Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Reign Forever (7/3/25)

Continuing our journey through Revelation, we come to another pivotal moment. Remember the 7 sealed scroll Jesus was worthy to open back in Revelation 5? He opened the first 6 seals in Revelation 6 and the 7^th seal in Revelation 8. The 7^th seal revealed 7 angels with 7 trumpet judgments. We examined the first 6 angels and 6 trumpet judgments in chapters 8 and 9. Then, chapters 10 and 11 gave an interlude (including details about the two witnesses) before the final 7^th angel and trumpet judgment. As we continue our journey through Revelation, we peak into heaven before the rest of the judgment unfolds.

Revelation 11:15-19 ¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,¹⁷ saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
¹⁸ The nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture that Jesus is on His throne when we see evil prevailing. However, this peak into heaven reminds us that Jesus will return, triumph over evil, judge the ungodly, reward believers, and righteously reign for all eternity!

As we reflect on these events, let's remember that our perspective on life is best shaped by the reality of Jesus' reign. How will we let that change our perspective on life today? Let’s trust Jesus’s sovereign reign, even when it seems like evil prevails.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Unleash the 7 Trumpets (4/24/25)

 I was on a short trip part of this week, so sorry this is a day late. Normally I write the devotional Wednesday night and post it Thursday morning, but this week I didn’t get to write it until yesterday.

Remember the complete silence in Heaven when the 7^th Seal was opened by the Lamb a couple weeks ago? Well, that 7^th seal ushered in 7 more judgments via 7 angels with 7 trumpets.

Revelation 8:6-12    ⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

Jesus unleashes numerous catastrophic judgments on the earth in these first 4 “trumpet judgments.” A third of the ground, water and sky will all be affected. However, intentionally 2/3 will not be affected. Jesus’s judgments aren’t rash or impulsive. They are intentional and gracious. It isn’t random or coincidental. The orderliness in the judgment shows WHO is in charge. Jesus continues to give people a stark warning and additional opportunities to repent and turn to Him before it is too late.

As the Creator of all, His judgments point back to Him as the One in charge of all Creation. He is the One worthy of all worship. I have an easy reminder of that as I look outside. In Michigan this week, the spring colors suddenly popped. The daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, Magnolia trees, and Dogwood trees are all in bloom with yellow, red, purple, pink, and white scattered all over. Let’s praise Jesus as the Creator and sustainer of all! He is worthy of our worship as both Creator and Judge.  

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 7th Seal (4/10/25)

Complete silence. Have you ever experienced complete silence for 30 minutes? No white noise or anything. What about on Good Friday? Often Good Friday services end in silence, but I haven’t attended one where it lasted 30 minutes. It doesn’t take but 30 seconds for someone to drop a pen or a kid to squirm. When Jesus opened the 7^th seal, though, all of heaven stopped for 30 minutes.

Revelation 8:1-5      When he [the Lamb] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

² And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

What’s about to happen from the 7^th seal must be quite serious if all of heaven is silent for 30 minutes. Remember from last week that John was just told that there would be no more tears for those who go to heaven? Yet, the judgments about to take place are world altering. John is given significant warnings to write down, but layered with encouraging assurance to those who follow Jesus.

One encouragement from this passage is that our prayers are a pleasing aroma to God! What value! He takes great pleasure in our time talking with Him. How much and how well do you and I value our time talking and listening to our eternal King, the Almighty God, who has all power and authority over every aspect of life?

Jesus is worthy to open the 7^th seal, worthy to hear from us in prayer regularly throughout the day and worthy of our silence so we can hear Him!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 6th Seal (3/13/25)

Have you ever played Hide and Seek with small children? Often they hide in very visible and easy to find places! When our twins were about three I remember one time they sat next to each other and “hid” on the other side of our large living room chair. Since they couldn’t see me, they assumed I couldn’t see them!

Similarly, we can’t hide from God. Just because we can’t “see” Him doesn’t mean He can’t see us. He sees everything. At the end of time, when He releases His wrath, all kinds of people will try to hide from His wrath.

Revelation 6:12-17   ¹² I watched as he [the Lamb/Jesus] opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

No one can hide or escape from God. Death will not give relief to those experiencing God’s wrath. In fact, eternal death will be far worse. If those running and hiding from God would instead turn and run towards God, He would forgive them, even in the last moments of time.

