Revelation is a Book of Love!

[Vine Abider]

Sure, there is a lot of judgement going on in the book of Revelation, but the purpose is love.  Here's an analogy:

The wife of a master surgeon develops numerous malignant tumors.  The surgeon is the very best with removing these types of tumors, so he lovingly sets about to remove them from his beloved.  The process is quite involved, but the husband masterfully removes every last one, so his wife can live.  She makes a full recovery and they live happily together forever.

Of course, the husband/surgeon in this case is God and we are the wife.

In Revelation there are many, painful judgements, but it is for the removal of the "tumor" of sin and death from mankind and the universe. There are two kingdoms - the kingdom of "The Son of His love" and the kingdom of darkness.  Taken from the standpoint of the evil kingdom, these judgements are severe and painful, but there is a loving purpose in it all!

In the last two chapters of Revelation we see the culmination of all God's loving work toward us.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Revelation 21:4

[Neighbor]

3 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Of course, the husband/surgeon in this case is God and we are the wife.

Actually many are the tumors, and do not get to live happily ever after, but are cut off and destroyed. The letter Revelation being  a reveal, a multifaceted reveal, much of it such as the message to the seven churches has played out, and the actual churches long gone today. Those warnings were just that  contemporary warnings for people now long gone.

That  the principle behind the warnings to the seven churches may be applied to many churches even today  is a separate issue,  one perhaps not so well suited to the making of analogies, as they are in of themselves analogies, or at least apt example for those alive today. People today  become tourists walking amongst the ruins of most of them  them today, mostly seeing interesting ruins. Perhaps not even seeing this is the past as well as the future of many a church  body.

[Marilyn C]

5 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Sure, there is a lot of judgement going on in the book of Revelation, but the purpose is love.  Here's an analogy:

 

Oh VA,

I think you must be a romantic.  That type of love is between ONE man and ONE woman.

 God`s love, however, is `agape,` love which is different. It is a giving of Himself to ALL. `God so loved the world that He gave...` (John 3: 16)

Now Revelation is the unveiling of CHRIST as He is known in the heavenly realms. This is the Father`s purpose to place His Son in the highest ruling position.

`For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

....that in ALL things He may have the PREEMINENCE.`  (Col. 1: 16 & 18)

 

1. Christ the HEAD of the BODY. (Rev. 1 - 3)  The Lord is building His Body which He will take to His own throne. (Rev. 3: 21)

2. Christ the HEIR of all things. (Rev. 4 - 7) This is the Lord`s own throne and we are there at His visible inauguration as Supreme Ruler over all of God`s great kingdom. It is from there that He begins to put down all rule, authority and power. (1 Cor. 15: 24)

3. Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant for Israel. (Rev. 8 - 13) It reveals the Lord`s victory over all of Satan`s strategies. 

4. Christ the Judge of Mount Zion the highest rulership. (Rev. 14 - 20) The Lord deals with Satanic, and earthly rulers and all peoples. 

And Maker of all things new. (Rev. 21 & 22) The coming together of the heavenly and earthly realms through the connecting, (bride symbol) of the New Jerusalem. 

Thus every realm in God`s great kingdom has rulership all under the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

[Michael37]

5 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Sure, there is a lot of judgement going on in the book of Revelation, but the purpose is love. 

Yes, the wrath of God on the wicked and the deliverance of His saints is a theme throughout the Bible that reaches its climactic conclusion in Revelation.

The purpose of the Book of Revelation itself is to bless readers and hearers and keepers.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

In conjunction with this passage it does comfort us to know that the future works out in our favour.

Heb 12:18-29  (NKJV) For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,  (19)  and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.  (20)  (For they could not endure what was commanded: "AND IF SO MUCH AS A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT SHALL BE STONED OR SHOT WITH AN ARROW."  (21)  And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I AM EXCEEDINGLY AFRAID AND TREMBLING.")  (22)  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (24)  to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.  (25)  See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,  (26)  whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO HEAVEN."  (27)  Now this, "YET ONCE MORE," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.  (28)  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  (29)  For our God is a consuming fire.

[Marilyn C]

Yes, Mount Zion is the highest rulership in all of God`s great kingdom and that is where the Body of Christ will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ, supreme ruler over all.

[AnOrangeCat]

10 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Sure, there is a lot of judgement going on in the book of Revelation, but the purpose is love. 

An interesting perspective. I see it as multifaceted but I think you're right. I see all the talk of judgment as a warning. The thing is the warning comes with a promise of a way out and eternal life. If the judgment was just God being angry and spiteful we wouldn't get a way out. We might not have gotten a warning if that were the case. So it points to the warning being given from a sense of love rather than maliciousness.

[Trinitynamer]

God's love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.

[Vine Abider]

15 hours ago, AnOrangeCat said:

An interesting perspective. I see it as multifaceted but I think you're right. I see all the talk of judgment as a warning. The thing is the warning comes with a promise of a way out and eternal life. If the judgment was just God being angry and spiteful we wouldn't get a way out. We might not have gotten a warning if that were the case. So it points to the warning being given from a sense of love rather than maliciousness.

Yes - over and over He gives men chances to repent and not take the side of the "malignant tumor."  But if they insist, the judgement most come about in order to save "the patient."  This shows that it's all from a primary motive of love for the ones He created in His image and likeness, and to whom He gave dominion over all the earth and everything on it. 

He loves us far too much to see us remain in a fallen state of misery, sin and death - out of fellowship with Him - and being lorded over by our enemy!

[Marilyn C]

2 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Yes - over and over He gives men chances to repent and not take the side of the "malignant tumor."  But if they insist, the judgement most come about in order to save "the patient."  This shows that it's all from a primary motive of love for the ones He created in His image and likeness, and to whom He gave dominion over all the earth and everything on it. 

He loves us far too much to see us remain in a fallen state of misery, sin and death - out of fellowship with Him - and being lorded over by our enemy!

Hi VA,

May I humbly suggest you think a bit deeper. You see God could have taken out the `tumor ` in the first, say century. Why He didn`t is very important.

[Dennis1209]

I do not understand why most of the earth dwellers in Revelation rebelling to the end will not repent. They still have free will, critical thinking, and reasoning. Instead of using tumors as an example, I want to use a couple of other painful analogies.

A criminal is caught and sentenced to 39 painful cutting stripes on the back. He did not repent of his crime and committed the offense again; this time, his punishment was more severe than the first. Furthermore, he did not learn his lesson and repent. This time, a more painful and severe punishment was administered, and he was punished within an inch of his life.

I see most of today's offenders immediately repenting and changing their course after the first severe punishment, much less going through three increases in severity.

Before all three punishments, the judge assigning those punishments offered a pardon for the crimes and wonderful incentives and rewards to repent and not do them again, just for asking.

In Revelation, these earth dwellers know exactly Who and where these judgments and punishments are coming from, getting more frequent, painful, and intense. Instead of repenting, crying out for mercy, and accepting Christ's love and forgiveness, they curse Him.

Some of us boys might remember the leather strap meeting our rear end that may have left a few welts on our behinds. Personally speaking, after a couple or three of those, I had an attitude adjustment and change of heart, mind, and behavior and repented. That is nothing compared to the attitude adjustment coming.

I can only reason why the majority do not repent is because of demonic influences and control. Any other thoughts?