Daily Devotion by Ray Stedman

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 7th​

Keeping Unity​

Read the Scripture: Ephesians 4:3-6

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

What shall we make of this exhortation of Paul's to unity? One thing is clear: Paul explicitly recognizes the reality of friction among Christians. He would not urge Christians to keep the unity of the Spirit if there were not differences existing among them. There were obviously forces at work in the early church to divide the Christian body. To counteract these forces, the apostle urged them to be make every effort to keep the unity. That implies more than mere willingness, but willingness plus action. Paul is saying, Be proactive! Take positive, aggressive action to maintain unity! The King James translation is more accurate in this regard: earnestly endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

It is unrealistic for Christians to pretend there are no differences among them. There is no group in the world so gloriously diverse and heterogeneous as the church. The genius of the church is that it is made up of so many different kinds of people. In the true church of Christ, the rich and poor gather on the same footing, without distinction, without favoritism; in Christ, there is no distinction between Jews or Gentiles, men or women, black, white, or any other color.

This is not the way the church has always behaved. Friction has existed in the Christian community since the first century. There was the great disagreement over the relationship between Gentile believers and Jewish believers in the early church. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, two ladies are mentioned who had difficulty getting along with each other. Their names were Euodia and Syntyche (or, as they have sometimes been rendered, Odious and Soon-Touchy). Disagreements and personality differences continue to be a source of friction in the church today.

But also embedded in Paul's message to the Ephesian church is a powerful implication: Despite the differences between the early Christians, there is also a basic, underlying unity. It is not a unity that the believers themselves have produced. In fact, nowhere does the apostle tell the believers that they should strive to produce unity. Instead — and this is crucially important to understand — he tells them to keep the unity that is already there! The church is never told to create unity. There is a unity that exists in the church by virtue of the simple fact that the church exists. We human beings are incapable of producing this unity which is so essential to the life of the body. It can only be produced by the Spirit of God. But once produced, it is the responsibility of Christians to keep this unity. We maintain this unity through Christlike love.

Father, help me to recognize that I need to promote the unity that the church has been given in Jesus Christ.

​

Life Application​

What action do I need to take today to further unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 9th​

The Rest of the Story​

Read the Scripture: Acts 1:1-5

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach…
Acts 1:1

Many people think that the incarnation of Jesus Christ began at the first Christmas and ended when Jesus was taken up into the clouds. But in fact, that was only the beginning of the incarnation of Christ. The process of the incarnation is still going on.
God's program for reaching and healing a broken world has always involved incarnation. The word incarnate means to take bodily form. When God chose to demonstrate to mankind His love and the new life He offered us, He did so by incarnating Himself — by taking on our form, sharing our human experience, and living among us. God became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ was the incarnation of God, the God-man, God in human flesh.

But we make a great mistake if we think the incarnation ended with the earthly life of Christ. The life of Jesus is still being manifested upon the earth, but no longer through a single physical body, limited to one geographic location. Today, the body of Christ performs the work of Christ around the globe. It is a corporate body, comprised of millions of individuals like you and me. This body is called the church.

The writer of Acts, Dr. Luke, tells a young man named Theophilus that he had previously set down in his first account (the Gospel of Luke) all that Jesus began to do and teach. In Acts, the sequel to his Gospel, Luke continues the record of Jesus's work among mankind — yet Jesus Himself only appears in the first eleven verses of Acts! Later, Jesus ascends into heaven. Yet the story of His work on earth continues for twenty-eight more chapters. How can that be? Because the rest of Acts is the story of the work of His new body, the church! When it lives in and by the Spirit, the church is nothing less than the physical extension of the life of Jesus to the whole world. The physical life of Jesus began at the moment a Jewish virgin named Mary conceived, and it has continued without interruption right up to the moment you are reading this page — over two thousand years! What happened on a small scale in Judea and Galilee twenty centuries ago continues on a worldwide scale today, permeating every level of society and every aspect of human life. Once we discover and lay hold of this amazing truth for our own lives, our outlook on life is powerfully transformed. Our relationship with God becomes dynamic. Our lives become powerfully effective for God.

It is a thrilling adventure to rediscover the pattern by which God has designed His church to influence the world. On the other hand, there is nothing more pathetic and barren than a church which does not understand God's program for operating the body of Christ on earth. The church which fails to grasp this concept is doomed to substitute business methods, organizational procedures, and pressure politics as means to influence society. This is not the church as God intended it to be; it is merely a religious-sounding extension of the dead systems of this world.

Father, I thank you that the church is the physical body of Jesus Christ in the world. Thank you for making me a part of this body that changes everything.

​

Life Application​

You are a part of the body of Christ! How can you be his hands and feet to the people around you today?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 10th​

You Are Gifted!​

Read the Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-8

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
Ephesians 4:7

Paul speaks here of the provision made by the Holy Spirit for the church's dynamic, effective functioning in the world. In this brief sentence there is a reference to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are given to every true Christian without exception. Paul refers to these gifts as a grace. The word grace in the original language is charis. This grace is a God-given capacity for service which we have received as Christians, and which we did not possess before we became Christians. This grace is given to all true Christians, without exception.

Paul himself, in Ephesians 3:8, refers to one of his own gifts or graces of the Spirit: Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ. Clearly one of his gifts was that of preaching. When Paul writes to his young son in the faith, Timothy, he uses a closely related word and says to him, For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands (2 Timothy. 1:6).

