Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Rev (8-20) (Summary) continued...


Book of Revelation describes earthquakes in 5 places (6:12; 8:5; 11:13,19; 16:18).






However earthquakes are just one category of the disasters that cause the planet earth to become desolate. And the categories that hurt the earthly environment include damage or destruction to the luminary system (like sun, moon, stars), water sources (like river or springs) turning to unhealthy conditions (bloody or bitter) diseases (or plagues) raging throughout the land etc. 





The question becomes: why?





California experienced a number of earthqueekes. People are afraid of the big ones coming. And many say they are overdue. Japan went through a great Thsunami coupled wtih earthquakes. 





Rev. 8's depiction of desolation [(after the sounding of the first four trumpets) that is destruction of virtually one third of everything on earth and in heaven (houses, trees, green grass, mountains, sea, stars, rivers, spring waters, moon starss, sun, with multitude of people dying)] is already great, and yet God's wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth is not over. What Rev. 16:18 says ("No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth...) is but one example. 





Why do they (disaters) come? What is the reason?





Micah 7:13 answers the question: "The earth will becomem desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds."





Deeds represent the final expression of where you come from, just as it is written: a tree is known by its fruits or "their deeds will follow them" (Rev 14:13).





Lesson: 





Deeds are compared to fruits. 


Good fruits grow only out of the good tree. 


This reminds me of what Jesus says: "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good." Matthew 12:33


Or "No one is good except God alone." Luke 18:19





No wonder that the last two chapters of the book of Revelation (21-22) depict the new heaven and the new earth as the home for the "bride" the wife of the Lamb. Rev 21:9-10 


Location:Arcadia St,Pretoria,South Africa

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