Through the Bible for Skeptics, Seekers, and Disciples

John sees two beasts. These beasts remind us of the beasts we see in the book of Daniel. The first beast has the power of war. The second beast has the power of economic security. A nation becomes like a beast when it demands allegiance from its people. When people idolize power and money, they are marked on the forehead and the wrist with the mark of the beast. The Hebrew Scriptures mention having the Shema on the forehead and on the wrist. The Shema states: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Some Jewish folks took this literally and wore phylacteries on their forehead and on their wrist with the Shema written on it. Ultimately, God wants faithful followers to memorize the Shema (“written on your forehead”) and live out the Shema (“on your hands”). Those who have allegiance to God are committed to Him and His ways regardless of the persecution they may face while living in Babylon. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

Seeing into the spiritual realm, John sees the source of all evil - the dragon. The pregnant woman being attacked by the dragon gives birth to a child who reigns over all the nations. Some think the woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some think the woman could represent Israel as Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. Some think the woman was Eve as God tells the serpent (the dragon) in Genesis 3 that “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This snake crusher was Jesus who was killed by evil by dying on the cross, but the serpent would actually eventually lose because of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Evil fights against those who follow Jesus. Our faithfulness in following Jesus’ commands and in telling others about Jesus changing our lives even in the midst of persecution helps win the battle in the spiritual realm. We have a part to play by not giving into evil in our minds, in our hearts, and in our actions and instead trusting the way of Jesus. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

John sees Two Witnesses which he also refers to as lampstands which is how he referred to the 7 churches of Asia earlier. These Two Witnesses represent the faithful witness of the Church in spite of the persecution and the evil transpiring all around them. Many will die for their faith, but the Church will prevail. The plagues did not turn the nations to God, but the faithful witness of the persecuted church does turn hearts towards God. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

John sees a huge angel with a small scroll in his hand. John eats the small scroll which tastes sweet like honey, but it becomes bitter in his stomach. We also discover 7 thunders which will not be revealed to us. John is to proclaim what is true to the nations. His message is about a loving and just God who will one day make all things right and who made a way for us through His Son Jesus. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

John sees into the supernatural realm. The 5th trumpet is sounded. Woes are experienced on earth. Evil is destroying itself. Out of the Abyss comes the demonic. The human heart has a level of wickedness. Out of that comes the evil that humans perpetrate. Together there is a systemic evil and corruption we create that will eventually destroy itself. Even still, people continue to resist the grace of God. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

John sees that our prayers rise up with incense to the altar in the throne room of God. The Day of the Lord has happened many times in history and at different times for different nations. The Day of the Lord at the end of all time will be even more intense than any other previous Day of the Lord. In his vision John sees 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls. Some see this as all predictive of something to come in the future. Some see them as happening throughout human history in part since they are interwoven. The 7th seal reveals the 7 trumpets and the 7th trumpet reveals the 7 bowls. This time of tribulation or testing reminds us of the plagues in the story of the Exodus. Sadly, even as evil grows and suffering increases, many still have a hard heart towards God much like the Pharaoh did. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

Those who have faith in Jesus can withstand the Day of the Lord. John hears of 144,000 from the tribes of Israel who are following Jesus, but then he sees people from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation represented worshiping Jesus. Some say the number 144,000 is literal and records Jews from each tribe who become believers in Jesus Christ. Some like Thomas R. Schreiner believe that “the 144,000 symbolically represent all Christians throughout history, both Jews and Gentiles. They are God’s army who wage war by being faithful to the Lamb and enduring persecution.who wage war by being faithful to the Lamb and enduring persecution…. We have the number twelve representing the people of God from the twelve tribes in the OT, and the number is squared and then multiplied by 1,000. Hence the number should be understood as a symbolic way of designating the entire people of God.” According to Sam Storms: “the numbering (144,000) is being used to evoke images of the Old Testament census, which was designed to determine the military strength of the nation… which is why they are adult males, i.e., those eligible for military service… The point is that these in Revelation 7 constitute a Messianic army called upon, like Jesus himself, to conquer the enemy through sacrificial death.” #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

The Lamb of God opens the seal. The four horsemen of the apocalypse who are called Death, Conquest, Famine, and War begin to run rampant. Some think this is a prediction of what is to come. Some think this already happened at the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Some think this has been happening between Jesus’ first coming and will intensify all the way until the second coming of Jesus. In certain parts of the world, they are facing tremendous persecution right now! Some struggle to trust God in the midst of a world filled with so much suffering. God will eradicate evil one day by allowing evil to devour itself. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Tribulation #Evil #EndOfEvil #Jesus

John sees a scroll and weeps as he realizes that no one is worthy to open this scroll. It appears that no one could fulfill God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Then he sees a Lion! Shockingly, then the Lion turns into a Lamb with 7 horns, 7 eyes, and 7 spirits which represents the fact that this Lamb has full authority, can see all things, and has the Holy Spirit. The Lamb is worthy because he gave his life for the sins of humanity! People from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation will one day worship the Lamb of God! John was seeing in the supernatural realm what happened in the real world when Jesus died on the cross. #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus

John’s vision includes the throne room of God which includes incredibly unique creatures who constantly sing out “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” It is hard for us to fathom the greatness of God! There are others who had similar visions of God like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. ‭ #NewTestament #Devotional #SpiritualGrowth #BibleSummary #Christianity #BibleStudy #ScriptureSummary #ChristianLife #Faith #Church #EarlyChurch #Revelation #EndTimes #JusticeOfGod #Apocalypse #BiblicalProphecy #SecondComing #Persecution #Dissident #Resistance #Babylon #Witness #Jesus