Leviticus 6-8 Seeing Today In The Past

God directed Moses to set aside and sanctify Aaron and his sons as priests.  “God’s desire was that the entire nation of Israel be a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation, but they failed Him … the leaders failed to be holy and obedient as God commanded … God wants His church today to be a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that they may declare the praise of Him who called them out of darkness into His wonderful light.  The Jewish priests were a privileged people, yet they despised their privileges and helped lead the nation into sin,” my commentary explained.  “They had to accept three solemn responsibilities:  Submitting to God’s authority, revealing God’s glory, and accepting God’s discipline.”

What happened as Aaron and his sons were set aside for God shadows what we’d later find happening to us as we are joined with Christ.  First, they were washed.  Likewise, when sinners trust Christ, they are washed from their sins once and for all.  “In the Bible, water for washing is a picture of the Word of God.  As we meditate on the Word of God and apply it to our lives, the Spirit of God uses the Word to cleanse us and make us more like Christ.”

Next, they were clothed.  “For us, each believer-priest has been clothed in the beauty and righteousness of Jesus Christ and is accepted in Him.

Next, they were anointed.  “In Scripture, oil is often a symbol of the Spirit of God who has anointed each believer.”

Sacrifices were offered, and then blood from the sacrifice was placed on Aaron’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe, “symbolizing that they were set apart to hear God’s voice, do God’s work, and walk in God’s way,” my commentary said.

Father, this visual reminder helps us to understand much better Your process of sanctifying us and setting us apart to You.  Help us to respond as a kingdom of priests should, and to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Leviticus 4 & 5 -- Which Sins Could They Offer Sacrifices For?

God gave Moses elaborate sets of instructions for the offering of sacrifices for the removal of sin.  The real catch in all of it, however, was that they “focused on some violation of the law that was done without deliberate intent … They had become defiled or disobedient and didn’t realize it.  However, ignorance doesn’t cancel guilt … Once their sin was known, it had to be confessed and dealt with.”  David called them secret faults, meaning “sins I don’t know about in my own life,” my commentary explained.

After reading all of this, an alarm bell starts ringing in our heads as it finally hits us:  “No sacrifice was provided for people who committed high-handed deliberate sins in the full light of the law of God!”  Their only hope was the mercy of God.  In other words, anyone who knew something was a sin, thought about it, and did it anyway had no offering available to remove that deliberate sin!

An important part of the process was the offender laying hands on the animal about to be sacrificed.  This amounted to the sinner identifying with the sacrifice – effectively owning up to the sin.  Today, we also have to identify with our sacrifice – Jesus Christ in His death on the cross.

I also took note that the sin had the effect of bringing blood into the place of worship.  I think that shows how our sin impacts the church.  Also, the position of leadership demanded a costlier sacrifice for those committing sins.  “With greater privilege comes greater responsibility,” my commentary said.  Even for those not in positions of leadership, the economic status of the offender determined the costliness of the sacrifice.  “It is a very costly thing for people to commit sin and for God to cleanse sin,” my commentary said, and I think too often we find ourselves wanting to get off too cheaply for sins we’ve committed which cost God the life of His dear Son.

Father, please help me to envision that incredible cost as I’m being tempted to sin.  Remind me that each sin I choose to commit has been covered by Jesus’ death on the cross, but help me to visualize every extra hammering of the nails that were driven into His body that my potential sin would be necessitating.  Help me to always consider how my sins will hurt You and hurt others.  Lead me to true repentance when I fail You and sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Leviticus 2 & 3 -- What These Offerings Represented

The meal offering consisted of “cakes that would resemble our modern baked pie crust or pizza dough,” my commentary said.  “It wasn’t presented alone, but accompanied one of the sacrifices that involved the shedding of blood.”

It’s so easy to get hung up on the details and to not see the underlying meaning of these offerings.  In this case, my commentary said that since grain represents the fruit of our labor, the meal offering was one way for the Jews to dedicate to God that which He had enabled them to produce … Our hard work can never purchase salvation or earn the blessing of God, for apart from the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.”  The bread represented Christ, and the oil poured on it represented the Holy Spirit, given to Christ without measure.

Chapter three covered the peace or fellowship offering, which was the only offering shared with the worshippers.  The offeror could then enjoy a feast with family and friends from the part not kept by the priest.  “It was also an expression of joyful thanksgiving that the worshipper was at peace with God and in communion with God … that the forgiveness of sin resulted in communion with God.  Again, “Christ purchased reconciliation with God and peace with God for all who will trust Him, and we can have fellowship with God and other believers because of His shed blood.  We feast in Christ when we feed on His Word and appropriate for ourselves all that He is to us and has done for us.”

Father, I’m thankful that in Your love and grace, You allow me to come before You, commune with You, and be in fellowship with You.  Keep me ever mindful that sin breaks that fellowship and help me to want fellowship with You more than I want to sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Leviticus 1 -- Futility

Max Lucado introduced Leviticus by calling it “the deed to the farm” – a rock farm given by God to His children.  He likened it to a dad giving his son a farm if his son would remove all of the rocks – an impossible task.  But then one day the father told his son, “Here is a farm for you.  I’ve removed all the rocks.”  Those rocks are our sins.  Max continued about that farm:  “Laden with stones.  Heavied with tasks.  Loaded with rocky rules and regulations… Any person who tries to be holy is soon convinced he can’t.  There are too many rules.  Too many rocks to remove.  We need help.  We need a Savior…. Holiness is what God desires.  But holiness is what we cannot achieve.  Just like the son couldn’t remove the rocks, so we can’t remove our sins.  But just like the father surprised the son, so our Father surprises us.  He removed the rocks for us.”

That’s what Leviticus teaches us.  Just thinking about being an Israelite male needing to give a burnt offering says it all.  I could see myself going to my herd to pick out the perfect bull calf to offer to God, hesitating to offer the best I had – wanting to keep it for myself (much as we all do with our lives).  Then taking it to the priest at the altar and waiting for an inspection, worried that our best isn’t good enough – that someone will find something wrong with it and we’ll have to go all the way back home, on a walk of shame, humiliated, to find another.

Once inspection was passed, it was on to the altar itself.  Probably a thought about whether this is truly acceptable to God or maybe senseless waste.  The animal is killed, but that’s not enough.  Now I’ve got to skin it, then cut it up into pieces.  And the worst part – washing the internal organs and legs with water before handing it all back to the priest to be laid on the fire.  I’ll bet more than once there were thoughts of sinful things as the offering was consumed by the fire, making them wonder if those thoughts had been forgiven by this offering, or would have to be covered by the next one.

Man, there had to be a lot of blood, and smoke, and fire – because there was a lot of sin.  Not just in deed, but in thought as well.  And like Max Lucado’s stony farm story, it must have been overwhelming to have to face the futility of constantly having to offer Your best animal for your own sins.

Father, thank You for the perfect sacrifice of Your Son, once for all, who amazingly covered all my sins and took them away as far as the east is from the west!  So undeserved.  So generous.  Such love! 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 22 -- Not The End -- Just The BEGINNING!

John was shown what the new Jerusalem, which came down from heaven, will be like.  A main feature is the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God, the source of all purity – running down the middle of the street!  The tree of life, forbidden for man to touch and eat all these millennia because nothing would be worse than becoming eternally bound in sin, is now available for inhabitants of the city.

But the part I loved the best was, “They shall see His face!”  Believers have worried throughout the Bible that seeing God would be more than a human mind and body could take, causing instant death.  His privileged followers were allowed to see His backside at times.  But then we will be able to see His face and marvel at the One who created us and loves us more than we could ever love ourselves!  Also His name will be written on our foreheads!  God will autograph us!  There will never be night again – no waiting for the morning to come.  In fact, we won’t need artificial light or even the light of the Sun because God’s glory will give us all the light we’ll need.

We’ll serve Him there in some way we can’t now imagine, and it will be perfect service, and we’ll also rule as kings forever.  John is constantly reminded that Christ is coming soon.  My commentary said that verse 11’s words do not mean that we should just give up on evangelism.  It said, instead, that the “coming soon” will occur so quickly that no man will have time to change his character.  It is, therefore, “a solemn warning that decision determines character, and character determines destiny.”  It’s worth it to live a godly life, because Jesus is returning, and He will reward you.”

