Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Numbers 5-6; Revelation 16
Devotional Thought:
The words that start chapter 16 are chilling. “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” Man thinks that he is in control, but he has never been in control. The final judgments will all be geared to showing man that he is not in control. He cannot stop the judgment of God upon sin. It would be good for us to never presume upon the grace of God and learn to hate sin the way God hates sin. The first vial judgment causes grievous sores to come upon all those who worshipped the image of the antichrist and took the mark of the beast. The second and third vials cause all the water of the world to turn to blood. God is avenging those who have been persecuted and slaughtered for the cause of Christ. I cannot imagine the stench of that much blood, not to mention the number of dead bodies and dead creatures that die in the sea. The fourth vial seeks out those who are still rebellious against the Lord. They blaspheme Him and refused to acknowledge His rightful place of authority. God allows the sun to scorch these with fire, giving them a taste of what they have chosen instead of choosing salvation in Christ. The fifth vial pours out darkness upon the entire kingdom of the beast. The cumulative effect of the painful sores, fouled oceans, lack of drinking water, intense heat, all engulfed in thick blackness, will bring unbearable misery. Yet, incredibly, the wicked, unbelieving people of the world will still refuse to repent. They refuse to submit to God’s authority and realize He is in control. The sixth vial is poured out and the river Euphrates dries up and the evil spirits go forth to rally the kings of the earth for battle. They gather for battle at Armageddon or the valley of Megiddo. The seventh vial is poured out bringing earthquakes and 100 pound hailstones upon the unrepentant and blaspheming rebels of the earth. In this final judgment, God manifest His supremacy over the world and defeats the forces of evil and unrighteousness. He cries, “It is done!” This is a perfect tense verb that declares a statement with ongoing results. God has finished vindicating His name and establishing His authority over the world. What a demonstration of God’s power, purity, and program is shown in this chapter. He is indeed the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to remember how powerful you are and please help me to always submit to your supreme authority. You have the right to rule and reign. Thank you for always doing what is righteous and just.
• Lord, thank you for your grace. Thank you for going to that cross to pay for my sin so that I would be spared from your wrath. Thank you for being willing to bear the wrath of my sin so I could be declared righteous.
• Lord, please help me to be more sensitive to share the gospel of Christ for your holiness requires that sin be punished. May I be more fervent in taking opportunities to share your love gift and grace to others.