Let’s Talk Revelation
All I can think when I think about what this book has shown me, taught me and gave to me is, "Wow. He is so good. So faithful. So intentional."
Revelation seems to always be the book that people feel intimated with. It is filled with so much imagery and symbolism...it is the book that gives us so much, but also leaves us feeling like we don't have enough...but that feeling, that challenge...well, I realize now, that is just the enemy. The enemy wants us feeling fearful of what eternity brings, what happens in the end...but what I have learned through the study of this book is that the enemy cannot have the Joy and the Hope that comes from this book. Fear of eternity is not what He has for me and the unknown things are not to be feared, but should be the things we are excited about.
It is not that I feared death before I started this study, it was the unknown...I would talk about the someday...eternity with Him and always have this pit in my gut...this apprehension...but as He began to show me the things He had for me, I realized that pit, that apprehension was because of my own desire to know and control. BUT it isn't necessary for me to know everything or to control what that all looks like. It is just meant for me to TRUST and see all the JOY that is coming.
Even as I type this, I smile because even just thinking about all of this brought that pit, but all I can do right now is smile. Smile because what eternity with Him means and smile because the enemy lost that stronghold and I am free from that bondage of the fear and control that I allowed the enemy to have over me.
Revelation has moments that brought tears of sadness to me heart...the thought of anyone being cast into the lake of fire...potentially people I have deeply loved...this day will be the last day of tears and pain...but to know that I will see anyone cast...and as I sat there, studying and reading this passage, as the sadness came, so did His encouragement in who I am and His purpose for me...I want to be a light. I want to love others and draw them to want to know Him...and He gave me more of a push to share, give, love and shine for Him. A joy and hope that maybe I can be the vessel He uses to draw others to Him so that they can stand on the side of freedom on that day...and as I finished that passage and turned the page (in my Bible it is on the next page) and John begins to share the beauty of Heaven...there is a different set of tears that come because what He has for me is more than I can ever imagine.
After the display of such unimaginable beauty...all I can say is what comes next is FREEDOM. There is no longer any barriers between us and Him. There is no longer any darkness...the enemy is not just gone, but His Glory will shine so bright we will never be in the darkness anymore. We are so safe. So held that the gates will always be open and nothing we have here...no darkness, no evil, no temptations, no fear...NOTHING from the world, from the enemy (because he is gone) will ever be able to enter and destroy the freedom, the light, the glory that heaven has for us as believers and as much as the freedom that we find here on earth from the things that keep us in bondage and in hopelessness...the freedom He gives us in becoming created more in His image has so much Joy for us on earth....the Joy we will have in the freedom we will have in eternity is not even measurable compared to here and truly, the way I feel when I find freedom here, to know that what I will feel there is more....I can barely breath.
I always have an expectation of growth when I press into a book of the Bible, but what He gave to me in this time exceeded any expectation because the pit, the apprehension that I used to feel has been replaced with something so filled with hope and joy and most of all a desire to worship Him more, seek Him more and shine brighter for Him...and a confirmation that in all I do that He asks me too, no matter even if it doesn't always make sense, He has an absolute purpose in all things. I just need to trust and be obedient.
He is Holy. He is Faithful and True. He is Worthy and He is Forever.
