“Love them enough to tell them the truth”– Adam Sonnier
The book of Revelation – the revelation being an unveiling of Jesus Christ and of the things which must happen prior to His return to earth – contains many hard biblical truths. It is essential to know the truth, to reflect upon it, and to consider making any changes, adjustments, or preparations necessary in response to it.
Many of the truths found in the book of Revelation come directly from the God-inspired writers of the Old Testament. One of these, the prophet Joel, lived in Israel during a very tough time. It was hundreds of years before the birth, or first advent, of Messiah Jesus Christ. By now, most people in Joel’s day had turned away from any reliance upon or worship of God. Their focus was on the material – gaining more wealth and pleasure in this life, and carelessly hoping for the best in the next. Their worship involved any object, idol, or practice that might help them to obtain more of these things. And there were many wild “religious” celebrations available for them to choose from, usually taking place on the tops of the hills near town. These were very popular and well attended, with sexual immorality of all types taking place.
After centuries of pleading with His people to turn back to Him, God had a word of warning for Israel. He chose Joel to be one of prophets to deliver this harsh message:
5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you drinkers of wine,
Because of the new wine,
For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 For a nation has come up against My land,
Strong, and without number;
His teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And he has the fangs of a fierce lion.
7 He has laid waste My vine,
And ruined My fig tree;
He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;
Its branches are made white. Joel 1:5-7 (NKJV)
Israel, God’s chosen vine, would be laid waste by invaders and its people carried off into exile – by Assyria in the northern kingdom of Ephraim, and later, by Babylon in the southern kingdom of Judah. But Joel did not stop there. His prophesies continued, referring to another future event, a time of great trouble for Israel. This will be unlike any other, and would occur after they had been returned to the land. No one knows the day or the hour when this will happen, but it is sure to happen, according to God’s plan and timetable.
The prophet Joel continues to describe the events of that day, the day of the Lord:
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
3 A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them. Joel 2:1-3 (NKJV)
This is but one reference by one writer of the things which must and will happen in the last days of Israel. The Day of the Lord will be a global event, physical and spiritual, shaking the entire earth and heaven, as instigated by God. No one dwelling on earth at that time will be unaffected. It is a prelude to the return of Jesus Christ, who will, in His glory, rescue Israel from this massive, global invasion. At that time, the people will finally recognize Jesus (Yeshua) for who He truly is – their God and their Messiah. In triumph, Christ will establish His eternal kingdom on earth and rule over it from David’s throne in Jerusalem.
8 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lordbefore them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. Zechariah 12:8-10 (NKJV)
There is much to learn from these prophetic writings. May God’s Holy Spirit guide us into all wisdom and truth as we walk through them.
Reflection
God our Creator wants us to worship Him, but we so easily turn away to focus our time and attention on other things – our “idols”.
What idols do I recognize in my own life, things which keep me from God, and from spending time with Him?
How might I refocus my energies to worship and to get to know better my eternal King, Jesus Christ, who has such a deep love for me?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for the time and energy we spend on other interests and pleasures at the expense of spending time with and worshiping You. Teach me from Your word and lead me and guide me into all truth. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed and confident day in the Lord today, assured of His great love for you, even in perilous times.
Times and Seasons - The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY 