Feb 3 — Revelation 19:11-21

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 19:11-21

OBSERVATION:
His name is the Word of God (Revelation 19:11-16) This is a vision of Jesus Christ, the king of heaven and earth. He is the Logos (word) of God, that is, the expression of God’s heart, mind and will. God created the universe by speaking it into being, and He sustains it through that same word. It is not an empty word, it is a powerful word, a sword. When God speaks, things happen. The Jesus who entered history was the incarnation of this powerful word. This is how we, as finite beings, can relate with the infinite God. This is very complicated, but it shows that God is not simplistic or 2 dimensional.
The great supper of God (Revelation 19:17-21) This is not the wedding banquet, the the result of God’s judgment, the total devastation of those that oppose Him. It is likened to the field after the battle, where the vanquished lie dying and the vultures gorge themselves on the remains. Not a pretty picture, but as a symbol its intended to make the point, resisting God is futile and foolish, it will lead to ultimate judgment.
Killed with the sword that came out of the mouth (Revelation 19:21) A symbolic way of saying that the judgment will take place on the basis of the truth of God, and our position in relation to it. If we oppose the truth, we will get burned. Like the laws of creation (for example, gravity), if we defy those laws, we will ultimate bedefeated by those laws. Try jumping from a skyscraper and see what happens… that too would be gruesome.

APPLICATION:
I do not fully know the truth of God, I only know that Jesus is the perfect embodiment of that truth, so my task is to stick as close to Him as possible. I will never know Him fully, but I can respond to what I know. Do I stand for what He stands for? Am I committed to living for Him and like Him, even if it means suffering for this life? Being a christian is not about saying a prayer and being saved, its about pledging loyalty and fidelity to the King of the Universe, and growing into His likeness, with His help. Practically speaking, it means imitating His example, obeying His commands, trusting His wisdom, pursuing His agenda. But I can’t do this unless I spend intentional time meditating on these things. Do I believe that to live contrary to the way of Jesus will ultimately lead to judgment, to being burned? God does not delight in punishing people, but He cannot change the laws of the Universe. Defy the truth and we will be defeated by it.

PRAYER:
Lord, impress this upon my heart especially when I am tempted to defy You in specific ways, known to my heart. May I sense Your voice like a sword, penetrating my heart, convicting and convincing me that Your way is the only way! Amen.