For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.
There are those who curse their parents rather than thank them. They think they are better than everyone else, but are actually more thoroughly steeped in sin than most. They look down on everyone else as beneath them. Yet God will reserve a special judgement for them, one they will not appreciate.
What a wonderful psalm of praise:
As soon as I pray, you answer me;
I may not understand the answer, but God always answers my prayers.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud.
How different that is than how we tend to behave! All too often we think that ignoring the humble is a sign of greatness. When, in fact, it is caring for and spending time with the humble that is the true sign of greatness.
I am not sure what this passage is about. John describes a scene where he hears something which he is told to keep secret, or seal up. This is reminiscent of the same passage in Daniel that the scroll with seven seals imagery brings to mind. John ends this passage with imagery that brings to mind Ezekiel 3 when he describes being told to take and eat a scroll. Just as in Ezekiel the scroll was sweet in his mouth. I believe both of these connections are intentional. While I do not believe that Daniel or Ezekiel were prophesying about the same things as John is here, I do believe that Revelation is continuing the prophesies of Daniel and Ezekiel.
The prophet proclaims that God is about wipe out everything on the earth. He tells us that this is going to happen because of religious leaders who claim to follow the Lord, but also worship nature and Molech (a god whose worship involved sacrifice of children, which always reminds me of abortion). Further, he condemns those who once sought God’s blessing and guidance but now rely on other sources of guidance. On the day of God’s judgement our wealth will not save us, not even if we have as much wealth as Bill Gates.
Yet there is still time. If we act now to seek the Lord and follow His commands, He will protect us. God’s day of judgement is coming, but if we seek to do what is right and live humbly He may spare us.