NT25 FASTSample

Day 25: Revelation 3-12

Jordan Madden, Insurance Adjuster, CFNI Teacher + Member at UPPERROOM

You have a need for endurance.

The chapters ahead hold powerful exhortations to us as individual saints in His glorious story and profound insight into the master plan of God in His completion of the Mystery of the ages (Revelation 10:7.)

As I read, I cannot help but take note of the acceleration of pace and the raising of the stakes that appear to be happening in these pages. We begin with three more letters demonstrating three contrasted spiritual positions: spiritually dead, on fire/overcoming, and lukewarm. The exhortation to all three is the same; "to him who overcomes." I find deep encouragement in this, as there have been times over the long faith journey where I could relate to all three churches here.

Our King does not lower the bar but instead gives the same exhortation to endure, to overcome. Not only because He knows the days ahead but because He knows what He has deposited in us. "Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes in the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5.) You have been given an overcoming Spirit that conquers darkness and is an antidote to the destruction and decay of this age. This is manifest in these chapters; after the heavenly revelation of chapters 4 & 5 (incredible ground to camp in, by the way,) we see the conditions leading to the end of the age and the reason for the exhortation to endure to the end. The seals directly parallel our Lord's call to endure in Matthew 24, showing us the severity of the time of the end but also, in another way, the immense fortitude and power of the life of God, which is in us to endure hardship and to overcome immense challenge.

This is also demonstrated by these two great Generals, the two witnesses found in chapter 11. They are fearless and unwavering in the face of a world completely set against them. This theme culminates in chapter 12, verse 11,"...and they overcame him [the serpent] by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even to the death."

We often hear the first two parts of this verse as the keys to their victory, but I want to submit to you that "not loving their lives even to death" is the key. Missing this, one may draw back from what the blood has purchased for us and may also no longer give the witness of their testimony for fear of the outcome.

But "we are not of those who draw back to perdition (Hebrews 10:39). Rather, we are those who "in trusting our Lord with patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Romans 2:7.)

In the midst of the weighty and potentially frightening circumstances in these chapters, may we all be deeply encouraged by the victory He has already won on our behalf and look to those days with joy as we await His glorious appearing!