God's Wrath Unleased | Daily Devotion
Revelation 8:6-9 NLT
Christian, God loves you! Today, will you rejoice over the fact that He has saved you from the destruction of hell and the torment of judgment? He has saved you from the torment to come in the Tribulation. As His child, you are protected. You are marked and sealed by God Himself—Ephesians 1:13 and Revelation 9:4. No weapon formed against you shall prosper—Isaiah 54:17.
This promise, however, is only for the believer, the person who has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The non-believer, will face judgment unless they repent today and turn toward the Lord—Ezekiel 18:23, 32!
More and more so as we study through the book of Revelation, my heart is burdened for the lost – those who will experience this severe intense divine judgment if they do not recognize they are sinners in need of a Savior.
Friends don’t let friends die without Jesus.
Many in their excitement or in their burdened hearts, struggle in sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ. And they need to know that it’s not an in your face conversation. There is nothing dominant about the gospel message. It’s a conversation. It’s an invitation. A conversation caring about the state of a friend’s soul, desiring them to have peace in their heart and mind regarding life today and life eternally that only a relationship with Jesus Christ brings.
See the truth is, as we grow in our knowledge of God and what’s to come in the Tribulation, we are held accountable by God with the knowledge that we are made aware of. Those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will suffer. And so with this knowledge, we also need to take to heart that God knows our heart, and He cares about us and our friends. His love is perfect and everlasting. He will open doors for us to share or He will call us to take a step of faith and open a door ourselves to share His love with others.
Here in Revelation 8 and 9, we see John in heaven watching the seven angels sound the seven trumpet judgments. The first four angels step forward and, in succession, blow their trumpets destroying the earth.
We see so clearly God’s wrath unleashed on sinful mankind, who refuse to repent of their sins. Their defiance is no match for God’s power and divine judgment. Their rebellious nature is met with devastating destruction that would heighten fear in any heart. Ultimately, to turn people toward the Lord, to fear the Lord and His power with awe and reverence.
When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down to the earth. One third of the earth was set on fire, one third of the trees were burned, and all of the green grass was burned.
Many today, know the devastation fire brings to communities – the fear, the chaos, the loss of life, loss of homes that provided safety and comfort and many family memories, and loss of businesses that supported the economy. The economic hit devastating fire brings to communities increases fear, stress, anxiety and depression in the aftermath of the fire leading many to experiencing suicidal ideation wondering how they will ever regain their financial loss.
Some commentators state the hail and fire mixed with blood could very well be a volcano eruption as an aftermath of the previous earthquakes.
What we do know is one third of the earth will be burned, thus this severe global experience of devastation will increase mental health issues in those who lived through the experience. Enough people will survive and will experience post traumatic stress disorder – these non believers will not experience peace unless they turn to Jesus Christ – and those mental health issues will increase financial burdens, and will increase interpersonal relationship issues. Therefore, an increasing negative domino effect will take place in the survivors psychologically, physically, spiritually, and socially even after the third of the earth is burned and lifeless. People will live in a state of hypervigilance, a fight or flight mentality, due to the chaos that will come with this trumpet blast. They will not be able to regain what was lost, thus depression will increase.
When the second angel blew his trumpet, a great mountain of fire was thrown into a sea. One third of the water in the sea became blood, one third of all things living in the sea died, and one third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.
It’s said that the great mountain of fire could very well be a very large meteor crashing into the ocean, causing a huge tidal wave that then destroys one third of the ships.
What’s interesting is the repeat description of blood in these first two trumpets. Blood is symbolic throughout the Bible telling of both life and death and namely, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. It’s a blatant visual of God’s non-negotiable. A reminder of Jesus Christ’s shed blood for mankind. The gruesome nature of one third of the ocean water turning to blood, and then one third of all of the things living in the sea dying is a reminder of the days of Pharaoh and the first plague – when God turned the water in the Nile to blood. Pharoah had refused to let the Israelites go, and thus experienced the plagues. Thus, we see in the Tribulation God getting the attention of the defiant non-believers in similar ways, however the destruction is far greater.
The people on earth cannot escape the destruction. They cannot hide and many are killed.
With one third of the earth burned in the first trumpet, and then ships destroyed and the fish dying in the sea with the second trumpet, we see God cutting off food supply bringing on a famine that would heighten hysteria and panic, anxiety, depression, and fear. Negative psychological states of being that would point one to their need for a Savior.
God getting their attention to the real issue – the state of their soul.
For we Christians know that when our soul is right with Jesus Christ and He is living inside of us, and the Holy Spirit is filling us – no matter what we face in life, we can remain confident and at peace because of Jesus Christ, who is our anchor when the chaos reigns. It doesn’t mean we do not experience negative emotions with severe situations, as we are human, it means those negative emotions do not control us and we instead experience a supernatural peace that surpasses our understanding.
Prayer: Abba, thank You for the peace we have in Jesus Christ. We ask Lord for You to draw many to Yourself today, realizing You are the only One who can provide what they ultimately need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
