SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/14/2015
8:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Revolt
of Society
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
20:8-10
Message of the
verses: “8 and will come out to
deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog,
to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the
seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the
camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and
devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
In this section we see that after the thousand years are
over Satan will be loosed from the abyss and he will once again deceive the
nations. As we think about that
statement we can think about the fifth trumpet judgment when we believe that it
is Satan who has the key to allow some of the most horrible demons out of the
abyss, and what did they do after being in that place of torment for thousands
of years? They began to kill people as the judgment speaks of, and what does
Satan do after being tormented for a thousand years once he is released? He goes back to the same thing that he had
been doing since the days of Adam and Eve, that is deceiving people with his
lie, a lie that is God is holding out on you.
Now we mentioned in our previous SD that there will be
rebellious people who are alive during the Millennial kingdom even though sin
will be punished rapidly during this time people will still reject the
salvation that Christ provides and once Satan is loosed from his torment will
want to follow him just like people are doing today even though they perhaps do
not realize it.
We
are not sure how Satan goes about in his deception for the Bible does not tell
us that, but we do know that he will be somewhat successful for a very short
time. We know that Satan hates the Lord
Jesus Christ and after being tortured for a thousand years it will make his
hatred even more intense for Christ. John
MacArthur writes of Satan’s deception: “His deception, however, will fit within
God’s purpose, which, as noted above, is to manifest His justice when He destroys
the rebels. Satan’s actions are always
under God’s sovereign control (cf. Job 1:12; 2:6), and his gathering together
of these wicked rebels will be no exception.”
When
we read that Satan will get people from the four corners of the earth the Bible
is not stating that the earth is flat, but simply from the four different
directions will come these people.
Revelation 7:1 states “After this I saw four angels standing at the four
corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind
would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” Isaiah 11:12 states “And He will lift up a
standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will
gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.” So what we are seeing is that these rebels
will come from all over the earth.
We
next read the names “Gog and Magog” again in Scripture, for we have talked
earlier of this being found in Ezekiel chapters 38-39, and there are those who
believe that the battle that Ezekiel is describing will take place at the end
of the millennial kingdom, but this does not fit into Scripture that way in my
opinion, and not only mine but many people that I have read. Some believe that the war that Ezekiel writes
about will happen during the Tribulation period and some believe it will happen
before the Tribulation period, but close to it.
I have weighed both sides and have come to the conclusion, although I am
not dogmatic on it, but believe it will happen during the Tribulation
period. I have to say that Ezekiel
writes that God will put hooks into the jaws of those who will come down
against Israel, something like going fishing in order to bring them against
Israel so that He can destroy them, and He lures them there because they want
something. For many years people have
believed that what will lure them to fight against Israel other than their hatred
for the Jews will be that oil will be found in Israel and they will want to get
their hands on it. Just a few days ago
it is reported that Israel has found a vast amount of oil in their land and I
have to say that this is something that I have felt for a long time would
happen and it is exciting to see that they have discovered it at this time in
history with all that is going on in the area at this time. We will look more into this passage in our
next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I have stated
before that I don’t always understand or like the things that the Lord is doing
in my life, but I do know that He loves me and will do things only to bring
about good for me and glory to His name.
My Steps of Faith for today: Trust the Lord for the plans that He has for
me and my family, and pray for grace to accept what He has for me while I make
an effort to live for Him and His cause while on planet earth.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Philip” (Acts 8:1-5).
Today’s Bible
question: “Which book begins ‘The words
of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem’?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/14/2015 8:55 AM
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