(Malachi 1-4; Revelation 22)

As I write this on the last day of December 2021, I stand amazed at God and humbled by what He has done. Toward the end of 2019, the Lord put it on my heart to teach a class at my church centered on Reading Through the Bible in a Year beginning in January of 2020. This was to be straight-up everyone reading God’s Word each day and then coming together weekly to discuss what we’d read. So many classes these days use other books and dip into Scripture for what they intend to convey. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the truth of the matter is that the people in His church – those who should know God and His Word – have not faithfully read this love letter He has given us. The times today are no different than what the prophet declared in Amos 8:11-12:

“Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord God, ‘when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”

The modern church indeed has a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. This has caused a generation or more of lukewarm Christians, led by pastors who avoid much of Scripture because teaching it is too hard, opposed to their beliefs, or in their view may negatively impact tithes and offerings. It has led to many in the church who don’t understand the character of God, and certainly to a large swath of congregants and pastors who don’t know Bible prophecy. Despite the fact that God has infused His Word with the prophetic – as much as 1/3 of the Bible is comprised of prophecy – people today are simply ignorant of it. If not uninformed, they have adopted poor exegesis so that their interpretation is significantly flawed.

Thus, God’s direction to me was to teach directly from His Word by having those in the class read it regularly and completely. Note that His instruction wasn’t something I heard audibly; I didn’t experience any sort of revelation; I simply knew this is what I was to do. (I believe wholeheartedly that God can and will impart what He wants to someone in whatever way He deems necessary. This certainly may be supernatural in how that happens.) As part of this class, God gave me the realization that I was to write notes from each day’s reading and use those in the class for my teaching. And so, each day, that’s what I did.

Partway into the year, since I’m an author, I realized that these notes could be assembled into a series of books made available to the general public with the intent of encouraging others beyond the class to likewise engage in Reading Through the Bible in a Year. With that in mind, I created the 4-volume set of Awaken Bible Study Notes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MY3LN39

At the conclusion of that year’s worth of effort, God wasn’t done with me. He gave me another “assignment” for this year of 2021. I was no longer teaching a class, but I was to write an essay based on each day’s reading. Not realizing how daunting a task that would be, I commenced to do it on the first day of January of this year. If I had thought about the hill of doing this that I would climb, I might have floundered. But God kept me focused on the task each day and didn’t really let me look too far ahead. Day-by-day I wrote. This undertaking has resulted in this 4-volume set titled Awaken Bible Commentary and Reflections: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M7SL5ZH/

Having learned from my efforts in creating the study notes, I essentially assembled each day’s writing into the book format as I went along. Trust me, that made creating each volume in the series so much easier!

Both the study notes and the commentaries focus on two major aspects of Scripture: Bible prophecy and the supernatural that is so prevalent in God’s Word. Having studied Bible prophecy for a number of years, that came naturally. Because of reading works by Dr. Michael Heiser, particularly his seminal book, The Unseen Realm, watching his numerous lectures available on YouTube, and by taking a two-year course that he offered, I learned much and imparted that knowledge as best I could in my books.

The moral of this story is that God is faithful. I’m in awe thinking about the fact that I created eight books in these last two years dedicated to studying the Bible and learning its lessons. To top it off, while I was writing these two series, I also wrote two fiction books in this same timeframe. Ten books in two years! Believe me, I take no credit for this effort: It was all God and how He worked through me to carry on each day.

These last two years have been an extraordinary time in human history. For those of us watching through a Biblical, prophetic – even supernatural – lens, it is clear that what is happening is like no other. Having such a worldview in which we examine current events in light of God’s Word, we see the convergence of all Biblical signs pointing toward the very soon return of Jesus. Indeed, just as He told John in Revelation 22:7:

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book”…

…we’re not only two millennia closer, we’re at the doorstep of Jesus appearing in the clouds to snatch His beloved Bride from this alien place. Because we believe in the inerrant infallibility of Scripture, we know that Jesus’ Words are true, i.e., we’re keeping the words of the prophecy of this book.