There seems little doubt that this is where the early church began with new converts. Whenever anyone, by faith in Jesus Christ, passed from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's love, he was immediately taught that the Holy Spirit of God had not only imparted to him the life of Jesus Christ, but had also equipped him with spiritual gifts which he was then responsible to discover and exercise. The apostle Peter writes, Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).
It is significant that in each place where the gifts of the Spirit are described in Scripture, the emphasis is placed upon the fact that each Christian has at least one. That gift may be lying dormant within you, embryonic and unused. You may not know what it is, but it is there. The Spirit makes no exceptions to this basic equipping of each believer. No Christian can say, I can't serve God; I don't have any ability to serve Him. As authentic followers of Christ, we have all been gifted with a grace of the Spirit. It is vitally essential that you discover the gift or gifts which you possess. The effectiveness of your life as a Christian will be determined by the degree to which you use the gift God has given you.

Lord, I am so grateful for the gifts you have given me. Show me how to use them for your glory and for the good of those around me.

Life Application​

Do I know what my spiritual gifts are? How can I further develop them?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 12th​

Discovering Your Gifts​

Read the Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:7-13

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7

Many Christians today have gotten the idea that doing what God wants you to do is always dreary and unpleasant; that Christians must always make choices between doing what they want to do and being happy on the one hand, versus doing what God wants them to do and being completely miserable on the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. The exercise of a spiritual gift is always a satisfying, enjoyable experience, though sometimes the occasion on which it is exercised may be an unhappy one. Jesus said it was his constant delight to do the will of the One who sent him. The Father's gift awakened his own desire and He went about doing what he intensely enjoyed doing.

A workable plan for discovering your spiritual gifts starts with the gifts you feel drawn toward. Study the biblical lists of gifts and try exercising those gifts which most appeal to you. Watch for improvement and development. Do you get better at it as you go along? Do you find your initial fears subsiding and a growing sense of competence developing? Finally, ask trusted Christian friends to observe your life and tell you what gifts they see in you. Often, others can see our lives more clearly than we can, and they can help to affirm gifts in us which we cannot clearly see as yet. In fact, the observation of other Christians provide us with a good reality check for our spiritual gifts. Many Christians wonder, Do I have a certain spiritual gift, or don't I? Do others recognize this gift in you? When someone says to you, quite unsolicited, We'd like you to take on this ministry, we think you have a gift for it, then you can be reasonably sure you have that gift.

One of the best things you can do for another Christian is to help them discover his or her spiritual gifts. It is much better for others to affirm authentic gifts in you than for you to lay pretentious claims to gifts you might not actually have! One great Bible teacher used to say, It's such a pity to see someone who thinks he has the gift of preaching — but no one in his congregation has the gift of listening!

Gifts need to be exercised just as talents do. Practice tends to make perfect. As skill in the exercise of a gift develops, the spiritual blessing it brings will become increasingly evident. You will find yourself seeking more and more occasions in which to use your gift. But remember: that gift was not given to you for your own personal advancement, but as a means to spiritually enrich others. As Paul reminds us, to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Hardly anyone discovers all his gifts at the beginning of his Christian experience. Gifts, like talents, may lie undiscovered for years, then emerge when a certain combination of needs or circumstances brings them to light. It is wise to always be ready to try something new. Who knows but what the Spirit of God has put you on the doorstep of a new endeavor for the express purpose of helping you discover gifts you never knew you had!

Father, open my awareness to unexplored ways I can exercise the gifts you have given me. Use me for your glory.

​

Life Application​

Have other Christians mentioned a spiritual gift I did not realize I have? What can I do to develop or exercise this gift?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 13th​

There Is No One Like You​

Read the Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14-31

Now if the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body… The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you! And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you!
1 Corinthians 12:15, 21

Every human face is made up of the same basic components — a pair of eyes, a nose, a mouth, two cheeks, a chin, a forehead, all held in by a pair of ears. Yet no two faces in the world are exactly alike. In the same way, no two Christians have exactly the same pattern of spiritual gifts. God gave you your face because it is exactly right for the expression of his life where you are. Likewise he gives you the precise combination of gifts you possess because that combination is exactly what is needed for the Lord's ministry. Be open to His leading, and He will show you where and how He wants you to use your gifts.

This completely eliminates all competition within the body of Christ! No Christian needs to be the rival of any other; there is a place for all in the body, and no one can take another Christian's place. Paul goes on to say as much in 1 Corinthians 12. There are two attitudes which are completely eliminated by the existence of spiritual gifts. One is self-depreciation: Now if the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. This completely destroys the argument of the Christian who says, There's nothing I can do; others have gifts and abilities but since I can't do what they do, I must not be of much use in the church. Paul's conclusion to this line of argument is: But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (verse 18).

On the other hand, there is no room for arrogance or self-sufficiency, either: The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you! And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you! No member of the body has the right to look down on the ministry of another Christian. We desperately need each other in the body of Christ. No Christian can do the task alone. We are members one of another, and it is time we took these words seriously and began to act like one harmonious body.

Oh Lord, thank you for your perfect plan of using each of us in the church according to our gifts and your circumstances.

​

Life Application​

Am I jealous of other Christians' gifts and opportunities, or am I content using the gifts God has given me in the situations where he has placed me?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 15th​

Equipping the Saints​

Read the Scripture: Ephesians 4:12

…to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
Ephesians 4:12

When we compare present-day churches to the original blueprint, we see that many deviations have been permitted which are detrimental to the life of the church. The church has gradually turned away from the simple provisions which made it such a powerful force in its early years, and terrible distortions entered into the church which continue to weaken the church. Popular thinking fastened onto the church building as the identifying symbol of the church. Emphasis was placed upon massive ornate cathedrals with stained glass windows and flying buttresses.

