Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Many people have skipped over the book of Revelation for a number of reasons, but as you can see, God blesses those who read and/or hear the words that depict the last days including details about His return. It can be a difficult book to read from an intellectual perspective but on a spiritual level, the story unfolds to tell us what to expect when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead. Call on God for the Holy Spirit to guide you through the incredible journey that was witnessed first hand and written about by the Apostle John for the sake of those who call Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Long ago, Jesus sat with His disciples and was asked to describe "what will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age." Matthew 24:3 Jesus said that "there will be famines and pestilences (strange diseases), and earthquakes in various places." Matthew 24:7
Jesus' prediction in Matthew 24 lines up with the events in the book of Revelation; it provides an incredibly accurate picture of that great and terrible day. Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:5 that "many will come in My name, saying 'I am the Christ' and will deceive many." "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders." Matthew 24:24
Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:4 "Take heed that no man deceive you," because He knows that deception will take place in the last days, "the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knows that he has but a short time." Revelation 12:12
The signs in Matthew 24:6-7 speak of "wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." Revelation 11:18 shows us God's response, "The nations were angry and Your wrath has come and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints...and should destroy those who destroy the earth."
The book of Daniel offers another view of the last days, Daniel 12:4 speaks of "the time of the end, when knowledge shall increase." As we turn on our devices and listen to the news, we can see that we are living in an age where information is pouring out faster than we can absorb it; let us not forget that many will come to deceive us, so it is wise to learn God's Word to know when we're being led by Him or deceived by false teachers.
Closing Thoughts:
The devil is pulling out all the stops in his last days, but God is not caught by surprise, He teaches us and warns us in each of the 66 books that make up the bible; each book is given to us to read and to hear so that we will know and believe and be prepared for what lies ahead.
Matthew 24:44
For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Revelation 22:12
Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
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