Revelation 1-12

Since I started this blog after I was already four days into my study in the book of Revelation, I will compile the first twelve chapters together. In chapters 1 - 3, John was instructed to write a letter to seven different churches. The churches were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. While reading, I felt compelled to count the number of times I found the word "seven" in the book of Revelation. Seven is a number that symbolizes completion and it occurs 22 times in the first six chapters.
It was frightening to read the letters that John sent to the churches. Six of the seven letters began with praises for work well done. God sent word to the church that He was pleased there work in certain areas. How easy it is to please God? If I follow the ten commandments and try to live like a good person, will that be enough to please Him? If I attend church every Sunday, will that please Him? While all of the above is important, I don't believe it's enough to please the Almighty God.
Ephesus proved to be a church of great patience. They could not tolerate wicked men and they tested the ones who claimed to be apostles (1:2) In verse 3, God acknowledges, through John's letter, that the church has been through hardships in God's name and they perservered. Surely, this would be more than enough to please God. I continued reading and the first word in the 4th verse was "yet". Yes, the church had done great things in the sight of the Lord, but He was not fully satisfied. He wanted more. What right does God have to ask more of feeble humans? That can be answered in one word. Jesus. God sent His one Son, who was perfect and Holy, to earth to die for us feeble humans. We are nothing without Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. That is what God wanted the Ephesian church to realize. The fourth verse says "yet, you have forsaken your first love" (NIV). Who is the first love? God. God wanted His children back. Yes, they were doing good things in His name, but they had lost sight of the One thing that TRULY mattered -- God and His love and His grace.
The following five churches received similar letters in form, but not content. The letters began with a praise and ended with a command from the Lord. The letter that frightened me was the letter to Laodicea, the final letter. The church was, how God termed it, "lukewarm". They were neither hot or cold in regards to the Lord and His message. Neither for or against Him. They didn't care one way or another. The reason this particular letter frightened me was because this is how I see the world today. Too many people are "lukewarm" when it comes to God and He does not tolerate that. As a Christian, we are not to tolerate that either. I'm far from perfect and I have made plenty of mistakes, but I strive to keep the Lord the center of my life. Nothing else is important enough to come before Him.
Chapters 4 - 6
I could sit and read the book of Revelation all day, everyday, for the rest of my life and still not understand ever facet within its pages. It's so rich and full of prophecy. I'm sure that when most Christians start their daily quiet time, they begin with either the Old Testament or the Gospels. I had to start with Revelation. It's the book that both confuses me and compels me. While I am certain that my confusion does not come from God -- He is not the author of confusion -- I am just as certain that my confusion comes straight from Satan. Satan doesn't want us to understand, let alone believe, any aspect of God's Word. Satan knows he's doomed and he wants to take as many of us down with him as he can. Praise the Lord! There is another way!
Chapters 7-9
The book of Revelation is about the great tribulation period and the events that precede it and follow it. It's a book of great hope and encouragement to Christians and a book of great torment and torture for the lost. I've recently become addicted to the TV show "Ghost Whisperer". The show makes me cry every time. The actress is believable and the plots are heartwarming with a bit of suspence here and there, but the reality of the show is that it's not reality. In the show, the ghosts have a chance to finish any "business" on earth before they "cross over" into the light. They also have a choice, as ghosts, to go into the light or dwell on earth, or beneath the earth, with a suspicious looking man in a trenchcoat and a hat. While this adds drama to the show, it's not how God works. When we die, our choice for our final resting place has already been decided. We don't have any chance to decide after we die. The choice of either Heaven or hell is ours to make and it's made before we die.
Chapters 7 - 9 are filled with death and destruction. However, before God allows this destruction to begin, He commands His angels to "seal" His children. This seal placed on the believer's forehead protects the child of God from the wrath that is about to consume the earth. The church has already been raptured and these believers place their faith in God after the tribulation period starts. God doesn't care when we come to Him -- just that we do come to Him before He calls us home.
Chapters 10 - 12
I'm not going to pretend that I can comprehend everything I read in the Bible. There are several instances where I'm not sure I can even begin to try and interpret what I read. This does not mean that I don't accept it as truth. I believe that one day, once the events from the book of Revelation start taking place, Christian will see and understand what we couldn't before.
There is mystery in Chatper 10. John is commanded by God to leave something out of the book of Revelation. God commanded, "seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down." Why? What did the "seven thunders" say? I can't answer that. I believe that I will find out one day.
Chapter 11 is a description of the seventh seal and what destruction comes from it. It talks about the two witnesses that will prophesy for 1,260 days and that all who try and harm them will be consumed by fire until the time of the anti-christ, and he will be the only one that can destroy them. The anti-christ will be viewed as a hero among the earth because he destroyed the two who were prophesying against them.
Chapter 12 is about Satan. Satan and his demons fought with Michael and the other angels in Heaven until Satan and his demons lose and are hurled to earth. The angels say "woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury." This goes back to my statement earlier how Satan wants nothing more than to make us confused and miserable, doomed to a fate that he chose for himself.
We have the choice, too, just as Satan did. We can eiter decide to worship God and follow Him, or we decide to reject Him. It's as simple as that. We either have the faith to accept His love and grace or we don't. God does not force our hand, as much as He would love for all inhabitants on the earth to accept Him, He knows that it will not happen. His love and forgiveness is there for the taking. Anyone can accept it.