Father, help me to share this with those I love who don’t yet know You and Your Son or who’ve turned away from You.  I want them to be with me and with You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 21 -- Can't Wait To See It Coming!

What I read from God in this chapter is so awesome and so full of hope!

“Now God’s presence is with people, and He will live with them, and they will be His people.  God Himself will be with them and will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone … Look!  I am making everything new! … It is finished! … I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty … I will be their God, and they will be My children … He showed me the holy city … coming down out of heaven from God.  It was shining with the glory of God and was bright…”

Its walls are 216’ high, and it is 1,500 miles square!  It’s made of pure gold like glass!

“The Lord God Almighty and the Lam are the city’s temple.  The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God is its light, and the Lamb is the city’s lamp … there is no night there … Nothing unclean and no one who does shameful things or tells lies will ever go into it.  Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city.”

Enough said, Father!  I can’t wait!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 20 -- 1,000 Years

The big question in this chapter seems to be “why is Satan bound in chains in the bottomless pit for a thousand years and then released?”  I liked the answer I read in my commentary this morning.

It starts with the first resurrection.  The qualifications of those raised in this resurrection are:

                They were faithful to the message of Jesus and the message from God.

                They had not worshiped the beast or his idol.

                They had not received the mark of the beast.

For those who died or were raptured prior to the tribulation, the last two qualifications are a slam dunk.  It doesn’t say that they had to have gone through the tribulation and were successful – just that they never worshiped or received the mark.  Those who were saved are raised.

Now as to the reason for the 1,000 rule without Satan and his eventual release:

“As final proof that the heart of man is desperately wicked and can be changed only by God’s grace … people who have been living in a perfect environment, under the perfect government of God’s Son, will finally admit the truth and rebel against the King!  Their obedience will be seen as mere feigned submission, and not true faith in Christ at all … it will sum up all that God has said about the heart of man during the various periods of history.  It will be a reign of law, and yet law will not change man’s sinful heart.  Man will still revolt against God.  The millennium will be a period of peace and perfect environment, a time when disobedience will be judged swiftly, and with justice, and yet in the end the subjects of the King will follow Satan and rebel against the Lord.  A perfect environment cannot produce a perfect heart.”

Who will be rebelling?  The unsaved children of those still alive on earth after the tribulation.  With the perfect conditions and the curse of sin removed from nature, people will live longer.  Thus the millennium wait.

When Satan is finally released, those unsaved still on earth will show their true colors.  God will quickly put down the revolt of these people orchestrated by Satan, and then Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire in hell.

The second resurrection will then occur.  All of the unsaved who ever lived will have body and spirit reunited again, and will have a court date before Christ.  “No jury.  No defense.  No appeal.  No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness.”  God will finally deal with sin.  They will be cast into hell, not sent there by God; they sent themselves there by rejecting the Savior.

Father, how urgent it becomes that we speak Your truth to the unsaved while there is still time.  Jesus can save them from the tribulation now, or despite the tribulation later, or else they will end up in hell.  Help me not to wait in telling those I love about Your Son.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 19 -- Two of the Five Events Before God Wraps Up Human History

In this chapter and the next, John recorded five key events that will take place before God wraps up human history and ushers in His new heavens and earth, according to my commentary.

#1 Heaven will rejoice – God has judged His enemies, and because His judgments are true and righteous, He is worthy of worship for them.  “The song emphasizes God’s attributes, which is the proper way to honor Him,” my commentary said.  He is reigning on the throne of heaven, but He is now about to conquer the thrones of earth as well as the kingdom of Satan and the beast.  Also, the bride is ready:  “Today, the church is engaged to Jesus Christ, and we love Him even though we have not seen him.  One day, He will return and take His bride to heaven.  At the judgment seat of Christ, her works will be judged and all her spots and blemishes removed.  This being completed, the church will be ready to return to earth with her Bridegroom at the close of the tribulation to reign with Him in glory … The invitation to the wedding goes out to the guests, believers from the Old Testament era and the tribulation,” my commentary said.

