• Well… we’ve made it! I’ll share some thoughts below, but first – it’s time for our regular study notes for today’s passages!
• How does Revelation end? Can you imagine being with God in this sort of way?
• How have Isaiah’s wonderful words of prophecy come true?
• There just aren’t the words to sum up the stunning message of the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ, but Paul made a fine attempt as he wrote the opening paragraphs of his letter to the Ephesians. They are fine words to bring down the curtain on our reading plan. There’s practically a sermon in every verse! If you rushed through it, eager to finish your reading for the year, go back and read them thoughtfully. Don’t worry, I’ll wait! I bet you’ll be amazed at how you can enjoy understanding them more than perhaps you would when you started this reading plan.
• Paul reminds us that God has blessed us in the heavenly places with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Just think about what that means. Our union with Jesus means we belong to Him, and we’ll live where He lives, and receive what He deserves: unending blessing. What reminder does Paul give that none of these blessings are because of anything that we have done ourselves?
• Paul also reminds us here, and in his other epistles, that no eye can see, no ear can hear and no heart can imagine all that God has stored up for those who love Him. This promise was given to us before we even had breath in our lungs. Before the foundation of the world, before we had done anything good or bad, Jesus predestined you for his family. This inheritance is rock solid. I rather hope that blows your mind!

1 day to go!

• Today’s utterly beautiful verses, especially from those in Revelation 21 (but to be honest, the other passages are great too!), speak of the new Heaven and the new earth where Christ and His bride, the Church, will have their eternal home.
• Romans 8:21-22 describes this earth as “groaning” and in “bondage to decay”. We live in a fallen and broken world at the moment, as you know. The current evil, sin-filled earth we know will give way to a new creation where suffering is forever banished. Just think of it! How is the new earth described?
• What do you think is the best thing about the description of the new Heaven and earth? What are you looking forward to most?
• The promise of Revelation 21:4 is captivatingly exquisite. Do you long for this day?
• How is the new city – Revelation 21:15 onwards – described? Can you picture in your mind how it might look, studded with precious jewels and paved in gold?
• The number twelve is used many times in Revelation 21. How, and why do you think this is? What twelve comes from the Old Testament, and what twelve from the New?
• Describe how this city will be lit up. Will there be any night any more? Why not?
• How do the words in Revelation build on the magnificent poetry found in our Old Testament reading today?
• Isaiah paints a picture of gladness and rejoicing, doesn’t he? Only the serpent seems to get the short straw, pictured as eating dust (Isaiah 66:25). Why do you think this might be?
• The reading in 2 Peter 3 is a quiet reminder that this isn’t all fairy stories for adult, like Santa is to children. Verses 4-6 tell us that scoffers will mock the hope in which we believe, saying that life will continue forever, as it has been “since the beginning of creation”. People around certainly do scoff now, don’t they. What does Peter say they are forgetting?
• How does 2 Peter 3:8-10 tell us that God’s delay in ushering in the new Heaven and new earth part of His patience towards mankind? Why is God patient with us?

2 days to go! Today’s passages are, once again, hard to read, so I suggest reading with someone else if you can.

• We enter our last three days of the year with a sombre reminder that God’s punishment for those who have walked away from Him will be eternal. Like the readings on day 362, these words should convict us with the seriousness of what it means for those who do not repent and believe the good news of Jesus.
• What, according to the final verses in Revelation 20, will be the final end for those whose names are not written in the Book of Life? What is also thrown into the lake?
• How does this make you feel? We know the God is just and keeps His promises, and this is the response God promises for those who have rebelled against Him. But the world around us might say that “a loving God would love me for who I am and what I’ve done, and I think I’m OK”. Do you find yourself tempted by this argument? How can you think scripturally, rather than humanly, about God’s promises in Revelation 20?
• We’ve read the passage in Luke before, haven’t we? Why did we read it again today? What’s the clear link between Jesus’ parable, and the message in Revelation?
• Think about those “rich men” from the parable that you know in your life. I mean, of course, those who don’t follow Jesus. If you are convicted of truth of these words, and the future that they are headed towards, what is stopping you from speaking to them and urging them to come to Jesus?
• The parable reminds us that there will be a time when it will be too late to turn to Christ. Pray for your friends, and for yourself. Our names will only be in that Book of Life if Jesus writes them in.
• Look at the words Isaiah used to finish his prophecy. They finish with the same warning. Isaiah doesn’t want his readers to be in any doubt about this.
• These words are uncomfortable, but they shouldn’t be surprising. Churches spend a lot more time speaking of the love of Jesus than the reality of Hell, but the Bible speaks clearly about both. These two things go hand in hand, of course; the reason Jesus’ death on the cross is so wonderful is that it rescues us from that reality.

