The Reign of the Martyrs

Today’s reading is Revelation 20.

Do you remember them way back in chapter 6, the martyrs under the altar crying out, “How long?!” We saw them again in chapter 19 riding behind their conquering King. And now we see them reigning with Christ for a thousand years.  Don’t get too fixated on the thousand years; it is a contrast with the one-hour reign of those who killed them in Revelation 17:12. How sad it must be to be an enemy of Christ. You can even kill all your enemies and they just come back to defeat you. How great it is to be a friend of Jesus!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 21.

The One-Hour Reign

Today’s reading is Revelation 17.

In a couple of chapters, people are going to want to debate what the thousand year reign means. Perhaps we shouldn’t try to figure out some period of time represented there and instead see the great contrast. The martyrs will reign for a thousand years, but the people who martyr them only reign for one hour (Revelation 17:12). So, we have a choice. We can side with those against Jesus and get a present reign for an hour; or we can side with Jesus, be persecuted, and possibly even killed but reign for a thousand years. I know which one I prefer. (We should see these as contrasting symbolic images because the actual reign of God’s people is forever and ever [Revelation 22:5]).

Monday’s reading is Revelation 18.