Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Daniel 11-12; Revelation 9
Devotional Thought:
In chapter 9 the fifth trumpet sounded and a star falls from heaven. This star is Satan himself, and he unleashes all the demons of the bottomless pit. The picture is that of a swarm of locusts who have gathered themselves in great number to do great damage. Swarms of locusts have been known to be so thick in number that they actually block out the sun and cause a huge shadow to precede their destructive behavior. These destructive creatures have completely devastated farming communities as they eat grain, leaf, and stalk. They leave nothing except complete destruction. In similar fashion, these demons come to earth in great number to destroy. They will not touch anything green, but rather torture the humans in their path. The believers will be spared much like Israel was spared during the plagues in Egypt; however, the devastation among humans is incredible. Those who have been attacked by these demons will want to die because of the terrible pain associated with the stings, but they will not be able to die. They will suffer terribly for five months. These are ugly creatures that are intimidating just by their structure and appearance, but their terrifying affect upon the human race is astronomical. John makes the point in verse 12 that this is just one of the three remaining woes. Satan is a creep! Everything about his nature, agenda, and behavior creates destruction. We know his plan for us is pain, deceit, and agony, and yet we fall for his tactics. We have been warned in the Bible over and over again about the dangers associated with our flesh, the world’s system, and the devil. Sin is the culprit. There is pleasure in sin… for a season. There is a payday some day. It amazes me how foolish we are with our tongue. It does so much damage (James 3) to the cause of Christ when we use it for personal agenda rather than surrendering it to be used of God. Sinful anger is nothing more than a manifestation of selfishness and carnality and we make so many foolish decisions during a rage of anger. We must learn to function in light of a Biblical worldview. Letting God and His word be the authority for the way we think and the decisions we make. The sixth trumpet sounds and God allows these demons, prepared for this specific day, to destroy one third of the earth’s population. This alone brings the death toll to over half the world’s population. The clean up of all the dead bodies alone is inconceivable. The destruction to the terrain of the world, the waters of the world, and the people of the world is incredible. How terrible to think that these are enduring the judgment of God, because they rejected the grace of God. Their suffering in death will never even compare to the suffering they will endure for all eternity. Remember that our Savior endured the wrath of God and the judgment of sin for us. He endured all the pain we deserved so He could offer a gift of love. How sad when man rejects such a love gift as the gift of salvation. How sad when Christians have the answer to man’s sin problem, but neglects to tell others.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, help me to never forget the destructive agenda that Satan has for me. Help me to discern through his attempts to lure me into sin. I am so grateful that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. (1 Jn 4:4)
• Lord, thank you for paying my sin debt and enduring the wrath of God for me. When I read passages like this, my heart is overwhelmed at what you have saved me from and the peace that salvation has brought.
• Lord, help me to remember there are millions of people around the world who have been deceived by the devil and are living in darkness. Please keep me alert to the reality of what awaits them and the fact that I have the responsibility to share the gospel.
• Lord, help me to never forget you are a just and holy God. Help me to remember the destruction of sin and seek to live a holy life.