Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Numbers 7-8; Revelation 17
Devotional Thought:
It is a sad story to follow the destruction and captivity of Israel as they committed spiritual adultery against the Lord. The Lord graciously warned the children of Israel over and over again about the dangers of idolatry. It is so sad that the people rejected God’s warnings and chose the consequences of sin. Here in chapter 17 we find that in the tribulation period that the kings of the earth will choose to follow and unite with the one world religious system. It will not, however, be limited to the kings of the world, but will rather include all the people of the world. The unsaved will unite with this “religious” system and ideology. Verse two says, “…the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Babylon the great is called the “mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” Just like prostitutes who want to take everything their victims have, Babylon will spoil the people of the earth with her deception. There is a unique relationship between the antichrist and the great whore in that they strive to make the whole world worship the antichrist. John should not wonder what the goal of this relationship was, for it was always the goal.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to remember the goal of Satan… to capture the hearts of the whole world through deception. Please help me to have the discernment to see truth and stand firmly upon it.
• Lord, thank you for revealing the lies and plans of the Devil. “We are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Co. 2:11)
• Lord, please help me to assist my family and my church family in seeing the deception and destruction that lies ahead for those who disobey the Bible in order to follow their flesh or the ways of the world.