THE GLORIFIED STATE

                   
"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, These words are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.  Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."  (Revelation 22:1-9, NKJV)

Devotion 20 of 25

GOD IS SHOWING HIS SERVANTS

     " The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants."

See the Divine initiative. It is glorious! The "holy prophets," rejected by those who heard them, were preparing the world for what we are reading. It is written that they spoke of "the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow" – and what we are reading is nothing less than the consummation of "the glory" of which they spake (1 Pet 1:11). Now God stands behind the prophets and declares they belong to Him and spoke the truth. He is "the Lord God of the holy prophets!" See, He is "not ashamed to be called their God" (Heb 11:16).

God does not send an angel to confirm the words of Socrates or Plato! He does not buttress the words of Josephus or some worldly dignitary. Regardless of their professed worth and advancement in learning, God has never confirmed the message of a philosopher, linguist, economist, or politician – never! He has never risen to speak in vindication and honor of a business man, entertainer, or athlete. You will find no reference to the God of heaven being the God of the educator, the motivator, or the sociologist. He has never been known as the Lord God of the wealthy, or the God of the military strategist. Never has He represented Himself as the Sender of institutional builders, or the Revealer of language expertise.

While all valid knowledge is traceable to God alone, He has chosen to align Himself with the holy prophets. That means their message is superior to all of their peers and of all other history. The only time God ever mentions worldly dignitaries is when they interfaced with His purpose or His people. Were it not for those two factors, the names of Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, Pilate, Herod, and the likes, would never have been mentioned in the Word of God.

There is such a vast gulf between the dwelling place of God and the abode of men, the message must be brought by an angel to John. No man could rise into heaven to obtain it and bring it down. The wisest and most gifted among men could not conclude it from the starry heavens or other facets of creation. The scientist, philosopher, and astronomer all stand before the mighty God of heaven with their hands over their mouths. It was a holy angel that brought the truth within the grasp of the man of God on the Isle of Patmos.

SHOWN TO HIS SERVANTS

And who are the intended recipients of this truth – this truth that was introduced by the holy prophets? Is it a message for the conglomeration of humanity? Is it send to the builders of nations? Or political officials and business managers? Indeed, it is not! It is for "His servants" – those employed by God in His work. If any of those people happen to be an earthly dignitary, the message is not brought to them because of who they are, but because of Whom they serve. If a person is NOT serving the Lord, this message is NOT for them! If a person IS serving the Lord, the message IS for them! It is really just that simple.

See how mindful the Lord is of those who live and move and have their being in Him! He wants them to know what is ahead – what has been determined for them. He will not leave them to walk in the darkness, but will shed some light on their path, making it more tolerable and enjoyable. Because "we are saved by hope" (Rom 8:24), our Lord will speak to hope, nurturing and strengthening it.

What we are reading is not mere information. This is intended to buoy up the spirit of His servants – to strengthen their hands and cause their countenance to glow with hope and joy. Unlike the masters of this world, God tells His servants what He is doing, and what is ahead for them. Thus it is written, "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7). And again, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant" (Psalms 25:14).

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You through Jesus Christ for having so much to say to those who have received Your Son.

– Tomorrow: THINGS THAT MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE –