Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Revelation 10-11 and Psalm 58

If we step back to take a birds-eye, life-application view of the deep symbolism of Revelation 10-11, I feel a devotional message for the believer might just become apparent.

This revelation about the Age of the End seems directed at the People of God specifically. After all, we are the Temple of the Living God, and we are called to be faithful witnesses. Often in this life, the sweetness of our Gospel fellowship with the Lord, and of the gracious and sometimes miraculous ways He chooses to use us as His witnesses, is matched by the bitter trials that the Enemy brings upon us to try to derail our faithfulness. But the powerfully encouraging word from Jesus (revealed on this little scroll) is that even if the People of God (His New Temple) are trampled on outwardly by the wicked, and even if our faithful witnessing and ministry in the power of the Spirit and the Word is met by demonic opposition from a Great Beast – and even if that opposition includes martyrdom – God will use us powerfully, and by the gracious hand of God and in His perfect and exact timing, God will raise us up from the dead and receive us to Himself in glory.

What is more, our self-sacrificial witnessing and ministry will trigger worship in heaven, and repentance on earth as even evil opponents give “glory to the God of heaven” (11:13), and the great day will finally come when:

‘The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.’ (11:15)

Life application: You’re not likely to come under the attack of physical persecution inspired by the Beast today … but stay faithful as a witness to Jesus Christ anyway and tell others the Good News of His love and His offer of forgiveness and fellowship through faith in Jesus Christ. Trust the hand of the Lord to use you to glorify His Name and bring about His Kingdom.