In the beginning, working in the church meant to exercise a gift or perform a ministry anywhere within the far-flung body of Christ, in a home, out on a mission field, or in a hospital. Gradually, however, working in the church came to mean performing some religious act within a specific building called the church. At the same time, there was a gradual transfer of ministry responsibility from the people, whom we now call the laity, to the few pastors, whom we now call the clergy. The scriptural concept that every believer is a priest before God was lost, and a special class of super-Christians emerged who were looked to for everything. Somehow, the church lost sight of the concept that all Christians are in the ministry.

When the ministry was left to the professionals, there was nothing left for the people to do other than come to church and listen. They were told that it was their responsibility to bring the world into the church building to hear the pastor preach the Gospel. Soon Christianity became little more than a Sunday morning spectator sport, much like the definition of football: twenty-two men down on the field, desperately in need of rest, and twenty thousand in the grandstands, desperately in need of exercise!

This unbiblical distortion has resulted in an impoverished church which has made little impact on the world and increasingly withdraws into irrelevance and isolation. We desperately need to return to the dynamic of the early church. We can no longer defend our ivy-clad traditions which leave no room for the original, power-packed strategy. Pastors must restore to the people the ministry which was taken from them with the best of intentions. The work of the ministry belongs to the entire body of believers, who should be equipped by those who are gifted by God to expound and apply His Word. The entire body has received gifts from the Spirit, and it is the task of those in the pastoral ministry to encourage the entire body to use those gifts. When we have given all Christians in the body their God-given role as ministers of God's eternal plan, then lives are changed. And the church begins to make a difference again.

Lord, forgive us for neglecting the original blueprint of the church. Bring us back to the plan you want and help us live according to it.

​

Life Application​

What is my current definition of the church? Does it need to be conformed to God's idea of what the church should be?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for August 20th​

Carrying Each Other's Burdens​

Read the Scripture: Galatians 6:1-5

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Note that the apostle indicates that carrying one another's burdens is the way by which the fundamental law of the Christian life is fulfilled. That law is the new commandment of Jesus: love one another (John 13:34). The law of love is fulfilled only by carrying one another's burdens. But how can we do that if we don't know what those burdens are? Some way of sharing these burdens with others is called for.

The New Testament lays heavy emphasis upon the need for Christians to know each other closely and intimately enough to be able to bear one another's burdens, confess faults one to another, encourage, exhort, and admonish one another, and minister to one another with the Word, song, and prayer. Koinoinia, true fellowship, calls for honesty and openness with other Christians, and a mutual recognition that it is neither abnormal nor unspiritual to have burdens and problems in our day-to-day Christian experience. The masks have to come off. The facades that say everything is all right when everything is anything but right have to fall. Often this can best be done in small groups meeting in homes, although the sharing of burdens and the experience of loving, non-judgmental acceptance and caring can take place in larger meetings, including worship services. Many people fear rejection or giving rise to scandal in such settings, yet body life can take place in safety, even in a gathering of a thousand people or more.

Carrying one another's burdens at the very least means to uphold one another in prayer. It also means to be willing to spend time with another person so that you can thoroughly understand that person's feelings and problems. It means committing yourself to an authentic effort to relieve that person's pressures or discouragement, offering intense prayer, practical help, or wise counsel, not just a superficial word of I'll pray for you.
Many Christians see other Christians in need and think, Well, that's what the welfare department is for, or, That's what unemployment insurance is for, or, That's why I pay taxes. But Christians should never transfer their biblical one another responsibilities to an unfeeling government program or bureaucracy. Help from government sources can be welcomed and utilized when needs arise, but none of these agencies is a substitute for genuine Christian caring, expressed through an act of love, an affirming embrace, a word of encouragement, or a time of prayer.

Lord, remind us to practice bearing each other's burdens, so that we can show the world what love looks like.

Life Application​

Is there someone in my life who needs me to help carry their burdens?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 2nd​

Creatures of Heaven​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 4:6-11

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
Rev 4:6b-8

These are weird creatures. They are like winged animals, covered with eyes all over their bodies. Who are they? Ezekiel saw similar creatures, which he describes in similar ways. He calls them cherubim. Cherubim are not little fat, naked babies that fly around and shoot people with love arrows. No, they are like these creatures here. Isaiah describes them in his sixth chapter and calls them seraphim (burning ones). They appear in different configurations; sometimes they have six wings, sometimes only four.

John mentions their faces — lion, ox, man, and eagle. These creatures are somehow associated with God's government of the created universe. We are very ignorant people when it comes to natural phenomena, but here are creatures who understand and help God rule the natural world. Eyes symbolize discernment and knowledge. Wings describe rapidity, swiftness of movement. Faces depict the major qualities of life in the created universe. A lion speaks of power; an ox of patience; a man of intelligence; and an eagle of swiftness. These living creatures work at leading creation to worship its Creator and were to elicit from the whole creation the perfection God intended for it. That is why they are praising God all the time, for new vistas of creative wisdom and power break upon them constantly. All nature should lead us to worship God in the same way. The chapter closes with the worship of all heaven for the creative wisdom and power of God.

