Monday, January 28, 2013

Third Vial Judgment (rev. 16:4-7)



SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
09/14/2005

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Third Vial Judgment

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Revelations 16:4-7

            Message of the verse:  “4  Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.  5  And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; 6  for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’  7  And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’”
            In these verses there can be seen poetic justice, and there are other parts of the Scriptures that also show these types of justice.  The Pharaoh tried to drown the little babies who were from Israel, and all of his army was drowned in the sea.  Haman tried to hang Mordecai as he prepared a great gallows to hang him on and ended up being hanged on it along with all of his family.  And in these verses the third vial judgment is poured out upon all of the rivers of the earth and the angel who is in charge of the waters praises God for sending this plague upon the earth-dwellers because they are the ones who have killed all of God’s children, the saints of God by shedding their blood and now they only have blood to drink. In verse seven there comes a voice from the altar praising God because His judgments are true and righteous.
           
            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It might be easy from these verses to say that God is vindictive, but that would not be true because one of the purposes of these judgments in the tribulation period is to have people look at their lives and be convicted that they are living in sin and it is God who is going to judge that sin if they do not repent and turn to God through Jesus Christ.  No God is not vindictive, He is merciful and full of love and compassion, and is patience too, however there will come a time when His patience will be finished and then judgment will come in a swift way, but before that judgment there comes a period of patience. 
            I am thankful for God’s patience with me, as He waited for four years after He saved me to bring me to the point of joining a local church, but when He called me to do so He had prepared my heart to take that step, and I am ever thankful for God’s patience with me for this and other things in my life.

The Word of God was comforting to my heart as I read it this morning, and it has also challenged my heart too.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to continue to trust the Lord through these trials that He has sent my way, and also listen to God as He speaks to me so that I may obey Him.





Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 27:1-3

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 stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.    

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