Calendar Day: December 29
Day of the Year: 363
Timeline. Map. Go to today's Bible reading (use your browser arrow to return): Revelation 10–14
Spiritual Contests
It’s the zenith of the American football season. The college bowl games have started, and the professional playoff games will determine who plays in the Super bowl. The contests are fierce, and all kinds of strategies are used to win. There’ll also be fierce contests in the world’s end times, and these contests will be much more brutal than any football game. Satan will fight hard against God, and many people will be caught in the middle of the struggle. Have we ever felt caught in the middle? What can we do?
In yesterday’s Bible study, we read about the seven seals which Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, opened. He alone is worthy of doing this—he shed his blood on the cross, purchasing salvation for all. Everyone who responds to his call can be assured of heaven. (more)
When each seal is opened, awful calamities are cast upon the earth and its people. When the seventh seal peels away, it reveals seven trumpet judgments. As each trumpet sounds, more disasters come upon the earth and its people for their wickedness.
At the end of yesterday’s Bible reading and today’s reading, there’s another pause. It’s between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments (we’re not told how long the breaks are).
A mighty angel then declares, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished. This will be just as he announced to his servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:6b-7, NIV).
In tomorrow’s Bible reading, we’ll read about the seventh angel sounding his trumpet. It’ll usher in the final seven bowl judgments. Afterward, Jesus Christ will come to conquer and reign over the entire earth, just as the prophets of the Old Testament predicted. But before the seventh trumpet sounds, other events are described.
The Temple
God directs the Apostle John to measure the earthly temple in Jerusalem and the altar (Revelation 11:1-2). Since there’s no current temple or altar in Jerusalem today, we can only assume one will exist in the end-times, and sacrifices will be re-instituted. Because of a treaty, the Jews will have their temple and worship in peace. However, in the middle of the Tribulation Period, the treaty with Israel will be broken, and the holy city, Jerusalem, will be trampled on for forty-two months (Daniel 9:26-27).The Two Witnesses
During this time, however, two witnesses will arise with power from God.
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them (Revelation 11:5-7, NIV).
There’ll be worldwide rejoicing at the death of these two troublesome witnesses. Still, after three and a half days, they’ll see them resurrected and taken to heaven.
John says of that day, “At that very hour there was a severe earthquake, and a tenth of the city [Jerusalem] collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 11:13, NIV).
Spiritual Warfare
What’ll be Satan’s response to this challenge? He’ll wage war with God in heaven. Michael, the archangel of God, and his angels will defeat Satan and his angels (otherwise known as fallen angels or demons). The devil will lose any place he has in heaven, and he and his demons will be hurled down to the earth. The heavens will rejoice!
Satan will be enraged—since he can’t win against God directly, he’ll try to destroy his people! He attacks Israel (symbolized by the woman who gives birth to a son who will rule and reign), but God protects her from a flood of destruction.
Satan then changes his strategy. Having failed with Israel, he'll wage war on the rest of God’s saints (i.e., believers—they become Christians after the church’s rapture). He gives power to a beast from the sea. This is probably a tyrannical non-Jewish world leader since he arises from the sea. The sea refers to the sea of nations; versus the land, which refers to Israel.
This world leader is worshipped by these nations. He captures Christians and puts many of them to death. “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints [believers in Christ]” (Revelation 13:10b, NIV).
Satan also gives power to another beast (an antichrist figure from the earth). He's a miracle worker, and everyone is amazed at what he can do. However, he’s deceptive and will cause people to worship an image of the mighty world leader mentioned above. No one will be able to buy or sell without the leader’s mark on his right hand or forehead. This puts tremendous pressure on the followers of Christ to sell out their profession of Christian beliefs so they can survive. God proclaims by an angel, however,
If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name (Revelation 14:9b-11, NIV).
Those who’ll bow down and worship the beast won't be Christians, although they might associate with them. This calls for patient endurance for the genuine Christian believers. False believers, whom they thought they could trust, will betray them. Christians will find it difficult to get food and shelter. They’ll endure persecutions, captivity, and even death. They’ll struggle to obey God’s commands and be faithful unto death, but the Lord promises future blessing and rewards for them if they do. In payback for the martyrdom of the believers, God slaughters many evil people.
Discussion
Describe or summarize the spiritual warfare between Satan and God in today’s Bible reading.
Who wins the battles, and who are some of the characters involved?
Who is caught in the middle of the struggle, and what happens to them?
Focus Verse
Revelation 14:7 (NIV) “…Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Write a private prayer response to today’s Bible study:
Please send your comments to me, Rod (the author)
Looking Ahead: Have you ever wished for divine retribution (payback)? In our next lesson, the seventh trumpet sounds and brings final judgments (retribution) against all wickedness and Satan. Then Christ comes to conquer and to rule and reign on the earth. Join us!
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