu.be/np79kkXblV0 "There was a vast multitide from every nation, trtibe, people and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). https://youtu.be/ccVEjKFkAV4 "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. He was worthy to receive powrer …
The serpent, Adam and Eve, and us!
In Genesis 3:1-7, we read abot the evil influence of "the serpent" (Satan - Revelation 12:9). Here, we must note the difference between temptation and sin. Satan tempted Adam and Eve. They sinned. They couldn't blame Satan for their sin. Temptation only became sin when they gave into temptation. It's the same with us. We …
No more darkness
"The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining" (1 John 2:8). Often, it seems to us like we are surrounded by darkness. We wonder, "Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?" When we feel like this, we need the eternal perspective, the vision of God's glory - "The city …
Beyond our end to for ever and ever
This God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end (Psalm 48:14). We speak about the end. We wonder when and how our life on earth will come to an end. Here, God's Word takes us on from our end to for ever and ever. It is very …
Fron every tribe and nation and people and language
"With your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). To Abraham, the Word of God was spoken: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). In the one hundredth Psalm, we have a call to worship: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth" (verse …
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The Gospel does not begin with man, reaching up to heaven.
Zechariah 12:1-14:21; Revelation 2:1-17: Proverbs 30:1-10 God “pours out … a spirit of supplication” upon His people. As a result of this, they look on Him, “the One they have pierced.” In doing so, they come to “a fountain … to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:1). Mourning for the One …
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
Revelation 1:1-20 This is ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1). It comes from Him and it speaks of Him. Christ ‘loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood’ (5). We rejoice in Him. Christ is ‘coming with the clouds’ (7). We must get ready for Him. ‘The revelation of Jesus Christ’ …
God has given us a glimpse of a future which is heavenly, eternal and glorious.
Revelation 21:9-22:21 - God has given us a glimpse of a future which is heavenly, eternal and glorious: ‘the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God - It shone with the glory of God’. Is this ‘eternal life’ for everyone? Will all people ‘dwell in the House of the Lord for ever’? …
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Christ has won the victory for us. Let us claim His victory by faith.
Revelation 12:1-13:18 - In Genesis 3:1, we read of ‘the serpent’. Here he is again - ‘that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan’. He is a powerful enemy. He ‘leads the whole world astray’. He is a determined enemy. ‘Day and night’, he is busy, accusing God’s children. He is a defeated enemy. ‘They …
Continue reading Christ has won the victory for us. Let us claim His victory by faith.
The revelation of Jesus Christ: it comes from Him, and it speaks of Him.
REVELATION 1:1-20 - This is ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1). It comes from Him and it speaks of Him. Christ ‘loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood’ (5). We rejoice in Him. Christ is ‘coming with the clouds’ (7). We must get ready for Him. ‘The revelation of Jesus …
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Christ invites us to look at things through His eyes.
Revelation6:1-7:17 - Christ invites us to ‘come’ (6:1,3,5,7) - and look at things through His eyes. With Him, we look at earth. With Him, we look at heaven. Troubled world, tremendous worship - These are the things we see when we look through the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our world is deeply troubled. …
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Open your heart to the Lord, and remember where your prayer really come from: “The Lord opened my heart.”
Revelation 3:1-22 - There are some doors which the Lord must open - ‘I have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut’ (8). There is a door which we must open - ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in...’ (20). …
A call to come to Christ
Revelation 19:11-21:8 - Our Saviour is ‘Faithful and True’. He is ‘the Word of God’. He is our ‘Lord’ and ‘King’ (19:11,13,16). We are invited to ‘come’ to Him. The invitation - ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God’ - is a call to come to Christ (19:17). We come to Christ so …
We look away from ourselves. We look to the Lordm and we say, “Hallelujah!!
Revelation 18:1-19:10 - We read of the fall of Babylon (18:2,10,16-17,19,21). We live in a time of sinful rebellion against God. This will be followed by the time of God’s holy judgment. What is God saying to His own people at this time? - ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not …
Continue reading We look away from ourselves. We look to the Lordm and we say, “Hallelujah!!
Berkouwer and Barth on Divine Revelation
The Question of "Christomonism" An important question in the assessment of Barth's theology revolves around his view of the relationship between natural theology and general revelation, Discussing "Karl Barth's Offensive Against Natural Theology" (General Revelation (GR), Chapter II, pp. 21-33), Berkouwer notes that "Barth's conception of revelation ... is frequently called 'Christomonism' " (GR,p. 25). …
Gold
Ezra 1:1-2:67; Revelation 8:1-9:12; Psalm 144:9-15 We read of "gold" in both Ezra and Revelation (Ezra 1:4,6,9-11; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 9:7). In Ezra 1:6, "gold" is set alongside "valuable gifts" and "all the freewill offerings." "Gold" is a valuable thing. The "gold" of our lives is truly valuable when it is given freely, as a …
Start listening to the Lord.
