Revelation 19-22

With the Lord’s help…I have now successfully read the Bible from cover to cover!!

Along the way I have been challenged in my faith and in my beliefs about what the Bible really says.  So much of what I thought I knew, I did not understand completely. I have a deeper, richer view of God’s great love, mercy and justice.

One thing I thought I knew about the end times and death has been thrown out of the water as I finished reading Revelation. I did not know there would be a first resurrection — of those who lost their lives for Christ who get new bodies and serve as judges — and a second one for everyone, even for those who are unbelievers. Those whose names are not in the Book of Life will have a second death in the lake of fire. Nor did I know that after the thousand years of Jesus’ rule in the new Jerusalem the devil would be released from the bottomless pit before Jesus throws him into the lake of fire with the beast.

I don’t pretend to understand the symbolism or the underlying meanings of this vision that John recorded.  But I do get the main point: Jesus WILL come again!  And because I have believed, my name is in that book.  Jesus is the Word…and the Lord has planned for our redemption all throughout history.

Here’s a visual, in modern day terms:

Thank you, Lord, for saving me…for healing me…for setting me free…for giving me the diligence to read your precious word!