Yesterday’s passages ended with the joyful reminder that Christ saves us from the destruction we’ve just been reading about. Let’s finish on great news today. For those who have their name in the Book, this moment will be joy *uncontained*. Death is defeated and so begins eternity with our Creator:

3 days to go! Today’s passages are hard to read though, so I suggest reading with someone else if you can.

• Before we hit the awesome glory of Heaven, as described in Revelation 21, we’re first going to spend two days, this being the first, looking at God’s judgement of His people. Today’s focus is on the uncomfortable message that all will be judged, and  – as nobody is sinless (Romans 3:19) – we will all be found guilty.
• Look at the brief words from Revelation 20. The 1,000 years, by this point, are complete, and Satan is forever gone. All the dead are raised – those who followed Jesus in their lives and those who didn’t. Everyone who has ever lived “awakes” to face the great white throne of God in His ultimate courtroom.
• What do you think this will be like? Can you picture it?
• There are two books described in Revelation 20:12. One of the books has everything we have ever done in our lives. The other is the book of life. What do you think each of these books says about you?
• It’s important to say that, even as followers of Jesus, we will still face this judgement and be found guilty. Does the idea of God’s judgement of your life scare you? It scares me. Look at the opening words of Romans 2. They’re frightening. Verses 1-5 tell us that our evil hearts, our hypocritical lives and our rebellious inclinations are storing up God’s wrath against us.
• What does Romans 2:6 say God will do in response to our sin?
• Spend a moment praying about this. There might be sin in your life which you have half-heatedly tried to give up, but failed. How can you use Paul’s stark words to jolt you into taking that sin seriously?
• Romans 2:12-16 talk about the law under whom people will be judged. In summary, it says that we, as gentiles, might not be judged under Judaic Law, but we will still be found guilty.
• How, in Romans 3:10-18, does Paul sum up the state of the people who will face that coming judgement throne?
• You might be feeling thoroughly ill by this point. How, in a wonderful change of tack, does Paul change message to one of glorious hope in Romans 3:21-26? How does Paul explain the gospel message of righteousness by faith alone, for both the Jew *and* the Gentile?

These words, perhaps more than any others we have read this year, should move you to praise God for what He has done in your life.

Your sin, and my sin, is leading us to judgement, and the penalty that comes from being found guilty. But here we see one of the reasons that Jesus came and died for us – so that right at this moment, He can stand up in that courtroom and say that He has taken the punishment in our place, with the scars on His hands to prove it. And we can be made free from the penalty, have our past washed clean, and be welcomed into the arms of God.

Wow.

5 days to go!