#2 Christ will return – He is coming to the earth with His people, to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom.  The blood on His robe is not His own, but that of His foes, my commentary said.  The battle of Armageddon sounds fierce, but all that our Lord has to do is speak the Word, and the sword of His mouth will devour His enemies.  The beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, while Satan is confined to the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.  Firth he was cast out of heaven and now he is cast out of earth.

Father, it is thrilling to know that Jesus won His victory over Satan at the cross, and that the sentence against him will soon be effected.  How wonderful to see him, and his henchmen, get what they deserve!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 18 -- The Voices

“I saw another angel coming down from heaven.  This angel had great power, and his glory made the earth bright.”  This angel brought a voice of condemnation for the great city of Babylon.  Another voice from heaven cried, “Come out of that city, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive the disasters that will come to her.”  It was the voice of separation.  God wants us to avoid being polluted by her sin and to be spared the terrible plagues coming.  And God would destroy the whole evil world economic system in just one hour!

Those who had done business with the city and with that world government and economic system will lament because its destruction causes them to become immediately bankrupt.  But in the midst of such destruction and lamentation, we hear, “Be happy, because of this, heaven!  Be happy, God’s holy people and apostles and prophets!  God has punished her because of what she did to you.”  Heaven will be celebrating God’s power to have His will accomplished on earth, despite the best efforts of Satan to thwart it.

My commentary did note:  “God is patient with His enemies, but when He does begin to work, He acts suddenly and thoroughly.  We must not think that this voice of celebration calls us to be glad because sinners are judged.  The fact of diving judgment ought always to break our hearts, knowing that lost sinners are condemned to eternal punishment.  The joy in this section centers on God’s righteous judgment, the fact that justice has been done … We must never cultivate personal revenge, but we must rejoice at the righteous judgments of God.”

Father, I continue to pray for and worry about those I love who are away from You right now.  How I want them to want You and to be a part of Your eternal family!  Soften their hearts and remove Satan’s blinders so that they can clearly see their position before You and make corrections to their lives to join You in what You are doing.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 17 -- The Religious System

My commentary explains that in this chapter, the religious system of the beast is judged, while in the next, the political and economic system is judged.  It also says that the heavy use of symbolism encourages believers in every age, for in every age there’s been a false religious system that has abandoned the truth for personal gain and a political and economic system that has sought to control people’s minds and destinies.

The angel told John several explanations.  “The woman is identified with a city that existed in John’s day.  This city is prosperous and powerful, but also idolatrous and dangerous.”

The mystery is Babylon, mentioned as far back as Genesis 10, and associated with an idolatrous attempt by man to defy God (the tower of Babel), my commentary says.  That anti-God influence has been felt throughout history and gave birth to all false religions.

The beast is carrying the harlot – Satan is carrying the false religious system and eventually sheds it and becomes the world dictator with people worshiping himself.  “When dictators are friendly with religion, it is usually a sign that they want to make use of religion’s influence and then destroy it.  The church of Jesus Christ has been most influential in the world when it has maintained a separated position … In every age, there is the tremendous pressure to conform to popular religion and to abandon the fundamentals of the faith.  We need to be true to our God.”

Father, there are so many things right now vying for the title of the harlot.  Please help Your people to have spiritual discernment that will allow us to see Your truth.  Don’t let us fall under the sway of the beast.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 15-16 The Third Woe -- Whoa!

There’s “an interlude of blessing” in chapter 15, my commentary said, before the third woe begins.  “In their song, the tribulation saints praise God’s works as well as His ways.  The earth-dwellers certainly would not praise God for His works, and they would never understand His ways … There is no complaint here about the way God permitted these people to suffer!  It would save us a great deal of sorrow if we would acknowledge God’s sovereignty in this same way today.”

Knowing that God is fully in control and that everything He does is calculated to be for our good would certainly give us a vastly different perspective on the sufferings we find ourselves facing in this life!

In chapter 16, the vial judgments begin.  Those who submitted to the beast receive grievous sores that don’t appear to ever heal, yet their pain won’t cause them to repent.  “If men are not won by grace, they will never be won.”

The rest of the sea and the fresh water on land are all turned to blood.  Added to this is greatly increased heat from the sun.  What misery!  Darkness also descends 24 hours a day wherever the Beast has his throne so that they cannot operate.  Then the Euphrates dries up to open the path for armies from the East to invade.

