1 AFTER THIS I heard what sounded like a mighty shout of a great crowd in heaven, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! Salvation and glory (splendor and majesty) and power (dominion and authority) [belong] to our God!
John heard a great crowd rejoicing in Heaven. He heard all of the angels, all of the created beings, and all of the souls of the chosen who have died. John heard that they all agree and rejoice with what is going on. Just because we may die in the flesh does not mean for one second that our spirits are not actively participating in the affairs of our Father’s Kingdom, Revelation 6:9-10.
2 Because His judgments (His condemnation and punishment, His sentences of doom) are true and sound and just and upright. He has judged (convicted, pronounced sentence, and doomed) the great and notorious harlot (idolatress) who corrupted and demoralized and poisoned the earth with her lewdness and adultery (idolatry). And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand.
Notice that our Father condemns the harlot, not that He condemned to destruction those who had affairs with the harlot. Think of how the love of money has corrupted so many in the world throughout all of the centuries. Then think of the freedom that we now have by being as our Father is, even while we are on this earth. Our Father doesn’t go and buy what He needs or wants, He speaks it into existence and now His children will live forevermore as He is, 1 John 4:17. Nothing is put before our relationship with our Father. Those who follow after Babylon will suffer loss for their wickedness, but they will be saved as those who have passed through the fire, 1 Corinthians 3:15. But those who are chosen by our Father to be in Christ will have peace that passes all understanding, because we are more than conquerors through Christ, and because of Him our joy is full, John 15:11. Because of Jesus we have peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7. Also because we have been chosen and given all of this, much will be expected of us, Luke 12:48. We will be required to serve, or rule and reign, with our Lord forever, Revelation 20:4.
The point can be made here again, that the harlot is not just one single church. Why would our Father bestow His wrath on the world, when the world does not participate in just one church? But the world does participate in the love of money and corrupt power. The world is drunk with the wine of greed and ego. These things are the Harlot and they will all be utterly destroyed by the wrath of our Father. Our Father will not destroy us, the wheat, but He will destroy the chaff, the unusable stuff in our life’s, Luke 3:17.
No comments:
Post a Comment