“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:12-14).
The simple message of Revelation is this: to be a faithful witness, no matter our circumstances, and not fear any sort of death, including rejection. A recent episode of the Yellow Balloons podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network reminds us if we do that, He will reward us beyond our imagination. This verse from the very last chapter echoes the message from the first chapter.
Many difficulties lie ahead, ranging from severe persecution to the siren song of great riches. But no matter how crazy events on earth get and no matter what we are tempted to rely upon, God is still on His throne. God’s throne is specifically mentioned 39 times in Revelation. The message is clear: Nothing happens on earth that He did not authorize; no circumstances occur without His permission.
This encourages us to remain faithful and courageous witnesses because we can trust history is still in His hands.
Accordingly, no matter the circumstance in which we find ourselves, we can still be blessed. No event can stand in our way. We have the unilateral choice to gain blessing. Only we can stop ourselves. The heartbeat of Revelation and the key to happiness is this: Be a faithful witness and walk in obedience, no matter the circumstances. Jesus possesses the throne and will reward His faithful servants. If we walk in obedience, we win—God says so.
The Greek word translated “blessed” in this verse refers to those who “wash their robes” from the filth of the world and the flesh by walking in faithful obedience. It is the same as in the opening promise of Revelation 1. Through this repetition, we realize the greatest blessing available requires us to walk in obedience—a perspective that defies that of the world.
This episode of the Yellow Balloons podcast is the second in a devotional series on the value and messaging in Revelation. We pray it spurs you on toward faithful obedience to Christ. {eoa}
The Yellow Balloons team is committed to influencing individuals and organizations towards choosing a true perspective. Throughout all the diverse circumstances of life, we have the power to make choices and live life above our circumstances. Yellow Balloons provides free resources such as books, podcasts and devotionals which can be found at yellowballoons.net.
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