Unlike those in so many churches – pastors and people in the pews alike – the last thing we wish to do is disobey Jesus’ command regarding what John wrote in Revelation 22:10:

“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.'”

This is why we revere Bible prophecy. God gives us the ears to hear and eyes to see through it. He shows us why the world is in such a state of apostasy, chaos, lawlessness, and darkness. We know the reason for Christ’s statement in Revelation 22:12:

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”

When John says the following in Revelation 22:14-15:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood”…

… we know why. God loves those who love and obey Him. He pours out His wrath upon those who don’t. All have the opportunity of gaining eternal life. Sadly, far too many reject the Lord’s free offer to achieve it.

And so, we look up and wait expectantly, for the time cannot be long until His return. It’s why we can rejoice even now as trials and tribulations come our way. The sure Word of God is our hope and our confidence. Just as Revelation 22:20 says:

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”…

… we, along with the Apostle John, say: “Maranatha! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

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The Lord put it on my heart this year to write a daily essay relating to my practice of Reading Through the Bible in a Year. Last year, that resulted in my producing the Awaken Bible Study Notes, a 4-volume set correlating with each quarter’s readings. This year in my writings, truly through the grace of God, I’m producing the 4-volume Awaken Bible Commentary and Reflections series. Volume 1, which covers January – March (Genesis 1 – Judges 5; Matthew 1 – Luke 7), is now available on Amazon in both paper and Kindle e-book formats at this link: Awaken Bible Commentary and Reflections series Volume 1

If these daily writings have been a blessing to you, I hope that you’ll acquire this first book and the subsequent ones as I finish editing them.

My intent in all I write is to bring God the glory and to make His people think. As in the Study Notes from last year, the Commentary and Reflections delve into the prophetic and supernatural nature of God’s Word, a combination you simply won’t find elsewhere.

They attempt to show the parallels to our times and the peril from the past when God’s people turn away from Him and His commands. Scripture is very much a blueprint for today.

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Gary W. Ritter is a lay pastor, Bible teacher, and prolific author. His Whirlwind Series comprises three books: Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind, and There Is a Time. These books are contained in the collected volume of the Whirlwind Omnibus. Gary has written many other Christian thrillers that will challenge you, and which you can learn about at his website:www.GaryRitter.com. Recently, Gary wrote a novella for the new Kindle Vella platform called Tribulation Rising: Seal Judgments – The Coming Apocalypse. This seven-part short work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD. You can also watch Gary’s video Bible teachings on Rumble at his Awaken Bible Prophecy channel: https://rumble.com/c/c-783217.

 

John 1:14-18, Luke 9:28-32, 2 Peter 1:16-18, John 2:11, Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-4, Philippians 2:9-11

Summary: In John’s prologue, he presents the Lord Jesus Christ as God the Creator who came into the world to be among us and is due all majesty, glory, and splendor.

In the previous verses of John’s prologue, he has presented the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who was in the beginning with God and Who is God, the source of life and the light for all to see yet was rejected by His own people. Those who followed Him, though few, received the right to be called the children of God, establishing a personal and intimate relationship with the Father (John 1:1-13). He goes on to present Jesus as the One who is worthy of all glory, majesty, and splendor.

Our poor vocabulary cannot fathom the full extent of the reward and joy that awaits us because of the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:8-9). We owe Him reverence, praise, gratitude, and glory for what He has done for us so that we may be assured of both eternal life and the fellowship with Him that awaits us not too far in the future (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10).

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines the word “glory” using Scripture as the foundation. It is “brightness, splendor, or luster” (2 Peter 1:17), magnificence (Matthew 6:29), praise ascribed in adoration and honor (Luke 2:9), the joy of heaven prepared for the children of God (Psalm 73:24), the Divine perfection of excellence (Psalm 19:1), and an honorable representation of God (1 Corinthians 11:7).

You won’t find this in modern editions of most dictionaries. Glory belongs to God alone, and any use of it by humanity is a type of self-edification and source of arrogance, as demonstrated by the proud Nebuchadnezzar in ascribing the wonders of Babylon to his own credit. Because of this, he was struck down by God for seven years and returned to his throne a humbled man who saw the hand of God in everything and gave praise to Him (Daniel 4:28-37).