At Christmas time, if you get an opportunity, go to one of the great auditoriums packed with perhaps 3,000 people, a full orchestra, and a great choir singing out the Scriptural phrases from the Messiah. It is moving and powerful: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is what heaven is engaged in declaring. It is not a mechanical recital. Heaven is not boring. These people cry out in praise because they are continually discovering new, exciting, awesome aspects of God's wisdom and power breaking afresh upon them, so they are constantly driven to praise God for who he is. That is what true worship ought to be.

Eugene Peterson said that true worship does five things to you: It centers things: You see God as the center of everything. You stop living for yourself but for him. And it gathers: It includes others with you. You become part of a family, a congregation; it crosses lines of exclusion. It reveals: Things you never saw before, you now begin to understand. The familiar patterns of life take on new vistas. It makes you sing: Christians are always singing. There are many songs in this book of Revelation, despite the judgments, because Christians can sing when other people weep. And finally, it affirms: It responds to God's great promises with an Amen and a Yes from you.

Help me to see more of you, Lord, and respond in fresh worship with those in heaven. Amen.

Life Application​

Are new, exciting, awesome aspects of God's wisdom and power breaking afresh upon you? How will you respond?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 3rd​

Who is Worthy?​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 5:1-4

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
Rev 5:1-4

What does this scroll represent? Why is it sealed? Who can be found to open it? What is required in order to open the scroll? This is a rolled up paper or parchment with seven seals on the end. As the seals are broken, the scroll is unrolled and the writings upon it can be read. In chapter 6, the opening of these seals and unrolling of this scroll will reveal certain momentous events which begin to occur upon the earth. As it unrolls, we are carried on through chapter 9, and in chapter 10 we find the scroll completely unrolled. There, a clue is given as to what this scroll signifies. John is told: But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets (Rev. 10:7).

So this scroll is a mystery book. It answers questions that people have been asking for generations. Why can't we solve the great problems of mankind? We hear much about the progress humans have made — tremendous technological advances, the wonders that science has produced — and we pat ourselves on the back and say, We are right on the verge of perfection. But when we look back on history, we find that the truly great problems are the same since the very dawn of time — the problems of war, conflict between human beings, crime, evil and prejudice — and these have always been with us. Why can't we solve such problems? This scroll answers that question.

One of the writers of our day, Annie Dillard, asks what she calls the chief theological question of all time, What the Sam Hill is going on here anyway? Do you ever feel that way? Things happen in your life and you cannot understand them; they seem to be without meaning or reason. You say with disgust, What the Sam Hill is going on here anyway? That is the question this scroll answers. How will God ever straighten out this mess and fulfill his promise of a golden age, when men will live in a world without war, bloodshed, hatred and prejudice? How is it to be brought about? People have been dreaming of such a world at peace for centuries, but no one has found it.

John hears an invitation to all the universe, proclaimed by a mighty angel, that if anyone can open this scroll, let him step forward. Who is worthy, he cries, to open the scroll? It is the question that is the basis for all politics. In every election year it is what we are asking, is it not? Who is worthy? Who among us is capable of leading us into solutions to the problems that have been here for centuries? Who is smart enough? Who is moral enough? Who is worthy?

Lord Jesus, only you are worthy to open the scroll revealing the secrets of history and providing solutions. Amen.

​

Life Application​

What are the great mysteries that cause you to ask, "What the Sam Hill is going on here anyway?" Will you bow before him who is worthy to open the scroll?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 4th​

The Lion or the Lamb?​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 5:5-7

Then one of the elders said to me, Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Rev 5:5-6

The Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David are Jewish titles. They refer to Old Testament prophecies that predict that one from the tribe of Judah and from the family of David would at last rule over the earth. These titles refer to the King of the Jews, the very title Pilate inscribed on the Cross of Jesus. The King of the Jews! He is the One who triumphs by his death and is able to bring about God's kingdom on earth.

But when John turns to see the conquering Lion of Judah, what he sees is the slain Redeemer of the world! He expected to see a Lion but what he saw was a Lamb, with the marks of death still upon him. Those marks of death are still upon the Lamb, and will be for all eternity. In these two symbols, the Lion of Judah and the Lamb that was slain, John sees the uniting of two themes. Lions are a symbol of majesty, power, rule and authority. Lions conquer; lambs submit! Lions roar; lambs die! We are introduced here to the One who conquers by submitting. The symbols tie together the earthly promises of Israel and the heavenly calling of the Church.

This uniting of the Lion and the Lamb is the basis for C. S. Lewis' novels, The Chronicles Of Narnia. A great lion, Aslan, rules in majesty and roars in triumph, but he does so because he submits to being put to death by the evil characters controlled by the White Witch, and at last the kingdom of Narnia is freed from its bondage to winter, and the springtime of the world arrives. As the Lion of Judah, Jesus will rule the world with a rod of iron. As the Lion of Judah, our Lord reigns, but if anyone is weak and faltering, helpless or hopeless, he or she will find a compassionate Savior, because this Lion is also a Lamb! As the Lamb of God, he is filled with mercy and grace, but if any should presume upon that grace and live a rebellious or defiant life, let him beware, because this Lamb is also a Lion!

