S – Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. ¹² His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. ¹³ He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. ¹⁶ On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 

Revelation 19:11–16 CSB

O – What a contrast to the Jesus who came to earth to serve mankind with his humanly life. This is yet another facet of God’s character.  There is a “fierceness” in the battle against sin and unrighteousness in this depiction of Jesus.

A – This scripture challenges us to grasp the soberness and gravity of sin and unrighteousness.  Jesus is coming back to earth for finalize a victory over all rebellion and those who do not accept him as God.  Our finite minds cannot understand this but our hearts it resonates.  God will not be mocked and judgement will come.  There is a time for mercy and grace.  There is a time for accountability.  We must choose which is our path to God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords.  We ask for your mercy and grace today.  We are sinners and broken vessels.  Please forgive us of our sins and all unrighteousness.  We want to know your heart and character more.  Thank you for inviting us into relationship and not judgement.

S – They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.” 

Revelation 18:10 CSB

O – The kings who did business and had relationship with Babylon will see the judgement of God and create distance.  They do not want to be “close” or associated with its judgement.

A – We see this in a smaller scale today.  People desire relationship with you until something happens that challenge it.  That is where you see the strength and depth of that bond.  Do you stand or walk with someone in their toughest challenges or do you leave them to their own abilities to deal with it?  It is similar to our relationship with God.  Do you walk with him in faith in the toughest moments or do you say, “Not now because I don’t see you working in this.”  

R – Heavenly Father, you are Faithful.  Strengthen and empower us today to be resolved in our relationship with you.  There will be tests and trials – we want to choose you in all of them.  In all aspects of our lives, we invite your Holy Spirit to work and draw us close to you.

S – For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.

Revelation 17:17 CSB

O – Commentary:

When the ruler in the Middle East takes on worldwide political power, he will also assume the place of God and demand that everyone worship him or else be killed (cf. Dan. 11:36–38; 2 Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:8, 15). The world church movement, which characterizes the first half of the seven years leading up to the Second Coming, is thus brought to an abrupt end. It will be replaced by the final form of world religion which will be the worship of the world ruler, Satan’s substitute for Christ.

This is part of God’s sovereign purpose to bring evil leaders into judgment, For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 972.

A – God’s purposes will be carried out in the events of Revelation.  Job 42:2 is one of my favorite verses – “For you can do all things and no purpose of yours will be thwarted.”  He is able to enact his plan and purpose in our lives.  We can choose to align with his will or our own ways.  The choice is easy when we view it from an eternal perspective.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one, true God.  Your hold purposes for each of us that tie into your overall plan for mankind.  Thank you that you know us intimately enough to have a personal will and purpose that will bring us fulfillment and joy.  Help us to align with you as we grow closer to you today.

S – Then the seventh poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple^, from the throne, saying, “It is finished!”

 Revelation 16:17 NLT

O – Commentary:

When the seventh … bowl is poured out, an unexpected event occurs. The enemies of God had assembled themselves for battle, but when the decisive moment arrives, instead of the battle comes the shout, “It is finished!” Jesus uttered these same words from the cross when he had finished his work (John 19:30). No one can ultimately fight God. Therefore, this scene pictures an end to rebellion against God. What remains are various descriptions of the end.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Re 16:17.

A – The same words that ended Jesus mission on earth are the ones that announce the conclusion of the tribulation.  Jesus did the finished work of defeating death and sin on the cross.  For those who accept Christ and put their faith in him, it is a finished work.  We can live from a place of victory as well submit to the truth and character of God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are all mighty, powerful and present.  Thank you for the finished work of the cross that paid for my sins forever.  We submit ourselves to your will and purposes today.

S – They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb: Great and awe-inspiring are your works, Lord God, the Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of the nations.^,4 Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you because your righteous acts have been revealed. 

Revelation 15:3–4 CSB

O – Commentary:

In this song in Revelation 15:3–4 God is praised for His great deeds, justice, truth (cf. 16:7), glory, and holiness (see 4:8 for a chart of the 14 doxologies in Rev.). Then a prediction is made that all the nations will worship God.

This description of praise to God and prediction of universal worship is in keeping with many other Scriptures and relates, of course, to the second coming of Christ and worship of God by the entire world in the millennial kingdom (Pss. 2:8–9; 24:1–10; 66:1–4; 72:8–11; 86:9; Isa. 2:2–4; 9:6–7; 66:18–23; Jer. 10:7; Dan. 7:14; Zeph. 2:11; Zech. 14:9). The awful hour of wickedness and blasphemy against God, which will characterize the period leading up to the Second Coming, will be followed by a full vindication of God’s judgment and holiness in the next period

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 966.

A – Two themes that come from these scriptures is God’s character and all will worship Him.  If we recognize His true heart and character today, we should worship Him now.  Waiting until “we understand it better” or “we see the good things” he does will not take away from the fact that he is worthy of all praise and worship now.  Let’s posture our lives to honor and magnify him today.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you today.  You are Holy and Just which empowers your love for us.  We give you all glory, honor and praise today.  Let our thoughts, words and actions model our love for you and others.

