Reading: Revelation 14-16
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. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus(Rev. 16:1-5).
With the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the seven last, terrible plagues of God will be released upon the earth (Rev. 15:1; 16:1). Unlike the curses preluded by the blowing of the first five trumpets which will affect the world by thirds, these plagues will world-wide. All men which had the mark of the beast will suffer, every living soul will die in the sea, and all rivers and fountains of waters will become blood. As the world as we know it begins to draw to a close, God will use these plagues to illustrate the terrible and glorious truth that so many today deny: God has no need for man, but man cannot exist without God.
The verses in today’s reading make one thing abundantly clear. For those who refuse to accept God’s grace, His judgment is coming, and it will be eternally binding. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus. If we choose to stand with the beast, then there will be no escape. As terrifying as the images of the final plagues are, they are nothing compared to what will come afterward. Not oblivion, but rather an eternity of torment spent locked away from the presence of Almighty God. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name (Rev. 14:11).
The good news is that no matter how horrifying this seems to us, it is really none of our concern. This is descriptive of the future—but not our future. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads (Rev. 7:2-3). As members of the body of Christ and faithful children of our almighty God, we do not have to understand or prepare for the plagues that will come to earth. We are sealed by Christ and saved by the blood of the Lamb of God. We have nothing to fear.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust (Ps. 91:1-2). Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways(Ps. 91:9-11).
Thought For TodayThe conclusion of God’s Word is not a threat; instead, it represents the total fulfillment of all His promises. If we have built our lives upon these promises, then we have nothing to fear.
Word Studies14:5 no guile = no lie or deception; 15:7 vials = bowls or cups.
Cross Reference:For Rev. 14:7: See Ps. 146:6. Rev. 14:8: See Is. 21:9. Rev. 14:10: See Jer. 25:15; 51:7. Rev. 14:15: See Joel 3:13. Rev. 14:20: See Is. 63:3. Rev. 15:1: See Lev. 26:21. Rev. 15:4: Ps. 86:9; Is. 66:23; Jer. 10:7. Rev. 15:8: See I Kin. 8:10-11.
Pray For Staff:Jennifer Palafox • Government Officials:Gov. Katie Hobbs (AZ), Gov. Kevin Stitt (OK), Rep. August Pfluger (TX), Jennifer McClellan (VA) • Country: Mauritius (1,331,155) Southern Africa • Major Language: Creole • Religious Freedom • 48.5% Hindu; 26.3% Roman Catholic; 17.3% Muslim; 6.4% Protestant; 0.7% Other; 0.7% None; 0.1% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Fast, sanctify yourself, and unite in prayer with others as you cry unto the Lord (Joel 1:14).