According to John's vision, this Lamb has seven horns. Horns in Scripture speak of power, and seven is the number of fullness. So the Lamb has fullness of power on the basis of his death. Jesus himself declared, All power in heaven and on earth is given unto me (Matthew 28:18 KJV). The seven eyes speak of full intelligence, discernment, an understanding of all the conflicting movements of human history. These seven eyes are the seven spirits of God, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. He understands everything. He, therefore, is the One worthy to take the scroll and remove the seals.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being both the lion of Judah and the lamb that was slain. You are worthy of my heartfelt worship. Amen.

​

Life Application​

As you reflect on your own life right now, where do you need Jesus as the lamb that was slain? Where do you need him as the lion of Judah?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 5th​

The Worship of Heaven​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 5:8-14

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. … And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Rev 5:8-10

This is the worship of heaven. All who are there understand the meaning of history and the solution that is God's program. Each of these elders has a harp, and bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. The slain Lamb is the center of their worship. How interesting that heaven understands that we who are redeemed also contribute to the work of redemption. We cannot lay the foundation (Jesus has done that perfectly), but we share in the application of it throughout the earth. That is why we pray. When you pray for someone before the throne of God, you are making an application of the work of redemption to that human heart. This ought to encourage us greatly in our prayers, for they are part of the program of God.

John says he heard them singing a new song. It is new to them because as angels, they have never been redeemed. They have had to learn of redemption by watching God's grace applied to sinners — willful, rebellious, defiant men and women, who want their own way and whom, nevertheless, God calls, forgives, restores and saves. This is the song the angels have learned from the saints.

The reason for the worship of heaven is the death of Jesus! Not his teaching, his wonderful life of compassion, his miracles and wonders, nor his power, but the shedding of his blood for sinners of every age. I do not know of any thought in all literature able to melt the human heart more than the concept that we who deserve death are given life at the cost of the blood of Jesus. That is what calls forth the new song of redemption. The old song is one of creation, but the new song is the song of the redeemed!

Fifty years ago in Chicago, on an Easter Sunday, I was living in a tiny room in the North Avenue YMCA. I was up before dawn, getting dressed to attend a sunrise service in Soldier Field. As I dressed, my eye fell upon a hymnbook on the dresser, opened to the hymn Beneath the Cross of Jesus. I read the words of the second verse:

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart with tears two wonders I confess —
The wonder of redeeming love, and my unworthiness!

My heart melted when I read those words. I knew well my own unworthiness. But as I thought of His redeeming love, I felt as if the walls of that room faded away, and I was standing with this great throng in heaven singing about the wonder of redemption — God's love for mankind, manifest in the cross. As John watches, all the universe is caught up in the wonder of that sacrificial love.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for price you paid to set me free. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Have you discovered why you should sing the new song to the Lamb?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 6th​

Deception​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 6:1-8

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, Come! I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Rev 6:1-2

This is the beginning of the judgments of the wrath of God. There is much dispute as to what this rider on the white horse represents. Some identify him as Jesus, because in chapter 19 Jesus appears on a white horse, wearing a crown and bringing to an end all the terrible series of judgments on the earth. But it is a mistake to identify these two, because the context is different. Here we are looking at the beginning of the judgments of God.

The rider of chapter 6 is summoned by one of the living creatures, but it would be unthinkable for a creature to summon the conquering Christ. But it is significant that this rider on the white horse here resembles Jesus in chapter 19. They both ride a white horse; they both wear crowns; and both are bent on conquest. It suggests that this rider is someone who is like Christ, but is not Christ.

This is doubtless the long predicted antichrist, who is yet to appear in the last days. The Man of Sin the Apostle Paul calls him, who is yet to offer himself as though he were God's Christ. He comes like Christ, but in his own name. He is given a bow, but no mention is made of arrows. This appears to be a bloodless conquest he launches. This suggests an overpowering of the minds and wills of men, without physical destruction, done by some form of deceit, by lying that misleads people and thus overcomes them without the shedding of blood.

Today we are hardly aware of how much we are being deceived all the time. Turn on the television and fraudulent ideas, along with a mixture of truth, are poured into your brain. Pick up a magazine and read false claims that certain acquisitions will produce great blessing and liberty. But trying them will soon tell you that it is a lie. We are constantly promised much that is totally unable to deliver. We live in a deceitful age.

This rider on the white horse tells us, however, is that the worst is yet to come. We are living amidst great deceit, but it is not as bad as it is going to be. There is coming an even greater lie. Paul wrote, The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

That makes it crystal clear, does it not? This first conquest by evil in the last days is set in motion when God takes off the reins and lets deceit have its way among men until it reaches a climax of delusion.

Father, thank you for giving me your Word, through which I can see through the deceitful lies of the enemy. Amen.

Life Application​

Name some of the deceitful lies we are confronted with in today's culture.

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 9th​

The Throne and the Temple​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 7:15-17

Therefore, They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Rev 7:15-17

Notice the throne and the temple. In fact, there are two thrones in this passage. There is first the throne of God, which is the throne of the Father, reigning over all the universe. But the second mention of the throne, He who sits on the throne, is a reference to the throne of Jesus on earth. In the letter to the Laodicean church, Jesus said, He who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne (Revelation 3:21).

A temple is mentioned here as a reference to the millennial temple yet to be built in Jerusalem, the one Ezekiel describes in the closing chapters of his great prophecy. It will be the place where nations come to worship in the days when Christ rules over the earth. There is a beautiful description in the prophecy of Micah 4:1-6: There the prophet describes the government of God as centered in Jerusalem; justice will flow out to all the earth; the nations will bring their tribute; and men shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and will make war no more. Peace will come at last over all the earth.

