Angel – Page 3 – Praying Pint

12.d. “but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

Zechariah 2:3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

Psalms 46:7-11   The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah  Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.  “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Isaiah 60:18-19   Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.  The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Revelation 21:23   And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

This world can give no peace and therefore can not take it away. Peace the world offers is tied to that which cannot satisfy the heart and soul. Searching for peace outside of God is like chasing the wind – (never caught – only a temporary sensory feeling – always changing direction). “Peace” that comes from God, “Peace” that passes all understanding, is comforting and encouraging to the soul. It strengthens us against the trials and troubles faced this side of eternity. It gives us the courage to face each day with hope, trust, faith, and reliance in our Heavenly Father.

Oh that we would choose to live in the presence of the Glory of God and find our strength each day in the fortress of His grace, mercy, and love found in and through Jesus Christ. Our days would be filled with the light of His glory and the things of this world would become less and less and He would become more and more.

13.c. “I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.”

Zachariah 1:14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.

Isaiah 47:7-9     You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.  Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children”:  These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.

Amos 6:1    “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,

Revelation 18:7-8    As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

Living at rest, secure, and in luxury has a way of leading people down paths of neglect and complacency. It has a way of blinding us from things of God, the need for God, and mindful of how to live for Jesus Christ. Jesus is worthy of how we live, think, and act all of the time. It is hard sometimes because we get comfortable with life when things are at ease. We seem to gravitate toward thinking that our security is in the ease and luxury of life. No matter how many times we are reminded in God’s word that life will have no meaning, no satisfaction, to peace, no joy, or no lasting purpose apart from Jesus Christ and humbly serving, honoring, following, praising, worshiping, obeying, and trusting Him. God has demonstrated over and over again He will not sit silent. He will not sit idle. He will call everyone into account. Be mindful of what your life was like prior to February 2020. The economy was strong, unemployment was low, and people were busy buying and selling. There was not much to worry about other than the political mudslinging. However, there were other things in the wind as well. More and more educators, government officials, and media editors were becoming bolder and bolder in their denial and defiance of things of God. Sitting idly by, not speaking up, and living as though this has no effect on a society that was founded on Christian principles is not God-honoring. You have to wonder how far society has to fall away and turn away from God before He will intervene. He is all-powerful and will call into account people and nations who defy and deny Jesus Christ. Look around, do you think all of this fear, hatred, and confusion, just happens on its own? No, it does not. God is in control and is at the root of all of this, calling all of mankind to humbly repent and turn back to Him.

10.i. “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.”

Obadiah 1:10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they shall drink and swallow, and shall be s though they had never been. But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.

The Edomites were the descendants of the biblical Esau, who was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. Deuteronomy 23:7 You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. The Israelites and Edomites were descendant brothers. They were expected to treat each other as brothers. The Israelites were rejected passage through Edom while in the wilderness. Numbers 20:14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. ^fAnd the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King’s Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” The Edomites eventually disappeared from history. “and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken” And so it is. They lived in rebellion to God. They lived in pride and arrogance. They despised God and His chosen. They fought against God’s chosen. They even captured and turned over those who had escaped during the Babylonian attack and destruction of Jerusalem. “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.“

Like the Edomites, there is no hope for those who reject the offer of salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ. Their end is the same, destruction, torment, and eternity in hell, which has been reserved for those who not only reject salvation but despise it and God.

8.y. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

The grace of God proclaimed and the invitation given -“Come”. Isaiah 2:5 “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD”. Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 7:37 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

These invitations are the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ reaching out to the lost sinner. Over and over again the invitations are given with urgency, hope, and warnings. To those who respond to this invitation with a heart and soul-deep cry for forgiveness, help, and guidance, they will find peace that passes all understanding, healing for their soul, and an overwhelming assurance of salvation, eternal life, the return of Jesus Christ, and to be forevermore in His presence forever and ever. To those who reject these invitations, they will find no deep peace. They will believe lies, serve self, and will enter into hell and eternal torment knowing that they rejected the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, Jesus Christ the Son of God. Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”

8.v. “These words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 22:6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

Trustworthy and true – What is being said is deserving of our complete confidence. documents: (1) Jesus is returning one day – physically, visibly, in power and great glory; (2) we do not know the day or the hour of His return; (3) we should live in view of His imminent return; (4) when He comes, all people will know it; (5) Jesus will judge all people personally, rewarding believers according to their faithfulness and punishing unbelievers in varying degrees in hell; (6) He will create new heavens and a new earth, setting everything right; and (7) the glory of eternity with Christ will cause the “former things” of this world to fade away.

