If you’ve ever watched a movie with a big reveal the SECOND time, it’s a much different experience. The suspense is gone, and you can be calm, cool, and collected. Why? Because you knew the end before the story even got there. The coming of the Antichrist is a lot like that, as God tells us ahead of time what to expect from the end of history. And because we know the end, we can live today with patience, peace…and even joy.

Judgments. Fire and hail. A beast from a bottomless pit. Taken on their own, quite frankly, these things seem like the stuff of nightmares. In the midst of such frightening images, we might ask, where is hope to be found? In this message from Revelation 8–11, Pastor J.D. encourages us to find hope by keeping our gaze on this glorious picture: Jesus reigns victorious, his mission will ultimately be accomplished, and his Word will triumph.

If you’re like most people, once you make it to Revelation 6, you decide your devotional time would probably be better spent elsewhere. After all, what are those seven seals about, anyway? And the “great tribulation”? Forget it. But as we’ll see in this message from Pastor J.D., Revelation 6–7 is essential to understanding the very culmination of biblical history, when people from all tribes, nations, and tongues will worship God together. It’s a beautiful vision, and it’s one that gives us confidence that the sacrifices we make for Jesus are well worth it.