Here we are told, they serve the Lord day and night. There is no day or night in heaven. This is clearly an earthly scene. He who sits on the throne (the throne of David) will spread his tabernacle over them and never again will they hunger or thirst. It is a beautiful description of the blessings of that millennial day. Many other passages in the prophets also describe it.

This is the fulfillment of the dream of the prophets of the past. Israel shall blossom as the rose and fill the earth with blessing. The nation will be like a beautiful, fruitful vine that runs its branches throughout the earth and blesses the nations, just as Abraham was promised, All nations shall be blessed because of you (Genesis 22:18). Associated with them will be thousands of Gentiles who likewise serve the Lord day and night in relationship to the temple, ministering throughout the whole earth. You can read of this in Isaiah 66:20-21.

Jews and Gentiles are all under the care of the Great Shepherd. Jesus is the Great Shepherd, and he has more than one flock. On one occasion he said to his disciples, Other sheep have I that are not of this fold. Them also must I bring that there will be one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16 KJV). That is what we see here. He is bringing another group, saved by his blood — they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb — yet he leads them also to refreshment and blessing, with every tear of sorrow wiped away.

Father, you are so good. Thank you for the hope you give that you will wipe away every tear from my eyes. Amen.

​

Life Application​

What are the blessings that this multitude in heaven will experience? Take some time to thank God for what he has for his people in the future.


Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 10th​

The Prayers of God's People​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 8:1-5

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Rev 8:3-5

Many teachers identify this angel as Jesus himself. In the Old Testament, while Israel is marching through the wilderness, they are led by a great angel called the Angel of Yahweh. Most Bible scholars feel that it was an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ, leading his people through the wilderness. Since Israel is in the forefront in this book of Revelation, it would make sense that the Angel of the Lord appears again in connection with that nation.

The New Testament also teaches us that Jesus is a great High Priest for his people. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is now a High Priest who makes intercession for the saints (Hebrews 3:1). This is clearly what this angel-priest is doing here. He takes fire from the brazen altar, adds to it incense, along with the prayers of the saints, and offers them on the golden altar of incense before God. It is a wonderful portrayal that tells us much about the function of prayer.

Do you ever feel that your prayers are not even heard? According to this, the prayers of saints, especially intercessory prayers, are like fragrance in the nostrils of God. They delight him. He smells in them a remembrance of the character of Jesus, the One who gave himself for others. As these prayers are mingled with the incense provided by the great angel himself, they delight God. But more than that, they move God to action. If burning incense is symbolic of the prayers of saints who are imploring God to act, then returning that fire to earth is a symbol of answered prayer. In other words, we have now come to the time when God will answer the prayers of his people. What is the result? We read that there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. These sights and sounds mark the close of this present age and the opening of God's kingdom upon earth.

There is one prayer that the people of God in all ages have prayed that has never yet been answered. This prayer has been prayed by the saints of God since the dawn of the race. It is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). That prayer has never yet been answered; we have not seen God's kingdom visibly on earth. Invisibly it is present in the church and is seen in the rule of God over the affairs of men, but visibly the prayer has never been answered. But when we come to the end of these three series of judgments, we will find that the prayers of men are at last to be fulfilled.

Father, I long for the day when that great prayer of the saints will be answered, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Life Application​

Do you pray with the confidence that your prayers not only delight God but move him to action?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 11th​

The Effects of Judgment​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 8:6-13

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Rev 8:7

What we are seeing here in the judgments of the last days is nothing new. These are commonly experienced penalties for evil, increased in amount to an incredible degree. God has been sending judgments like this all through the history of mankind. There have been volcanic eruptions, meteors falling upon the earth, red rain from the skies, poisoned waters, etc. All these disasters have struck before, but now they grow to a climax. Yet we must not misunderstand them, for they are for our own good.

There are several effects of judgment upon us, since we all experience in some sense the judgment of God upon human evil. First of all, judgments frighten us. They are intended to arrest our attention. Then, because it terrifies us, judgment also sobers us. How many people rearrange their priorities soon after experiencing a natural disaster? They help us reassess our lives. They change our priorities. C. S. Lewis well says that fear or pain or judgment is God's megaphone to reach a deaf world. And so judgments also correct us. They force us to face unpleasant facts about ourselves. We do not like that.

But judgment strips away our illusions and restores us to reality. Judgment also humbles us. We begin to see that we really are not in control. We do not run everything about our lives. We are not autonomous creatures. We are not little gods, capable of making anything we want to of ourselves. We see how foolish we have been in the past, that we have made many mistakes when we thought we were right. We begin at last to welcome guidance, to listen to others, and especially, to seek out the wisdom of the Word of God.

Finally, judgment reassures us. It comforts us. It answers Habakkuk's great prayer, In wrath, remember mercy, (Habakkuk 3:2). We learn that God does not like judgment either. He calls it, in Isaiah 28:21, his strange work. He keeps it as brief as possible. He gives ample warnings before it gets unbearable. He sends anticipations of it, forceful reminders, that this kind of thing can happen so that we might pay attention and act before it gets out of hand.

All this supports the view that the Bible gives everywhere of a loving God, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8 KJV). Is it not strange that people who do not read the Bible very much almost invariably say, when you talk about judgment, Well, the God I worship is a loving God; he would never do anything like that! But it is the very love of God that makes him judge! God must judge in order to eliminate evil once for all from his creation and bring about the world of universal blessing which men have longed for throughout all of human history.

