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Gone up in smoke!

Scripture reading for December 25th: Revelation 18, Psalm 106, Ecclesiastes 8

Revelation 18:8-10 “For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God Who has judged her. And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.””

John saw another shining angel come down from heaven and illuminating the earth. This angel decreed the fall of Babylon the great. From these verses, we understand that Babylon represents the great demonic religious and economic system of Satan that has taken men on earth captive through immorality and greed. Another voice spoke from heaven, calling God’s people to come out before the final collapse. The decree is that in a single day Babylon will fall due to God’s judgment and His power to exercise it. In fact, in one hour, Babylon goes up in smoke! All vanity of man and rebellion of Satan is reduced to ashes and smoke! No one on earth will have the power to stand on that day without Jesus Christ as Lord.

Psalm 106:10-12 “So He saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed His Words; they sang His praise.”

Prayer: Father God, I take heed to these words of warning given to Your people. Those living by faith in Your Word hear Your heart and understand how temporary are the vanities of earth and how our power to save ourselves is futile. Use me today to warn those of Your people of Your coming judgments and their need to come out of the wicked world system that relies on human greed and pride.

Ecclesiastes 8:8-9 “No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.”

Weeping on earth!

Scripture reading for December 27th: Revelation 18

Key Scriptures: Revelation 18:9-12, “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.””

John is shown by another angel the fall of Babylon, the great city representing the false religious and governmental system of this world. At the fall, happening suddenly and of short duration, the kings and rulers on earth weep and mourn as they see the city on fire and smoke rising. The merchants of earth weep because of the lost business from their trading in all kinds of goods and luxuries and food and meat. They also weep at the loss of trades in slavery–human souls that are bought and sold for profit. The sea captains and those trading on the waters of the earth also weep and cry out over the loss of the great city who had brought them much business and wealth. Weeping and mourning consumes those left on earth at the hour of destruction they are witnessing! This is a call to God’s people to come out of Babylon now!

Revelation 18:17-19 “And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning. “What city was like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.””

Faith confession and prayer: Father God, I weep now for those caught in the lies and deception of the great prostitute and the wicked system of Babylon. I know that You desire that none be lost and be deceived and I say “Amen!” to Your will. Have mercy on the kings, rulers, merchants, and shipmasters and sailors of earth! Send laborers to reach them with the call to come out of Babylon! Give mercy to my children and grandchildren to hear and repent!

Revelation 18:4-5 “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues, for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.””

Rejoice you Saints!

Scripture reading for December 23rd:  Revelation 18

Key Scriptures for over-comers:  Revelation 18:19-21  “. . .and with weeping and mourning they will cry out: “‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!  In one hour she has been brought to ruin!  Rejoice over her, O heaven!  Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!  God has judged her for the way she treated you.’ Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone, and threw it into the sea, and said:  “With such violence the great city of Babylon will the thrown down, never to be found again.”  

The final judgment of God on the wicked of earth falls on the great city of Babylon, the symbol and center of all wickedness and false religion.  The Lamb, King of kings, destroys the city and wicked in one hour causing great mourning on the earth but a call to rejoice for those in heaven who were waiting for God’s justice!  A visual of this event was given John by a mighty angel throwing a boulder into the sea of humanity and pronouncing the end of rebellion!   It confirmed an earlier prophesy in Jeremiah 51:60-64.

Observations for over-comers:  Over-comers can rest assured that the Lamb will justly judge the earth and Satan, once and for all time!  “Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon.  . . .When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more. . .”  (Jeremiah 51:60, 63-64)

The Lamb will Overcome!

Scripture reading for December 22nd:  Revelation 17

Key Scriptures for over-comers:  Revelation 17:12-14  “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.  They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.  They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings–and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.”  

John was shown a vision of a prostitute sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.  This woman was drunk with the blood of the saints.  The angel showing John this vision cautioned him to have a mind of wisdom in understanding the symbols shown him.  He told him of a war against the Lamb and His followers that would last one hour!  The Lamb would over-come!

Observations for over-comers:  We will be with our Lord, The Lamb, who is King of Kings in His over-coming victory!  “The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble.  But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.”  (Joel 3:16)

“Could you not keep watch one hour?”

Scripture reading for February 27th:  Mark 14

Following the Last Supper, Jesus and the remaining eleven disciples went out to the Mount of Olives.  They went to spend the night with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.   The name of this garden indicated it was an ‘olive press’ where oil was squeezed from the olives grown there.  It would be the place where Jesus sweat great drops of blood as He wrestled with fulfilling the will of God.

Prior to coming there, Jesus had prophesied, “You will all fall away, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”  (Mark 14:27-28)  Peter had protested that he would remain faithful, no matter what the others might do.  Jesus told him plainly that he, too, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.

Jesus asked His disciples to sit with Him while He prayed.  He took Peter, James and John and made a special request of them.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”  (Mark 14:34)   Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for You.  Take this cup from Me.  Yet not what I will, but what You will.”   (Mark 14:36)   When Jesus returned to where they were, He found these close followers sleeping.  He particularly spoke to Peter, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  (Mark 14:37-38)

Prayer is a wrestling match with our flesh.  One of our greatest needs is to watch and pray each day.  Jesus is coming again!  Depend on the Holy Spirit to help you to pray!