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Nothing New in History
If you look at those verses very closely in Revelation chapter 20, you'll see that a time will come when the devil is unleashed.
Revelation 20:3
Last week we talked about the thousand year reign of Christ. However, if you look at those verses very closely in Revelation chapter 20, you’ll see that a time will come when the devil is unleashed. (Revelation 20:3) He is set free from his chain, and he is once again given power to deceive the nations.
Well, as people look around them today. They often ask, well, has this happened? And I can promise you, you’ll find no shortage of preachers on YouTube that will tell you that, yes, you know, the devil has been set off his chain. And of course, their goal is to create fear because fear drives up views just like it does on the news, right? But what’s interesting is the book of Revelation was not written in order to scare Christians. The book of Revelation was written in order to comfort Christians.
The comfort that you have victory through Christ. And one of the great comforts comfort in the book of Revelation is actually an understanding that Revelation doesn’t so much talk about the future as much as it just describes the natural patterns in history. For instance, we see that God has worked the same way throughout time, time, and time again. That the gospel will come into a land and it will seem as though the devil is chained. His power to deceive the nations has been limited, because the gospel grows and spreads, and hearts eagerly receive and receive it with joy. But that season of plenty lasts for only a short time, and in time what happens is that Christians will become apathetic. They lose interest in the gospel. They sell the inheritance they have in Jesus for a life of pleasure and comfort. And so how does God respond to this?
Well, it seems like he lets the devil off the chain, or at least gives him some slack on the chain. Suddenly that culture will rise up and turn against the Christian faith. You’ll see how the home is attacked and the church is attacked. And Christians in that land and in that culture will face persecution. And what will inevitably happen is that the church will pick up roots and move somewhere else, and the process starts all over again. There’s nothing new in history. That’s what Revelation teaches us.
In fact, as you look at your own life, how are you facing persecution? Is it difficulty at work, or is it challenges at school being made fun of for your faith? Is it the pressures and the social pressures that come with a culture that has embraced athletics but rejects the church? Is it persecution from your own family or persecution from false Christianity? We oftentimes throw up our hands to God and say, why? Why are, why these changes in our culture? Why these changes in our lands? Why would you allow persecution? And the answer is always the same. Because persecution is God’s answer to lukewarm Christianity.
We can’t afford to sit on the fence when the world and the culture we live in rises against us. We have to choose a side. We have to either be hot or cold as we face trials and tribulations in our life, whether they’re physical or spiritual, let these do their God intended work, which is to drive us to Jesus. To drive us to the comfort we have and the forgiveness of sins. The assurance of eternal life in heaven. And let that fire burn hot in your heart. So the God will use you and me as witnesses, as witnesses, that he is coming back. We pray, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.
