Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read Revelation 19:1-10 before reading the devotional below.

As we near the end of the book of Revelation, we will begin to see more about who God is, what has motivated him to bring judgment to the world, and what his final victory will look like. In today’s passage we see a celebration of God’s defeat of Babylon, the personified city of evil. It’s interesting that in verse 2 it says, “He has avenged the murder of his servants.” God is seeking to reclaim what has been taken from him. Once again, he’s on the side of his creation and is angry at what evil has done to his world.

Next in the celebration is the preparation for the great wedding of the Lamb. The bride, which symbolizes the church throughout the Bible, has been clothed in white. The passage tells us that the good deeds of God’s holy people are the stunning wedding dress. Those who are invited to this long-awaited wedding are called “blessed.” We know from Jesus’ teachings (using weddings as parables) that those who were initially invited chose not to come, but those who were society’s outcasts ended up taking their place. Also note in verse 10 that when John attempts to worship the angel he is corrected, and again we see Jesus’ divine nature proclaimed as those who have faith in Jesus must worship only God.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are part of this bride of Christ. What you do becomes the adornment for the wedding day. Think of yourself as a fashion designer — what bits of beauty do you want to bring to the bride’s glorious dress? What bits of lace or sparkle will your good deeds add?

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 18 before reading the devotional below.

Since the earliest of Bible times, people claiming to follow God get caught up in earthly things. Aaron led the Israelites in worship of a golden calf while they all doubted whether Moses would ever come back down from the mountain. God’s people demanded an earthly king and had a slew of bad ones that led them farther away from God. The Pharisees dismissed Jesus because he didn’t come with earthly political power. How are you going to accomplish anything if you don’t rise to power here on earth? I bet many of us would also wonder why Jesus didn’t try to become popular or overthrow the Romans oppressing the Jews in his day.

Today’s passage shows us the great demon called “Babylon” will be destroyed. She represented lust, power, fame, and wealth. Verse 14 should convict every single American Christian: “The fancy things you loved so much are gone.” We may claim to follow Jesus, but we need to honestly and humbly check our hearts. Where do we really think we will be satisfied and safe? A nice neighborhood? The right political party? The latest tech or the nicest clothes?

If you value the comforts of this earth, you will be in anguish when they are taken from you. A simple, quiet life is one of the most un-American ambitions. Even those of us who think we value simplicity are often fooling ourselves. We have been lulled into complacency but we are falling for the siren songs of wealth, fame, and power. Babylon looks inviting until she is destroyed in a single day. What are you afraid to lose in your life? How might you choose to live like Jesus, who had nothing on this earth that he wasn’t willing to give up?

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 17 before reading the devotional below.

Today’s chapter shows us some next-level demonic activity that may be vitriolic to some. The central figure is this “Great Prostitute” who rides on the back of a beast and dominates the kings of the world. She is a symbolic figure which stands in contrast to the woman in labor that we saw earlier. This pregnant woman representing God’s people is birthing the salvation of the world, and this demonic woman is seeking to dominate it.

Some find it challenging to process how women are portrayed or treated in the Bible. In part this is because we do not view the men in the Bible with as great scrutiny. All of the other figures in Revelation have been described as male (or non-gendered), and only these two women have been described here. We tend to pay more attention to the female roles, while in reality these two female figures present a very similar symbolism to the Lamb and the dragon. This good versus evil match-up reminds me of Romans 5:17, where we are told that sin entered the world through one man (Adam) and will leave the world through one man (Jesus).

Verse 14 shows us that the evil that dominates the world will only be conquered by the Lamb, who is called the “Lord of lords” and “King of kings.” All of the other kings of the world succumbed to the dragon and the Great Prostitute, but Jesus is able to overcome. Those who are with him will have a way out of the evil world. A lot of people want to be neutral about spirituality, but in reality they often want to avoid difficult questions that require faith. The book of Revelation makes it clear that we are all caught up in this war whether we like it or not. Where you stand determines where you will fall.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 16 before reading the devotional below.

A lot of people see God as an angry being that is out to destroy the earth. Today’s chapter certainly reveals his anger on full display. We often think of anger as out of control because when humans are angry we can act impulsively and foolishly. Here we see that God’s anger has been held until a specific time, and that the plagues he orders the angels to carry out are a deliberate, last-chance effort to allow evildoers to repent. Again, this passage reminds me of the plagues in Exodus and the ways in which Pharaoh’s heart remained hard toward God.

Notice in verse 17 there is a shout, “It is finished!” The same thing happens in John 19:30 when Jesus dies on the cross. Both in today’s passage and in some accounts of Jesus’ death on the cross, there is an earthquake. Matthew 28 describes another earthquake when the angel appears to remove the stone from the tomb entrance. The parallels between Jesus’ victory on the cross and this final victory over evil are too strong to overlook.

God is angry at evil. Satan has established a kingdom of evil that has harmed God’s most beloved creatures: humans. Satan has tricked us, led us astray, and usurped the authority God gave us over the earth. God will not sit back and allow Satan to keep what he has stolen. Notice God gives humans who have succumb to evil one last chance to repent. He does not seem to offer that to the dragon (Satan) or the beast (false prophet) at any point. God is waging war for humanity, not against it. His anger is deliberate, calculated, and strategic. Verse 9 reminds us that God was in control of these events for a purpose, and we know that his purposes will be fulfilled.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 15 before reading the devotional below.

If you ever wondered why there are so many images of angels with harps, today’s chapter gives you the answer. A lot of people have a lot of interesting ideas about what heaven will be like, often pieced together from obscure moments in the Bible that describe one specific scene. Angels have done a lot of things in Revelation, from relaying messages to fighting wars to carrying plagues to playing harps. Angels seem to play important roles both in heaven and on earth.

The focus of today’s chapter is on the song the angels are singing. Again we see the complexity of God as his glory and the Lamb’s glory are shown as one. The concept of the Trinity is not directly explained in Scripture, but there are these moments where God the Father, Jesus the Son (or the Lamb in this case), and the Holy Spirit are spoken of as one being. Here we see this song of worship to God very similarly echo the worship of the Lamb in Revelation 5:12. The Lamb was declared worthy to receive honor and glory, and in today’s song (called the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb) God is declared as the holy one who will be glorified. The angels were singing all these songs to worship God.

I love the complexity of God’s nature that is both beautiful and paradoxical. The Lamb is given the glory which can only belong to God, and his song is also one of worship to God. Is he worshiping himself? Scripture reveals that God is able to have relationship and complete love within himself. He has chosen to share that with humanity, but he does not need us. He is whole and unified. I don’t know what all that means except that I am called to participate in a supernatural kind of love that I don’t have to hold together. My relationship with God does not depend on me making him okay. God’s glory is something to behold and to worship, and it will exist whether or not I choose to participate. And I definitely don’t want to miss out!