Edom Will Be Humbled, and Zion Restored (Obadiah)

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Jefferson Vann

Edom Will Be Humbled and Zion Restored (Obadiah)

A clear teaching outline for Obadiah 1 needs to trace the movement of the text: Edom’s pride, Edom’s violence, the Day of the LORD, and the restoration of God’s people. Below is a structured outline followed by several strong thematic options you could build a sermon or teaching series around.

Teaching Outline: Obadiah 1 — Edom Will Be Humbled and Zion Restored

1. The Vision and the Summons to Judgment (v.1)

• Obadiah receives a divine revelation concerning Edom.

• God stirs the nations to rise for battle against Edom.

• Judgment is not random; it is orchestrated by the Lord.

2. The Humbling of Edom’s Pride (vv.2–4)

• God declares Edom will be made small and despised.

• Their arrogance deceived them—trust in their geography, fortresses, and high places.

• Their boast: “Who will bring me down?”

• God’s answer: “I will bring you down.”

• The illusion of invulnerability is shattered by divine sovereignty.

3. The Totality of Edom’s Coming Ruin (vv.5–7)

• Unlike thieves or grape gatherers who leave something behind, Edom will be completely stripped.

• Hidden treasures exposed; nothing left.

• Former allies betray them—false security in political partnerships.

• Human wisdom fails: “There is no understanding in him.”

4. The Collapse of Edom’s Wisdom and Strength (vv.8–9)

• God removes their wise men—intellectual collapse.

• Their mighty men are dismayed—military collapse.

• Judgment reaches every level of society.

5. The Indictment: Violence Against Jacob (vv.10–14)

• Edom’s guilt: violence, indifference, gloating, participation, exploitation, and betrayal.

• They stood aloof when Judah fell.

• They rejoiced over Judah’s suffering.

• They looted Jerusalem.

• They blocked fugitives and handed survivors over.

• God remembers every act of cruelty.

6. The Day of the LORD for All Nations (vv.15–16)

• Edom becomes a paradigm for all nations.

• The principle: “As you have done, it will be done to you.”

• Divine justice is reciprocal and unavoidable.

• Nations that exalt themselves against God will drink the cup of His wrath.

7. The Restoration of Zion (vv.17–21)

• On Mount Zion there will be deliverance and holiness.

• Israel regains its inheritance.

• Jacob becomes a fire; Esau becomes stubble—complete reversal.

• Exiles return and repossess the land.

• Deliverers ascend Mount Zion to judge Esau.

• The climactic declaration: “The kingdom will be the LORD’s.”

Possible Teaching Themes

1. The Deception of Pride and the God Who Brings Down the Proud

Focus on Edom’s arrogance, false security, and God’s sovereign humbling.

2. When Brothers Betray Brothers: The Sin of Indifference

Explore Edom’s failure to love Jacob and the danger of standing aloof in another’s suffering.

3. As You Have Done, It Will Be Done to You

A theological reflection on divine justice, reciprocity, and the Day of the LORD.

4. False Security vs. True Refuge

Contrast Edom’s trust in fortresses, alliances, and wisdom with Zion’s trust in God.

5. The Day of the LORD: Judgment for the Proud, Deliverance for the Faithful

A dual-theme message on judgment and restoration.

6. The Kingdom Will Be the LORD’s

A kingdom-focused teaching tracing how Obadiah anticipates the ultimate reign of God.

7. God Remembers: The Accountability of Nations and Individuals

Highlight how God sees injustice, remembers it, and acts in His time.

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“The End of False Religion and the Beginning of True Restoration” (Amos 8-9)

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Jefferson Vann

“The End of False Religion and the Beginning of True Restoration” (Amos 8-9)

“The End of False Religion and the Beginning of True Restoration” captures the entire movement of Amos 8–9: God exposes a religion that sings loudly but lives wickedly, tears it down to the foundations, and then rebuilds a purified people under the restored Davidic King. The outline below follows that arc and gives you a structure that is both teachable and theologically rich.