When God’s judgment comes, will you be hiding in dread or resting secure in your relationship with God Almighty? Who do you and I know that even now seems to be trying to hide from God instead of running towards Him? What truths will you and I share with them?    

Jesus is worthy to open the 6^th seal and merciful to give people yet another opportunity to turn to Him rather than hide! 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 5th Seal (2/27/25)

The other day I was trying to drive close to the speed limit and watch changing speed zones, but a car behind wasn’t as careful. They sped up to go around me when the road expanded to four lanes. However, the speed limit reduced right there (as we entered a small town) and a police pulled them over immediately. My first thought was in thanks to God it wasn’t me and that I saw and slowed down timely. My second thought was that the other driver would have benefited from not being so eager to pass me. 😊

Other times, when a reckless driver passes me, weaving in and out of other cars, I do wish they would be caught quickly to end the danger they are bringing to everyone around them. When someone is harmed by someone else, we often want justice served quickly and completely. Even the saints in Heaven pleaded for justice.

Revelation 6:9-11       ⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

God is Just and will eventually avenge evil. He patiently and lovingly withholds immediate justice to give people additional opportunities to repent of their rebellion against Him and turn to follow Him.

II Peter 3:9       ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In what circumstance are you and I desiring justice? Like the saints in Heaven, I think it is natural and acceptable to ask God “how long?”. The saints didn’t say “Please Judge!” or “Will you Judge?” but asked when will God Judge. Knowing God’s Holy and just character, they knew He would judge, but it was a matter of when. They asked according to His will.

Jesus is worthy to open the 5th seal and graciously gives us assurance that our Holy God will bring justice in His Sovereign time. As we await His justice, we can focus on the grace and mercy He has already extended to you and me and pray for others to respond to His opportunities to repent and turn to Him.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the 2nd-4th Seals (2/20/25)

Last week we saw Jesus open the 1^st seal that ushered in the first of four horses, the white horse. This week, the next 3 seals are opened, revealing the next 3 horses and judgments.

Revelation 6:3-8      ³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

These three horsemen are given power to take peace, provision and population from the earth. These events could happen concurrently or in succession, one after the other. As horrible as these judgments sound, it isn’t the final judgment. God is still giving time for people to repent. Not all resources are damaged or scarce. Not all people are killed. I see His patience, amid His judgments. Each seal or event could be seen as warning signs of worse judgment to come. God holds back the full force of His wrath and continues to give people additional opportunities to recognize God, repent of their sins, and turn to Him.

We’re all to acknowledge and submit to the fact that only Jesus is worthy before God. Have you and I taken the opportunities God has given to us to rightly respond to that fact and to heed His warnings? If so, we will be blessed!!! As the beginning of Revelation said (1:3) Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

One blessing is certainty knowing Jesus is worthy to open the 2^nd-4^th seals and He is in control of what comes from them!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Open the First Seal (2/13/25)

A very loud “thud” disrupted our family Bible time last night. We each looked in various rooms for something that fell, but never did figure it out. We finished our Bible reading, discussion, and prayer time and then put the kids to bed. They were able to go to sleep knowing they were safe, despite not understanding the reason for the loud noise.

Similarly, reading Revelation can be puzzling. However, we can focus on what we do know for sure – God is in control! His continued plan of redemption and justice unfolds as the worthy Lamb of God opens the 7 seals of the scroll.

So what’s in the scroll and what are the seven seals?

Revelation chapter 6 begins to tell us.

Revelation 6:1-2      I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

Each seal seems to reveal preliminary events leading up to the culmination of God’s plan for redemption and justice. Seven is a number of completeness, so each of these 7 seals reveals a layer of God’s judgment on the earth. One view is that each of these layers is part of the tribulation. Another view is that these layers cover the entire time between Jesus’s 1^st and 2^nd coming. Either way, what we do know is that God is Sovereign and in control of each layer.

Well, what about the rider on the white horse? White often signifies holiness, perfection and purity. God the Father and Jesus the Son are often described as clothed in white. However, this rider on a white horse is “bent” on conquest. He’s not the already Victorious One. He isn’t bent on peace or redemption or justice. He appears like Christ, but deceives. The rider could be the Antichrist or one of the false prophets or a kingdom. His power is given to him and is limited. He can’t do anything outside God’s rule and authority.

Jesus is worthy to open this 1^st seal and He is in control of what comes from it!

How will you and I trust Jesus’s control in our lives today, even when we don’t understand confusing things that happen around us?