• You probably overate a little yesterday, and you’ll be slouching around today feeling a little full and “Christmased-out”. Well, today’s passages are equally fulfilling, and have had scholars debating about them ever since they were written.
• The 1,000 years mentioned in the opening verses of Revelation 20 is called the Millennium. It is the title given to Jesus Christ’s 1,000 year reign on earth that will start when He comes again. Much debate centres on whether this is an actual 1,000 years or simply a figurative way of saying “a very long time”. Personally, I don’t believe there’s no reason to doubt the literal interpretation, but we don’t need to consider that in our reading plan. What’s important is that Christ IS coming back to reign, as the prophecies to David promised!
• What will happen to Satan during the 1,000 years? Why does this happen?
• What do you think the world will be like with Christ reigning as King, without the effects of Satan’s influence?
• Who is raised back to life to live during these 1,000 years (verses Revelation 20:4-6)? Which group of people are raised back to life only at the end of the 1,000 years?
• What happens to Satan at the end of the Millennium? Why do you think he is to be released? As Satan and his army march towards Armageddon, what will happen to them?
• What joy does it give you to know that Satan will one day be no more?
• Why do you think we re-read the parable about the minas in Luke again today? How does it link in with the two groups of people we read about in Revelation (those who are raised for Christ’s reign, and those who are raised at the end)?
• Genesis 1-3 starts with the creation, and goes on to describe the entrance of sin into our world. Revelation 20-22, the final three chapters of the bible, are a mirror. So in Genesis 3 we sin come into the world, and in today’s chapter in Revelation 20 we see how sin is eventually conquered. As you read the remaining passages over the last couple of days this year, you may enjoy comparing them to the Genesis narrative.

Christ’s reign will, of course, be everlasting, but this 1,000 year period, which precedes the final judgement day and the coming of the new heaven/earth, is different.

As you might expect, there is a lot of debate about how things will exactly look, as the passages in Revelation don’t give detailed accounts. There are several theories and understandings about this time, the main three of which include things call amillennialism, premillennialism and postmillennialism. You can Google these terms if you want to find out more about each, although only if this particularly interests you.

For what it’s worth, the notes above hold to a premillennialism viewpoint, which I consider the most spiritually-accurate standpoint.

6 days to go!

• Merry Christmas! I hope, out of all the Christmas Days that you have enjoyed so far in your lives, that this one means more to you in a spiritual sense than any other. To know Christ, to know His mission, and to know |His sacrifice, should lead us to offer our thankful praise as we celebrate His birth all those years ago.
• On Christmas we remember Christ’s first coming. Today’s readings focus on His second coming. How is Christ pictured in Revelation 19:11-16? How does it reflect the way He came on that first coming in the quietness of the stable? What has the “Christmas nativity” donkey been replaced with?
• What sort of words do you think of when describing Christ’s reign on His return?
• The return of Christ signifies the start of the battle against Satan and his armies. How are the two beasts that we read about on day 357 going to be dealt with?
• All three passages today talk grimly about the judgement Jesus will strike the world with when He comes again. Revelation 19:22, Zechariah 14:12-15 and 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 speak in no uncertain terms about the way in which Christ will punish evil, both in the form of the satanic beings, as well as the sin that we have done in our lives. This is scary and uncomfortable stuff, so do talk to someone about it to you read through it and consider it.
• Turn to the Zechariah passage. We read here about people who were struggling to remain faithful to God in difficult situations. The warning was that there are greater trials to come, but whatever they were and however they would come, they would never be as horrific as the ones described when Christ returns to judge. The call is to pity those who will face this judgement. In the light of this stark warning, the unspoken question is this: is it better to bow, willingly, to Jesus now, or to bow when he returns?
• The opening words of Paul’s epistle in 2 Thessalonians have a similar message. It calls for believers to persevere when troubles come, and not to lose sight of the gospel message of assurance and hope. Jesus went through painful times too. Those who oppose Christ will suffer the punishment they have asked for: eternity away from Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Our response should be to want to share this danger with them. Sharing the gospel doesn’t mean scaring someone into believing something, just like I hope you’re not scared by these words now. It means explaining the reality of what the Bible promises, and the joy of knowing that God has provided us a way back to Him.

Today’s readings in Revelation mark the start of four days of readings between Revelation 19:11 and Revelation 20:15 which recalls the defeat of the devil and death. Today we saw the gathering of the heavenly army with Jesus pictured as being on a white horse (white for victory) at the front. As today’s passage in Revelation ends, we can see human corruption being thrown into the “lake of fire”. The words are scary, strong and may cause you to feel uncomfortable. This – lest we forget – is a picture of Christ putting sin to death. It *is* scary. It’s also wonderful, of course, if you know Christ and long for this day when the power of sin will be destroyed. How wonderful to be able to look forward to a time without sin.

