Looking toward heaven
Day 718, Thursday, July 30
Revelation 19:11-21
Verse 11 begins the final series of seven visions in Revelation—the final vision will not be a series, but a grand picture of the New Jerusalem. As we’ve already seen in Revelation, each series of seven visions revisits the conflict between good and evil, God and Satan, and also moves us a bit closer to God’s final victory.
Back in chapter 17, the vision John saw was on the earth: the great prostitute, dressed in purple and scarlet. Now, as the end approaches, we see a very different vision in heaven. “I saw heaven standing open and there was before me a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.” His name is King of kings and Lord of lords, and he is dressed in a robe dipped in blood.
The rider, who is Jesus, is not accompanied by a beast like the woman was, but arrives riding a white horse. He is the word of God, and in his mouth is a sharp sword that will judgment: both the punishment of the sinful and the redemption of the righteous.
He is followed by the armies of heaven, who are also riding white horses. Notice they are wearing, not armor, but “fine linen, white and clean.” As in the famous passage in Ephesians 6, the full armor of God is forged not of steel but of righteousness. The only weapon mentioned is the sword in the rider’s mouth: the battle is won with the Word of God.

-Rev. Mark Fleming

Thursday meditation

Song of Solomon 6:2-13a
She
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies.
He
You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners. Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her.
Friends
Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?
He
I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.
Friends
Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

Prayer focus
Prepare us for battle, Lord, not with the appearance of safety from weapons, but with the assurance of your word.