“God’s dwelling place will be among His people, and He will be with them” (Revelation 21:3). Let me share with you a few takeaways from the book of Revelation.
Everyone will someday stand before God
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The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27: “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” We will all stand before the Lord. For the unbeliever it will be a long, draining and depressing reminder of a life filled with poor choices, but for the Christian, Christ will plead your case on your behalf.
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When John got a glimpse into heaven in Revelation 4, he saw that God was on His throne in the middle of it all. That’s where He sits, and that’s where we will someday stand.
God will keep His word
• All throughout God’s story of redemption, we’ve seen that God wants to redeem us and reconcile us into a right relationship with Him. That message has never changed. The book of Revelation is where we see His upper story intersect with our lower story. His purpose has never changed, and His promise will not be broken.
You need to be ready
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Revelation 21:7-8 warns us of the punishment faced by those who oppose Jesus. One of the messages of Revelation is for us all to be ready for His return.
“Everyone who conquers will inherit all these blessings, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But cowards who turn back from following me, and those who are unfaithful to me, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those conversing with demons, and idol worshipers and all liars—their doom is in the Lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death.” LB
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And for those of us who have put our trust in Jesus Christ, it would be the height of selfishness if we didn’t try to bring someone with us to heaven. We talk a lot about the second coming of Christ, but one fourth of the world has never heard of the first.
Conclusion
Christ’s second coming will be far different than His first visit 2,000 years ago. He was disguised as a baby that time, but not this time. The mask is off; His identity is revealed, confirmed, and validated. We don’t know when it will be, but we need to be ready and waiting for that Day when we will finally be with Him.