Good Morning Friends,
Revelation 9 is a picture of horrible
suffering in the world. Some of the suffering, and perhaps all of it, is the
result of the utter wickedness of Satan that God will allow to be released on
the world at the end of the age. God has been holding back Satan’s rage. But
there will come a day when God will release Satan to express his full fury
against the world. Out of the abyss and controlled by Satan will come torment. The
agony will be so bad that men will cry out for death. “During those days men
will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will
elude them.” (Revelation 9:6)
Then death will be released on the world. The
angels that God had been holding back will be released and a third of the
people on earth will be killed by terrible plagues. “A third of mankind was
killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their
mouths.” (Revelation 9:18)
Mankind is not feeling the full anger of
Satan. Right now, God is holding back his fury, not allowing him to fully express
his hatred of mankind. God is protecting the world, for the benefit of His
people and to give people every opportunity to come to Him.
Even when God allows Satan’s hatred to be
released fully it is with the hope that men will repent, turning back to the
Lord. But not even the torment that is described in Revelation 9 and the
widespread death that follows will cause men to return to the Lord, their
hearts become so hardened that they will not repent. “The rest of mankind that
were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands;
they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone
and wood -- idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their
murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
(Revelation 9:20-21)
Thank God for His restraining power. We have
no idea of the depth of Satan’s anger and hatred toward mankind because God, in
His mercy and love, will not allow Satan to show himself fully.
Pray for those who have not yet opened their
hearts to the Lord. Pray that they will see the Lord at work around them and
respond in this season of restraint so they will not feel the full effect of Satan’s
hatred in the days ahead.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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