Gary Gleans

One of the questions that we have about heaven is: What will we do in heaven?   If we are honest, we must admit that we don’t have all of the answers to those questions.   One thing that we must never do is think that heaven will be boring.   God has made us with all of our senses and desires, He is preparing a place for us and we can trust Him to prepare a place and prepare us for that place in a way that will astound us.   The beauty and joy of the earth on which we currently live will all pale in comparison to that which God is preparing for us on the New Earth.   While much about this New Earth or heaven remains unknown to us; John does record for us some very important information in this last chapter of the New Testament. HEAVEN IS A PLACE FOR WORSHIPING: We are created as worshipers and all men worship our lives are consumed by worship.   Unfortunately, we often worship things or people that are not worth of worship.   The result of this reality is that we end up feeling lost an

Whenever we talk or think about heaven our imaginations tend to run wild.   I think that this is as it should be.   I believe that God is pleased when we dream about heaven and try to imagine the wonders that await us there.   Since God knows our thoughts, I think He must often laugh at the things we conger up about heaven, not because our thoughts are too glorious and grand but because our thoughts are too boring and bland.   John records a few observations about heaven that should provide the framework of our daydreams about our home. HEAVEN IS HOLY: What must stand out to us about heaven is the fact that it is the place where God dwells with men.   God is perfectly holy and will only dwell in the midst of those who share in His holiness.   What this means is that God will make us holy just as He is holy.   This is the purpose and promise of salvation.   What a glorious thought this is that one day every sinful act, thought and desire will be permanently irradiated from our hearts.  

The history of this world as we now know it will change radically.   We don’t know a lot of details from this passage of how this time will be.   John describes the events of a thousand years in just a few paragraphs along with the most serious of all judgments.   I believe that a greater understanding of how the earth will be during Christ’s reign is best learned through a study of the Old Testament prophecies.   The main point is that Christ will return and that He will make drastic changes in the way that men live on the earth.   What a glorious day that will be. THE SAVIOR WILL REIGN: When Christ returns to earth, He will establish His kingdom for one-thousand years.   Theologically, this period is called the Millennium.   There are many who do not take this as a literal kingdom and believe that this passage describes Christ’s current kingdom of the church on earth.   However, I believe that this passage is most accurately understood as Christ returning to the earth with the church

People go about their daily lives on a very normal basis.   When the tribulation period starts things will seem very difficult, but despite the plagues men will move forward and all will become normal again.   That is the reality of history on this earth and is a part of human nature.   That which seems strange or extraordinary, with time will become normal.   That, in many ways, will come to a screeching halt with the events of this chapter. CHRIST RECIEVES HIS BRIDE: The marriage of Christ and the church is celebrated in the marriage super of the Lamb.   The church has been going through the Judgment Seat of Christ during the tribulation period.   The rewards that are granted during this time become a sort of wedding gift that is lain at the feet of Jesus and the church is granted white linen clothing to wear to this celebration.   This is the moment that we so long to experience.   Our works today are part of the adornment of the bride of Christ and we must serve the Lord faithfully

The city of Babylon and the religious system she represents continues to be the focus of this chapter.   This seems to be an alternative view of the same events described in the previous chapter.   It is a clear demonstration of what happens to those who oppose the work of God in the world. THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON: This city and system that has stood in opposition to God and in the name of God has brought such great hardship and suffering on the true followers of Christ is decisively judged.   The destruction is swift, great and complete.   This is the final fate of all who reject Christ and choose to abandon the worship of God for the worship of idols of their own making.   Babylon represents this deviation from God’s truth and illustrates the results that all who reject God’s authority will experiment.   THE DISTRESS OF THE NATIONS: In the previous chapter, we saw the delight of the kings of the earth because of this judgment, however, there will also be a great lament of the loss

The beast described in this chapter is different from the beasts described in previous chapters; however, they are also very similar to one another.   This beast appears to be working in cooperation with the Anti-Christ, but at the same time there seems to be a large amount of animosity between this beast and the world leaders.   There is much to indicate that this is some sort of religious system or leader that is completely against the work of God in the world through Christ.   We might be tempted to speculate as to what religion this might be, but I do not think that is necessary or wise.   The warning we must heed here is to worship God and not the religions of men. THE BEAST PROMOTES FALSE ADORATION: One of the key characteristics of this system is that it promotes idolatry and blasphemes against the name of the one and only God of the universe.   The heart of man by its very nature worships.   However, due to our fallen nature our hearts seek out objects of worship other than God

Anyone who has ever wondered about the power of God over the earth or the hatred of God towards sin should read this chapter.   Though the passage does not tell us, I imagine that these plagues occur during the final months of the Tribulation because I cannot imagine how life would be sustainable on the planet with all of these plagues taking place.   The wrath of God is clearly being revealed and the picture is not very pretty. BOILS AND BLOOD: The first bowl is one of malignant sores breaking out all over the bodies of those who have the mark of the beast.   This clearly reveals God’s ability to judge or relieve from judgment according to His will.   One time I got hundreds of chigger bites on my legs.   The itching was driving me absolutely out of my mind, and then several of them got infected.   I felt like taking a knife and just scraping my skin.   I think my chiggers were nothing in comparison to what these people will experience all over their bodies.   One of the only things t

Revelation 15:1-8 The worship of God is a theme that constantly surfaces throughout Scripture and especially in the book of Revelation.   I think that gives us a very clear indication of that which will be our focus in heaven as well as that which should occupy our time here on earth.   We are, by our very natures, worshipers.   Unfortunately, our worship is too often directed at objects, others and ourselves.   This will not always be the case.   One day every man, woman and child from every nation of the world will bow in worship before our Lord. GOD IS WORSHIPED FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS WORKS: The picture that John records in revelation is one of all the saints from every nation on the earth worshiping God for His works and His righteousness.   God is deserving of our worship because of who He is and because of what He has done.   He is the ruler of this world and the judge of all of mankind.   All of us are called to fear God as well as love God and give glory to His name.   He is perfect

We live in a world of contrasts.   There is a consistent contrast between good and evil, love and hate, peace and war, hope and despair.   These contrasts have been the constant companions of the history of this planet since the fall of man.   One of the problems we face in the world today is that the consequences of these contrasting realities do not seem to be consistent with what we expect them to be.   We expect for good to be rewarded and for evil to be punished.   However, the reality of our current circumstances often results in just the opposite.   Evil often prospers and good seems to suffer.   We must be assured of the fact that these disparaging consequences are only temporary and only occur as a result of having to live on a sin cursed planet under the domain of Satan.   It is of utmost importance that we remember that things will not always be this way. THE REST WITH GOD FOR THE SAINTS: During the tribulation period God sets off on a campaign to draw clear contrasts on thi

The sincerest form of flattery is imitation.   I am sure that Satan is, in no way, desirous of flattering God, but he constantly seeks to imitate God out of a desire to usurp God’s authority.   The fact that God exists eternally in a tri-unity is not a hidden fact to Satan.   I believe that Satan, during the tribulation described in Revelation, seeks to imitate the Holy Trinity by forming his own evil trinity.   Satan, of course, would be the first person of this evil trinity and the other two members are revealed to us in this passage. THE BALSPHEMOUS BEAST OF THE SEA: The Sea in Revelation represents the Gentile nations.   This beast that comes out of the Sea is the Anti-Christ.   He is a Gentile ruler that demands the obedience and more importantly the worship of all the nations.   The Anti-Christ represents the second person in Satan’s evil trinity.   We must recognize that Satan’s goals during the tribulation are far greater than just establishing a political regime that forms a n