Revelation 14 — The Lamb, The Three Angels, Harvesting the Earth
Revelation 15 — Seven Angels with Seven Plagues
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). Perseverance through the trials of the tribulation. Daniel was not saved from the lions’ den nor were his friends saved from the furnace: both were saved IN their trial. Daniel had to enter the lions’ den, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego had to be tossed in the furnace–there they were saved. God calls us to persevere during these trials.
There is a crucial conjunction in verses 14:9 and 14:11 that make me wonder a bit. Compare:
“anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark”
“worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark”
See the difference? The NIV uses the word “and” in verse 9, then “or” in verse 11. Other translations are consistent with the word “and.” Of course, both are centered on worshipping the antichrist, so perhaps we should remain focused on that side of the equation. But the word “and” provides a ray of hope for any who received the mark, even worshipped the antichrist, but heard the angels and repented. Hope becomes pivotal, otherwise, what’s the purpose of all the time transpiring? God wants to give people a second, third, fourth, nnnth chance to come unto his glory.
Praise the Lord for his desire to commune with us. May we stop worshipping that which does not honor him and kneel before the God of creation and worship him alone, may we “worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water” (14:7). “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty, Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.” (15:3).