1. False Religion Exposed (Amos 8:1–6)

Amos begins with a vision that looks harmless—a basket of ripe fruit—but God uses it to reveal that Israel’s religion is just as ripe for judgment. Their worship is full, but their hearts are empty.

Ripe for judgment — The “summer fruit” symbolizes a people whose sins have matured to their final stage.
Worship without righteousness — They keep the festivals and Sabbaths, but only resent them because they interrupt business.
Economic oppression — Shrinking measures, inflating prices, selling worthless grain, and buying the poor for sandals.
The heart of false religion — A system where God’s name is honored with lips while His image-bearers are crushed underfoot.

This section shows that false religion is not primarily about wrong rituals but about a wrong heart—a heart that uses God to justify injustice.

2. The Collapse of False Religion (Amos 8:7–14)

God responds not with mild correction but with catastrophic reversal. Everything Israel trusted in—festivals, songs, prosperity, national identity—will be turned upside down.

God swears to remember — Their deeds will not be forgotten; judgment is certain.
Cosmic signs of divine displeasure — Earthquakes, darkness at noon, festivals turned to funerals.
The worst judgment: silence — A famine of hearing the word of the Lord. People will search everywhere for a word from God, but He will not speak.
Idolatry exposed — Their oaths by Dan and Beersheba reveal that their religion was never truly about Yahweh.

False religion ends not with a whimper but with divine silence—the terrifying moment when God stops speaking.

3. Judgment That Cannot Be Escaped (Amos 9:1–10)

Amos 9 intensifies the message: God Himself stands at the altar, the very place of worship, and begins dismantling the entire system.

Judgment begins at the altar — The place of worship becomes the place of destruction.
No escape — Heaven, Sheol, mountains, sea, or foreign captivity—God’s judgment reaches everywhere.
The Judge is the Creator — The One who melts the land, commands the seas, and builds the heavens is the One Israel must face.
Election does not shield rebellion — Israel is not exempt; God guided other nations too.
Sifting, not annihilation — God will shake Israel like grain in a sieve. The chaff will be destroyed, but not a single kernel will be lost.

This is the end of false religion: God tears down everything built on hypocrisy, injustice, and idolatry.

4. The Beginning of True Restoration (Amos 9:11–15)

After the tearing down comes the rebuilding. God’s final word is not destruction but restoration—real, lasting, covenant restoration.

The fallen booth of David raised — God rebuilds the Davidic kingdom, pointing forward to the Messiah.
Ruins repaired — What judgment destroyed, grace restores.
The nations included — Gentiles called by God’s name join the restored people.
Overflowing abundance — The plowman overtakes the reaper; mountains drip with wine.
Permanent planting — God plants His people in their land, never to be uprooted again.

True restoration begins only after false religion is torn down. God rebuilds a purified people under a righteous King, rooted in His presence and flourishing under His blessing.

5. Teaching Arc for a Sermon or Lesson

A single, cohesive teaching flow could look like this:

False Religion Ripens for Judgment
When worship is divorced from justice, God declares the end has come.
False Religion Collapses Under God’s Hand
God turns festivals into funerals and sends a famine of His word.
Judgment Purifies What Religion Corrupted
God sifts His people, removing the hypocrites but preserving the faithful remnant.
True Restoration Begins With God’s King
The fallen booth of David rises, the nations join, and God plants His people forever.

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The Plumb Line of God’s Righteousness (Amos 6-7)

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Jefferson Vann

The Plumb Line of God’s Righteousness (Amos 6-7)

The plumb line in Amos 7 is one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of God’s unbending righteousness—a standard that exposes what is crooked, reveals what cannot be ignored, and announces when God’s patience has reached its limit. A teaching focus on this theme lets you trace how God measures His people, why He does so, and what it means for believers today.

The Plumb Line of God’s Righteousness: A Teaching Outline

1. God Measures His People by His Own Standard (Amos 7:7–8)

A plumb line is simple, ancient, and uncompromising. It doesn’t adjust to the wall; the wall must adjust to it.
Amos sees God standing beside a wall “built true to plumb,” holding the line that reveals whether Israel still matches His design.
This moment shows that God’s righteousness is not flexible, cultural, or negotiable. It is fixed because it reflects His character.