Ezra 2:68-4:5; Revelation 9:13-10:11; Proverbs 30:24-33 At the heart of the rebuilding of the Temple, there was worship: "With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good; His love to Israel endures for ever" (Ezra 3:11). Those who worship the Lord are set within the context of a world that refuses to …
I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
Ezra 10:1-44; Revelation 14:14-15:8; Psalm 146:1-10 God's people are to belong to Him alone. Influences which are foreign to the Gospel of Christ, alien to the Word of God, are to be excluded from our lives so that we might be, more truly and more fully, the people of God. This is the message of …
Looking forward to praising God for ever and ever
Ezra 4:6-5:17; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 145:1-7 Ezra speaks of the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 5:11). Revelation speaks of "God's Temple in heaven" (Revelation 11:19). Both belong together: building the Church here on earth and building for the Kingdom of heaven. We must never be content with a measure of success in building …
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A glimpse into the eternal dimension, a vision of glory
"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and …
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My Lord and my God
"In Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). We read these words of Paul, and we may wonder, "Was he going 'over the top' with this description of Christ?" Then, we think of the resurrection of Jesus. What does the resurrection tell us about Jesus? It tells us that He …
In the Spirit and in the Truth
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, New International Version). What is Jesus saying to us here? When we read, in the King James Version, the words, "worship in spirit and in truth", we may feel that he's speaking about the attitude in which we are to …
Love – from our Saviour, Glory – to our Saviour
"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood... to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen" (Revelation 1:5-6). Love comes to us from our Saviour. May glory be given to him by us .
Why should we read the Book of Revelation?
The Book of Revelation is the most mysterious and most difficult book in the entire Bible. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn't read it. When you read a book, it doesn’t make sense to stop reading it before you’ve read the last chapter – yet that is exactly what many people do with the Bible. …
Revelation 21-22
Chapter 21 begins with these tremendous words: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth." This sets the scene for all that follows. What a glorious scene it is! We read about the heavenly city: "There was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the …
Revelation 19-20
"Alleluia! Victory and glory and power belong to our God!": These are the great words which focus our attention, so clearly, on the final fulfilment of God's great purpose of salvation. When we hear of the reign of God, our response is to be one of joyful praise: "Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our …
Revelation 17-18
The story of Babylon is a story which runs throuygh the Scriptures. It is the story of rebellion against God. The end of Babylon refers to more than the city which is called by that name. It, also, refers to the end of sin, the end of rebellion against God. This is the great theme …
Revelation 14-16
In the book of Revelation, salvation and judgment go hand in hand. Though the power of the devil is very great, we must never forget this: through the greater power of our Lord Jesus Christ, there will be "those who had fought against the beast and won" (chapter 15).
Revelation 12-13
In these chapters, we read more about the triumph of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fierce may be the conflict, but victory is secure. No matter what Satan and his army seek to do, the outcome is certain: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His …
Revelation 9-11
The judgment of God is a solemn and awesome thing. Those who exclude this message of judgment from their thinking, preaching and living are not taking seriously all that God says to us, in His Word, concerning Himself. God's concern is not simply with judgment. He is concerned with the triumph of His Kingdom: "The …
Revelation 6-8
Prior to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, the world will be profoundly affected by antichrist influences. There will be war, famine and death. The judgment of God will come, and it will be awesome: "Fall on us and hide us away from the One who sits on the throne and from the anger …
Revelation 1-5
The opening chapter of Revelation presents us with a tremendous vision of the glorified Christ. If we are inclined to be so taken up with the glory of it all that we forget about things that are going on here on earth, the Lord Jesus brings us back down to earth when He speaks to …
Big questions
What's life all about? What does it mean? Does life have a God-given meaning? or Do we, ourselves, give it a meaning that, we feel, it has for us? Why are we here on earth? What is the purpose of our life? Do we have a God-given answer to this question? or Must we create, …
More questions than answers
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will …
One Year Bible: Days 334-361
Day 334 Daniel 7:1-8:14; 1 John 2:12-27; Psalm 136:13-26 Daniel 7:13-14 looks forward, prophetically, to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the future towards which history is moving, the future towards which God is working, the future of the Kingdom of God. This world is passing away, "but the man who …
The Scriptures take us back to the past. They do not leave us there.
The Scriptures take us back to the past. They do not leave us there. We learn about "what will take place later" (Revelation 1:19). Jesus has come. This is the past. Jesus will come. This is the future. Some tell us that this world is all that there is. God's Word tells us something very …
Continue reading The Scriptures take us back to the past. They do not leave us there.
