As I read through Today’s Readings of Job 15-17 and Revelation 14, the following verses made me reflect and pause about death or the second Lord’s coming. (whatever may come first) Initially, it may sound scary or morbid, but you can find true peace and joy in reflection and digging deeper.
What stuck out to me was the use of “Blessed are” tucked into verse 13.
I mean reading about the beasts that will be here one day and give a mark to those who do not believe or have not obeyed His commandments. Reading the scripture in Revelation describing the return of the Lord and the judgment that the three angels with sharp sickles will have to harvest the earth.
You may ask, “Where is the peace in the middle of this hurricane of judgment? In the eye of this storm are the following verses.
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Immediately, I thought about Matthew’s Beatitudes. Besides Matthew, there are many wonderful blessings/beatitudes throughout the bible.
| Psalm 1 | Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked… |
| Psalm 2 | Blessed are all who take refuge in Him |
| Psalm 32 | Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven… |
| Psalm 84 | Blessed is the man whose strength is in You |
| Psalm 84 | Blessed are those who dwell in Your house |
| Psalm 112 | Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and greatly delights in His commandments |
| Psalm 119 | Blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart |
| Proverbs 8 | Blessed is the man who listens to Me |
| Matthew 5 | Sermon on the Mount – a series of blessings |
“Blessed” in Greek is Makarios. This would be happy, blissful, serene, or fulfilled. So when I heard Blessed are the Dead, I had to reflect. I thought about Paul and what he said in Philippians 1:21.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
We just celebrated Jesus’ birth. It was awesome. But His death and resurrection provide us with eternal life. Blessed!
The critical reality is my perseverance of keeping His commandments, as stated in verse 12. Am I obeying always? Am I trying to do it myself? This is not a suggestion but a command. No matter what we face in our reality on this Earth, do we continue in our faith?
Blessed are the dead. Death is a blessing when you live with persevering faith and trust in and obey the Lord. We live in a broken world. We are broken people. The struggle is real!
Lord – We need you. We thank You for Your truth and help us be obedient, keep the faith, and live for You. Upon our death, someday, allow us to be one saying, Yes, Blessed are the dead. Amen