28 June 2014
1 Samuel 9
Isaiah 53
Revelation 15; 16
“ARMAGEDDON”
Today’s Revelation reading is the only place in the Bible where the word “Armageddon” occurs. Yet the word keeps cropping up in the world, especially in movies for mass mind consumption! There is a fear among many, that is more than subconscious, that there is a great crisis ahead. There is continuing chaos in the nations surrounding Israel, but not in Israel itself, it is now more than 40 years since any of their surrounding enemies dared to attack them, not counting troubles with the Gaza Strip. We have seen a kind of animal savagery in the civil war conflicts in Syria - and now in Iraq. There is no regard for human life. No one sees any long term future for the world! The United Nations is impotent and the United States is no longer willing to try to act as a ‘policemen’ in trouble spots. The European Union is impotent and could fall apart financially in the next year or two.
It is understandable, if you do not believe in the Bible, that you see no future for the world. Revelation 16 starts by saying there is “a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God’” [Revelation 16:1] We see pictured in symbol, the ultimate outpouring of the Creator’s anger on those who do not obey him, but the greater number do not even believe he exists. Some in past centuries have persecuted true believers - and today we read, “for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve. …They did not repent of their deeds.” [Revelation 16:6,11]
We read in Revelation 16:14 of “demonic spirits” (unreasoning, mad attitudes of mind?) … who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle … at the place that is called in Hebrew, Armageddon” [Revelation 16:14,16] This is a place (valley?) spoken of by several Old Testament prophets without using the word Armageddon. Joel calls it “the valley of decision” [Joel 3:14]
As the world today becomes more and more God-less we wonder how close we are to the bowls of God’s wrath being emptied? Whether that time is close or not, if we really fear God, let us always be ready. May it be our wondrous experience to sing “the song of the Lamb” we read in Revelation 15:3-4, “Great and amazing are your deeds … O king of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? … All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
-------
- DC
Thought for the Day
28 June 2014
"When Jesus says “Have faith in God,” he is not asking the impossible. He is asking us to look at our lives and find out what things we trust. When we realise where we have put our faith, he asks us to transfer it. “Have faith IN GOD,” he says. God is more deserving of our confidence than anything or anyone else."
- John S. Roberts
The Bible, The Lord Jesus and You
1 Samuel 9
Isaiah 53
Revelation 15; 16
“ARMAGEDDON”
Today’s Revelation reading is the only place in the Bible where the word “Armageddon” occurs. Yet the word keeps cropping up in the world, especially in movies for mass mind consumption! There is a fear among many, that is more than subconscious, that there is a great crisis ahead. There is continuing chaos in the nations surrounding Israel, but not in Israel itself, it is now more than 40 years since any of their surrounding enemies dared to attack them, not counting troubles with the Gaza Strip. We have seen a kind of animal savagery in the civil war conflicts in Syria - and now in Iraq. There is no regard for human life. No one sees any long term future for the world! The United Nations is impotent and the United States is no longer willing to try to act as a ‘policemen’ in trouble spots. The European Union is impotent and could fall apart financially in the next year or two.
It is understandable, if you do not believe in the Bible, that you see no future for the world. Revelation 16 starts by saying there is “a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God’” [Revelation 16:1] We see pictured in symbol, the ultimate outpouring of the Creator’s anger on those who do not obey him, but the greater number do not even believe he exists. Some in past centuries have persecuted true believers - and today we read, “for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve. …They did not repent of their deeds.” [Revelation 16:6,11]
We read in Revelation 16:14 of “demonic spirits” (unreasoning, mad attitudes of mind?) … who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle … at the place that is called in Hebrew, Armageddon” [Revelation 16:14,16] This is a place (valley?) spoken of by several Old Testament prophets without using the word Armageddon. Joel calls it “the valley of decision” [Joel 3:14]
As the world today becomes more and more God-less we wonder how close we are to the bowls of God’s wrath being emptied? Whether that time is close or not, if we really fear God, let us always be ready. May it be our wondrous experience to sing “the song of the Lamb” we read in Revelation 15:3-4, “Great and amazing are your deeds … O king of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? … All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
-------
- DC
Thought for the Day
28 June 2014
"When Jesus says “Have faith in God,” he is not asking the impossible. He is asking us to look at our lives and find out what things we trust. When we realise where we have put our faith, he asks us to transfer it. “Have faith IN GOD,” he says. God is more deserving of our confidence than anything or anyone else."
- John S. Roberts
The Bible, The Lord Jesus and You
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