The last vial is poured out into the air.  Lightning and thunder precede the greatest earthquake in history, which destroys the Gentile cities and splits “the great city” into three parts.  Giant hailstones weighing more than 100 pounds effectively stone people for their blasphemy (which is the prescribed punishment).  Islands and mountains disappear.  And from the throne in heaven come the words, “It is finished!”

Father, I certainly don’t want to be around for this!  I want those I love to be with me and You in heaven before this happens.  Please soften their hearts and lead them to Yourself.  Let them be won by Your grace in sacrificing Your Son for them!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 14 -- Warnings To Heed Before It's Too Late

John saw Jesus standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000 Jewish men who’d been sealed by God before the seventh seal was opened.  “God always has His faithful people, no matter how wicked the world may become,” my commentary says.  “Christ today is enthroned in the heavenly Zion and we are enthroned with Him,” according to Psalms 2:6 and Ephesians 2:6, it added.  We are so time-based that it is difficult for us to understand that if we are saved, we are also already reigning with Christ.

There are several messages to be delivered by angels at this time in the Tribulation:

                “Judgment is come.”

                “The entire economic and political organization which Satan rules is about to be destroyed by God.”

                “Escape God’s wrath” – a warning that the easy way is really the hard way – to go along with the world means to go away from God.

                “It’s harvest time” – God will not mix mercy with His final judgment, but will pour out His undiluted indignation on a rebellious world.

These messages are ignored at our eternal peril.  The time for choosing is coming rapidly to a close and delay is absolutely unwise!

Father, please open the hearts and minds of those I love who have walked away from You or have never known You to hear Your message of love and to respond to it before it is too late.  Don’t let them hear and believe the lies of Satan.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 13 -- Where is he from?

It’s from this chapter that the idea of Antichrist coming from a ten-nation European league comes up, mainly because John says he saw seven heads on the beast and Revelation 17:9 links heads to mountains.  But Rome is not the only city said to be built on seven hills.  Mecca in Saudi Arabia and Tehran in Iran also share that distinction.  Hmmmmm……

My commentary says, “Once Satan presents his great masterpiece, the counterfeit Christ … first, there will be wonder …. At the healing of his wound … there will also be worship … making it the official religion of the world.”  In Daniel, it says the beast must defeat three of the kings to gain control.  Christians will not submit to the beast, but the rest of the world will worship him and do his bidding.

An unholy trinity of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will mimic the true Trinity.  My commentary also stated that the absence of a crown in the image of the horns indicates that the false prophet’s authority is not political.  As the middle of the Tribulation is reached, the two witnesses will be murdered and the beast will take over the Temple and an idol – “the abomination of desolation” – will be set up inside the Temple!

Father, there is so much here that is hard to imagine, but we are already to that point with what is happening with our own government right now!  Who would have dreamed it but You!  Lead us through it and out of it, Father.  Let Your Son rule.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 12 -- The Woman And The Dragon

John was shown two wonders in heaven – a woman giving birth to a son who was taken up to God while she was protected in the desert, and the appearance of a giant red dragon making war in heaven and ready to kill the woman’s baby.

My commentary says the child is identified as Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:15, and therefore the woman represents Israel, since it is through the nation of Israel that the Messiah comes to earth.  And the dragon is of course Satan.  His heads represent mountains and His horn represent kings, according to Revelation 17, my commentary added.

Satan was originally cast out of heaven at his rebellion against God, along with one-third of the angels, but he will be cast out again in the future, my commentary says, because he currently has access to heaven, where he continually accuses us day and night before God.  “Satan is out to destroy the church, and our victory can come only through Jesus Christ,” it says.  “Because Jesus Christ died for us, we can overcome Satan’s accusations by the blood of the Lamb … When the accuser sees that his tactics have failed, he will become angry and threaten the very peace of heaven … He deceives the nations into thinking that the people of God are dangerous, deluded, even destructive … The third scene of the drama is Satan’s wrath on earth.  Knowing that his time is short, and having no more access to heaven, the adversary must vent all of his anger earthward.  He begins with Israel and creates a wave of anti-Semitism.”

