“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell anoisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image”(Revelation 16:2).
TEXT — Revelation 16:1-12
Message
The idea of hell and judgment is as controversial as the discussion of heaven and the rewards God will give to His righteous followers. While these two concepts are at polar ends, believing or refuting them does not nullify their reality. God’s word, in Ecclesiastes 12:14, declares that He will bring every work into judgment. The Psalmist affirms too that all wicked men will end up in hell, including nations that forget God (Psalm 9:17).
Today’s text confirms the reality of the above fact. In the Revelation that God gave Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, he saw a vision of the seven angelic messengers dispensing judgment to this rebellious world in ways that have never been known or seen. Seven, in the Bible, is often associated with completeness or perfection, meaning these revelations are sacrosanct. Rivers and fountains of water, the great river Euphrates and the air will not be spared when God judges the world. Great and poor men, renowned kings and emperors will face the wrath of a holy God who gave the world a protracted opportunity to make amends.
The fact of divine judgment is not affected by human opinions. Believing it or not does not change its veracity. The unfortunate thing however, is that it will turn out as a damning reality to scoffers and doubters when they come face to face with the truth but it will be too late to do something about it. It will be worse off for those who know the truth and reality of this judgment but fail to take necessary steps to escape it.
God is merciful; He does not desire the eternal damnation of anyone. This is why He still delays the day of judgment to give room for everyone to repent and escape the doom. As many as turn to Him today by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be spared of the unprecedented distress of nations to come.
Thought for the day
Those who would rather prove God’s judgment experientially never present their findings.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
