Today’s Reading: Revelation 8:7–13:18
In no way am I an expert on Revelation, but I have heard others who have studied the book and as they give their ideas on the judgments which will take place according to what we read today, it seems somewhat unreal – not untrue, but unreal as in the idea – how would I understand the terror, fright and destruction of an earthquake when I have never experienced one! (I have seen pictures – but never EXPERIENCED one) And so it seems to me that the imagery of the first four trumpets seems to indicate chaos because of economical and political chaos! And from worldly experience, these are often caused by the “fall” or if you will – the corruption of leaders, who should have brought peace and prosperity to the world, but whom we often find bring incredible suffering and loss to the people under them (when they are unchecked)!
But then comes God’s warning that if that is not bad enough, God Himself (or an angel if you like?) releases Satan and his agents to work their havoc on the earth! Obviously their captain is Abaddon who is Satan or the Devil! The imagery and facts indicate destruction on every level! I have seen enough in life to realize that Satan’s cruelty is beyond the human imagination and subtle in the extreme – until the victims are lured beyond redemption and then they are thrown away as trash! And when it speaks of death – the idea in its absolute meaning is not physical death necessarily, but spiritual death which is being separated from our Creator forever!
If we are still under the illusion that men left to himself will slowly become better and better – the idea is put to rest by the “rest of mankind” who experience such suffering but don’t turn to their Creator but go on indulging in idolatry and every kind of evil which the unregenerate heart of man automatically turns to!
On the one hand, I feel the comfort of the angel saying “No more time, no more delay in God righting things – John’s book “sweet” but when I realize the total end of any more hope for the people in the future on the earth and the complete suffering and destruction of unsaved people at that time – it truly is “bitter”!
And so events move on with Jerusalem, God’s holy city trampled on (but only for an allotted time), but with God’s witnesses beautifully protected to finish their job of witnessing, and then God allows them to be killed, but resurrects them! Of all this, I’m not sure how to explain except that God has always had His Daniels who are not afraid of lions’ dens – and what a privilege for me to do my best in far better conditions to be an unafraid Daniel for Him today in my life!
I have heard that the twenty-four elders are actually the church in heaven and if that is so, I know that I too will be there, and will be happy to sing their songs of triumph and to watch my precious Jesus become Lord of lords, and King of kings.
I have heard that the women is a picture of Israel and of course the child – “the most important child of Israel” is the Messiah and Satan has never been able to destroy Israel nor will he be able to destroy Israel in the future! Nor has he been able to destroy the Messiah or kick the Messiah out of heaven, but is himself thrown out of “heaven” (where he spends his time accusing God’s people (& accusing me too!), but he can’t win and when cast out of heaven, what havoc he causes on earth collecting people together and wooing the people of the earth to worship him and his leaders! As I reflect on the technology of the world today, I think I understand Satan’s ability to exert such complete control over the earth and isolate the faithful few left on the earth but God gets them through the last three years of intense persecution of the GREAT tribulation (No one can ever win against our precious Saviour and the ones He loves)!
As I say, I am no expert on prophecy in the Bible but I am deeply touched (and blessed in reading about it (Chapter One)) that my precious Saviour loves me so deeply, that He wants to share the great secrets of His great loving heart to me, His special child. of what He will do in the future to right the wrong things of today and how He will be the winner in every sense of the word! On earth, there was but one person whom I loved to share everything with, and so I think I understand (and I am humbled and so satisfied) that I (we) am so loved and Revelations is his future book of secrets of what He will do and what He will be in that great day of victory and what He will always be for all eternity! I pray that today (& everyday!) I (& you) will hear Him quietly whispering the secrets of His great heart to me (& you)!