恩典365 - 11/18

2014. 11. 18 |Armageddon (Revelation 16:10~21)

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony
11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.
21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Reflection

Condemnation (16:10~16) 

There comes a point in our spiritual lives where we either acknowledge God or condemn ourselves. The truth is, we all deserve condemnation. God, however, provides a way out through Jesus Christ. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. We can choose to repent and turn to Him, or we can refuse to repent and condemn ourselves to death and battle against the God who will destroy all sin. Those who curse God in today’s passage are those whose hearts have hardened to despise God. They have given themselves over to the beast and belong to his kingdom. They are deceived and, in turn, deceive others to rage against God. May we be ever vigilant in following the one and only true God, ever in His mercy and grace.

- The last days will bring false prophets and deceivers. How then shall we discern truth from lies? Through God’s Word and prayer. May He give us wisdom and discernment to know His truth and His will.

“It Is Done!” (16:17~21)  

The final plague is poured out in all its fury. It is cataclysmic and there is a distinct sense of finality. There is no recovery from this earthquake or relief from the hailstones. Everything will be destroyed, only to be restored by God with the coming of the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21). There have been moments in history when some were convinced that it was the end of the world, but the rest of the world just continued on with life as usual. When the last days come, it will be clear to everyone that history as we know it is ending. Before those times come, may we live our days wisely and wholeheartedly for His kingdom.

- Revelation is not an easy read. The punishments are severe, and people will suffer immensely. Perhaps this is why God gives us a warning about what to expect. Are you prepared for the last days?

A letter to God 

Father, give me the strength and will to persevere until the very end. May I hold on to Your promises and look toward eternity. Help me, in the meantime, to share the Gospel with others. Let me be bold and courageous in my faith and witness. In Your name. Amen.