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Revelation

Embracing God’s Sovereignty and Victory over Evil

Revelation, also known as Apocalypse in some traditions, is a very complex and symbolic book in the Bible. Apostle John wrote this book during his exile on Patmos Island. It provides hope and warning for believers then and now.

Excerpt


The Book of Revelation offers a profound vision of the end times, revealing Christ’s ultimate victory over evil. Through vivid apocalyptic imagery, it explores God’s judgment. It also examines the perseverance of believers. The book promises a new heaven and earth, where God will reign eternally with His people.

Structure

The Book of Revelation can be broken down into four main parts:

1. Introduction and Letters to the Seven Churches (Chapters 1-3).

The Risen Glorified Jesus appeared to John and told him to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. These letters highlight the unique struggles, shortcomings, and strengths of each of the congregations.

Ephesus was praised for working hard, but criticized for losing her first love.

Smyrna stood out by remaining faithful under persecution.

Pergamum was condemned for allowing false teachings to flourish freely.

Thyatira stood out due to its affectionate service but later condemned for allowing immorality to flourish within her walls.

Sardis was described as spiritually dead, although there were still some faithful followers.

Philadelphia was commended and offered protection during times of trial.

Laodicea was condemned for being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold in her faith.

These letters are warnings and encouragements for believers to stay strong in their faith. This is important even when facing false teachings. It is also crucial during persecution or spiritual complacency.

2. The Vision of Heaven and the Seven Seals (Chapters 4-7)

John sees God seated on His throne in heaven. He is surrounded by angels and elders. There is a scroll bearing seven seals that only Jesus can open.

The first four seals reveal the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, representing conquest, war, famine and death.

The fifth seal reveals martyrs crying out for justice.

The sixth seal brings about cosmic disturbances signaling God’s final judgment of humanity.

The seventh seal depicts seven trumpets that portend more catastrophic events on earth.

3. The Seven Trumpets and the Conflict Between Good and Evil (Chapters 8-14).

With the sounding of each trumpet, extra judgments are unleashed upon the earth.

The first four trumpets bring destruction to nature through land, sea, rivers, and skies.

The fifth and sixth trumpets release demonic forces like locusts and horsemen that represent demonic powers.

The sounding of the seventh trumpet announces the arrival of God’s kingdom in the world. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.“Revelation 11:15.

After this, John sees great signs in heaven. John sees a pregnant woman (Israel) with the sun and the moon under her feet and crowned with 12 stars. A huge red dragon with seven heads, 10 horns, and 7 crowns (Satan) waited eagerly. It wanted to devour the baby (Jesus) as soon as he is born. When the woman gives birth to a son (Jesus), God snatched him up to heaven. The woman escaped to the wilderness, where she will find refuge from God for 1260 days.

4. The Seven Bowls, Final Judgment and Creation of a New Heaven and Earth (Chapters 15-22)

The final set of judgments are symbolized by God pouring out His wrath upon the earth through seven bowls. This results in plagues and devastation. It ultimately concludes with the battle of Armageddon, the Second Coming of Christ, and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom.

After Satan and the Beast are defeated, there is a judgment called the Great White Throne Judgment. During this judgment, everyone is judged based on their works. It also examines whether their names are written in the book of Life. Anyone whose name is not found in the book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Revelation then moves from judgment to hope. John sees a vision of a New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem. Former things have passed away. God dwells with His people. New Jerusalem is a kingdom of everlasting peace and beauty. In this kingdom, there will be no death, sorrow, or pain. It comes down from heaven to unite everything together.

Key Themes

1. God is sovereign

Despite depicting scenes of chaos and evil, God remains sovereign. Revelation consistently emphasized God as sovereign over his creations. God’s divine plan includes judgments, the rise of evil forces, and the eventual dethroning of Satan. His will shall prevail, despite how dire things are at any given moment.

2. Christ’s victory over evil

The main idea of Revelation is Jesus Christ’s victory over evil. This victory includes His death and resurrection as the victorious Lion of Judah. It also includes His future triumph when He returns in glory to create His eternal kingdom.

3. Judgment and Justice

Revelation vividly portrays God’s just judgment upon sin, evil, and rebellion. It clearly says that those who go against Him and follow the ways of this world will be judged. It also gives hope to those being persecuted by promising that justice will win in the end.

4. Perseverance and Faithfulness

This book encourages believers to persevere even during times of struggle and persecution, through letters to seven churches. Remaining faithful is crucial, even in the face of opposition, false teachings, or persecution. Those who overcome will be rewarded with eternal life.

5. Hope and Restoration

While Revelation includes several disconcerting images of destruction and judgment, its ultimate message is one of hope. The final chapters describe a perfect world. In this world, evil is gone and God’s people have eternal peace and communion with Him. It is an image that promises us the coming of a New Heaven and New Earth. In this new heaven and earth, all things shall be made new once more.

Symbolism

Revelation is known for its complex use of symbolic language and numbers that can be difficult to interpret, including various significant symbols like:

Lamb: Representing Christ who was crucified yet triumphant over sin and death.

