Finding Community
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Key Verse: “I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” Selected Scripture: |
THIS MONTH WE WILL consider lessons from the closing chapters of the highly symbolic book of Revelation. They detail to us the climactic events which will bring to completion God’s plan of salvation, through which all families of the earth will be blessed. (Gen. 12:3) Today’s lesson focuses on the authority and honor due God and his son Jesus as they, with singleness of purpose, go about the process of ending earth’s old order, the results of which have been sin and death under the rulership of Satan, after which will be ushered in Christ’s kingdom of righteousness, and the prospect of everlasting life for mankind.
Verse 2 of our lesson indicates, in symbolic language, that one of the steps of ending this old order is the judging and bringing to an end the false religious systems, which Satan has authored over the many centuries since Jesus and the Apostles put forth the pure Gospel message. Thus illustrated is the important principle that before Truth and righteousness can hold sway, false teachings, and the sources which promulgate them, must be dealt with. The teachings of Truth which will be the foundation of Christ’s kingdom cannot be made known to mankind in general until the false teachings of error are removed, never to rise again.
Our Key Verse shows the tremendous praise given to God throughout his heavenly realm as he uses his omnipotent power at the end of this present Gospel Age to once and for all rid the earth of all false religious systems. Verses 7-9 continue this song of praise, only now it is directed further to God’s son Jesus, “the Lamb,” and the church “his wife.” The completion of this “little flock” (Luke 12:32) of faithful followers of Jesus will take place also at the close of this same period. This will be a time of great rejoicing, “the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”—Rev. 19:7,8
In verses 11-21 of our lesson is detailed, again in symbolic language, the final battle between the then completed Christ, head and body, pictured in verses 11 and 14 as riding “white horses,” and the remaining forces of evil in the earth which must be destroyed in order that the kingdom of righteousness, referred to earlier in our lesson, can be established. All remaining evil forces, whether they are religious, social, economic, or political, will be brought to destruction by the one whom God has given this authority—his son Jesus, and his bride the church. How appropriate will be these words concerning Jesus at that time, “He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”—vs. 16
Thus God, his son Jesus, and the completed bride of Christ, will bring to a conclusion this “present evil world” (Gal. 1:4), in order that the kingdom so many have prayed for—“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth” (Matt. 6:10)—can be established for the teaching, blessing, and ultimate giving of everlasting life, to all the willing and obedient of mankind.