Not to long ago while reading read one of my morning devotionals with a rather catchy title…Reading Backwards and preparing for today’s blog I ran across the word Advent…here it is Friday and my publish date is this Saturday, funny how God will show will us the way if we just pay attention. I have a study group on Tuesday mornings and we are in the book of Revelations, pair that with another morning devotional and then put Advent with Revelations and you are ready to go. You see even at this late hour I had no real subject to share with you.

So….What is the point here? How do these two and reading backwards go together? Glad you asked that question. 

We will start with Advent… the Latin word meaning “coming, or arrival”. For Christians it is a season of preparation for the coming of Jesus and in a theological twist the beginning of the end. It is at this point, the arrival of Jesus that God begins the restoration and salvation of his people. The book of Revelations prepares God’s people for the end times and through John’s vision he reveals those things that must take place before the end. Both the Old Testament and the New contain writings of the prophecies, events and stories of Jesus and of the time of Judgement to come…the Lord’s Day. Let’s start at the end. Reading Backwards…

Revelations Has a total of 22 chapters and 21:1 through 22:21 deals with the New Jerusalem and the epilogue and benediction. For our purposes today we will look at 21:1-8. There will be an end to this wicked earth as we know it, this present earth will be no more. There will be a New Jerusalem, it will become the capital city of heaven. Here is where the saints will live. (John 14:1–3). I will try to highlight some points of interest here without getting to involved. The term bride is symbolically pointing to the saints who have come to this new city to meet the groom…Christ. This is his Fathers’s House. As written in verse 3 the Tabernacle is God’s house, this is where he lives. There will be no sadness here, no need for tears. We are reminded in verse 5 that God always speaks the truth. Verse 6 refers to the lasting spiritual water Jesus spoke of. In verse 7 those who persevere, remain true to the faith and accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ, will inherit the wonder of the new creation. In verse 8 we encounter the caveat that lists some of the traits of the unbelievers and their fate. Here is the list of traits from a biblical perspective:

Revelations 21:8

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (NKJV)

As we read backwards we will encounter all the events of biblical history that got us to the end as recorded by the saints in moving toward the salvation God has ordained for his people.You may correct me if you wish but to me the beginning starts with the birth of Christ and Advent, which prepares us for the birth of Jesus and our journey to salvation…the end of another beginning. This one is forever.

Life is Good

jk