December 31, 2019 – Day 366 Revelation 20-22; CHALLENGE: Read Mark 1-16!

Revelation 20 might be the source of more “controversy” than any chapter in the Bible.  It records the “millennium” or the thousand-year period when Jesus reigns on the earth with those who had been martyred for their faith.  During that time, Satan and his legions will be locked away.  After the 1,000 years, Satan and his legions will be released.  They will engage in a final battle with Jesus and his army.  Jesus will win, and then everyone living and dead will be judged before the great white throne. The controversy comes over whether this is a literal period, whether all the tribulation spoken about happens before this, and whether the believers on the earth will be taken up before the tribulation, or after, before the millennium or after.  The questions are many and the answers are as many as the questions.  One of the most important aspects of all this is: One day Jesus will return. He will conquer Satan once and for all. Those who are faithful will live with Him forever. We can argue and debate all the pre-, post-, mid-tribulation; pre-, post-, a-millennial positions, but as I have often said, “I’m no longer on the planning team for Jesus’ return.  I’m on the welcoming team!”  My goal is to share, grow and live the new life of Jesus with the world–one person at a time, so as many as possible will be on the welcoming team with me, when Jesus returns.

Revelation 21-22 close out the Bible with incredible pictures of what it will be like when Jesus returns and establishes His new heaven and new earth.  As the Bible starts in Genesis 1-2 with perfection in a garden with God and humanity in perfect relationship and harmony, so it ends in Revelation with perfection in a beautiful garden, with God and humanity in perfect relationship and harmony.  As you read through these two chapters, note who will and who will not be included in the joyous reality. One of the aspects of those excluded that has always caught my attention is in Revelation 21:8 we are told the first group excluded from heaven are “the cowardly.”  We would expect murderers, the sexually immoral, idolaters, and others who haven’t repented of their sin and turned to Jesus to be excluded from heaven, but why the cowardly?  It seems being a coward would be so much less worthy of punishment and exclusion from heaven than some of the others, but remember: When Revelation was written, people were being imprisoned, persecuted, and executed for following Jesus. Those who renounced Jesus would have their lives spared, but such cowardly action excluded the person from fellowship in the church, and sometimes such people even turned in their relatives and friends.  This kind of action, avoiding pain and punishment for following Jesus, had grave long-term consequences, and Jesus told John this, so it would be included in Revelation.  This reminder helps us all to remember to put Jesus first regardless of the current consequence.  The long-term benefit and blessing is literally out of this world!

Today’s final challenge is to read the entire Gospel of Mark. That’s sixteen chapters.  If you are an average reader it will take you about half an hour.  As you read it, all the teachings, the miracles, and the interactions of Jesus’ life will be familiar.  That was one of the major goals when we started, that Jesus’ life, teachings, ministry, death and resurrection will be part of our experience, through our reading and re-reading them.  As we go about our days, having that information in our minds and hearts, will lead to our transformation as we apply them in the power of the Holy Spirit!  Thank You for investing the time and effort into reading the Bible through in a year, and more than that in meditating on and living God’s word in your life.  The benefits and blessings of this discipline and practice are for here and now, and forever.