We open the pages of Revelation and find ourselves standing between two worlds. On one side shines the Lamb, Jesus Christ, crowned and pure, with a people who follow him wherever he leads. On the other side crouches the beast, the dragon, and a fallen city drunk on its own pride. These are not fairy tales. They are real, and they call us to choose a side.
The mark we carry matters more than we know. Those who belong to the Lamb carry his name and the Father’s name on their foreheads. They have told no lies. They endure hardship with patience and keep their faith burning. But those who follow the beast receive a very different mark, and when judgment comes, there is no shelter for them, only the full, undiluted wrath of God.
Two harvests are coming. When Jesus rides out on his white horse, faithful and true, his people are gathered like grain into his arms. What follows is a feast of joy unlike anything we have ever imagined, the marriage supper of the Lamb, robes white as light, heaven ringing with praise. But for those who turned away, the harvest is bitter and the battlefield is their table.
Two women and two cities tell the story plainly. The harlot city, Babylon, gleams with gold and whispers of comfort and pleasure. She is beautiful on the outside and rotting within. But the New Jerusalem descends from heaven like a bride, pure and glorious, lit not by sun or moon but by the glory of God himself. We do not want to be inside Babylon when she falls. We want to be walking through the gates of the holy city.
We do not know how many of these events we will see in our days. But this we do know: if we walk with Jesus today, and again tomorrow, keeping his commands, confessing our weakness, and trusting his strength, we will be ready for whatever comes. The Lamb has made a way. We need only follow him.