Monday, 11 May 2020 Revelation 20:1-15
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a heavy chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent that is, the Devil, or Satan-and chained him up for a thousand years. -Revelation 20:1-2
The risen Lord Jesus revealed to his disciples, the unique position he holds in the universe, having received ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH. Ephesians 1:20-23 says God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named. This unique position of Jesus is stated in Revelations 12:10: “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come.” As seen in the key verse, with all the devil’s plans and patterns put in place as the deceiver of God’s creation, only an Angel not even a host of Angels was assigned from heaven to arrest, chain him and throw him into the Abyss and seal him for one thousand years. In the Bible, Satan the devil is referred to as the god of this world, who has blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of God’s highest creation - man and has caused him to turn against his Maker even to the point of denying His existence as the creator. After orchestrating man’s fall in the Garden of Eden, Satan continues to pose to be in charge as mighty in acts and displays. But the Bible says that GOD, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness and has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He is the All-knowing and Almighty One to whom our allegiance is to be given. It is not God’s desire that we should serve and worship the deceiving lies of the devil; but rather worship and serve the Creator who is the Mightiest in all creation. This brings a clear picture, that our Lord and Master is the Mightiest of the mighty. No matter how high we climb in knowledge, wealth, power, fame etc. our Lord and Master makes it clear that we surely come under the command of his authority. We are God’s property, despite our religious beliefs, social background, or nationality. God is all powerful and mighty. If we do not worship Him, it does not change anything about Him. Even though men made in His image and likeness tried all they could to ignore Him; yet the more they tired, the more He continued to stand out to be the Mightiest of the Mighty. Because we are His own and created in His image, God came down in our form to save us from the deceptive vices of the devil. God in human form is Jesus Christ – Emmanuel- God with us- in whom our lost glory is re-instated, our forgotten identity is re-established, and we will be transformed into the image of Him (Romans 8:29). "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) No one can withstand His authority; neither kingdoms, nor the strongest and the most advanced nations can ever dare withstand Him. Will you surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ today?
Prayer: LORD, I come before you today and surrender to the Authority of Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and King—Him will I serve and offer my worship.
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