Woe to the World!

Revelation 8:1-5 and 13 -  When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.  And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.  Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake………   As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

I try so hard each day to be positive. And even though I admit that I still complain way to much when things get hard…especially at work…oh how I wish to retire some days… the morning cheerfulness of most days even gets on some peoples nerves!  But reading this chapter brought a sort of gloom to my heart.  And even though I know it is written that there will be no sadness in Heaven…I am sure that the silence spoke of in this chapter from all the inhabitants of Heaven…was a reverence for the events that were about to unfold and end life on the Earth as we know it. The description of John’s is scarier than the scariest movie I have ever watched. When you mix this scene with the fact that God’s timing usually seems much longer than the longest day of your own life….this destruction could be spread out over many days….months…even years!

There is no symbolism here…John is clear….he paints a picture of destruction by fire…mixed with hail….blood…so devastating that after only 4 angels have blown their trumpets…many people have died. An earthquake to make all others pale in comparison….a hail storm that is mixed with blood… a burning mountain that when tossed in the sea kills 1/3 of all the life in it…and somehow destroys 1/3 of the ships. A large star named wormwood that falls to the Earth and turns 1/3 of the water on our planet so bitter that people simply die when they drink it. And if that is not gloomy enough we will lose 1/3 of our light by day and night when 1/3 of the Sun…moon…and stars… are struck and turned dark.

And if the devastation of these first 4 angels is not enough…an eagle comes flying close enough for John to hear him say… "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" My only comfort is that somehow…whether in Heaven already…or still on the Earth…if I have asked God to save me and live in my heart…I will somehow be saved from this horrible time of the end of the world….either because he gives me the strength to endure it…or he takes me home to Heaven before it happens and I will be one of the beings in silence before the first angel throws that fiery censer to the earth.

The question I must ask myself now....do I care enough about the ones who have rejected Jesus to help them understand …just how much they need to have a relationship with God….so they too can be saved when all this happens?  Or I should really phrase the question another way…has God cured me enough of my selfish human nature that I care more for the ones who will die when all this comes about…than to be comfortable in the knowledge that I will somehow escape this scene? If I have been cured completely….if I care more for others than I do myself…it should create a new passion in my heart to spread his word…to ask Jesus to give me the words to convince the unbelievers that they need to believe.  I really need to feel that twinge of sadness…that ½ hour of reverence…every time I come across someone I know does not believe these things will ever happen. 

Father…keep working on me…for I realize this morning that the ‘ME’ disease I suffer from is not completely cured.  Forgive me for misunderstanding what I should be doing once you saved me. Help me be a better co-worker with all the others who are trying to spread your word to the whole world. Keep sending me ways to use the love you put in my heart to love others more than I do myself.  Show me ways …..give me words…reveal to me just how each of the people I pray for each day …that I know are lost …can be convinced that they need to believe in you. And Lord …lead me to the ones you know I can be a witness to…because they need to hear the testimony of what you have done for me. Amen.