Yesterday, in our New Testament reading, we talked about the opening of the first six seals in Revelation 6. It will be a time of famine, death, earthquakes, volcanoes, murder, chaos, and disaster. But it will be followed by a time of eerie calm and devastating fear after the God of heaven is seen on His throne and the world reels in terror over “what’s next?”
Also, do you ever take silent pleasure when someone who has criticized or mistreated you falls or suffers a setback? Is that how we should react? Is there a problem with rejoicing when “what goes around comes around”? Today’s reading in Obadiah looks at those questions.
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Today’s Readings:
Obadiah 1-21
Psalm 143.7-12
Proverbs 30.5
Revelation 7.1-17
During the Tribulation an Eerie Calm & the Fear of What’s Next?
Revelation 7.1-17:
An Eerie Calm
As we saw yesterday in Revelation 6 when the Tribulation begins Jesus will one by one remove the seven seals from the scroll of God’s judgment. Seal number one is represented by a rider on a white horse sent out to conquer through deception. Next seal number two, represented by a rider on a red horse, speaks of widespread bloodshed and murder. When number three is opened, another rider appears on a black horse representing famine and shortages.
With seal number four we see another on a pale horse the color of decaying bodies. This rider is given the power to kill one-fourth of the world’s population. Seal number five gives us a glimpse into heaven where the Saints are praying for God’s judgment on evil and evil men. And when number six is opened, heaven is rolled back like a scroll to reveal God on His throne, yet men will experience overpowering fear rather than repentance.
That seal will unleash a worldwide earthquake, volcanic eruptions, stars that seem to fall from the sky, and the moon turning blood-red. But then … before the seventh seal is opened … there is an eerie calm—no wind, nothing moving. After worldwide chaos … complete calm (Rev. 8.1)! And the people of the earth are left to wonder, “What’s next?”
144,000 Jews
As they do, God sends out His angel to put a mark of protection on 144,000 redeemed Jews who will become a great missionary force during the remainder of the Tribulation period. As I said a few days ago, though the Tribulation will be a time of judgment, it will also be a time when His grace is poured out and many will come to saving faith in Christ!
Today’s Other Readings:
Obadiah 1-21:
Guarding Our Hearts
The two verses that really jumped out at me in Obadiah were 12 and 13:
12 But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother
In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.
God was rebuking the nation of Edom, the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. These distant cousins took pleasure in the fall of Israel and Judah. They rejoiced in their calamity and even took advantage of the situation, perhaps by pillaging cities after they were deserted.
How Much More as Believers
How much more as believers in Jesus Christ—those who have God’s Holy Spirit resident within us—should we guard our hearts against any such attitude, whether with our biological family or our brothers and sisters in Christ! We are told to love, help, and pray for even our enemies, to say nothing of those who are part of our family.
And yet, we sometimes take silent pleasure when someone who has criticized us falls or we see that “what goes around comes around!” While it is true that there are laws of sowing and reaping, we should be grieved not happy when it happens. We should pray for God to use it for good to turn that unbeliever to Christ or to cause a sinning brother or sister to repent, turn back to God, and live rightly.
So, let’s guard our hearts and seek to be like Christ even when we’ve been hurt or offended.
Psalm 143.7-12:
His Righteousness
As the psalmist continues to cry out to God in his distress, remember he does so on the basis of God’s righteousness and not his own. That is the reason we pray “in Jesus name.” We are the righteousness of God in Christ, not because of any inherent goodness in us!
Proverbs 30.5:
Put Your Trust in Him
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
God will be a shield to us if we put our trust in Him and not our own talents and abilities. But we must also trust in His timing and His way of doing things. Too often we expect Him to do things our way and so fail to see His answers.
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll talk about grace, the responsibility involved in being a true friend, and pose the question “Are we placing our hope in truth or lies?” But first, we’ll see what follows the eerie calm in Revelation 7 as the seventh seal is opened. I hope you’ll join us.
Get Ready for the Coming Year with a Plan for Your Bible Reading
The holidays are just around the corner and the new year will be on us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I want to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me here, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 15 minutes a day. Sign up here for my daily email. It can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional background and application comments that I share.
Start today so you can begin the habit and it will be a regular part of your day come January.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Just click on the social media icons. But nothing replaces having the daily devotion pop up in your inbox each day. It, usually (once in a while life gets in the way), goes out at 6 a.m. MST.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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