Dragon: Representing Satan, God’s primary antagonist.

Beast: Representing Antichrist, a political dictator who opposes God.

7: a symbol of perfection and completeness. There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, 7 letters, 7 churches 7 lampstands, etc.

666: the number of Satan, a symbol of imperfection and opposition against God.

Applications

Revelation assures Christians that God is in control and has already triumphed through Jesus Christ, even in difficult times. This message provides strength to endure trials and persecution with faith.

God values perseverance, even in tough times. He encourages believers to stay faithful, rejecting compromise with worldly values, and resisting spiritual complacency.

Christians should always be ready for Christ’s return. They should live holy lives and be vigilant in their faith. He will come back again to rescue Israel in the baatle of Ammageddon. This is a prompt reminder from the book of Revelation.

This book reminds us of the consequences of sinful behaviors against God. It encourages us to repent and align ourselves with His will.

Revelation gives believers hope for an eternal transformed universe if they stay faithful. It promises a new heaven and earth to expect. Prioritizing spiritual matters over temporary concerns and focusing on developing one’s relationship with God is encouraged by this perspective.

Studying Revelation can remind Christians of hope, victory, and eternal promises. It also encourages them to live faithfully and expectantly in the current age.

Conclusion

The Book of Revelation stands as an extraordinary and mysterious text, filled with prophecy, symbolism and apocalyptic imagery. The text explains the spiritual battle between good and evil, with warnings of judgment and hopeful visions for believers. The book of Revelation has a significant message. Despite the difficulties in life and Satan’s temporary successes, Jesus Christ will come back to judge the world. He will create His eternal kingdom, where righteousness, peace, and joy will prevail forever.

Dr Andrew C S Koh

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Joy to the world: devotion

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine insight, understanding, and a clear mind to read, study, understand, and apply scripture. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and divine enablement, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Context

The nativity story is unique to Luke. Seemingly out of the blue, Caesar Augustus issued a decree to take a population census of the entire Roman world because he wanted to tax the people. To comply with this decree, the Jewish people had to travel back to their place of birth. Joseph and Mary had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for this population census because they were descendants of Dovid. Mary in the late stage of her pregnancy made this 70 miles journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This must have been a very difficult journey for Mary. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Micah 5:2, that Christ shall be born in Bethlehem. 

Passage, Luke 2: 6-17

6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. 17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child (Read the rest of Luke 2 on your own).

Luke 2: 6-17

Reflection

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, they could not find any accommodation anywhere. Mary delivered baby Jesus, wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and placed Him into a manger, an animal feeding trough made out of stone. An angel of God appeared to some shepherds in Bethlehem in a field at night. The glory of God manifested in dazzling majestic lights and frightened the shepherds. 

After calming down the shepherds, the angel announced to them that Christ was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. They shall find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. Immediately, angels sang, worshiped, and praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests”. God announced the birth of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd of souls, to some poor lowly shepherds in Bethlehem. 

After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to look for baby Jesus. They found Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, according to the angel’s announcement. After witnessing this, they went away and testified to all the people about this, and all who heard it were amazed. The shepherds returned to Bethlehem glorifying and praising God. 

Imagine the creator of the universe chose to be born in a feeding trough in an insignificant town called Bethlehem, witnessed by poor and lowly shepherds without any fanfare! As the King of the universe, He could have been born in a grand palace with great fanfare, and witnessed by royalty but He chose not to. 

Micah 5:2, But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Application

Micah prophesied the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem 800 years before He was born! This astonishing prophecy proved beyond any doubt that God is the God of the Bible. This is not the only Old Testament prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled 351 Old Testament prophesies and these are recorded in the Bible. The statistical chance of fulfilling all these prophesies is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. This is a mathematical impossibility.  Based on this, there is absolutely no doubt that the God of the Bible is the God of the universe. 

Today, if you go to Bethlehem in Israel, you visit the church of Nativity, and see for yourself the place where this event took place. The Bible is about real events, real people, and real places. Bible is God’s word to us. Acronym for BIBLE is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

When Joseph and Mary (with Jesus in her womb) arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room for them in the city. Even today, there is no room for Jesus in many people’s hearts because of unbelief. Do you have room for Jesus in your heart this Christmas? Open your heart to Jesus. Invite Him into your life. Believe, and you will see the glory of God. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, let us open our hearts to receive Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Saviour this Christmas. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ into the world to be the perfect Christmas gift to all mankind. Thank You for the grace and truth that Jesus brought to us. Thank You for the forgiveness of sin. Thank You for salvation by grace,  justification by faith in Christ, sanctification by the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life. Thank You for Immanuel, God with us, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Dr Andrew C S Koh

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The 70 weeks of Daniel

Daybreak at Gale Crater by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

Dr. Andrew C S Koh

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Daniel 9:24-27

In the first year of King Darius’ reign, Daniel studied the prophecy of Jeremiah and came to the conclusion that the seventy years of exile were coming to an end. He prayed, interceded, and fasted in sackcloths and ashes, to seek the Lord’s will. 

