Themes in Revelation: The Kingdom of God

Week 11, Friday: With a Rod of Iron
The Lord Who is saving His redeemed ones and advancing His Kingdom on earth also rules the nations and the entire cosmos by His powerful Word (Heb. 1.3). He determines the nature and limits of the authority of kings and spirits, and deals with them in judgment even now, as a forewarning of greater judgment to come. God’s Kingdom ambassadors must make His judgment known to the world.

Read Revelation 14

Meditate on the following passages from Revelation
1.      Revelation 6.1-8: If the Church is represented by the white horse, what other human institutions are suggested by the other horses? What are the implications for those other institutions that only the Rider on the white horse goes out to conquer?

2.      Revelation 8.7-13: Meditate on Hebrews 1.3. Why would He Who upholds the world want to see it come to what we see in Revelation 8.7-13? How does this square with His going forth “conquering and to conquer”?

3.      Revelation 9.1-5: Jesus claims to have “bound” the devil (Matt. 12.22-29). How can you see in Revelation 9.1-5 that spiritual powers of wickedness are “on a leash” to the Lamb/King? How should this affect us as we seek to carry out our Kingdom-and-glory calling in the world?

4.      Revelation 17.17: God is sovereign over the nations, even using them to bring judgment against one another at times. Is this right? Should we see, in all the wars and scheming of nations, the overarching hand of the Lamb/King? How does He use wicked earthly kings and kingdoms for His honor and glory?

5.      Revelation 20.7-21.2: Meditate on Philippians 2.5-11. How can you see in Revelation 20.7-15 and 21.1, 2 all the powers of the Lamb/King coming into play? Do you see this power as available to you each day? How is God’s power for judgment at work in the world today (Rom. 1.18-32)?

My Reflection
God is judging the world now, and He will judge it finally in a coming day. How should knowing this affect the way we take up our Kingdom-and-glory calling each day?

The Glory of God
How is it that the glory of God is not compromised by the way He rules wicked nations? Or the way He allows His creation to fall under the adverse effects of sin?

Glory to Glory
Do you feel uncomfortable talking about the judgment of God with others? Why or why not?

Memorize
Review Revelation 15.3, 4. How do God’s acts of judgment demonstrate that He is “just and true”? Talk with a believing friend about this question.

Closing Prayer
Pray the prayer you wrote from your memory verse. Write it on a card and carry it with you to pray it over and over today. Let your prayer help you to keep the sovereignty of the Lamb/King in mind as you listen to the news of the day or consider any trials presently facing you.

T. M. Moore

Download the studies for week 11, and all previous weeks, by clicking here.

The book of Revelation is the culminating episode in the story of God’s covenant. To learn more about that covenant, and to discover the way it integrates all of Scripture into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.