Hail the King!

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11.15

The Apocalypse of St John or 'Revelation' is the culminating book of the Bible, offering us a glimpse into how God will bring his great plan of redemption, the New Heaven and the New Earth, into fruition under the Lordship of King Jesus. At the very heart of the book is the statement above. That it is lodged in the middle of John's account of what he saw concerning the cosmic fight between good and evil, between God and Satan, not only resonates with our own struggles, but reassures us that the outcome is glorious triumph for God and therefore for all who put their trust in him.

The outlook for you, personally, might not look great; it might even seem as if your cause is hopeless. The image John offers in chapter 12 should reassure you: a woman at her most vulnerable is about to give birth and a fierce dragon is poised to destroy the baby. But in the nick of time God sends an eagle to snatch the baby away to safety and the woman herself is ushered away to a safe refuge. The dragon, together with the beast and the false prophet - the unholy trinity - is then comprehensively defeated and thrown out of heaven and down to earth, where he makes his last stand.

Friends, this is where we are now: caught up in the final drama. If the devil is trying his best to cause havoc while he has time, in order to take as many with him into eternal damnation, is it any wonder that the world is in such turmoil? The tragedy is how many do not realise what is going on, which is why it is important for Christians to know our bibles, so we can understand and interpret the times we are living in and so we can live faithfully and as witnesses to the truth of the devil's wrecking tactics and of the ultimate triumph of Christ the King...