SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/17/2015 10:41 PM
My Worship Time Focus: Satan’s Third Attack
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Rev. 12:17
Message of the
verses: “17
So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the
rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the
testimony of Jesus.”
We began looking at this 12th chapter of
Revelation on the 30th of May so that makes today’s lesson day
number nineteen. This has truly been an
interesting chapter to study as I have learned many things and while listening
to the first message from John MacArthur on the 13th chapter of
Revelation he mentioned that it would have been better if this last verse,
verse 17 would have been in the 13th chapter, so we will have to
keep that in mind when we begin looking at that chapter soon.
As we begin to look at verse 17 we once again have to
mention how mad Satan will be when it gets to this portion of the Tribulation
Period. His anger comes because of his
inability to do harm to the children of Israel who have been hidden by the Lord
in a place where He will not allow Satan to get to them. Perhaps when we read “the rest of her
children” that that would mean the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, but we don’t
know that for sure. Now it can also mean
the Gentile believers for all true believers are the spiritual children of Abraham,
and not just the physical relatives of Abraham.
What we can do is to take this statement and believe that it is an all
inclusive phrase that refers to all believers.
John MacArthur writes the following about the word
“commandments:” “Entolas (commandments) is a word used frequently in John’s writings
to refer to New Testaments commands (e. g., 14:12; John 14:15, 21; 1 John
2:3-4; 3:22-24; 5:2-3). The ‘testimony
of Jesus’ is not testimony about Him, but the testimony He gave, the truths He
taught that are revealed in the New Testament.
These persecuted believers will give further evidence that their
salvation is real by their obedience to the truth of Scripture.”
We have mentioned that the first two attacks that Satan
has made on God’s people will fail, and so will this third attack fail
too. We have mentioned that it is
Satan’s priority to stop the promises of God to be fulfilled in the Tribulation
Period and also in the Millennial Kingdom, but he will not succeeded in his
efforts even though many people will lose their lives who name the name of
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
John MacArthur finishes his commentary on this section by
writing “For the long-suffering people of Israel, the darkest hour lies
ahead. But it will be followed by a
glorious dawn. The elect remnant of
Israel, having survived the most savage persecution in the nation’s long
history, will be saved and enjoy the bliss of the millennial kingdom, ‘and so
all Israel will be saved; just as it is written’ (Rom. 11:26).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am thankful for
the things that I have learned from this 12 chapter of Revelation, especially
the fact that Satan will not succeed in stopping the plans of God.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To love the Lord with all of my heart, soul,
mind, and strength, and to show mercy.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The high calling of God”
(Philippians 3:14).
Today’s Bible
question: “Where was Matthew sitting
when Jesus called him to be a disciple”
Answer in our next SD.
6/17/2015 11:10 PM
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