What Happens Next?
John sees the eternal risen Savior, the Lamb of God. He receives strong directives from Jesus for the seven churches in Asia. He is exiled to an island where he has no idea for how long. Jesus must have encouraged John with this news. John, you will get off this island.
Let’s look at three points of life progression—backwards! The progression in the book of Revelation, how we can be encouraged, like John, in today’s world, and a close look at one man who, through tragedy, found a way to praise.
1. The future door - The next thing we read is that John is in the spirit, sees a door standing open in heaven, and is called to Come Up. Well, what John saw was nothing short of…the Lord God Omnipotent on His throne. In 5:4 we read that John wept because no one was found anywhere until the Lamb of God approached the throne, took the scroll, and opened the seals. These seals start judgment on the earth to avenge those martyred for the cause of the Gospel.
Chapters 1-5 and 19-22 are in chronological order, but chapters 6-18 are not. In these middle chapters, there are six separate themes. Because of how it is written, Revelation can be difficult to understand. Click the link below for a chart.
Is Revelation in Chronological Order
2. The Present Door - Although it certainly is an exciting time to be alive on one hand, yet on the other hand we live in a world much like what we read in the book of Judges. In two different places, we read, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This is how the book ends. Scary, right? When people base their choices and decisions on their desires, well, all we have to do is read Judges. Joshua, whom Moses mentored, also died and the people forgot God, all that He did, and did evil in the sight of the Lord.
Things would get really bad. The people would cry out. God would hear them and raise up someone to fight against the enemy and set them free. When that person died, the people reverted to their evil ways. This reminds me very much of the world today.
How have things changed over the centuries? If they have changed at all, the change would be in the hearts of the people.
3. The Past Door - From about 1050BC when the book of Judges was written to 1873 there was a lot of life in between. We read about a man, a tragedy, and a song. Horatio Spafford, a lawyer, made investments in Chicago. He and his family were doing well until the city of Chicago burned. This left him in financial ruin. With the economic downfall, he decided to travel with his family to England to help Dwight L. Moody in his evangelistic crusade. He had planned to travel with his family but was delayed with business, so he sent them ahead. The ship, SS Ville du Havre, collided with another sea vessel and sank killing 226 people. Horatio’s wife, alone, survived from their family.
I can’t imagine their grief and anguish over this horrible tragedy, but Horatio clung to his faith as he prepared to sail and join his wife. As they sailed over the place in the ocean where the ships sank, I imagine he thought of Scripture from the book of Psalms. How could I know what he was thinking? It was only four days since the tragedy, but because of his faith in God and God’s word, he wrote a song that echoes Psalm 42 and 46. (read 42:7-8, 46:1-3). These Psalms cry out, it is well with my soul!
My heart and soul cry out to God. God’s heart and soul cry out to me! Whatever you may be going through now, in the past, or anticipate in the future, God is holding you in the palm of His Hands!
Let’s be thankful for what we have this week of Thanksgiving. I know that I am thankful for you!
Until next time, spend some time with the Father!
Dr. Michele