Phillips, Rob. The Searcher’s Guide to the Apocalypse:

8.u. The Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Can you even begin to imagine what heaven is going to be like? No sickness, being in the presence of God and Jesus Christ, no more curse , no more darkness, no more lies, etc……worshiping them forever and ever in perfect peace and rest. It is hard to think what life, culture, and society would be like without sin. Our thoughts are clouded in a dense fog of understanding. Even the thought of a sinless world is beyond our comprehension. And yet we are given glimpses of what it is going to be like. Could you imagine what your life would be like if there was no pride, greed, lust, hate, self-worth, self-reliance, self-justified, and many other self-centered acts we commit each day. Many times we are not even aware of how self-centered we are unless we are seeking God to expose it to us. Remember how David put it; “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Our hearts are very deceiving and in them we hide away from what it means to give our whole heart, mind, and soul to humbly serving, following, obeying, and trusting Jesus Christ. We keep scripture at arms length so that we can’t hear the guiding whispers of the Holy Spirit. We apply that which is pleasing to the way we choose to live but do not seek that which is pleasing to Jesus Christ. If we did more time would be spent in His Word than we do on everything else that easily occupies our time. Given the verses today we should want to be practicing total service and worship of Jesus Christ right now. Just try to spend 10 minutes per day in His Word for the next 30 days and see what Jesus Christ opens your understanding too.

8.m. Key to the bottomless pit

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The accuser and slanderer, the one who deceives and leads people and nations on destructive God-denying, Jesus rejecting, self-centered, self-worthy, and self-satisfying paths straight to hell is bound and cast into a pit reserved for Satan and his followers. There is no battle or prolonged fight where the victor is determined by will power and skill to overcome their opponent. No there is Almighty and All-Powerful Jesus Christ who defeated death and holds the key to the bottomless pit, who by the word of His mouth sends an angel with the key to bind Satan and cast him in. Satan has no power but what is allowed by God and at His word alone can be taken away in the blink of an eye.

So it is, Jesus is returning personally, visibly, and physically one day to set things right; He will raise the dead and judge them in righteousness; He will separate His own from those who have hung their stars on the prince of darkness; He will redeem our sinful and fallen world from the effects of the fall, resulting in new heavens and a new earth; and we will delight in His personal presence forever and ever. All believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of our lives. This judgment does not determine our eternal destiny, for that is fixed on this side of death with the believer’s decision to trust in Christ. (Phillips, Rob)

There is a time fast approaching when the end times will come upon the earth. It is important to know this prophetic ending but not near as important as knowing, surrendering, relying on upon, trusting in, following, believing in, and obeying Jesus Christ while you still have breath this side of eternity. If you die without repenting of sin, trusting in and complete trust and humble service to Jesus Christ – Hell awaits you with deceitful, lying, open arms, welcoming you to eternal destruction.

Now is the time of salvation. Now is the time of redemption. Now is the time to repent and turn away from self-centered, self-satisfying, and self-reliant lies and deception of Satan. Jesus awaits you, just as you are with wide open arms to welcome you into life with Him now and for eternity forever and ever.

8.l. Signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast

Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Now, as the birds hover en masse over the battlefield at the angel’s beckoning, John sees the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army (v. 19). Their resistance to Christ belies their delusional belief that they have an opportunity to win – and worse, their apparent conviction that they are in the right. What compels sinful men and women to entertain the notion that they can defeat the Almighty or change the course of human history? Joseph A. Seiss comments: We may wonder how rational men could be carried with one impulse into an attempt so daring and so absurd; but when people put the truth from them, and submit themselves to the Devil’s lead, what is there of delusion and absurdity into which they are not liable to be carried? How many among us comfort and assure themselves in their selfishness and sins with the belief that either there is no God, or that he is too good and merciful to fulfill his threatenings upon transgressors? To this there needs to be added only one step more, to defy his judgments, and with that goes pledge of battle and declaration of war with his Omnipotence.

