This week for the Revelation online Bible study we are discussing chapters 10, 11, and 12. Grab your Bible and let’s review Revelation. As we learned from Daymond Duck, “serving God requires doing, not just hearing.”  We enjoyed talking about this in our Bible Cafe™ community.

Serving God is motivated by love, not paychecks or pride. We serve Him by making disciples and sharing our testimony of His goodness. We serve Him by putting on the character of Christ. As we learned this week too, serving Him is an act of obedience and love.

Here in our study about Revelation, we saw John serving God in many ways. He wrote down words when permitted. He ate the words when commanded. He risked his reputation and relationships by writing the words of Revelation. Perhaps a good prayer for each day is asking God how we may serve His kingdom. For today.

“Spiritual food comes from hearing, believing, and abiding by the Word of God.” We keep our spiritual plate full as we pray, worship, read Scripture, and fellowship with believers. The Bible Cafe™ encourages these opportunities.

John is a New Testament prophet, who wrote about the destruction of Satan. Can you imagine the risks of such a task? The old man was already banished to an island, yet willing to risk pain and death. In historical context, this first-century man was a troublemaker for the religious and political systems. Unafraid, John speaks the truth.

The benefits of his obedience impact Christians for more than 2,000 years. His timeless message is passed from generation to generation. His warnings about the false trinity are easily accessible in our modern world. I’d imagine that when the Antichrist takes up his authority, he would censor these prophetic words. Today, we have wisdom without censorship.

And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Revelation 11:4b-5 NKJV

Let’s wrap up our week with a closer look at Revelation 12:5. In this passage, the woman figure symbolizes the mother and not the bride. Let’s look at the different roles.

A mother and a bride give and receive love, A mother nurtures a child, carries a child, protects her child, provides for her child, and educates her child. In contrast, a bride leaves her home to start a new family. She is romanced, intentional, and committed to her decision. She has matured.

Later in our study, we will encounter the Bride of Christ. Here in Revelation 12, we encounter the mother figure, Israel.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.