Tag: mighty angel

8.h. All nations were deceived

Revelation 18:21  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

The world system in opposition to God will be utterly destroyed at the end of days. It is hard to imagine the rise of a one-world political, economic, and religious system in such a short time and even a bit harder to imagine it fall faster than it came about.  The indulgences, deceptions, lies, self-glorifying, and self-reliant ways of Babylon influenced the world.  This political, economic, and religious God-denying and defying systems fed the sinful nature of the people a lie to which they overwhelmingly chose to believe and follow.  The finality of God’s judgment against the people who have willingly chosen to follow these lies is seen in “NO MORE”.  Whatever the cause of this collapse at the perfect timing and hand of God, it will have an ending to all the world’s systems that arise out of those who wish to deny God His glory, honor, and power.  The end is near and those who put their trust and reliance on what this world has to offer will mourn, but not out of repentance to God, but out of a loss of what they had put their hope in.  Worldliness, prosperity, ease of life, financial security, self-reliance, self-satisfaction, self-worth, and self-centered,  living blind their eyes, and dull their hearing to the point of total rejection of God and the godly who trust in, rely on and cling to Him.  There is no time to wait.  There is no time to think you will have time later to make a decision to surrender yourself to Christ.  Every day that this decision is intentionally withheld gives your heart, mind, and soul the opportunity to start believing the lies and deceptions this world has to offer.  Choose Christ.  Seek forgiveness of sin.  Trust in His sacrifice on the cross for your redemption and salvation.  In Him, you will find what your soul aches for.  Peace, love, joy, hope, and rest.

7.f. No more delay

Revelation 10:1  Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

We see an interlude in here.  It is not as though there is a gap in time between the judgments of God, but rather an explaining of something, kind of like how we would use parenthesis.  When we read in verse 6 that there should be no more delay, we have to wonder if what is about to transpire has to do with what the martyred had said, “How long, O Lord….until You judge and avenge our blood….?  At that time, the Lord’s answer was that they should wait a little while longer.  But now He is saying that the wait is over.  Judgment is about to be completed.  There will be no more delay in the fulfillment of the seventh trumpet.  John was not allowed to write down what he saw but what ever it was the mystery of God would be fulfilled. No more delay.  Those in heaven and on earth will see the mystery of God will be fulfilled.  I am not sure what this mystery will reveal.  Will it be a fuller understanding of His grace, mercy, and love, or will it be more understanding of the righteousness of His judgment, wrath, and anger on those who have rejected His grace, mercy and love?  Do you ever think about those who resist His grace, mercy and love?  They resist with harden hearts of stone, deaf ears, and turned backs.  I wonder what I may be resisting in my life.  Am I resisting giving all my soul, heart, and mind and strength?  Am I resisting by not actively listening to what the Holy Spirit is whispering into my mind through the Word of God?  Am I resisting an act of kindness, a kind word, or a word of encouragement to someone God has place in my life?  Am I resisting seeking His guidance?  Am I resisting time in His word?  Am I resisting being a humble servant?  Am I resisting trusting in and cling to Him.  Am I resisting obedience?  We all do well to search our heart and mind for the resistance toward living fully and totally for God that is there and actively pursue eliminating it from our life.

6.o. “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

Revelation 5:1  Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The emphasis is not on the content of the scroll but on its seals and the One who is worthy to take it.  John says that he began to weep when no one in heaven or earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.  John had just been invited to heaven to see things that must take place, future things.  Now he is allowed to see a scroll that must have something to proclaim about the future and no one is worthy to open it.  In a moment John went from awe-inspired anticipation to hopelessness and discouragement.  He wept at not being able to see and communicate what was to come.

What would our lives be like if we looked at God’s Word with this awe-inspired anticipation?  What impact would it have when we read it?  Would we trust more, follow,  and obey it more?  Would we see what is written as God speaking to us personally?  Would we see things in this world in a different light?

Come to His Word each day with awe-inspired anticipation and see what God reveals to you.  When you come to His word like this God will lead you into a maturity of faith, joy, peace, love, hope, and strength,  which will manifest in your life a thousand different ways each and every day.