Armageddon

Miraculous Deliverance in Revelation

/ Karen / 4 Comments

As we saw in the previous post, King Darius believed in the God of Daniel after witnessing Daniel’s miraculous deliverance from the lions. The king declared:

‘I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.’

Daniel 6:26 NKJV

However, in a day soon to come, a different ruler will arise who will do just the opposite. Instead of a world of peace and godliness, it will be a terrible day where God will pour out his wrath on all the earth. However, just as He rescued Daniel, God has a miraculous deliverance planned for His church.

How it all began…

Jealousy

Remember Satan’s desire to overthrow God’s kingdom, which sealed his eternal fate? God cast him and one-third of his angel followers out of heaven. Since then, Satan’s goal has been to deceive mankind into worshiping him instead of God and to add their souls to hell’s kingdom.

How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15 NKJV

Deception

Unlike King Darius, a new ruler (who Scripture calls the beast) will arise to control the world with a one-world political and economic system. His sidekick, the false prophet, will create a one-world religion and perform great signs, deceiving people to worship the beast as God.

The beast will face assassination but will magically come back to life after three days, indwelt by Satan himself as Anti-Christ. Following this miraculous sign, he will force every person on earth to take his mark (his name or his number 666) on either the right hand or forehead, without which no one can buy nor sell. The Anti-Christ will force all people to worship the image of the beast or lose their lives, just as in the story of Daniel.

The Anti-Christ will then make a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, but halfway through will break it by seating himself in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, proclaiming to be God. Every person who has his mark will fall down and worship his image, but the Jews will flee to the mountains in Jordan, called Petra, where God will protect them until Christ’s Second Coming. (See Revelation 12:6)

Capture

During the seven-year Tribulation, suffering will occur on all sides. God will pour out His wrath through the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, while the Anti-Christ will persecute Christians and Jews.

Where will the Church be now?

God’s wrath is meant for the wicked, not the righteous. Although there is debate about the timing, the Rapture will snatch away all believers in Christ in a nano second and take them to heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV

Those left behind who get saved after the Rapture will endure unbelievable suffering, as they cannot buy or sell without the mark. If caught and captured, they will face a guillotine as punishment for their faith in Jesus. On the other hand, those who take the mark of the beast are cursed by God forever. These will suffer under God’s judgment poured out upon all mankind.

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.‘

Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV

Miraculous Deliverance

The last great battle, the Battle of Armageddon, will take place on the plains of Meggido. Many nations will converge on tiny Israel to annihilate it from the earth, thus believing they are annihilating God from the earth. Instead, they are in for the greatest surprise of their lives as they look upward.

‘Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.’

Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV

Justice

Jesus will defeat the beast and his armies, and He will cast the false prophet and the anti-Christ into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The double-edged sword from Jesus’s mouth will kill the armies, and the birds will feast on their flesh. Also, God will bind Satan for 1,000 years then release him for a short time and finally cast him into the lake of fire. The White Throne Judgment will take place where God will judge the wicked and also cast them into the lake of fire.

Decree

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), King of heaven and earth and all creation.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’

Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV

Conclusion

As one man, Daniel, experienced miraculous deliverance, so shall all the earth one day soon. The pages of Revelation write the next story, and many of us will witness it. Perhaps its pages are a mystery to those who have never read or studied it. This is the time to take part in the blessing promised to all those who read and heed its warnings.

Although Revelation describes deep mysteries, the most important thing to understand is that Jesus is coming again soon, and we must make ourselves ready for His return. Revelation reveals Jesus Christ as King above all kings and Lord of all. Salvation in Him protects believers and frees us from fear of the coming tribulation.

‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’

‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’

And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Revelation 22:12,16-17 NKJV

Are you ready for God’s miraculous deliverance?

Dear Lord, may we understand the greatness of Your glory as our Deliverer from the wrath to come. Draw all men to Yourself that we may know You as Lord and Savior. Thank you for providing miraculous deliverance through salvation in Your Son. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Miraculous Deliverance in Revelation by Karen Jurgens copyright 2021 and 2023 All rights reserved

Miraculous Deliverance in Revelation

/ Karen / 4 Comments

As we saw in the previous post, King Darius believed in the God of Daniel after witnessing Daniel’s miraculous deliverance from the lions. The king declared:

‘I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.’

Daniel 6:26 NKJV

However, in a day soon to come, a different ruler will arise who will do just the opposite. Instead of a world of peace and godliness, it will be a terrible day where God will pour out his wrath on all the earth. However, just as He rescued Daniel, God has a miraculous deliverance planned for His church.

How it all began…

Jealousy

Remember Satan’s desire to overthrow God’s kingdom, which sealed his eternal fate? God cast him and one-third of his angel followers out of heaven. Since then, Satan’s goal has been to deceive mankind into worshiping him instead of God and to add their souls to hell’s kingdom.

How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15 NKJV

Deception

Unlike King Darius, a new ruler (who Scripture calls the beast) will arise to control the world with a one-world political and economic system. His sidekick, the false prophet, will create a one-world religion and perform great signs, deceiving people to worship the beast as God.

The beast will face assassination but will magically come back to life after three days, indwelt by Satan himself as Anti-Christ. Following this miraculous sign, he will force every person on earth to take his mark (his name or his number 666) on either the right hand or forehead, without which no one can buy nor sell. The Anti-Christ will force all people to worship the image of the beast or lose their lives, just as in the story of Daniel.

The Anti-Christ will then make a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, but halfway through will break it by seating himself in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, proclaiming to be God. Every person who has his mark will fall down and worship his image, but the Jews will flee to the mountains in Jordan, called Petra, where God will protect them until Christ’s Second Coming. (See Revelation 12:6)

Capture

During the seven-year Tribulation, suffering will occur on all sides. God will pour out His wrath through the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments, while the Anti-Christ will persecute Christians and Jews.

