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Always Stay Awake!

찬송 : 찬송가 396장 (새찬송가 356장)
2019-12-15 [요한계시록(The Revelation) 16:10 - 16:21]

10	The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish
11	and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
12	The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13	And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14	For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
15	("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
16	And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17	The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
18	And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
19	The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20	And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
21	And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

Thinking & Understanding
As the judgement of the fifth bowl is poured out on the throne of the beast, the kingdom is plunged into darkness and the people suffer great anguish. As the sixth bowl is poured out on the great river Euphrates, the water is dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. All the demonic spirits assemble at Armageddon for the final battle on the Day of Judgement (vv. 10-16). Along with the proclamation ‘It is done!’, a great earthquake arises and the great city Babylon is destroyed. However, despite the terrible catastrophe of every island and mountain vanishing and great hailstones raining from the sky, the people continue to blaspheme against God (vv. 17-21).

Who is God?
Vv. 18-21 God does not forget the sins of his enemies but thoroughly punishes them. He will destroy the ‘great city’ Babylon with a ‘great earthquake’ and ‘great hailstones’ of an unprecedented scale. This forewarned judgement (14:8) will become a reality. Let’s praise the Lord who does not ignore his people who cry out to him day and night, but repays their enemies.

What lesson is God teaching me?
V. 15 We must always remain spiritually awake. Those who are wearing their garments when the Lord comes like a thief will be blessed because they have not abandoned the pureness of their faith or their precious identity as the bride of the Lamb. Are we staying spiritually awake and living prudently, rather than staying stuck in a spiritually defenseless state?

Prayer
Lord, help us to be even more prudent in these days of evil, so that we may preserve our faithfulness and identity as your holy bride.