The Psalmist writes, “Why do the nations rebel and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and His Anointed One.” What is the Lord’s response to this human madness? “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them. Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath” (Ps. 2:1-2, 4-5). Seiss once again remarks, “What failure of love, what exhaustion of grace, what emptying of the sea of his infinite mercies, what decay and withdrawal of all kindly interest and affection must have occurred that there should be this laugh!”. And yet for the beast and his armies, this is no laughing matter. In self-delusional futility; in the most vile hatred of a creature toward his Creator; in utter abandonment of all decency, the beast charges straight into the blade of the Jesus Christ’s sword.

J.F. Walvoord and R.B. Zuck comment: “The same inspired Word of God which so wonderfully describes the grace of God and the salvation which is available to all who believe is equally plain about the judgment of all who reject the grace of God. The tendency of liberal interpreters of the Bible to emphasize passages dealing with the love of God and to ignore passages dealing with His righteous judgment is completely unjustified. The passages on judgment are just as inspired and accurate as those which develop the doctrines of grace and salvation. The Bible is clear that judgment awaits the wicked, and the second coming of Christ is the occasion for a worldwide judgment unparalleled in Scripture since the time of Noah’s flood”

Phillips, Rob. The Searcher’s Guide to the Apocalypse: A Verse-by-Verse Quest to Understand the Book of Revelation . Unknown. Kindle Edition.

8.j. “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rather than praise God for his righteous judgment of the notorious prostitute, the multitude now exults in the coming reign of the Lord and the marriage of the Lamb. We should not imply from these words of celebration that our eternal and omnipotent God has ever failed to reign. The earth – indeed the whole universe – is always under His watchful eye and sovereign hand. The judgment of Babylon the Great signals the complete collapse of Satan’s rebellious kingdom. Yet we should comfort ourselves in knowing that the reign of God over all creation has never been in jeopardy.

In the days of Jesus, when a young man’s father negotiates a bride for his son, the two young persons are “espoused,” or engaged. This arrangement is binding and may only be dissolved through a formal bill of divorcement. Yet the young couple is kept apart for a lengthy period during which time a wedding chamber is prepared in the father’s house. The bride-to-be is to prepare herself for the wedding. She covers herself when in public so the world will know she is spoken for, and she keeps herself chaste for her wedding night. Finally, when the father declares that all is ready, the son travels to the bride’s home, accompanied by his friends, and calls her out of the house. Her father then gives her away, and the bride’s friends and family join the groom’s party and make their way to the father’s house where there is a celebration, often lasting for days. During that time, the groom and bride consummate their marriage. What a picture the Lord gives us in the Jewish wedding custom of the special relationship between Christ and the church. The Father arranges the wedding and pays a precious price for the bride – the death of His Son. The Son goes back to His Father’s home to prepare a place for the bride while she stays on earth and keeps herself chaste, watching for the day the groom returns in power and great glory. When that day arrives and the church age ends, Jesus steps into the clouds of heaven and calls out His bride. She is caught up into heaven and welcomed into the place prepared for her. There is a great celebration as Christ, His church, and friends of the wedding party rejoice over the wonderful works of God. We may be confident that Jesus is in heaven today preparing a place for us, and that He has a purpose for us in time and eternity.

Phillips, Rob. The Searcher’s Guide to the Apocalypse:

8.d. This calls for a mind with wisdom:

Revelation 17:6 When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Oh my, this is a bit of a mystery, isn’t it? Five of the seven Kings have fallen, one is, and another is to come. The beast appears to have been destroyed by the Antichrist, and the are ten kings yet to come into the perfect plans of God. They come into their power for a short time and they come to make war against Jesus. A war they cannot win but they have the delusion of being able too. In these short verses, we see the beginning and the end of the tribulation period through the lens of seeing the doom of those who lead both the political and religious activities throughout the world. We know the power of Jesus Christ and wonder how they could ever think such thoughts. However, we don’t have to go back very far into our lives to understand we too were like this lost and without hope until the grace, mercy, and love of God pierced our hearts. We were called and chosen as all mankind is. I find it hard to explain why one heart and mind are open to receive the grace of God and others are not. We do well to remember to live in a manner that honors, glorifies, follows, obeys, and trusts Jesus Christ. Our Christian walk is not a walk to be taken lightly for we are a child of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Find time each day to set aside time to grow in His Word, pray, and actively be a light in the world pointing to Jesus Christ.