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Home , Mark 16

“...Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life” (Phil 2:15-16)

Volume 1 September 15, 2013 Number. 36

Beatitudes in the Book of Revelations he most familiar are found in the first eleven verses of Matthew chapter five in what is the T beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. But there are seven beatitudes found in the book of Revelation that are very encouraging as well. In this article, we want to take a brief look at the beatitudes found in the book of Revelation.

1. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy...” (Revelation 1:3). The prophecy considered by John is the content of the book of Revelation. The fact is, however, the one who regularly reads and applies any portion of ’s word to his life is going to be blessed. The isthe greatest book ever written. While it was penned by men, those men were inspired and thus the Bible is an inspired book (2 Timothy 3:16). That means that every word in the Bible is there because God so willed it to be so (1 Corinthians 2:13). The Bible, then, reveals the mind of God. Knowing God’s mind can only be profitable, that is, as long as we determine to make use of what we know of God’s mind to our lives. This is why we are encouraged so often to study God’s word and grow in knowledge (2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). True happiness is found from understanding and doing God’s will. Read the Bible! You will be blessed for your effort.

2. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth...” (Rev. 14:13). Death is usually considered a curse. Nobody likes to talk or even think about it. Death is full of sorrow and disappointment for those who lose a loved one. But for the individual who dies in the Lord, death is indeed a blessing. It means an escape from the trials and tribulations of life and an eternal victory over the Devil. Those who die in the Lord are promised a crown of life (James 1:12). A state of comfort and bliss is experienced by the one who dies in the Lord (:25). This is why Paul could look at death without fear. In fact, in some ways Paul looked forward to dying, for he wanted to go and be with his Lord (Philippians 1:23). The debate continues concerning whether we go directly to heaven when we die or to a state of paradise in the realm of Hades at death. While I take the latter view, it really doesn’t matter. It will be a place of comfort either way. The important thing is that we die in the Lord so that we can experience that bliss wherever it may be. That means obeying the of Christ and remaining faithful to the end (Romans 1:16; Revelation 2:10). Obeying the gospel involves believing in Christ and being baptized (Mark 16:16). That will put a person into Christ (Galatians 3:27) and into a place of safety and security. In Christ death is no longer to be feared (Hebrews 2:14, 15; 1 John 4:17,18). Now this does not mean that we have to be anxious to die. God has blessed us with life, and we should enjoy it as long as we live. But rest assured, in the Lord there is something greater than we can imagine after we die.

3. “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments...” (Rev. 16:15). That will someday return is a fact denied by no Bible student. When He will return, however, is a different matter. We do no know the answer to that question because God has not found it fit to disclose it. Thus, we are encouraged by the Word of God to watch. Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matt. 24:42). How do we watch? Jesus said it is by keeping the spiritual garments of life clean and pure. Living a morally upright life is essential to be prepared for the second coming of our Lord. Those who do otherwise will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). Keeping our garments also involves abiding in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11). When one goes beyond the doctrine of Christ, teaching a gospel other than the one revealed in the scriptures, he stands accursed before God (Galatians 1:6-9). His garments are soiled! We should all watch, therefore, making sure that we continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. This is true so far as what we teach and how we live our lives. Those who continue to be on watch, i.e., those who prepare themselves for the day of judgment by living according to God’s word, will truly be blessed.

4. “...Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb...” (Revelation 19:9). In Revelation 19:7 we are told that the marriage of the Lamb is come. Following the marriage there is a great feast or supper. Who is it that is called to the marriage supper or feast? Those made righteous by the blood of Christ (ver. 8). The church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32; Revelation 21:2, 9). When one obeys the gospel of Christ, he or she enters into a covenant relationship with Christ and becomes of part of His bride. In other words, to obey the gospel of Christ is to enter into a marriage relationship with Christ. Paul said, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead...” (Rom. 7:4). The benefits of being married to Christ are innumerable. All spiritual blessings belong to them (Ephesians 1:3). The greatest blessing of all is the eternal enjoyment of heaven. That is depicted by the “marriage supper of the Lamb” which takes place after the consummation of the marriage. Those called to that supper are truly blessed. They will enjoy an eternity of bliss in heaven. But only by obeying the gospel and being married to Christ will one be invited to that feast.

5. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power...” (Rev. 20:6). There has been much disagreement over to what the “first resurrection” refers. The premillennial view, that says it refers to a bodily resurrection of the saints followed by an earthly thousand year reign of Christ in , is completely without scriptural backing. But even brethren have differed. Some say that it refers to the resurrection of (Romans 6:4). But since those who experience this first resurrection will not experience the second death (the lake of fire - ver. 14), that conclusion would mean that it would be impossible to fall from grace. Thus, the first resurrection is not the resurrection of baptism. Homer Hailey that the first resurrection is the resurrection of the cause of Christ as set forth in the book of Revelation (Revelation, an Introduction and Commentary, pg. 394). Homer may be right, though I am not sure that the cause of Christ in the book of Revelation ever experienced a death from which to be resurrected. Another view is that the first resurrection is a description of those who die in Christ and are raised to the hadean realm called paradise over which Christ has control. This view would conclude that Christians go to the hadean realm to await judgment when they die. This view has a lot in it’s favor. One thing we know is that those who die in Christ will not experience the second death. But whether we can identify the first resurrection to our satisfaction or not, the blessedness is really found in the fact that the second death will not have power over us if we experience that first resurrection. And since it is clear that only those who are right with God when they die will experience the first resurrection, that should be the aim of each one of us. To be cast into the lake of fire is to be in eternal torment where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:41, 42). To escape that end is surely to be considered blessed.

6. “Blessed are they that do his commands...” (Rev. 22:14). This is actually the seventh beatitude of the book of Revelation. The sixth is similar to this one, though not as broad in it’s scope, so wewill consider them together. The sixth beatitude says, “...blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:7). Both of these beatitudes point to obedience. There can be no blessedness apart from obeying the commandments of God. Faithfulness to all that God commands us to do is the only way that we can secure for ourselves a home in heaven. That does not mean that we have to be perfect; but it does mean that we must strive to obey God in all things. When we fall short, we must follow God’s law of pardon, i.e., we must repent of the sin and pray to God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 :9). If we keep the commandments of God, John says we have a right to the tree of life and will enter into the gates of the heavenly city. Heaven will be ours to enjoy forever. Isn’t obedience worth it? This is especially true when we remember that the commandments of God actually enhance our lives on earth when we keep them and are not to difficult to keep. John once said, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous “(1 John 5:3). God would never give us a command that is harmful to us in any way, nor would he give us a command too burdensome to keep. So, our responsibility is to simply learn God’s will and keep it (Matthew 7:21). The end result will be the blessed state of heaven.

These beatitudes in the book of Revelation should afford us a great deal of comfort. Let’s rejoice over all the blessings our God graciously gives to us. Don