Thursday, November 9, 2017

Going Out in a Blaze of Glory - part 1

Thursday, November 9, 2017
Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, “Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.”  Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.  When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.  Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions.  They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting.  In those days people will seek death but will not find it.  They will long to die, but death will flee from them!  The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.  They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces.  They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion.  They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle.  They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people.  Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.  The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!  Revelation 8:13 & 9:1-12(NLT)
The Book of Revelation records the final judgment of God.  Terror, scorpion-like stinging, torture, preferring death, but unable to find it, and then the bad news; it’s not over yet!
This is just a small portion of the description of what awaits those who reject God by refusing His Son, Jesus.  It’s not at all popular in any sense to speak about such things.  I understand that; it isn’t popular with me, either; yet, there it is…how can we avoid it? 
Short answer:  we can’t!
The world as we know it will be changed by a violent judgment at the time of God’s choosing.  While we do not know the exact time or how much of what we read in Revelation is metaphor or literal, we do know that if it is literal, it’s horrible.  And, if it’s simply metaphorical, that doesn’t make it any less threatening. 
These verses always come to my mind in fall.  The trees are turning bright, vibrant hues, announcing the beginning of the end of growing, and the time to harvest and prepare for winter.  The trees along our street were spectacular this year.  It’s easy to get drawn into the color show, and forget what’s really happening.  The leaves are dying, and are about to hit the ground (then get raked-up, and raked-up, and raked-up)!  The leaves’ swan song is brilliant; they go out in a blaze of glory.  But it’s death, nonetheless. 
Leaves dying, letting go of the branches, falling to the ground and returning to the dust from which it came – does that raise any parallel thoughts for you?  It certainly reminds me of the liturgy I’ve spoken over too many gravesites:  ashes to ashes, dust to dust…!
And so…to the point…everything changes…leaves, seasons, lives, circumstances…all; with one exception:
I am the Lord, and I do not change…Malachi 3:6a(NLT)
That’s frightening and comforting.  It’s frightening to acknowledge if you recall that God always keeps his word; judgment is certain. 
It’s comforting if you remember that God always keeps his word; forgiveness is also certain for those who trust in Christ’s atoning death.

For You Today

The most important thing in your life, past, present or future is something of which your Google assistant or IPhone calendar program will never remind you…to accept Christ and serve Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Haven’t you put that off long enough?  It’s fall…leaves and lives are hitting the ground.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!
Go to VIDEO


[1] Title Image: Russell Brownworth

No comments:

Post a Comment