S – And it makes everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, ¹⁷ so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name. 

Revelation 13:16–17 CSB

O – Commentary:

A Greco-Egyptian king had similarly required Jews to be branded with the ivy leaf, the emblem of Dionysus (*3 Maccabees 2:28–29); this is likewise a mark of ownership, a brand or tattoo indicating to which god or empire one belongs. The term for “mark” is, among other things, the regular term for the imperial stamp on documents and of the image of his head on coins.

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 757.

A – It is interesting that in all that is happening in the times in Revelation,  “ownership” comes into play.  Satan is executing his agenda to rule the earth and enforces it with requiring the mark on their body.  Jesus also claimed ownership by taking the marks and wounds on his own body.  We get to choose each day who we will serve and surrender.  Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Lord and Savior.  Thank you for choosing us before we knew you and demonstrating your love for us by going to the cross.  We choose you today and surrender our will to yours.

S – Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, ⁸ but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 12:7–9 CSB

O – Commentary:

The outcome of the war was that Satan was hurled to the earth, and his character was clearly revealed in the various titles ascribed to him: the great dragon … that ancient serpent … the devil or Satan. With him went the fallen angels of the demon world.

While the concept of Satan in heaven is difficult to comprehend, it is clear that he is now the accuser of saints (cf. Job 1:6; Rev. 12:10). Though Satan was defeated at the first coming of Christ (John 16:11), his execution was delayed and is in stages. Here (Rev. 12:8–9) he will be cast out of heaven in the middle of the Tribulation. Later he will be bound for the duration of the millennial kingdom (20:1–3). The devil will finally be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (20:10) where the world ruler (Antichrist) and the false prophet will have been cast a thousand years earlier.

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 959.

A – We have an enemy today and his name is Satan.  He is an accuser, liar and he deals in deception.  The way we do our own battles with him in our daily walk is know the truth – God’s word.  The Truth allows us to speak victory over everything in our lives because God is intimate to all of those thoughts, words and actions.  We live from a place of victory because Jesus already won it when he went to the cross.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Truth.  Thank you God for being the absolute truth.  You do not change.  Your character and power are timeless and we can uphold your Truth as way to defeat the enemy in our own lives.  Give us courage and strength to fight the enemy and walk in your truth today.

S – The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. 

Revelation 11:15 CSB

O – Commentary:

The fact that this will be fulfilled at the Second Coming makes it clear that the period of the seventh trumpet chronologically reaches to Christ’s return. Therefore the seventh trumpet introduces and includes the seven bowl judgments of the wrath of God revealed in chapter 16. In contrast with previous trumpets where a single voice was heard, here a mighty chorus from heaven joined in the proclamation.

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 956–957.

A – Jesus Christ is coming back to rule and reign over the kingdom of the world.  Even as the the turbulence of this time continues and lives are impacted and lost in the process – it is leading to the victorious return of Christ.  Knowing all this is coming, it should cause us to examine our own relationship with God.  The fear (reverence and awe) of God should draw us to him.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one, true God and Jesus is Lord and Savior.  We want to proclaim you are Lord over all the earth.  We want our lives to be a living testimony of your greatness, character and love.

S – And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down!” 

Revelation 10:4 CSB

O – Commentary:

Revelation reveals God’s intentions in the world without eliminating the mystery of God’s ways. The martyrs did not receive an immediate answer to their cries (6:10), the meaning of the seventh seal is cloaked in silence (8:1), and here the seven thunders are kept secret (cp. Dan 12:9). • Keep secret: Literally Seal up.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Re 10:4.

A – Interesting that in Revelation there is a part that will remain a mystery.  Deuteronomy 29:29 talks about how “The secret things belong to the Lord…”  God has secrets that for his purposes he will not reveal.  We must have faith that he will disclose what is necessary in his timing.  This is also true in our own lives.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Perfect.  Thank you for your character that is without blemish or fault.  This allows us to have faith and trust in you without any reservation.  Help us to grow in this today.

 S – The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. ²¹ And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. 

Revelation  9:20–21 CSB

O – Commentary

Though the judgment was devastating and obviously from God, it did not bring men to repentance, and they continued to worship demons and their representation in idols and kept on murdering and participating in the occult (magic arts, pharmakeiōn, from which is derived “pharmacies”; cf. Gal. 5:20; Rev. 18:23; 21:8; 22:15), their sexual immorality, and thievery.

The trumpet judgments clearly grew in a crescendo, becoming worse and more devastating. In spite of the clear evidence of God’s power to judge the world, no evidence was given John that there would be any change of heart on the part of the great mass of humanity. Though the sixth judgment produced fear, it did not produce repentance.

 John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 953–954.

A – The intensity of the judgement should have brought repentance but it did not.  Let’s not be so stuck in our sin or our own ways that we do not repent.  We must recognize our sins and confess them to God.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are Just in you judgement.  You do not judge us unfairly.  You established the absolute truth for us to follow in your word.  Help us to recognize our sin and confess them to you.  We ask that you forgive us of our sins today.