“Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps” (Revelation 15:2 CEV).
The people referenced in this passage likely perished for their refusal to follow the rest of the world and acquiesce to the beast of Revelation thirteen. Did they make a foolish decision in doing so? Well, the answer to that question largely depends on one’s perspective.
From a short term, earthly perspective, those who opted into the beast’s unholy economic system by accepting his mark may have seemed wise and practical. But those who held an eternal view that honored and acknowledged God were prompted to make a different choice. That choice evidently came at the cost of their lives. While each group undoubtedly viewed the other as foolish and misguided, one of those groups went to heaven, as seen in the passage quoted above. The fate of the second group will be revealed in the following chapter. Thus, in the words of Jesus, “…wisdom is shown to be right by its results” (Matthew 11:19 NLT).
This same concept also applies to the choices we make today. For example, a person who customarily makes short-term decisions without regard to eternity will likely view those who honor God as foolish or naïve at best. At worst, God’s followers risk being categorized as hateful, intolerant, or dangerous individuals who pose a threat to society. That latter response apparently reflected the experience of the church at Smyrna, as recounted earlier in Revelation chapter two.
While no one enjoys being classified in these ways, such is the inevitable consequence of life in a world that has little use for its Creator. If this seems difficult to accept, consider how Jesus was viewed by some of His contemporaries…
“‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered…” (John 7:20 NIV).
“…’Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?'” (John 8:48 NLT).
“Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?'” (John 10:20 CSB).
“But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, ‘He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons'” (Mark 3:22 NLT).
Revelation chapter fifteen thus serves to remind us that what we believe about the future should impact how we seek to honor God in the present, even when those beliefs lead to expressions of rejection or intolerance among others.
Image Attribution: geralt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons