SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/23/2015
9:34 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Fourth
Trumpet
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation 8:12-13
Message of the
verses: “12 The fourth angel
sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the
stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would
not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. 13 Then I looked, and I heard an
eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to
those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of
the three angels who are about to sound!"”
On June 16, 2005 I wrote the following in that day’s
SD: “The judgment spoken of in this
verse can be explained in a couple of different ways in that God could cause
the sun, moon, and stars to be blocked out from being seen for a third of the
day and night. There is another
possibility and that is that because of the other judgments there has been a
lot of pollution upon the earth and because of that the sun, moon, and stars
would shine with less intensity by one-third.
The earth and its people will have been going through many terrible
things by this time, yet this is not the end for in the next verse there are
three “woes” that are announced and they are the three last trumpet judgments.
“This judgment will affect not only the light upon the
earth, but it will also affect the food supply and the weather in great ways,
and this will bring about many more hardships for those who live upon the
earth. This judgment may not last for
the rest of the tribulation for in one of the other judgments it is said that
the sun will intensify its heat. (Rev.
6:18-19)”
Now we have seen that the scene changed from the earth to
the oceans and not it shifts to the sky as seen in verse twelve. Now the following is from the Philips
paraphrase Bible: “The fourth angel blew
his trumpet, and a third-part of the sun, a third-part of the moon and a third
of the stars were struck. A third-part of the light of each of them was
darkened, so that light by day and light by night were both diminished by a
third-part.” I was interested in the
word “struck” and so I looked it up and it could also be translated “smite,” which
I thought is interesting too as it gives a whole new meaning to this verse as
if it is intentionally done, which of course it will be. Can you imagine how all of those
environmentalists will be ringing their hands as all of the pollution that will
be going on during this period of time?
Perhaps they will be trying to save their own skin and will not be worrying
about the environment. I don’t think that people are to trash the earth, but unfortunately
many people are actually worshiping the earth and they also profit from this
and that does not set well with me at all.
This earth belongs to the Lord for He is the one who created it and some
day according to Peter’s writing it will all burn up or actually be
un-created. With this in mind as
believers we are to get the word out that this is going to happen so that some
of those who listen to us will be saved from what we are studying about in
Revelation.
John MacArthur writes on the verb “were smitten” and he
says “Plesso (were smitten) is the
verb from which the noun ‘plague’ (cf. 11:6; 16:21) derives. The heavenly bodies are hit with a plague
from God ‘so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine
for a third of it, and the night in the same way.’ This partial eclipse, reminiscent of the
ninth Egyptian plague (Ex. 10:21-22), is temporary, as God will later increase
the amount of heat coming from the sun (cf. 16:8-9). At this point however, the loss of heat from
the sun will cause temperatures to plunge drastically all over the world. That will severely disrupt the earth’s
weather patterns and the seas’ tides, leading to violent, unpredictable storms
and tides, the destruction of crops, and further loss of animal and human
lives.”
Both in the Old Testament and the Words of Jesus in the
New Testament speak of signs in the heavens.
We will sample from both at this time.
“9 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning
anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from
it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth
their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its
light (Isa. 13:9-10).” 7 “And when I
extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover
the sun with a cloud And the moon will not give its light. 8 “All the shining
lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will set darkness on your
land," Declares the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 32:7-8).” 25
"There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth
dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
26 men fainting from fear and the
expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of
the heavens will be shaken (Luke 21:25-26).”
24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE
DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven,
and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken (Mark 13:24-25).”
The news does not get any better after the forth trumpet
sounds for the remaining blasts from the angels on their trumpets brings on
even more devastation as the last three trumpet judgments are classified as “woes.,”
something that will be worse than the other judgments as we will see as we look
at them later in our study of Revelation.
John MacArthur writes on these woes and the angel announcing them: “The imagery is that of a strong bird of prey
rushing to consume its victim, in this case referring to the rapid approach of
God’s final vengeance (cf. Deut 28:49; Hos. 8:1; Hab. 1:8). Depicted in the vision as ‘flying in
mid-heaven,’ the bird would be at the height of the midday sun, thus visible to
all. His loud voice assures that all
will be able to hear his pronouncements.
The eagle’s dire warning is that the last three trumpet judgments will be
even more devastating than the final hour.”
We have to look at what John also said in this verse and
that is that God’s wrath and judgment will come upon those who “dwell upon the
earth.” As I look back to some of the
judgments that are written in the Scriptures that the Lord has brought upon
people it makes me think that they were small in that they just targeted
certain people groups other than when God brought on the flood that actually
destroyed all peoples with the exception of Noah and his family. Sodom and Gomorrah was just targeted to those
living in those wicked cities. The
plagues against Egypt were only against the Egyptians. So other than the flood and what we are
seeing in the judgments in Revelation it was not a worldwide judgment. I look at the book of Revelation in a new
light as I study it this time, and that new light is that God is taking back
planet earth and judging those who have had control including Satan and his
demons along with the world system of Babylon in both ecumenical and also “religiously.” We will continue to see this as we study the
book of Revelation.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Some people
have trouble God’s wrath, which is one of His attributes. What we are seeing and studying about is God’s
wrath and I want to point out what His wrath is about by quoting a note from
John MacArthur’s study Bible and the verse that it is from is “Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness:” Speaking of the wrath
to of God MacArthur writes: “This is not
an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people whom God does not
like. It is settled, determined response
of a righteous God against sin (cf. Pss. 2:5, 12; 45:7; 75:8; 76:6, 7;
78:49-51; 90:7-9; Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:15-16 Jn. 3:36; Rom. 9:22; Eph. 5:6; Col.
3:5-6). Just as the “jealousy of God,”
which is one of His attributes is hard to understand so is the wrath of God hard
to understand, and because we are looking at it in this book I think it is best
to understand it.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To Love the Lord with all of my heart, soul,
mind, and strength, and to live in the love of the Lord.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The healing ministry.”
Today’s Bible
question: “What happened at Jericho when
the children of Israel shouted at Joshua’s command?”
Answer in our next SD.
4/23/2015 10:47 AM
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