Category: revelation

Good News — Advent

December 7, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  (Isaiah 52:7).  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. – Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  (Luke 2:8-11, 12-14).  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  (Matt. 9:35-38).  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matt. 28:18-20).  “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved – And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they hear if they are not sent?  As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”(Romans 10:9, 13, 14b-15).  They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”  (Rev. 6:10).  Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy.  When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.  Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.  The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.  (Isaiah 52:8-10).  I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  – His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns – He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.  He will rule them with an iron scepter.  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Rev. 19:11-15).  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  (Rev. 21:4).

My dad says that Biblical prophecy is cyclical.  Many of the prophecies of Messiah foretell both His first coming and his second coming together.  God is outside time and space and in these prophecies He is giving us what He can of what we can understand to hold fast to during difficult times.

I am no Bible scholar (although I’ve been studying the Bible most of my life).  And, I am no theologian (having never formally studies theology).  But the passages above spoke to me, together today.

Having grown up in a non-liturgical church, I never observed “advent” as such.  This year, God is softening my heart to see how, in this time we live today, advent is about waiting for His second coming and making space in my heart for Jesus today so that He can naturally flow from my words and deeds — my life — to witness to those in my life.  Now is the time of harvest, friends.  Before His salvation is fully realized.

In the verses above, who brought good tidings?  Who proclaimed the good news?  In the verse in Romans, what is the good news?  Who has been sent to make disciples?  What is the last thing that broke your heart?  Frustrated you?  Have you offered that heartache/frustration to God?   Fasten the passage from Revelation in your mind, friend.  Use the pain of sin to increase your expectation of Him at His second coming and rejoice in His salvation!

Light

December 3, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.




In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”  And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day. (Gen.1:1, 3, 5).   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  (John 1:1, 4-5). 

I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. … Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.  (Gen. 9:13, 16).  And there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it – A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne – From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.  Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.  (Rev. 4:2, 3, 5).  

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him … When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.  On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram. (Gen. 15:12, 17-18).   From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.  That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.  (Num. 9:15-16).  On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.  Everyone in the camp trembled…Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire.  The smoke billowed up from I like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. … The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. (Ex. 19:16, 18, 20).  You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them – But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.  You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”  (Heb. 18-19, 22-24, 28-29). They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  (Acts 2:3-4).  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  (Matt. 5:14-16).  

There he was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.  (Matt. 17:2).  His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.  (Rev. 1:16).  I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True – His eyes are like blazing fire.”  (Rev. 19:11, 12).  There will be no more night.  They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.  (Rev. 22:5). 

What ways did God’s light manifest in these verses?  What does John 1:1, 4-5 say God’s light is?  Where does it say this light shines?  How has God’s light revealed parts of your heart to you?  How does Hebrews 12:18-29 admonish us to worship God because He is a consuming fire?  In what ways do you worship God?  What is your attitude in worship?  How did the passages in Matthew and Revelation talk of Jesus’ face and eyes?  What does this signify?  How will God’s people at the conclusion of history see?