Father, thank you that even in judgment and wrath, you remember mercy. How beautifully this was manifested in the cross of Jesus. Amen.

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Life Application​

How has the judgment of God on human evil impacted your life?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 12th​

The Limits of Judgment​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 9

The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Rev 9:20-21

he sixth trumpet scene is the reaction of mankind to disastrous judgments of God. Worshipping demons is put first by people who have believed a Satanic lie. Paul calls it a strong delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11 KJV). They have believed this, and thus been rendered unable to repent. Demon worship finds its expression in idols. There is a touch of sarcasm in the words, idols that cannot see or hear or walk. These things do nothing for people. They also continued their murders and their magic arts. The word for magic arts is pharmakeia, from which we get our word pharmacy. In the face of the widespread warnings we hear today, why do people do drugs? Because drugs are a form of magic art. Sexual immoralities also continue. Again, we have been subjected to an explosion of this. Also thefts, which fill our news today. We have not yet reached these days, but these events warn us of the nature of things to come.

We must ask, what is judgment for, if it is so ineffectual in producing change? Don't forget that the book of Revelation has already told us that millions will repent. There will be a great multitude from every tribe, nation and language, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They come out of the great tribulation and appear before the throne of God. They have repented in the midst of judgments. They have believed, and have received the grace of God.

But here is a great number that judgment has not affected in that way. Judgment does not make them listen because their hearts are hardened and they have refused the grace of God. That is what produces this kind of hardness of heart. God never expected to convert the world through judgment. What judgment does is to make us listen to grace. It makes us take seriously what God is offering as the way of escape. In these terrible judgments we see the power, majesty, and inescapability of God, and we must ask ourselves, What can I do to be saved? What God then provides is a message of grace. It is not when judgment threatens that we turn to God. It is when we see a suffering love that gives itself for us, that bears the hurt and agony — it is that which melts our proud hearts, silences our excuses, and opens the door to salvation.

But then to reject that grace, when it is clearly understood to be offered, is to render the heart unassailable and to make repentance impossible. In Hebrews the writer asks, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:3 KJV). How can you escape if you neglect the offer of the grace of God? God does not want to judge men, but that is all that is left for those who reject the way of escape which the grace of God supplies.

Father, I'm sobered by these revelations of what is yet to come. I see your holiness and displeasure with human sin, but also your wonderful grace offering a way of escape. Help me live in the light of this grace. Amen.

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Life Application​

In what ways is God calling me to repentance today?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 13th​

The Secret Things​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 10:1-7

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. … He gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.
Rev 10:1-4

There are certain clues given that identify this angel as the Angel of the Lord, who accompanied Israel through their wilderness wanderings. This great angel comes robed in a cloud. When Israel was marching through the desert, they were preceded by a cloud by day and followed by a pillar of fire by night. When the tabernacle was completed, and later when the temple was built, this same cloud came down and filled the Holy of Holies. It was called the Shekinah, the cloud of glory, an indication of the presence of God. Immediately we have a clue that identifies this Angel as the Lord himself, Jesus, God the Son, appearing as the Angel of Jehovah.

The Angel's face was like the sun and his legs were like fiery pillars. That takes us back to chapter 1 where John saw the vision of Jesus standing amid the churches. John describes his face as shining like the sun and his feet like burnished, glowing bronze. Here, as John watched, he saw the Angel plant one foot upon the land and the other upon the sea, so that he stood astride the earth. Here is the rightful owner of earth, standing like a great colossus, claiming the earth for himself. The last clue is that he roared like a lion. In chapter 4 we saw the slain Lamb who is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He roars in triumph over the earth. This scene must have been a great encouragement to John. It is also to us, because we see that all these cosmic events affecting earth are still under the firm control of the Angel of God. He is working out everything that happens on his own timetable.

To the roar of this Angel, seven great peals of thunder reply. John heard what they uttered and was about to write it down, when there came another voice that said, Do not write it, but seal it up. This is the only part of Revelation that remains sealed. Would you like to know what the seven thunders said? It has not been revealed! Only John knows what the seven thunders uttered. I do not know why it was sealed. John does not tell us; he simply obeyed what he was told to do. There is truth from God that he does not want us to know yet. It is not that he will not tell us in time, but not yet. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us, The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever. That is why we are to study carefully the things already revealed in the word of God.

I praise you, Lord Jesus, as the rightful owner of the whole earth, the one who roars in triumph, and who is in firm control of all that takes place. Amen.

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Life Application​

Are you content with what God has revealed, letting the secret things that belong to the Lord stay hidden until he chooses to reveal them?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 21st​

False Religion​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 17:1-19:5

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants. And again they shouted: Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:1-3

This is the first time the word Hallelujah appears in Revelation. There is a great Hallelujah Chorus in heaven that rejoices over the final removal of a terribly destructive church called the Great Prostitute and Babylon the Great that insinuates error into the midst of truth and, in the name of God, leads people astray. Verse 3 confirms that the final judgment of Babylon is from God for it says, The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever. That is not an earthly scene; it is eternity that is in view.

The quarrel God has with Babylon and all false religion is that she glorifies herself in the name of God. She teaches in the name of Christ, mingling truth with error. Saints are called to separate themselves from that root error: the hunger for earthly glory and position obtained by religious devotion. Whenever a church seeks influence by impressing people with outward splendor, you have the seeds of Babylon present.

