Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 19

Day 19

Revelation 12:1-17

[Rev. 12:1] ¶ Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. [Rev. 12:2] She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. [Rev. 12:3] Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. [Rev. 12:4] Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. [Rev. 12:5] So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, [Rev. 12:6] and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.
[Rev. 12:7] ¶ Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. [Rev. 12:8] But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. [Rev. 12:9] So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.
[Rev. 12:10] Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
the one who accuses them day and night before our God,
has been thrown down.
[Rev. 12:11] But they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
[Rev. 12:12] Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
[Rev. 12:13] ¶ Now when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. [Rev. 12:14] But the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time. [Rev. 12:15] Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood,  [Rev. 12:16] but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.  [Rev. 12:17] So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.

The expression “sun, moon and stars” is established with Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37. He saw the Sun, Moon and Stars bowing down to him and we are told that this represented his father Jacob (Israel), his mother, and his brothers - the earliest beginnings of Israel. Here after, when the prophets charged Israel with turning their backs on God they pick up this language and depict Israel with expressions like, “the sun no longer gives forth its light, the moon has been turned to dark, and the stars have fallen from the sky” (or parts of this expression, such as Isaiah 13:10; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:31). 

John presents us with picture of the birth of Jesus and the establishment of the church. After Christ ascended, the Devil unleashed hell (so to speak) against the Church to destroy it. But John shows that God had ordained to not only preserve His Church, but to nourish His Church. Trial and persecution may appear to be the time when God has abandoned His Church, but this revelation sees it quite the opposite! It’s during difficult times that God’s presence, protection, and preservation are most enlisted. It is in these times that God’s servants are actually most nourished (vs. 14). 

She was just a lowly girl. Yet she caught the attention of Heaven. She had no standing in the world of politics or government. Yet against her was mustered the entire hordes of Hell to destroy her and her Son. From obscurity to greatness. This was the story of Mary, Christ, and the Church. And yet the often untold story is the interaction of Heaven in ensuring that this story would actually be told the way it was scripted. And this could be your two-sided story as well.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 15

Day 15

Revelation 9:20 -21

[Rev. 9:20] The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. [Rev. 9:21] Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing. 

What does it take for some people to see their need to repent? Repentance from sinful activities does us good. While sin may garb itself in pleasantness and pleasure, it’s sweet taste eventually becomes poisoned gravel in our stomachs. Repentance is not to be reduced to a one-off moment coinciding with our conversion to Christ. Rather it should be seen as the constant steering wheel adjustment that the soul makes to counter the drift of sin’s damage to our spiritual wheel alignment. 

John is describing events that were designed to lead people to repent from sin. The image of plagues reminds us of what God did in Egypt to deliver Israel. These plagues were a demonstration of God’s supremacy over each of Egypt’s false gods. Some Egyptians did repent and joined the wandering nation of Hebrews that Passover night on their journey to the Promised Land (Exodus 12:38). But most Egyptians did not.

It seems incomprehensible to some that God would not give in to the demands of the majority when it comes to determining what are acceptable laws for mankind. I spoke with a man recently about his sin. His response was “It can’t be wrong what I’m doing because ninety plus percent of the population are doing it as well!” The people in sin that would not repent are here identified by John as worshiping demons. Their idolatry had led them to commit murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, and theft. The response from God was dramatic. 

When Paul wrote to the Romans he described God using yet another strategy for bringing some people to repentance: His kindness (Romans 2:4). 

How would you prefer for God to facilitate for your repentance? I think I would prefer His kindness. I also think that these people described by John probably had experienced God’s kindness designed to lead them to repentance, but because they had refused to repent God used this other means. My prayer is that my heart will always respond to the kindness of God when He gently summons me to repent, without the need for God to orchestrate anything more drastic.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 14

Day 14

Revelation 8:1-5

[Rev. 8:1] ¶ Now when the Lamb opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. [Rev. 8:2] Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. [Rev. 8:3] Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. [Rev. 8:4] The smoke coming from the incense, along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. [Rev. 8:5] Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

In the midst of the upheaval enveloping the believers of the first century where John reveals that these dire circumstances are actually comprising the judgment of Christ on His opponents, there is something glorious being revealed simultaneously in heaven. As the geo-political climate takes a turn against Christians on earth, their prayers ascend to heaven and fill heaven with an enchanting aroma that bears resemblance to holy incense used in Temple worship.

