Wow, what a journey we have been on this last year. It has been an amazing ride and I’m privileged to have shared it with you. Where did we begin? Oh yes, creation. We were at the very beginning when God (Jesus) said it was time to create the world. Who can forget the beautiful earth, garden and all the animals created for our new family members, Adam and Eve. It was wonderful. God met with His newly created children on the first Sabbath. It looked very promising, but soon life would be turned upside down.
Our trip takes a turn for the worse as Satan convinces Eve and Adam to distrust God and sent us all on a downward spiral to sin and destruction. Soon we have our first murder of Abel by Cain. From then on the story takes a lot of twists and turns, but not before God promises to remedy the problem and send a Savior to restore our relationship with Him.
Our journey takes us to Noah and the big flood where God destroys the earth, except for 8 people who will eventually populate the earth and become God’s children. We learned about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his children who made up the twelve tribes of Israel. Who could forget the little brother, Joseph, who rescued the nation of Egypt and his own family from starvation, but eventually led to their slavery in Egypt.
Let’s fast forward a few years and see how God has saved a baby to be directed by God to take his people, held in slavery, out of Egypt to the promised land. It was a long trip to travel a few miles, but along the way we received the Ten Commandments as well as the sanctuary, which was to demonstrate God’s plan for saving His wayward children.
Oh, how God must have shed many tears over how His chosen people who so often turned their backs on Him even after seeing how many miracles he performed for them. We go on through many years of many kings of Israel. Some were good and many were bad. They wandered away from God and led God’s family to abandon Him. We do have the privilege of witnessing David, a man after God’s own heart. He was definitely not perfect, but he was a child of God who always returned to God and asked for His forgiveness and guidance. It does provide us a good example of how each of us is never beyond God’s direction and forgiveness, no matter how bad some of our choices are.
We continued on through Israel’s sorted history of rebellion, reunion, captivity by Babylon, the restoration of Jerusalem and God’s temple and finally, the children of God are under Roman domination but they continued looking for the Messiah.
Now we are getting into the meat (vegi-meat, of course) of the story. The promise which was made so long ago is now about to be fulfilled. How amazing it must have been to be shepherds in fields as the King of the universe was born and His arrival was announced by thousands of angels. Oh, how Satan who has led God’s children astray for all these years is now focusing his attention on this new born baby, the Son of God.
We have the privilege of following the life of Christ, as He set on His journey to save mankind. What a journey it was. We are able to see how we, as God’s children, are supposed to live our lives. He showed us how to treat others. Treat them as we would like to be treated. How to forgive others as he has forgiven us. How to develop a closer relationship with Him as He did with His Father. He showed us how to trust in Him as He trusted in His Father as He prepared for giving His life on the cross for our forgiveness and salvation.
How wonderful was His resurrection and the restoration of hope for His disciples and for mankind. He promised as He returned to His Father that He would not be gone for long, but would come back to take us home with Him and restore the earth to its original grandeur. Oh, how this gave hope and promise to the disciples, and we were able to witness first-hand how the Spirit of God let these individuals as they went about telling the world of Christ’s work of salvation in our lives through His death and resurrection. We were able to follow Paul on his conversion and world travels spreading God’s word. We witnessed Peter understanding that salvation was not only for the Jews but all peoples, and it is not up to us to consider anyone outside God’s love and salvation.
Now, here we are today. Some 2,000 years later, we are still waiting for Christ’s promise to take us home with Him to be fulfilled. We are about to the end of the story which we now read in Revelations 19 and 20. Revelation 19:7, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready….9 Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” We are invited to Jesus’ wedding. Then, “11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True….16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS….20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf….” The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. We are almost to the end and God’s promise from Genesis is about to be completed. Revelation 20:6, “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years….11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.”
We have followed the journey of God’s people throughout this year. We have taken hold of God’s promises as well as seen how Satan has continued to try and thwart God’s plans and lead His people astray. I hope you, as with me, have seen God’s leading over the year as we have now come to the end of the story and are waiting for the final chapter to be fulfilled.
Carl Swarts
is looking forward to Chris's coming, developing a better relationship with Him, and being a living example of Him to others by loving them as He loves me.
The Word of Promise audio Bible is used by permission. For more information and to purchase the complete audio Bible go to https://www.wordofpromiseapp.com/.
Revelation 19
Heaven Exults over Babylon
1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Christ on a White Horse
11 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. 12 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. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 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. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
The Beast and His Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Revelation 20
Satan Bound 1,000 Years
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Psalm 47
Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4 He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.