20/20 Focus on JESUS

20/20 Focus on JESUS
Each day we need to keep our eyes focused on JESUS - 20/20! I am sorry that I did not continue this blog into the beginning of 2021. Nine months passed by before I was convicted to return to this blog and encourage us to look at JESUS, with clear vision, via a daily scripture reading. Yellow highlights are names/descriptions of JESUS that we'll add to the list on the right.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020 for JESUS - Day 366: JESUS is GOD... THE LORD GOD... SALVATION AND GLORY AND POWER BELONG TO OUR GOD... TRUE AND JUST ARE HIS JUDGMENTS... OUR GOD... OUR LORD GOD ALMIGHTY... THE LAMB... JESUS... FAITHFUL AND TRUE... THE WORD OF GOD... GOD ALMIGHTY... KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS... THE RIDER ON THE HORSE... CHRIST... THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END... THE LORD, THE GOD WHO INSPIRES THE PROPHETS... THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END... THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID... THE BRIGHT MORNING STAR... LORD JESUS... THE LORD JESUS...

 Revelation 18-22

 


Revelation 18

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 

With a mighty voice he shouted:

‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

‘Come out of her, my people,’
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
    and GOD has remembered her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back double for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
    I will never mourn.’
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
    for mighty is THE LORD GOD WHO judges her.

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 

10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
    you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’

11 ‘The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 

12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 

13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.

14 ‘They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 

15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 

16 and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
    dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
    and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’

‘Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 

18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim,

‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 

19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
    where all who had ships on the sea
    became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’

20 ‘Rejoice over her, you heavens!
    Rejoice, you people of GOD!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For GOD has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.”

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

“With such violence
    the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
    never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
    By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of GOD’s holy people,
    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

 

 

Revelation 19

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 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.”

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped GOD, WHO was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise OUR GOD,
    all you HIS servants,
you who fear HIM,
    both great and small!”

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!
    For OUR LORD GOD ALMIGHTY reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give HIM glory!
For the wedding of THE LAMB has come,
    and HIS bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

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.’

10 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.’

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called FAITHFUL AND TRUE. With justice HE judges and wages war. 

12 HIS eyes are like blazing fire, and on HIS head are many crowns. HE has a name written on HIM that no one knows but HE HIMSELF. 

13 HE is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and HIS name is THE WORD OF GOD. 

14 The armies of heaven were following HIM, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 

15 Coming out of HIS mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘HE will rule them with an iron scepter.’

 HE treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of GOD ALMIGHTY.

 16 On HIS robe and on HIS thigh HE has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of GOD, 

18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.’

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against THE RIDER ON THE HORSE and HIS army. 

20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 

21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of THE RIDER ON THE HORSE, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.’

 

 

Revelation 20

The Thousand Years

20 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.

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about JESUS and because of THE WORD OF GOD. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with CHRIST a thousand years. 

(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 

and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of GOD’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 1

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of the Dead

11 Then I saw a great white throne and HIM WHO was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from HIS presence, and there was no place for them. 

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 

13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 

14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 

15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

 

Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from GOD, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! GOD’s dwelling place is now among the people, and HE will dwell with them. They will be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF will be with them and be their GOD. 

‘HE will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

HE who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then HE said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

HE said to me: ‘It is done. I am THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 

Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their GOD and they will be my children. 

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of THE LAMB

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of THE LAMB.’

 10 And HE carried me away in THE SPIRIT to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from GOD. 

11 It shone with the glory of GOD, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 

12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 

14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of THE LAMB.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 

16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 

17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.

 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 

19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 

20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and THE LAMB are its temple. 

23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of GOD gives it light, and THE LAMB is its lamp. 

24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 

25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 

26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 

27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in THE LAMB’s book of life.”

 

 

 

Revelation 22

Eden Restored

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of GOD and of THE LAMB. 

down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of GOD and of THE LAMB will be in the city, and HIS servants will serve HIM. 

They will see HIS face, and HIW name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. THE LORD, THE GOD WHO INSPIRES THE PROPHETS, sent HIS angel to show HIS servants the things that must soon take place.’

‘Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.’

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 

But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship GOD!”

10 Then he told me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 

11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.’

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 ‘Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 

13 I am THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. 

14 ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 

15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, JESUS, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, and THE BRIGHT MORNING STAR.’

17 THE SPIRIT and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, GOD will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 

19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, GOD will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 HE who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’

Amen. Come, LORD JESUS.

21 The grace of THE LORD JESUS be with GOD’s people. Amen.”


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