Who are these people that John saw standing in God’s presence, wearing white robes and waving palm branches (v. 9)? It’s important to notice that, when one of the elders asked John this question, John didn’t know either (v. 14). Since John himself had to have the meaning of his…

Are only 144,000 people going to be saved? Some people have drawn that conclusion from this passage. Others, noticing John’s mention of the tribes of the children of Israel, contend that this only refers to Jewish believers, in contrast to the Gentile believers mentioned in verses nine and following. But…

As the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse make clear, terrible events like wars, famines and plagues are bound to recur as long as human history continues. But the fifth seal reminds us that we should in fact long for that history to come to an end. That’s what the souls…

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are among the best known images found in the Revelation, but they are, in fact, also some of the easiest to understand. In fact, the idea of riders on different colors of horses can be found in Zechariah chapter 1, verses 8-10. Zechariah sees…

Is anyone in charge here? In the face of hurricanes and wildfires and mudslides, of chaos in Congress and violence in the streets, this is not a rhetorical question. And as American culture continues its collapse into ever more perverse forms of immorality, even Christians may be tempted to look…

When you think about Heaven, what is most attractive to you? Are you longing to see your departed loved ones again? Are you looking forward to an end to physical pain and sickness? John certainly had good reason to want an end to the fears and frustrations of this wicked…

Complacency can be worse than compromise. That’s the clear message we get from comparing Jesus’ words to all seven of the congregations in chapters 2 and 3. Yes, the churches in Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis were all giving in to the faithless culture around them, some more seriously than others….

“Boy, that’s a dead church.” You might have heard people saying such things about a congregation that clings to traditional worship practices. But where it came to the church in Sardis, Jesus obviously has something more serious in mind, something that requires the Christians there to “repent” (3:3). In other…

What’s the most terrifying image in the Revelation? The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? The Battle of Armageddon? In today’s passage we find something that should be even more horrifying: the possibility that an apparently orthodox church can completely lose its way. And make no mistake, the church in Ephesus…

“I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side.” According to MercyMe, there are lots of possibilities: “Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of You of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I…