While Daniel was still praying, angel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision, saying that the Lord had answered his prayer. In Daniel 9:24-27, angel Gabriel gave a profound end-time prophecy from the Lord.

In this article, I will walk you through the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel. This interpretation is based on a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture position. 

24 Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. V 25 Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench but in times of trouble. V 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. V 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Read the rest of Daniel 9 on your own).

Daniel 9: 24-27

Verse 24, seventy sevens

Seventy ‘sevens’ refer to seventy weeks of years i.e. 490 years. Your people refer to Daniel’s people i.e. the Jews. Your holy city refers to Daniel’s holy city i.e. Jerusalem. This prophecy is for the Jews and Jerusalem. The entire duration of the prophecy is 490 years. At the end of 490 years, there will be no more sin, transgression, and wickedness and there will be everlasting righteousness. The vision and prophecy will be sealed, and the Most Holy place of the temple will be anointed. 

Verses 25-26, Part 1

The prophecy has a starting point and an ending point. The starting point is from the time a decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem. The ending point will be the second coming of Christ as will be explained later.

The prophecy has two parts. Verses 25 to 26 spelled out Part 1. It started with the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 BC and ended with the first coming of Christ in 33 AD.

From the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the first coming of Christ will be 7 X 7 plus 62 X 7 years i.e. 49 + 434 i.e. 483 years. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given by King Artaxerxes Longimanus to Nehemiah in Nehemiah 2:8-9 in 445 BC. The first coming of Christ as Messiah was on Palm Sunday in 33 AD. Zechariah prophesied this around 500 BC, Zechariah 9:9. 

 445 BC to 33 AD is 478 Gregorian/ Roman/ solar years, based on 365 days per year. However, the Jewish lunar calendar is based on 360 days per year. 478 Gregorian/ Roman/ solar years is equivalent to 483 Jewish/ lunar years. 

Jerusalem was rebuilt in times of trouble amidst opposition from the Samaritans. On Good Friday, 33 AD, Christ was killed (cut off). In 70 AD, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans. Wars and more wars had continued unabated ever since. 

Hence, the first 483 years of Part 1 as spelled out in verses 25 to 26 were fulfilled by the first coming of Christ. 

Verse 27, Part 2

Part 2 is prophesied in verse 27.  The last 7 years of world history remain unfulfilled. The ‘He’ of verse 27 is the antichrist. The starting point of Part 2 will be the signing of a peace treaty between the Jews and the Arabs, brokered by the antichrist. In the middle of this 7-year, the antichrist will set up the abomination of desolation in the future third temple. Part 2 will ends with the second coming of Christ at the culmination of world history. 

Between Part 1 and Part 2 is an interlude called the church age, and we are now living in this interlude for the past 2000 years.

God stopped the prophetic timer at the 483rd year. of the prophecy. The clock will start ticking again after the rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. 

The antichrist will allow the Jews to rebuild the third temple and resume the temple sacrifice. In the middle of the 7 years, he will set up his image in the Most Holy Place and force the Jews to worship him. This image will be called the abomination of desolation, Mathew 24:15. The Jews’ refusal to worship the image will trigger off intense persecution by the antichrist in the last 3 1/2 years of world history. This is called the great tribulation. 

In 174 BC, Antiochus Epiphany IV erected a statue of Zeus in the Most Holy Place, splashed swine blood on the altar, and desecrated the second temple. The future antichrist will desecrate the third temple in the same way during the tribulation. Jesus Christ will come back from heaven on a white horse and defeat the antichrist in the battle of Armageddon., Revelation 9:11 and following. He will set up His millennial kingdom on earth and fulfill the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel, Rev. 20:4 and following.

Please note that the rapture and the second coming of Christ are two separate events. 

“And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests”.

Nehemiah 2:8-9

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey

Zechariah 9:9

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel, let the reader understand

Matthew 24:15

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness, he judges and makes war.

Revelation 9:11

I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4

Application

The Bible has given us sufficient information on how the world will end. The future is not looking optimistic. More troubles will break out as we move closer and closer to the end of world history. The covid 19 pandemic had already taken a toll on every one of us. The dust of the pandemic has not even settled and war broke out in Ukraine! We are truly in uncharted territories. If this war gets out of control and nuclear war breaks out, millions of lives will be wiped out in a matter of seconds! Whether you believe in a pre, mid, or post-tribulation rapture, one thing is for sure. Christ’s second coming is not too far away. Are you ready for His return? Have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior? Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Come to Christ. With a simple prayer, confess your sin, accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and surrender your life to Him. You will be saved and even if anything happened, you will have eternal life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word to us today. We know that Your second coming is not that far away. We know that You are in control of world events. We pray that the war in Ukraine will not get out of control but will come to an end soon. We pray that You will protect the people of Ukraine. We pray for the soldiers, the civilians, the refugees, and all others. May Your mercy and grace be upon all the people of Ukraine. Help us to surrender our lives to You because our future is in Your hand, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. 

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