It is Done (Rev. 16:17-18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR

09/19/2005

My Worship Time                  Focus:  It is done.

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Revelations 16:17-18

            Message of the verse:  “17   Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’ 18  And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.”

            Dr. Wiersbe points out in his book on Revelations that it is possible that this last judgment, because it is poured out into the air is a judgment against Satan, for after all Satan is the prince of the power of the air.  (Eph. 2:2)  It is possible and probably correct to say that this judgment will happen at the end of the tribulation period and even though there are a number of chapters left in this book it is clear that it is not written in complete chronological order.  Satan’s empire is not only judged in this chapter of the book, but also in the next three chapters too.  In chapter seventeen Satan’s religious system will be judged, and his political system will be judged in chapter eighteen, and his military system will be judged in chapter nineteen.

            I want to look at the first two verses of this last vial judgment today and then do the next two three next time.  As the last angel poured out his vial into the air there comes a voice from the throne saying that “it is done.”  This is the last of the judgments that began way back in chapter six and were actually talked about in chapter five when John was looking for someone to open up all of these judgments and found the only One who could possibility do this and that was The Lord Jesus Christ.  Before these last judgments began it was said that with the completion of these judgments that the wrath of God would be complete and that is probably why the voice from the throne cried out “It is done.”  Verse eighteen speaks of the first part of this judgment and that is an earthquake that is so mighty that none like it has ever been seen upon the earth since man come to be upon the earth.  There have been other earthquakes in these judgments, but none like this one in power and strength.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In looking back at all of these judgments and why they have taken place and also how man fits into all of this I would like to quote a passage from Dr. Wiersbe’s book, “Be Victorious” which answers a question that I have been pondering for a while:  “Men think they are free to do as they please, but in reality, they are accomplishing the plans and purposes of God.”  He goes on to answer another question that many people who have studied this book have asked and that is why this book should be studied if it only has to do with the future and no one can truly understand it anyway:  “Every generation of Christians has been able to identify with the events in Revelation 14-16.  There has always been a ‘beast’ to oppress God’s people and a false prophet to try to lead them astray.  We have always been on the verge of an ‘Armageddon’ as the nations wage war.”   

The Word of God has challenged my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Before I got out of bed this morning I began to think of all of the things that I am involved with this week, things like working on the missionary statement, working on the devotion for Saturdays Men’s Prayer Breakfast, and also the new responsibility of getting people together to pray for our churches new missionary project.  The Lord has begun to work in my heart to do these things that; after all, He is leading me to do for the cause of Christ.  I am thankful for His leading and want to continue to trust Him to lead me in every aspect of my life. 

Memory verses for the week:    Psalm 27:1-4

The Lord is my light and my salvation; who shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me to eat my flesh;

My adversaries and foes, it is they who will stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;

Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after;

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.