Key insight: God does not grade on a curve. He measures His people by Himself.

2. God’s Plumb Line Exposes What Prosperity Can Hide (Amos 6)

Israel’s wealth, comfort, and national success created the illusion that everything was fine.
But the plumb line reveals:

Complacency (“at ease in Zion”)
Indifference (“not grieving over the ruin of Joseph”)
Arrogance (boasting in their own strength)
Corrupted justice (turning righteousness into poison)

Prosperity can mask spiritual decay, but the plumb line cuts through illusions.

Key insight: God’s standard reveals the truth beneath our comforts, achievements, and self‑confidence.

3. God’s Patience Has a Purpose, but It Also Has a Limit (Amos 7:1–6)

Before the plumb line, Amos intercedes twice—once for locusts, once for fire—and God relents both times.
But when the plumb line appears, Amos does not intercede. The time for pleading is over.
The nation is too crooked to be straightened without tearing down the wall.

Key insight: Mercy delays judgment, but it does not eliminate the need for righteousness.

4. God’s Plumb Line Demands a Response (Amos 7:10–17)

Amaziah rejects the plumb line because it threatens his comfort and power.
He treats prophecy as a career, Bethel as a political sanctuary, and Amos as a nuisance.
Amos stands firm because he knows he was called—not hired—by God.

Key insight: When God measures His people, some resist, some repent, and some speak truth at great cost.

How the Plumb Line Speaks Today

A. God’s righteousness is the measure of our lives, not our intentions or comparisons.

We often measure ourselves by other people, by culture, or by our own sincerity.
The plumb line reminds us that holiness is not relative.

B. God’s standard reveals what comfort can conceal.

Ease, success, and religious activity can hide spiritual drift.
The plumb line exposes the gap between appearance and reality.

C. God’s righteousness is both judgment and mercy.

Judgment: It shows what must be torn down.
Mercy: It shows what can still be rebuilt.

D. God still calls ordinary people to speak His straight truth.

Amos was a shepherd, not a professional prophet.

The plumb line empowers humble obedience, not institutional authority.

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“Return to Me… Seek Me and Live” (Amos 4-5)

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Jefferson Vann

“Return to Me… Seek Me and Live” (Amos 4-5)

A repentance‑focused teaching outline for Amos 4–5 works best when the entire message is framed around the contrast between God’s relentless call to return and Israel’s relentless refusal. These chapters form one unified sermon: Amos 4 shows that repentance is refused, and Amos 5 shows that repentance is offered again.

Teaching Outline: Amos 4–5 — “Return to Me… Seek Me and Live”

1. The Sin That Makes Repentance Necessary (4:1–5)

Israel’s refusal to repent begins with a heart that is comfortable in sin and confident in empty religion.

Oppression of the poor reveals a heart far from God (4:1).
Self‑indulgence blinds them to their spiritual condition (4:1).
Religious activity at Bethel and Gilgal masks rebellion rather than cures it (4:4–5).
Repentance focus: Sin is most dangerous when it feels normal and religiously acceptable.

2. God’s Repeated Discipline Meant to Lead to Repentance (4:6–11)

Five escalating judgments—each ending with the same tragic refrain: “Yet you have not returned to Me.”

Famine meant to awaken hunger for God (4:6).
Drought meant to expose their dependence (4:7–8).
Blight and locusts meant to humble their pride (4:9).
Plague and military defeat meant to break their self‑reliance (4:10).
Near‑destruction meant to shock them into returning (4:11).
Repentance focus: God’s discipline is mercy in disguise—every hardship was a call to return.

3. The Final Warning: Meet God Now or Meet Him in Judgment (4:12–13)

If Israel will not return through mercy, they will meet God in judgment.

“Prepare to meet your God” is not an invitation—it is a warning (4:12).
God is Creator, Revealer, and Sovereign (4:13).
Repentance focus: The God who calls us back is the God before whom we will stand.

4. The Funeral Song That Reveals Their True Condition (5:1–3)

Amos sings a dirge over a nation still alive.