The biblical account never at any moment suggests that Christ will be anything except victorious. These passages talk of the fulfilment of the greatest promise ever made – that Christ will return in glory to reign.

Don’t let these words slip by without marvelling at them!

7 days to go!

• After yesterday’s rather distressing passages, the focus today changes to one of joyful celebration, where we see all the people who have been redeemed from evil coming together praising and rejoicing at a wonderful marriage supper.
• What happens in today’s passages in Revelation? Who do you think are the “great multitude” who are crying out with worship to God?
• What words of worship are used? In Revelation 19:1-5, what are the crowds praising Jesus for? How does the praise change in the later verses?
• What do you think the wedding feast might be like? Try picturing it in your head. What sort of things would you have at a feast if you had the choice?
• We’ve not read it in today’s passages, but you would do well to flick to verses Ephesians 5:30-32 and remind yourself of them. What is earthly marriage a symbol of?
• Marriage is ultimately about Christ and His Church. We read about this marriage in Revelation 19:6-10. We – saved followers of Jesus – are the bride. How are we pictured? What connections can you see between human marriage and the marriage supper of Jesus and His people in Revelation 19?
• We’ve read the words in Matthew earlier in this readings plan. You should remember the parable. There are some stark words in there, aren’t there? Jesus, the bridegroom, has invited us to this great celebration in heaven, but we have to accept His offer. What will it be like for those who don’t? We’re very close to the end of our reading plan. Have you accepted Christ’s invitation in your life?
• In earthly marriage, men are called to give themselves up for their wives. Ephesians describes men as having a leadership role, yes, but it’s a sacrificial role too. How did Jesus perfectly picture that for his bride, the Church?

As you enjoy Christmas Eve festivities tonight, if you’re having them, and as you look forward to tomorrow’s exciting events, take a step back for thirty seconds and contemplate that despite everything that’s happening, and all the good things we get to enjoy at this time of year, it’s going to be nothing – *nothing* – in comparison to the feast we can look forward to when we are united to Jesus at this awesome moment. Are you looking forward to it?

Remember that the bible doesn’t talk about Heaven like a nice fairytale, or a Christmassy film. It’s not something empty to look forward to, like Father Christmas, with no real purpose other than to give people a warm feeling. As Christians we believe that there is real truth in the words we’re reading. When Christ died for us He saved us from death, but more than that, He brought us to something more glorious than we can imagine: a wedding feast and a joyful promise of life eternal. True, satisfying, eternal life. I hope you’ll be mightily encouraged by today’s passages!

8 days to go!

• Revelation has some tough stuff in it, and you may be relieved to hear that this plan doesn’t cover all of it. Today, however, we focus in on the judgement of God. I don’t know what understanding or images you might have had about Revelation before you came to study it One Story, but for many, these sorts of chapters are what they think of first. Today’s readings are quite long so take your time, and be sure to speak to someone if you find the text unsettling or scary.
• We read about Satan’s diabolical attempts to wage war on mankind and God today. He does this by imitating the Trinity. Satan is pictured as a dragon in chapter 12 (which we didn’t read, but you can if you’d like) and styles himself as the “Father” of his false satanic trinity. He stands and watches as a beast rises from the sea. This beast is described as a corruption of many of God’s creatures – can you see which?
• Which person of the Trinity does this beast try to picture? What sort of things does the beast do try to emulate attributes of Jesus? There are lots in Revelation 13:1-4 (i,e. Jesus is the king, and this beast wears ten crowns). You could also think about the image of Jesus we saw in Revelation 1.
• Can you remember which book in the Old Testament had similar imagery about judgement?
• The second beast (in Revelation 16:11 onwards) has similarities to the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. The chief task of this demonic beast is to deceive the people on earth (which is why it comes like a lamb but speaks like a dragon), and to make them think the first beast was divine (instead of Jesus). I can understand if you find these words troubling.
• Have you heard of the “number of the beast” before? It’s often talked about, and probably too much. We see it in Revelation 13:18. Some people think that you can get 666 by attributing a number to each letter in the Hebrew word for “beast” and counting them up. Perhaps you can. But the Greek word for “Jesus” comes in at 888. If 777 is perfection, then Jesus is beyond, and the devil falls short! Don’t worry too much about this though – it’s a distraction.
• Revelation 16 talks about seven plagues in bowls, indicating God’s coming wrath against people. Look through each of the first six. How is God’s wrath poured down? What do these plagues remind you of?
• Verse 16 shows the devil assembling his demonic army at “Armageddon” for his battle against Christ. The devil won’t last for long when the time comes for this battle to actually happen!
• The seventh bowl gives graphic imagery about the final day when God’s great plans reach their culmination, His anger is finished and His kingdom has come. What happens to the sin (pictured as the city of Babylon) at this moment?

