The End of the First Woe (Rev. 9:12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 07/01/2005

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  End of the first Woe

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Revelations 9:12

 

            Message of the verse:  “12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”

            There are many commentators of the Bible that either says that all of these judgments have already taken place in the past, and most of them say that they were fulfilled in the days of Rome, or they say that they will never be fulfilled and are only figurative in scope.  Some say that they will be fulfilled in the future, however that the Church will go through this time of trouble too.  Then there are some who say that the Lord will come in the “rapture” and take His bride home to be with Him and then shortly after that these judgments will begin.  As one reads about these judgments they are at best hard to understand, yet if someone would have read in advance about the judgments that God sent upon Egypt in order to set His people, Israel free they probably would not believed or understood the either.  Just as it was difficult to understand about all of the prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ, so, for some, it is difficult to understand all about the prophecies concerning His second coming. 

            In verse twelve John says that the first woe has passed, and yet there are two more woes to come.  This first woe is the fifth trumpet judgment and the last two are the last two trumpet judgments, of which the last one will begin a whole new series of judgments called the vial or bowl judgments.  John is just announcing that there are two more “woes” coming.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I read this book of revelations I can see that God does have a plan concerning these judgments in order to execute His wrath on the unbelieving world and once His plan is executed it will be complete.  God always has a plan and He has a plan for my life as well, and it seems that part of that plan for my life is in my continued trust in Him for the outcome of our financial woes, and I do trust Him, yet there are times of late when I have become frustrated that nothing has been done for I would find it hard to find a job around here at this point in my life, yet if the Lord finds the job he wants me to have and gives me peace about it then I will obey Him and take it, but I would still hope that He will have my funds returned to me.

 

The Word of God was a bit convicting and also a challenge to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Trust in the Lord with all of my heart and try not to lean upon my own understanding, in all of my ways acknowledge the Lord as He has promised then to lead my paths through this life here on earth.

 

Memory verse for the week:  1Thes. 4:3-4

 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor.