60.3 Song Of Victory Tor The Faithful

(Revelation 19:5-10)

Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, "Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!"  Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder.  I heard them say, "Praise God!  For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King!  Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness!  For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it.  She has been given clean shining linen to wear"  (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.)

Then the angel said to me, "Write this:  Happy are those who have been invited to the weeding feast of the Lamb."  And the angel added, "These are the true words of God."

I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Don't do it! I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed.  Worship God!"

For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.

60. 2 Final Condemnation For Persecutors

(Revelation 18:21-24)

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "This is how the great city Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be seen again.  The music of harps and of human voices, of players of the flute and the trumpet, will never be heard in you again!  No workman in any trade will ever be found in you again; and the sound of the millstone will be heard no more! Never again will the light of a lamp be seen in you; no more will the voices of brides and grooms be heard in you.  Your businessmen were the most powerful in your world, and with your false magic you deceived all the peoples of the world!"

Babylon was punished because the blood of prophets and God's people was found in the city; yes, the blood of all those who have been killed on earth. 

60.1 Persecutors Will Be Punished

(Matthew 23:32-39)

Go on, then, and finish up what your ancestors started!  You snakes and sons of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell?  And so I tell you that I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers; you will kill some of them, crucify others, and whip others in the synagogues and chase them from town to town.  As a result, the punishment for the murder of all innocent men will fall on you, from the murder of innocent Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  I tell you indeed: the punishment for all these murderers will fall on the people of this day!

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me! And so your temple will be abandoned and empty.  From now on, I tell you, you will never see me again until you say, 'God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

59.4 A Prayer For Help

(Psalm 70)

Save me, O God! Lord, help me now!
May those who try to kill me be defeated and confused.
May those who are happy because of my troubles be turned back and disgraced.
May those who make fun of me be dismayed by their defeat.

May all who come to you be glad and joyful.
May all who are thankful for your salvation always say, "how great is God!"

I am weak and helpless; come to me quickly, O God.
You are my savior and my Lord-- hurry to my aid!

59.3 Happy The Man Who Perseveres

(James 1:2-4, 12)

My brothers, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.  Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Happy is the person who remain faithful under trials, because when he succeeds in passing such a test, he will receive as his reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.