And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

— John 14:3

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.

17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16-18

Behold , I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy in this scroll.”

— Revelation 22:7

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

— Revelation 1:3

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples He would prepare a place for them. Jesus rose from the dead, guaranteeing His power to accomplish all He promised. Believers from every generation have staked their lives on Jesus and His trustworthy promises. We can live confidently today, knowing that the faithful and true Savior will come back, just as He said. Everyone who loves Jesus will be with Him physically in the renewed world. At last, all will be as God designed! The reality of Jesus’s return stands firmer than the ground we walk on.

Jesus’s first coming is the central event of human history. His return will bring the great climax of history. “Look,” Jesus said, “I am coming soon!” Revelation’s first verses m promise blessings to all who read this prophecy aloud or listen and take it to heart.’ Jesus also proclaims, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Jesus will strengthen us, His people, with joy, even amid suffering, as we watch for His glorious return. In response to Christ’s faithfulness, we gladly receive the prophecy of His return.