Israel is fallen and cannot rise on her own (5:2).
Her strength is reduced to a remnant (5:3).
Repentance focus: Repentance begins when we see ourselves as God sees us.

5. The Gracious Invitation: “Seek Me and Live” (5:4–6)

After all their refusal, God still invites them to return.

Seek God, not religious places (5:4–5).
Life is found only in Him (5:4, 6).
Judgment will burn if they refuse (5:6).
Repentance focus: Repentance is relational—turning to God Himself.

6. The God Who Calls Us Back Is Worth Returning To (5:7–9)

Repentance grows when we see God’s greatness.

Israel has perverted justice (5:7).
God is the Creator of stars, day/night, and seas (5:8).
God can tear down the strong (5:9).
Repentance focus: We return because of who God is, not just what He gives.

7. The Sins That Block Repentance (5:10–13)

Israel’s society is structured around injustice.

Hatred of correction (5:10).
Exploitation of the poor (5:11).
Bribery and corruption (5:12).
Silence of the wise in evil times (5:13).
Repentance focus: Repentance must address both personal sin and social injustice.

8. The Shape of True Repentance (5:14–15)

Repentance is not just sorrow—it is a new direction.

Seek good, not evil (5:14).
Hate evil, love good (5:15).
Restore justice in the gate (5:15).
Repentance focus: True repentance produces visible change.

9. The Consequence of Refusing to Return (5:16–20)

If Israel does not repent, mourning and darkness will come.

Wailing fills every part of life (5:16–17).
The Day of the LORD becomes darkness, not deliverance (5:18–20).
Repentance focus: Religious confidence without repentance is deadly.

10. The Worship God Rejects and the Worship He Accepts (5:21–24)

God rejects worship that is not matched by obedience.

Festivals, offerings, and songs rejected (5:21–23).
Justice and righteousness demanded (5:24).
Repentance focus: Repentance restores integrity between worship and life.

11. The Deep Roots of Their Idolatry (5:25–26)

Israel’s divided loyalty goes back generations.

Sacrifices mixed with idols in the wilderness (5:25–26).
Repentance focus: Repentance must uproot long‑standing idols.

12. The Final Outcome of Repentance Refused (5:27)

If Israel does not return, exile is unavoidable.

Exile beyond Damascus (5:27).
Spoken by the LORD of hosts (5:27).
Repentance focus: God’s patience is vast, but not endless.

This outline shows repentance as the central thread: God calls, warns, disciplines, pleads, and invites—because He desires His people to return and live.

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come to your future

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

20250620

come to your future

Revelation 22:1-21

Revelation 22:1 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Revelation 22:2 down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations,
Revelation 22:3 and there will no longer exiat any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his slaves will worship him.
Revelation 22:4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Revelation 22:5 Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign for ages and ages.
Revelation 22:6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the breaths of the prophets, has sent his agent to show his slaves what must quickly take place.”
Revelation 22:7 “Notice, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the agent who had shown them to me.
Revelation 22:9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
Revelation 22:10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.
Revelation 22:11 Let the wrong still be wrong; let the righteous go on in righteousness; let the devoted still be devoted.”
Revelation 22:12 “Notice, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work.
Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the origin and the destination.
Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.
Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who likes and practices falsehood.
Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my agent to attest these things to you for the congregations. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Revelation 22:17 Both the Breath and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.
Revelation 22:19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the sacred city, which are written about in this book.
Revelation 22:20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone. Amen.

The Bible ends with an invitation.

“Both the Breath and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

The River in the middle of the city is an invitation to your future. You can have not only eternal life, but new life eternally: a permanent cleansing of all those things about yourself that you think can never be changed. And the best news is … it is free. We pay no price for this holy and righteous eternity. It is bought and paid for by the costly death of Christ on the cross.

LORD, we want what you have planned for us. We choose to come to our future.

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the presence and the future

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

20250619

the presence and the future

Revelation 21:1-27

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new sky and a new land; because the first sky and the first land had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Revelation 21:2 I also saw the sacred city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of the sky from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Notice, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no more; grief, crying, and pain will exist no more, because the previous things have passed away.
Revelation 21:5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Notice, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”
Revelation 21:6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the origin, and the destination. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.
Revelation 21:8 But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:9 Then one of the seven agents, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came, and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
Revelation 21:10 He then carried me away in the Breath to a great, high mountain and showed me the sacred city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the sky from God,
Revelation 21:11 arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Revelation 21:12 The city had a massive high wall, with twelve gates. Twelve agents were at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates.
Revelation 21:13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
Revelation 21:14 The city wall had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were on the foundations.
Revelation 21:15 The one who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
Revelation 21:16 The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal.
Revelation 21:17 Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the agent used.
Revelation 21:18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold clear as glass.
Revelation 21:19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of jewel: the first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
Revelation 21:20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
Revelation 21:21 The twelve gates are twelve pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
Revelation 21:22 I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the land will bring their glory into it.
Revelation 21:25 Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.
Revelation 21:26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Revelation 21:27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

the presence and the future

The most beautiful thing about the believer’s future revealed in this chapter is not the golden streets, or jeweled walls, or pearly gates. The radiance of the city comes from the manifest presence of God himself. He will be with us, and his presence will make all the difference. The sheer power and glory of his presence will banish forever those things about life that we thought were forever. From then on, there will be no more mourning, crying, pain or death. These “former things” will pass away. The new thing that God will do among us will not involve any of those former things. Sometimes it is hard to see God in the disappointments of this age. It will not be so in the future. His presence will be manifest.

LORD, help us to trust in your presence today, as we long for your eternal presence in our future.

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judgment and the future

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

20250618

judgment and the future

Revelation 20:1-15

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an agent coming down from the sky holding the key to the depthless place and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:3 He threw him into the depthless place, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the throats of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the wild animal or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and sacred is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison
Revelation 20:8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the land, Gog, and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.
Revelation 20:9 They came up across the breadth of the land and surrounded the encampment of the devotees, the cared about city. Then fire came down from the sky and consumed them.
Revelation 20:10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the wild animal and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night for ages and ages.
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Land and sky fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
Revelation 20:12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
Revelation 20:13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Christians differ on how they interpret the binding of Satan. I cannot bring myself to believe that Satan is bound in any way now, so that makes me a premillenialist.

What is the millennium for? I’m guessing that it will our chance as redeemed human beings to do things right for a change.

At the end of this chapter is the lake of fire, which (the text says) is the second death. No one escapes that fate unless his or her name is in the Lamb’s book of life. Eternity begins after that.

LORD, thank you for the promise of judgment upon Satan and his kingdom. Thank you for the promise of eternal life in your kingdom.

Posted in future, judgment | Tagged Revelation 20 | Leave a comment

love and war in the future

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

20250617

love and war in the future

Revelation 19:1-21

Revelation 19:1 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast crowd in the sky, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,
Revelation 19:2 because his judgments are true and righteous, because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the land with her sexual immorality; and he has avenged the blood of his slaves that was on her hands.
Revelation 19:3 A second time they said, Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends for ages and ages!
Revelation 19:4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four animals fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!
Revelation 19:5 A voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all his slaves, and the ones who fear him, both small and great!
Revelation 19:6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast crowd, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns!
Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice, be glad, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself.
Revelation 19:8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the devotees.
Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the breath of prophecy.”
Revelation 19:11 Then I saw the sky opened and noticed a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war with justice.
Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself.
Revelation 19:13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.
Revelation 19:14 The armies that were in the sky followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.
Revelation 19:15 A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.
Revelation 19:16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an agent standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
Revelation 19:18 so that you may eat the meat of kings, the meat of military commanders, the meat of the mighty, the meat of horses and of their riders, and the meat of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”
Revelation 19:19 Then I saw the wild animal, the kings of the land, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army.
Revelation 19:20 But the wild animal was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in his presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the wild animal and those who worshiped his image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
Revelation 19:21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their meat.

love and war in the future

A trumpet calls heavens armies to war against the demonic powers, with Christ at the head. Meanwhile, believers hear a call to come and celebrate. It is the marriage supper of the Lamb. There will be both tragedy and triumph going on at the same time. It MATTERS DEARLY which side you are on.

