Day 362

By
The Sunclothed Woman

Scripture

December 27—Revelation 10-13: Witnesses and Wars

Observation

After being assured of God's control in the midst of great upheaval (the vision of the strong angel), John is told to consume a little book as divine preparation for his prophetic task. Next, John sees two witnesses who exercise astonishing powers on earth for 1,260 days, then are martyred for their testimony. The great rejoicing at their death is hushed by their resurrection and ascension in heaven. The sounding of the seventh trumpet is followed by a description of the next seven "actors" in the drama of Revelation: a sunclothed woman, a dragon, a male child, the angel Michael, the rest of the woman's children, a beast from the sea and a second beast from the earth.

Is the book of Revelation a beastly book? The Greek word for "beast" occurs forty-five times in the New Testament—thirty-eight of which are in the book of Revelation!

Application

The best way to become a "connoisseur" of counterfeit money is to: (a) study counterfeit money, (b) study the differences between counterfeit and real money, (c) study real money (pick one).

The correct answer, according to experts from the Treasury Department, is (c) "study real money." Thorough mastery of the genuine item is the best preparation for detecting anything that isn't the real thing, thereby avoiding the craftiness of forgers.

There is a deception far worse than one involving paper money. The Master Deceiver, Satan, and his hosts (12:9, 13:14) would like to dupe you into confusing a passing acquaintance with religion for an intimate acquaintance with God. If Satan can just get your attention fixed on a "reasonable facsimile," you will soon forget what genuine Christianity is all about—with tragic consequences.

Don't be confused! Pull out a dollar bill and study it carefully; then "scrutinize" 12:10-12 until you clearly see the real issue: overcoming Satan by the power of the Lamb! If you have never put your trust in Christ, let the words of that passage point you to the "Lamb of God who takes away the world's sin" (John 1:29).

Prayer

Father God, the answer to our prayer is the all-important part of praying. It proves you are still interested in your creatures and you listen to us when we approach you in prayer. There is no proof so clear and demonstrative that you exists than answered prayer. Lord, answer our prayer so that the people will know that you are God and that you are turning their hearts back to you again. The answered prayer glorifies you and validates that the righteous prayer you answer. Thank you for the power of prayer. In Jesus' name we pray! Amen! 






© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2020

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