Throughout history, man has been preoccupied with the future.
What will happen to us when we die? How does it all end? Does it end?
In the Bible, it is the book of Revelation that gives us a glimpse of our future. Some people fear to read Revelation. Some misunderstand its difficult and disturbing pictures of future events. God meant for it to be a "revelation," an unveiling of truth concerning Jesus Christ. God promises to bless those who read it, take to heart the words written in it, and obey those words. (Revelation 1:3)
By the time Revelation was written (through the apostle John in around 95-96AD), Jerusalem had been destroyed, the apostles Peter and Paul had been killed, and the Roman emperor Domitian was persecuting and executing those who called themselves Christians.
John had been exiled to the island of Patmos because of his faithful testimony concerning Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9). On a Sunday, "The Lord's Day," he received the message that would become the Book of Revelation.
In Chapter One, we see our risen Lord and Savior in glory, "clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire, and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength." (Revelation 1:13-16).
When John saw Him he "fell at His feet as a dead man" (Revelation 1:17)
Our Lord told him not to be afraid, but to write"the things you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things" (Revelation 1:19)
"The things which are" is the message of Jesus Christ to seven churches which were in the area that is now the country of Turkey. (Chapters Two and Three)
It is a message of encouragement to those followers of Christ who were living in a way that pleased our Lord and it is a message of warning to change those things which our Lord found displeasing to Him. We would do well to heed those words.
Chapter Four begins "the things which shall take place." Future events. The scene shifts from earth to heaven as John is told to "Come up here." (Revelation 4:1)
He finds himself before the Throne of God, before God Himself, and all of Heaven is worshipping before the Throne: "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come." (Revelation 4:8)
In Chapter Five, we hear the words: "for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation"(5:9)
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain"(5:12) We who belong to Christ are there, worshipping our Lord forever. In Chapter Three, believers are on earth. In Chapter Four, believers are in heaven. What happened between Chapters Three and Four?
First Thessalonians 4:16-17 answers that question: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall 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."
Then, the divine judgment on earth written about in Revelation Chapter Six through Chapter Eighteen begins.
The true Church is gone, gone to Heaven.
I know that we are told that over fifty percent of Americans claim to be Christians, but Jesus in His "Sermon on the Mount" said: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14)
We, as true believers, may not even diminish the population very much when Jesus Christ comes to take us home to Heaven before the judgment in Revelation Chapter Six begins. We have only two choices, according to Jesus Christ: The wide gate or the narrow gate. Eternal punishment or eternal life (Matthew 25:46)
How do we enter through the narrow gate that leads to Eternal Life in Heaven?
If we go back to the scene in Revelation 5:9 it says: "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."
The only way for any of us to get to Heaven is through the blood of Jesus Christ.
We must first agree with God that we are sinners:
"All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each one of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him" (Isaiah 53:6)
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
All of our sin is against Him. That is how God sees us. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Our sin demands the punishment of a Holy and Righteous God:
"The person who sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:20)
"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27)
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15)
"there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:50)
"where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48)
The Good News
The Gospel, literally, "the good news", is that God has made a way for us to get back to Him, while punishing our sin against Him. That way is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ:
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, but through Me'" (John 14:6)
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8)
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him"
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
Repent "to change your mind and direction"
In Ezekiel 33:11 God says: "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways"
Turn from the path that leads to eternal punishment and to turn to Christ.
"repent and believe the gospel"(Mark1:15)
"repent and turn to God"(Acts 26:20)
Believe in your heart that on the cross, Jesus Christ paid for all your sins:
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved"(Acts 16:31)
Publicly confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior:
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."(Romans 10:9)
We know that all our sins are paid for by the blood of Christ, because He has risen from the dead:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"(1 Peter 1:3)
Lord open up my eyes so that I might see the truth of your Word
"For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Come to Christ Jesus
"And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost" (Revelation 22:17)
Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the
New American Standard Bible
Copyright 1977 The Lockman Foundation
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Berean Bible Fellowship
PO Box 25756
Richmond, VA 23235
www.bbfva.org
"simplicity and purity
of devotion to Christ"
2 Corinthians 11:3
Written By:
Bruce David Bell, Pastor
804-814-5730
Design by:
TJ Borneisen
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