LORD, help us to get ready for the great celebration of grace – and plead with others to join us there.

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one day in the future

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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Photo by Sanej Prasad Suwal on Pexels.com

one day in the future

Revelation 18:1-24

Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another agent with great authority coming down from the sky, and the land was illuminated by his splendor.
Revelation 18:2 He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean breath, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable wild animal.
Revelation 18:3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the land have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the land have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess.
Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from the sky: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues.
Revelation 18:5 For her sins are piled up to the sky, and God has remembered her crimes.
Revelation 18:6 Pay her back the way she also paid and double it according to her works. In the cup in which she mixed, mix a double portion for her.
Revelation 18:7 As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.”
Revelation 18:8 For this reason her plagues will come in just one day — death and grief and famine. She will be burned up with fire because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.
Revelation 18:9 The kings of the land who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning.
Revelation 18:10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come.
Revelation 18:11 The merchants of the land will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer —
Revelation 18:12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble;
Revelation 18:13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves — human throats.
Revelation 18:14 The fruit you craved has left you. All your splendid and glamorous things are gone; they will never find them again.
Revelation 18:15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
Revelation 18:16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls;
Revelation 18:17 for in a single hour such fabulous wealth was depopulated! And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off
Revelation 18:18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who was like the great city?”
Revelation 18:19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning, Woe, woe, the great city, where all those who have ships on the sea became rich from her wealth; for in a single hour, she was depopulated.
Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, sky, and you devotees, apostles, and prophets, because God has pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you!
Revelation 18:21 Then a mighty agent picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently and never be found again.
Revelation 18:22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again; the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;
Revelation 18:23 the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the land, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
Revelation 18:24 In her was found the blood of prophets and devotees, and of all those slaughtered on the land.

one day in the future

Babylon is a combination of the human and the demonic – of church and state – of trade and sorcery and deception. The great system and all tied to it will be destroyed in a single day. God’s message to believers is “ “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (4).

LORD, make us people of integrity, who do not align ourselves with power for convenience sake. Make us people who are morally and spiritually pure. We want to bring honor and glory to your name.

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beauty, power, and the future

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Jefferson Vann

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beauty, power, and the future

Revelation 17:1-18

Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven agents who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute who is seated on many waters.
Revelation 17:2 The kings of the land committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the land became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”
Revelation 17:3 Then he carried me away in the Breath to a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet wild animal that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls. She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable and with the impurities of her prostitution.
Revelation 17:5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the land.
Revelation 17:6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the devotees and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Revelation 17:7 Then the agent said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the wild animal, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her.
Revelation 17:8 The wild animal that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the depthless place and go to destruction. Those who live on the land whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they see the wild animal that was, and is not, and is to come.
Revelation 17:9 This calls for a mind that has wisdom: “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings:
Revelation 17:10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while.
Revelation 17:11 The wild animal that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, and he is of the seven and is going to destruction.
Revelation 17:12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the wild animal for one hour.
Revelation 17:13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the wild animal.
Revelation 17:14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Revelation 17:15 He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, crowds, nations, and languages.
Revelation 17:16 The ten horns you saw, and the wild animal, will hate the prostitute. They will depopulate her and strip her, devour her meat, and burn her up with fire.
Revelation 17:17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose and to give their kingdom to the wild animal until the words of God are fulfilled.
Revelation 17:18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the land.”

beauty, power, and the future

For over a thousand years, the most beautiful and powerful entity in this world was a Church which had its seat in Rome, the city on seven hills. From that vantage point, this almighty power ruled over kings, and presided over the torture and death of martyrs.

But then, the political powers turned against her. They began to hate this prostitute. The nations which once had a “sacred” mandate are now content with a secular one. Babylon is still with us, but she will fall.

LORD, we pledge our ultimate allegiance not to church or state, but to your Son – in whom you are well pleased.

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