We’ve looked at Matthew 24 before, so I’ll not write full details about this, but it’s worth just taking a deep breath and putting these mind-bending passages into focus.

Spiritual warfare is very real and the devil will (increasingly) do all he can to battle in his attempt to pull people away from God. We see his attempts at masking the work of the real Trinity by offering his own evil version, to confuse us. These passages show God’s righteous anger at all He sees.

How can we prepare ourselves in the knowledge that Satan’s unholy trinity is going to be making war on our souls? Jesus’ quiet words, hidden in Revelation 16:15 remind us, from the gospels, to be ready and vigilant.

Jesus is on our side, fighting for us.

He knows how to deal with the devil and his schemes. Whatever comes, with Jesus on our side, we have nothing to fear. If today’s readings have confused – and maybe scared – you, then be sure to end your time today considering that Jesus loves you, and is completely in control. He has already beaten death for us, and his victory to come is assured.

9 days to go!

• Christmas is only a few days away now, and I’m rather excited, as I’m sure you are. We look forward to Christmas because we know that it’s a day of excitement and fun and – yes – gifts! In our readings today we’re given a glimpse of an extraordinary day that we’re also looking forward to: the day when we get to witness the throne-room in Heaven for ourselves. Did the passage today tantalise you about what it will be like to see it for yourself?
• Today’s chapter in Revelation describes a throne. Look at all the imagery, and try and imagine in your mind what it might look like. Enjoy reading these glorious words! Search online to find what some artists have imagined the throne room to look like.
• Who’s throne is it? To whom does the praise of the angels, and creatures and elders go to? What sort of attributes of Jesus are worshipped in Revelation 1:8-11? How do they compare with how Jesus lived as a man when He came as to earth in humility 2,000 years ago?
• We will see this throne for ourselves at the resurrection. The Corinthian church, like many, were confused about the resurrection, and Paul spent some time talking about it in his letter to them in today’s second reading. It’s not the easiest passage to understand. What was the church’s question? Have you ever thought about what your body would be like in Heaven?
• How did Paul tell the church that our heavenly bodies will be perfect and eternal, unlike our current bodies? What different arguments does he use in 1 Corinthians 15:38-41 and 15:42-44?
• Verses 45-49 talk of the “first Adam” and the “last Adam”. Who do you think these two individuals are? How does Paul explain to us that we are currently like the “first Adam” but our bodies will also “bear the image” of the “last Adam”?
• What do 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tell us about how the resurrection of the dead will happen? What connection can you see between these verses and those at the start of Revelation 4?
• The passage in 1 Corinthians ends with a cry of victory of the power of death and the passage in 1 Thessalonians continues this with words of comfort and hope. You may have known the sadness of someone close to you dying. How can these words offer incredible encouragement and hope?

People have lots and lots of questions about what the life will be like in Heaven. The Bible answers some of these questions, although not with specific detail. We don’t need to know everything about Heaven of course. Our hope in Jesus is that we’ll enjoy finding out what it’s like in God’s good time! It’s OK to ask questions and to think about what it might be like though.

Today’s passages talk about two things. Firstly they gave a glimpse of glory of Heaven, centred about God and the way in which we’ll desire to worship Him. Secondly we read how our earthly weaknesses will be raised in glory and power, bearing the image not of the sinful Adam, but of the sinless Jesus. They’re all words of wonder and joy, and I hope you find great comfort and excitement in the promises they make.