Appreciating what Christ has done for us through his death on the cross
The gospel of free grace says, "You were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). It tells us, "You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). Christ has paid the price of our redemption by taking upon himself the penalty for our sin. We are invited to receive all the blessings …
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Two Very Different Types Of Guilt
There are two very different types of guilt.There is guilt that comes from the evil spirit, Satan, and there is guilt that comes from the Holy Spirit.Satan is our "accuser" (Revelation 12:10). He makes us feel guilty, because he wants to keep us feeling guilty.The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and guilt (John …
The Lamb of God – crucified and exalted
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:12) From John 1:29, we learn that Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." These words, from John the Baptist, looked forward to Christ's death …
Special Days – All Saints: Revelation 7:9-17 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12
Looking at things with Christ’s eyes Christ invites us to ‘come’ (Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7) - and look at things through His eyes. With Him, we look at earth. With Him, we look at heaven. Troubled world, tremendous worship - These are the things we see when we look through the eyes of our …
Revelation – Centred On Christ, Our Saviour
Carl E. Braaten has written that "Serious reservations ... must be voiced against the dominant position of the idea of revelation in theology." Braaten suggests that the idea of revelation implies that "man's essential predicament is his lack of knowledge." Braaten offers this comment: "If the ignorance of man stands in the centre, then the …
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The Lord is our shepherd, and he will, always, be our shepherd.
"The Lord is my shepherd... I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:1,6). "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” (Revelation 7:17). We read the first words of Psalm 23, …
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Looking back and looking forward
Special Days – Remembrance Day: Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 20; Revelation 22:1-5; Matthew 5:38-48 Looking back and looking forward ‘O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name... You have done marvellous things’ (Isaiah 25:1). We remember what God has done for us. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be …
Real gold – not counterfeit ‘gold’
We read of “gold” in both Ezra and Revelation (Ezra 1:4,6,9-11; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 9:7). In Ezra 1:6, “gold” is set alongside “valuable gifts” and “all the freewill offerings.” “Gold” is a valuable thing. The “gold” of our lives is truly valuable when it is given freely, as a “freewill offering.” In Revelation 8:3, “gold” is associated with “the prayers …
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus came from heaven. He came to earth. What a wonderful story is the story of God's way of salvation! In …
Continue reading The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
There are better things to come.
"See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind" (Isaiah 65:17). "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ... I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God ... He will wipe …
Another ‘3:16’ to set alongside John 3:16!
John 3:16, Rev 3:16–20 lIn John 3:16, we read these wonderful words concerning God’s love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Here’s another “3:16″ – “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about …
Come To Christ And Reign With Him.
Our Saviour is ‘Faithful and True’. He is ‘the Word of God’. He is our ‘Lord’ and ‘King’ (Revelation 19:11,13,16). We are invited to ‘come’ to Him. The invitation - ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God’ - is a call to come to Christ (Revelation 19:17). We come to Christ so that …
The Lord has much to say to this generation – if only the people would listen …
At the heart of the rebuilding of the Temple, there was worship - “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love to Israel endures for ever” (Ezra 3:11). Those who worship the Lord are set within the context of a world that refuses to worship Him: “The rest of …
Continue reading The Lord has much to say to this generation – if only the people would listen …
Christ Has Given Us The Victory.
Revelation 16:1-17:8 We live in an unbelieving and rebellious world - ‘they refused to repent and glorify Him’. In an increasingly hostile environment, we must seek to maintain our faithful’ testimony’. There are many who take delight in sin. They rebel against God. They take pleasure in persecuting the people of God: ‘They will make …
Let Your Commitment To Christ Be Very Definite.
Every church in every nation and every generation has so much to learn from ‘what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29). Christ is to be our ‘first love’. We are not to ‘abandon’ Him. We are to ‘keep right on to the end of the road’ - ‘faithful until death’ (Revelation 2:4,10). We …
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Jesus – Our Saviour And Our Shepherd
“These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ... The Lamb in the center near the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear …
Singers From Every Nation And Every Generation
The singers will come “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Not just some nations! All nations! Not just this generation! Not just the “now” generation! Every generation will be there. They will come from the past. They will come from the future. This is bigger than the Eurovision Song Contest! …
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Each day, we stand between the past and the future.
Each day, we stand between the past and the future. In our prayers, we call upon God to “remember” (Nehemiah 13:14,22,29,31). There are two different kinds of ‘remembering’ here. God remembers His faithful servants. He also remembers those who have been unfaithful. As we face the future, we must be guided by both the Gospel …
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Let us give thanks – with joy.
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to …
From the beginning to the end
"'I am the Beginning and the End', says the Lord God" (Revelation 1:8).We think about the past - and we know that we cannot change it. We think about the future, and we don't know what it holds for us. All we have is the present. We think about the past and the future - …
Praising the Lord for all eternity
Esther 9 speaks of days of feasting and joy (Esther 9:17-19,22-23,28). If the Jews had cause to rejoice in Esther’s day, we have much more cause for rejoicing in the Lord – “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). The praise of God’s …
Learning From God's Word 