Whenever individual Christians try to appear pious and devout while their heart runs after material gain or status, there is the silken allurement of Babylon. In the New Testament, the occasion where this begins in the church is the judgment that came upon Ananias and Sapphira. That couple seemed to be godly and devout, but what they were after was not the glory of God but self-glory. They were using an apparent act of devotion on their part in selling their land, and giving only a part of the proceeds to the apostles to gain a false status in the midst of the people.

We must ask ourselves, Why does God show us all this? All through Revelation we are seeing the end of things that are present with us now. We are shown this because if we see how things will end, we can turn away from them now. That is the reason this book is sent to the seven churches of Asia — that they might learn, from the judgments God will bring on Babylon, what is wrong with the practices they see around them throughout the church age.

Father, help me to choose not to drink from the false wine of religious error but to drink from the fountain of truth itself, the word of the living God, and be drawn close to the One who loves me and gave himself for me that I may be changed, sanctified, and made whole. Amen.

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Life Application​

Does knowing how things will end cause you to turn away from evil now?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 22nd​

The Wedding Feast​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 19:4-10

Then the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! And he added, These are the true words of God. At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.
Rev 19:9-10

It is a great honor to be invited to this wedding feast. That invitation is the gospel which goes out to all men and women everywhere, in every age, inviting them to the wedding feast of the Lamb. This links with the parable told by our Lord in Matthew 22. A great king made a wedding banquet for his son. He sent invitations out to certain ones, but they refused to come. Then the king sent his messengers out into all the highways and byways, appealing to anyone, good or bad, to come to the wedding feast. When many came, he gave them wedding garments that they might be suitably clothed for the feast. This is clearly a picture of the great event we have before us here.

The Spirit of God has been calling men and women throughout the Christian centuries, and before that in Old Testament times, inviting them to come and join this wonderful scene of the wedding supper of the Lamb. What a privilege it will be to see the great Bridegroom himself, and to be a part of his beloved bride, to share in the intimacy of fellowship with the Lord Jesus! Each individual member of that bride will be able to feel that the Lord himself is their peculiar possession. I often think of the words of Samuel Rutherford, that great Scottish saint who wrote in the 17th century,
The Bride eyes not her garments,
But her dear Bridegroom's face.
And I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of Grace.
Not at the crown he giveth,
But on his pierced hands,
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Emmanuel's land.

It is almost impossible to adequately describe the beauty of this scene and to make it real to our hearts. What a wonderful, blessed thing it is to be invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! So incredible is it that the angel adds, These are the true words of God. John is so moved by this that he falls down to worship the angel and is immediately rebuked. The angel says, No, do not do that. I am merely another servant of the King. I am like you, one of those who bear the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! And how do you do that?

The very spirit of prophecy itself tells us how, for the angel adds, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. All prophecy points only to Jesus. It is not designed to give us a calendar of the last days, though some read it like that. No, the spirit of prophecy is to bear witness to Jesus. He is the central figure of all Scripture. It is not events that we are to focus on, but the One who brings them to pass, the Lord Jesus himself. Thus we are instructed here by the angel to focus our attention upon him.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have invited me to this wedding feast, to be part of your bride on that day. Amen.

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Life Application​

Am I falling deeper in love with the One whom I will be joined with in heaven?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A daily devotion for September 24th​

Binding the Evil One​

Read the Scripture: Revelation 20:1-10

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
Rev 20-1:3

Twice in this passage appears the phrase a thousand years. The word millennium means a thousand years. This is the passage that teaches of a millennium of peace yet to come upon the earth. Two differing views of end times events clash headlong in this chapter, premillennialism and amillennialism. Premillennialists (among whom I include myself) take this passage literally and believe that there is coming a thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth. That will be a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies concerning an earthly reign of Christ.

Amillennialists believe that this event is now being fulfilled. They say there will be no thousand-year reign of Christ to come, but this is a picture of the present age of the Church and is being fulfilled in a figurative way. They say that the binding of Satan mentioned here took place at the cross when Jesus overcame Satan, and he has been bound ever since. But Scripture indicates that the binding of Satan at the cross was true only for those who believe in Jesus. He is restrained, bound, restricted with regard to you, if you believe. But that restraint does not help those who don't believe in Jesus. Paul states, The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).

But now notice the difference with this binding here. First, it was not done at the cross, but it follows the Second Coming of our Lord. And second, the binding was not done by Jesus, but by an angel whom Jesus sends. It must have been a very great angel indeed, possibly Michael the archangel. Third, the angel not only binds Satan with the chain, but he throws him into the Abyss and locks and seals the door! No power can break through to release Satan during this time. He is totally removed from earth and permitted no access to it for one thousand years!

The purpose for this removal of Satan is clearly stated: to keep him from deceiving the nations any more. This is what Satan has been doing throughout this whole church age. He's been deceiving the nations. He deceives them with drugs, with the wrongful use of sexuality, with lusts for power and greed. He deceives them about the true values of life. These lies have been poured into human ears from invisible powers for centuries. The whole record of human history is a record of the deceitfulness of the devil. But now God says, That will cease. Satan is bound and thrown into the Abyss with all his angels. He's locked in and sealed over and God says, For a thousand years the earth is going to live in peace.

Father, I praise you that there is no power on earth or in heaven greater than you. I look forward to that time when Satan will be bound and his deception will cease. Amen.

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Life Application​

Take some time to just imagine a world in which Satan is bound. What does this future millennium tell us about God?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.