That should be a blunt lesson for us, yet we continue to follow in the footsteps of the devil as we continually declare ourselves to be the center of all things, an attitude that will be judged and sentenced by the Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His return and the establishment of His kingdom (Matthew 25:33-41; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15).

John wrote of the glory of Jesus’ deity (John 1:14a) and received the dignity appropriate to the only begotten Son of God. Such glory, splendor and honor belong to no other and expresses His rank and character. We see this in events such as His Transfiguration before Peter, James, and John (Luke 9:28-32; 2 Peter 1:17). His glory was seen in His miracles, doctrine, resurrection, and ascension, all of which illustrated absolute perfection and manifested that glory that belongs only to the Divine Son of God. Jesus is glorified through His grace, truth, kindness, His works of power before the people (John 1:14b, 16-17; Acts 10:34-43).

Albert Barnes, the 19th century Bible expositor, said this of Christ’s grace: “He was kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and seeking the welfare of people by great sacrifice and love, so much so, that it might be said to be characteristic of Him as He bounded in favors to humanity.”

Again, while these comments are an admirable description of the gracious work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our poor vocabulary is not able to grasp the totality of His being and majesty.

John goes on further to add that Jesus’ glory was also in His role as the Truth of God, declaring nothing but absolute truth, devoid of falsehood, unlike the false “Messiahs” and prophets within the pages of Scripture who were exposed as imposters and frauds (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). He represented things as they are, reality and fact, and personified the truth and well as the way and the life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). His glory was witnessed by John the Baptist and later the apostle Paul as they recognized His absolute superiority, pre-existence, and that He was the Creator (John 1:15, 27, 29-30, 8:58, 17:5; Colossians 1:16-17). He is also glorified through His revelation, which He sovereignly chose to present before the prophets and apostles (Numbers 12:8; Isaiah 6:1-13; John 14:9, 17:6, 24; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-4).

The world in which we live today, by contrast, has arrogantly declared that concepts such as absolute truth and especially the claims of the Lord Jesus are to be dismissed, ignored, ridiculed, and destroyed.

We have adopted the rule of “do as you will,” “You can’t force your beliefs on me,” or “true for you but not for me,” which is nothing more than one of the laws of Satanism. The idea that you are your own god and accountable to no one is the religion of the end times.

It is only by the steadfast and uncompromising presentation of the Gospel and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that will draw the final remnant of believers to the foot of the cross before the day of what is known in Scripture as “the rapture of the church” (John 6:44, 16:5-15). At that time, God Himself will place upon those who have rejected the free offer of the Gospel a strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). He will be glorified yet even in this, for He has been patient, not willing that any should eternally perish (2 Peter 3:9). But there will come a day where His patience will cease. He will judge the world for its rebellion, hatred, and animosity towards Him. He will show all of creation that He is the Sovereign Almighty LORD and will not be mocked or denied for the sake of miscreants who want nothing to do with Him.

The Final Judgment of the wicked dead will also manifest His glory, for He will give perfect justice and bring an end to the evil and malevolence that has plagued us since Eden. The guilty will be punished, all confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, even the devil and his demons who join the chorus of the condemned and depraved in the Lake of Fire for eternity.

We are all accountable to Him, and we will all stand before the glorified Lord Jesus Christ one day with no exceptions or excuses. Either we glorify Him in the wonders of heaven or the horror of hell. I implore you this day to come Him and Him alone for salvation, eternal peace, and full forgiveness of your sins. At that moment, you will be able to proclaim His magnificent glory, love, mercy, and compassion. He promised (Matthew 11:28-30). Glory to His name.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

My YouTube broadcasts titled “The Reality City Review” will be posted on Facebook, GETTR, Parler, and on my website when completed. My main area of discussion will be on the basics of the Christian faith but will also deal with prophetic issues and other topics as the Lord impresses upon me to handle.