Victory In Jesus

Victory is on the way so don't get discouraged.

Revelation 14:1-3 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. 3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

Revelation 15:3-4 And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed."

Revelation 19:1 After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

A lot of people stay away from the book of Revelation because of all the frightening events it describes, but that certainly wasn't the intention when this book was delivered to the early church.

These believers were living in a world that was increasingly hostile to their faith, and many were suffering persecution because of their commitment to Jesus. They needed encouragement to remain faithful, resist the pressure to compromise, and do church the right way, even when following Jesus came at a great personal cost.

Revelation was given to remind these struggling believers that the evil they were experiencing was not beyond God's control and that their suffering would not last forever. The powerful rulers of this world might appear to be winning, but Jesus was still on His throne, and His final victory was certain. 

The book begins with a promise of blessing for those who read, hear, and obey its message (Revelation 1:3), and throughout its pages we are reminded that God's people have every reason to remain faithful.

It should also be encouraging to know that the reader of this book is promised a blessing, and it should be even more uplifting to see God, Jesus, and Heaven described in vivid detail that we don't often find in the rest of the Bible.

If you need encouragement today, consider the voices of victory that John hears in Revelation as God's final triumph over evil draws near.

The first voices we hear are those of the 144,000 who have been redeemed from the earth. Their voices and the sound of harps are described as a great choir singing a wonderful new song before God's throne. Later, John hears another victorious company singing the song of Moses, celebrating God's deliverance, and the song of the Lamb, praising His mighty works and righteous ways (Exodus 15:1–27, Revelation 15:1–4).

The next voices John hears are those of three angels (Revelation 14:6–11). The first angel goes on an extraordinary mission, flying across the sky and proclaiming the eternal gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people. The next two angels announce the fall of Babylon and warn of God's coming judgment on those who continue to follow the beast.

If you are a child of God, you should find comfort in knowing that the burden of living in this sin-filled world will not last forever.

John then sees one like the Son of Man holding a sharp sickle as the angels announce that the harvest of the earth is ready. The imagery of the harvest and the wine press reveals the seriousness of God's final judgment. The Judge is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and Revelation later pictures a sharp sword coming from His mouth as He defeats His enemies (Revelation 14:14–20; 19:11–16).

Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, "It is finished!"

"It is finished!" This announcement of God's final judgment reminds us of the words Jesus spoke from the cross when He declared that His work of redemption was finished (John 19:30). At the cross, Jesus accomplished the victory that makes our salvation possible, and Revelation shows us that His victory will ultimately include the complete defeat of evil and the end of Satan's rule over this world.

Praise The Lord

Five reasons for their praise emerge:

1. God's deliverance of His people from their enemies (Revelation 19:1).

2. God's administration of justice (Revelation 19:2).

3. God's permanent crushing of man's rebellion (Revelation 19:3).

4. God's sovereignty (Revelation 19:6).

5. God's communion with His people (Revelation 19:7).

— MacArthur Study Bible

As the end draws near and the final victory comes into view, there is an explosion of praise and celebration in Heaven (Revelation 19:1–10). God's righteous judgment is being revealed, evil will not have the final word, and the marriage supper of the Lamb points to the eternal joy awaiting His redeemed people. 

All the trials and suffering that God's children have experienced, along with the terrible consequences of sin, are moving toward their final end. Living without sin, suffering, or death sounds wonderful, but since we have never experienced a world untouched by sin, we cannot fully comprehend what that will be like. Even greater than the absence of everything that is wrong will be the blessing of living forever in God's presence (Revelation 21:3–4). Instead of God with us here on earth we will be forever with Him.

The Bible makes it clear who will be victorious at the end of time. God's children will overcome this evil world, but we don't get to take credit for the victory. Our salvation was accomplished through Jesus' death and resurrection, and His return will bring the final fulfillment of everything He has promised. 

We don't overcome because we are strong but because we belong to the Lamb who has already conquered sin and death (Revelation 12:11). As children of God, we should live joyfully, remain faithful through our struggles, and give the credit where it belongs, knowing that our victory has already been secured by someone far greater than ourselves.

Jesus has already overcome the world, and because we belong to Him, we can face today's struggles with confidence in His finished work and the certainty of His coming victory! (John 16:33)