Where will the Church be now?

God’s wrath is meant for the wicked, not the righteous. Although there is debate about the timing, the Rapture will snatch away all believers in Christ in a nano second and take them to heaven for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV

Those left behind who get saved after the Rapture will endure unbelievable suffering, as they cannot buy or sell without the mark. If caught and captured, they will face a guillotine as punishment for their faith in Jesus. On the other hand, those who take the mark of the beast are cursed by God forever. These will suffer under God’s judgment poured out upon all mankind.

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.‘

Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV

Miraculous Deliverance

The last great battle, the Battle of Armageddon, will take place on the plains of Meggido. Many nations will converge on tiny Israel to annihilate it from the earth, thus believing they are annihilating God from the earth. Instead, they are in for the greatest surprise of their lives as they look upward.

‘Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.’

Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV

Justice

Jesus will defeat the beast and his armies, and He will cast the false prophet and the anti-Christ into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. The double-edged sword from Jesus’s mouth will kill the armies, and the birds will feast on their flesh. Also, God will bind Satan for 1,000 years then release him for a short time and finally cast him into the lake of fire. The White Throne Judgment will take place where God will judge the wicked and also cast them into the lake of fire.

Decree

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), King of heaven and earth and all creation.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’

Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV

Conclusion

As one man, Daniel, experienced miraculous deliverance, so shall all the earth one day soon. The pages of Revelation write the next story, and many of us will witness it. Perhaps its pages are a mystery to those who have never read or studied it. This is the time to take part in the blessing promised to all those who read that book.

Although Revelation describes deep mysteries, the most important thing to understand is that Jesus is coming again soon, and we must make ourselves ready for His return. Revelation reveals Jesus Christ as King above all kings and Lord of all. Salvation in Him protects believers and frees us from fear of the coming tribulation.

‘And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.’

‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’

And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Revelation 22:12,16-17 NKJV

Are you ready for God’s miraculous deliverance?

Dear Lord, may we understand the greatness of Your glory as our Deliverer from the wrath to come. Draw all men to Yourself that we may know You as Lord and Savior. Thank you for providing miraculous deliverance through salvation in Your Son. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Miraculous Deliverance in Revelation by Karen Jurgens copyright 2021 All rights reserved

The Revelation Church at Smyrna

/ Karen / Leave a comment

Welcome to Smyrna, whose congregation suffered perhaps the greatest persecution in all Christianity. As a materially poor church located in a wealthy city, their faithful works performed in the name of the Lord Jesus brought them great tribulation on earth, yet great reward in heaven.

First, a little history …

Located about thirty-five miles north of Ephesus, Smyrna (modern day Izmir) was a cultural center referred to as the “Ornament of Asia.” Very loyal to Rome for at least three centuries, this city built temples devoted to various Roman gods and was the worship center for Emperor Tiberias. Over time, emperor worship became compulsory for every Roman citizen on penalty of death, and those who refused to obey were burned alive.

Such was the fate of Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, a student under John who would not deny his faith in Jesus. Isn’t is crystal clear what a hotbed of hatred and persecution this church must have faced?

But it has also surfaced today in many parts of the world. Look at the cradle of Christianity in some Middle Eastern countries, for example. Believers are imprisoned, beheaded, and crucified by the thousands for their unwavering stand for Jesus. Quite unbelievable that this could be happening in 2015, but Bible prophecy tells us to expect it in the Last Days before the Apocalypse.

And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:8-9, NASB).

Jesus has no rebuke for this church, but instead commends them for their suffering. The attacks they endured were slanderous ones led by those whose evil intent was to destroy this believing church.

Even today, does political unfairness against Christian churches exist? In some countries, they are being burned down, branded as houses of worship for Infidels. And this trend is spreading around the world.

But God also commends this church for the spiritual riches they laid up in heaven. In contrast to the city’s great wealth, it was materially impoverished, probably due to unfair economic sanctions levied against it.

chest

 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal (Matthew 6:20. NASB).

Although their enemies were hell-bent on destroying this church financially, their faithfulness and obedience built up great wealth for them in heaven. Think how powerful their preaching must have been for Satan to attack them so ruthlessly!

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days (Revelation 2:10a, NASB).

God readied them for their upcoming persecution, telling specifically how long it would last. He began with encouragement that they need not fear what they were about to suffer at Satan’s hands.

crown

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2: 10b-11, NASB).

This letter ends on a positive note. What are the benefits of enduring persecution, even if it leads to death? God spells them out.

In Smyrna’s day, one of its money symbols was a crown engraved on their coins. In contrast, Jesus promises to give the crown of life to those who hold true to their belief in the Lord. What a glorious benefit, along with eternal life in God’s kingdom.

No matter how bad it appeared, the Smyrna congregation could rest in the safety of His arms and the comfort of knowing that He is in control.

And so can we.

We don’t have to fear. The Word tells us that God wins the war against Satan at Armageddon, and His kingdom will be established . Then we will rule and reign with Christ forever. The Anti-Christ’s seven-year reign of terror is short, temporary, and controlled by God.

Are you prepared to head into these troubling days? Do you have the personal assurance that you will be an overcomer through Jesus’ death and resurrection?

We find our solace in the Savior. There is only one safe place in these days of terrorism and persecution. It’s  not a physical place, but a spiritual one found in Jesus alone. Here’s what the scripture says:

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9, NASB).

For by grace are you saved through faith, and not that of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 8:11, NASB).

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe (Proverbs 18:10, NASB).

He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalms 91:1, NASB).

Are you ready? So am I. Together, let’s face these days with the courage and strength of the Lord

Please continue with me to our next stop. Meet me in Pergamum.