Little do we realise how effective our prayers are. Billy Graham is reported to have said that heaven is filled with answers to prayer that no-one asked for. While the saints, those who were faithfully following Christ, prayed for God to intervene and bring them relief, God was preparing to answer. Like many answers to prayer, things would seem to get worse before they would get better - but what John sees is that it is the apparent increase in the cause for prayer that God was actually using to bring about His purposes. How often we experience disappointment and setback and reckon it to be God ignoring us when in fact it is God answering us. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Suffering is a divine test of trust. Chuck Swindoll has said, “Trust in God delights in His ‘No’ to our requests.” 

These first century Christians were enduring tremendous hardship. This Revelation was a promised blessing to them. Surely this vision of their impassioned pleas filling heaven with the smoke of holy incense could have only encouraged them to pray more fervently. Would we pray more if we received a similar revelation of the effect of our prayers?

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 12

Day 12

Revelation 6:1-14

[Rev. 6:1] ¶ I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!” [Rev. 6:2] So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer. [Rev. 6:3] ¶ Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” [Rev. 6:4] And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword. [Rev. 6:5] ¶ Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand. [Rev. 6:6] Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!” [Rev. 6:7] ¶ Then when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” [Rev. 6:8] So I looked and here came a pale green horse! The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth. [Rev. 6:9] ¶ Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. [Rev. 6:10] They cried out with a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” [Rev. 6:11] Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.  [Rev. 6:12] ¶ Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red; [Rev. 6:13] and the stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a fierce wind. [Rev. 6:14] The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

In the ancient times, royal decrees were written on a scroll, sealed with wax and then impressed with the Emperor’s emblem. Upon receipt, only the authorised representative was permitted to break the wax seal and unfurl the scroll to reveal the King’s judgment. While Caesar was issuing decrees to martyr Christians and forcibly close churches, John sees a vision of the True King issuing the real decrees of consequential rather than temporal judgment.

Today, we still live in a world where kings and tyrants, professors and celebrities rail against God. Feigning brightness they espouse irrationality. Pretending to be mighty they are destined to bow before the One who is Almighty.

John is writing to his readers in two languages. The first is Greek. The second is symbolism, or more accurately: Biblical symbolism. You may never get the opportunity to learn Biblical Greek. But you should create an opportunity to learn Biblical symbolism. Most of the Book of Revelation is written in this latter language which a Bible reader learns from becoming familiar with the Old Testament.

Undoubtedly, John’s original audience knew this latter language. This Biblically symbolic revelation would have been immensely comforting to them. He refers to a precise number yet waiting to be made complete. These disasters against the Church were not a matter of the Enemy gaining the upper hand. In a way that is often beyond immediate human comprehension, the persecution and martyrdom was actually an integral part of Christ’s plan - which would be completed - and still will ultimately be.

Rather than the Church being crushed by the opposition it faced from Rome and Jerusalem, Christ's plan was still on track and He would be vindicated. And it still is and He was and He will be still.

It’s now up to us to live like it.

 Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 8

Day 8

Revelation 3:1-6

[Rev. 3:1] ¶ “To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ¶ “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. [Rev. 3:2] Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. [Rev. 3:3] Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. [Rev. 3:4] But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. [Rev. 3:5] The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. [Rev. 3:6] The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Becoming a Christian commences with a momentous change called conversion. This is only possible because the Holy Spirit has gripped the soul of a person. The Spirit empowers a person to turn from their slavery to sin to a joyful surrender to Christ. This is called repentance. Yet it doesn’t end there. The Holy Spirit walks beside a believer and draws them back to the upward path of following Christ whenever they stray off it. This is also called repentance. 

But I am disturbed by this call of Christ to the Sardisians to repent. They had not gone into gross sin like the Thyatirans, rather they had strayed while maintaining the appearance of continuing to walk on the upward path of life. But even if this straying from the path of life was into blatant sin, and still appeared to most to be upright Christianity, to the eyes of Christ who addresses the Sardisians with the statement (that either comforts or confronts) “I have seen…” - their sin of spiritual laxity and pretense was a cause of soiling their garments of conversion.

Some in the church at Sardis had not fallen asleep spiritually or strayed from Christ’s upward path of life. Just because all around you abandons right living does not mean that you must as well. But it does make it harder for you. This is why Christ strongly commends those “few” Sardisians who had overcome this.

Do you need to repent? How would you like to Jesus to see you and your works for Him at this point in your life? The idea of Christ watching over us is either comforting or confronting. There is coming a day, however, when we will discover that Christ actually has been watching us. If this is confronting more than it is comforting, then perhaps we need to repent. And the same Holy Spirit who enabled you to repent in the first place, is still available to believers today to enable you to get back onto the path of life.

Andrew Corbett