Father, this certainly fits with what we see happening on earth today!  The world is trying to say Christians are mean-spirited and the cause of much trouble.  Even our American president said this just the other day!  Thank You for Your promised protection and watchcare.  Help us to witness to others about Your great love and mercy, and to warn them about Your holy judgment.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 11 -- The Turning Point

During the first half of the Tribulation, John says the two witnesses will be telling the world about God.  The Jews will be worshipping in the restored Temple.  But as the halfway point of the Tribulation is reached, the two witnesses (who have been given and using awesome powers of judgment by God) are killed.  Their bodies lie in the streets for 3 ½ days before God resurrects them and takes them to heaven.  At this point, a great earthquake occurs, killing 7,000 men and destroying a tenth of the city.  During the last half of the Tribulation that follows, Jerusalem is overrun by Gentiles.

All of this would almost lead one to believe that Satan is winning and ruling overruling on earth.  But in fact, “Christ is enthroned in heaven and ruling over a spiritual kingdom even now.  And in that future day, He will reign over the nations of the world and rule with a rod of iron.  No matter how difficult the circumstances might be, or how defeated God’s people may think they are, Jesus Christ is still King of kings and Lord of lords, and He is in control.  One day, we shall triumph!” my commentary said.

Father, I see much of this happening even today.  People are angry at You for no reason.  You’ve been good and gracious to them and have provided their needs.  You’ve graciously postponed judgment, bringing more people to Yourself.  You offer them forgiveness and salvation.  Yet they’re angry because they want their own way.  “Like adolescent children, the nations want to cast off all restraint, and You permit them to do so.  I pray that those I love will wake up to this reality and come to You in repentance before it is too late.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 10 -- The Mighty Angel

A mighty angel coming down from heaven caught John’s attention.  Although it doesn’t directly say it, the descriptions offered sound so much like Jesus Christ.  The rainbow around his head, according to my commentary, indicates what it did in Genesis – that “Even in wrath, God remembers His mercy.”  We also read of a face like the sun and a voice like a lion.

John was given a little book and told to eat it.  My commentary said, “This should remind us of our responsibility to assimilate the Word of God and make it a part of the inner man.  It is not enough for John to see the book or even know its contents and purpose.  He had to receive it into his inner being … God will not thrust His Word into our mouths and force us to receive it.  He hands it to us and we must take it.  Nor can He change the effects the Word will have in our lives; there will be both sorrow and joy, bitterness and sweetness … The faithful minister will declare all of God’s counsel.  He will not dilute the message of God simply to please his listeners.”

Father, even when Your Word calls me out for sinning, it is sweet to hear, and it helps me to know in my heart that You care what I do and want me to live an abundant life by obeying You.  Help me to take into my heart what I hear and read, and to make it a part of my entire being.  Use it to shine light on my sin and to help me rid sin from my life.  Thank You for speaking to me, Father.  I remember all too well those years when I seemed to never hear from You.  You used that silence to get my attention.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 9 -- The Hard-To-Imagine

My commentary started this chapter by saying, “It is probable that, apart from the exact identification of Babylon in chapters 17 & 18, the meaning of the two judgments in this chapter represents the most difficult major problem in the Revelation.”  Okay, sounds like imagination time.

A bottomless pit holding a demon army is mentioned, and a “star” fell from the sky to earth and was given the key to open it.  Smoke from this pit further reduced the sunlight reaching earth, then demon locusts came out to go worldwide to sting but not kill those unmarked as God’s for five months.  The pain is so terrible that people will want to die but won’t be able to die.  This is the fifth trumpet judgment.  The sixth trumpet sounds, leading to the freeing of four angels from near the Euphrates River, commanding a demon army of 200 million tasked with killing a third of all people remaining on earth.  (Already a fourth have died, so this would leave earth’s population reduced by half, my commentary said.)

Amazingly, all of this death, suffering, and destruction fails to change the hearts and lives of those remaining on earth.  They are still wicked.  “The most frightening thing about Revelation 9 is not the judgments that God sends but the sins that men persist in committing even while God is judging them – demon worship and idolatry … murder and theft … sexual immorality … drug use … It will be an age of lawlessness with every man doing that which is right in his own eyes … But God is working out His plan, and neither the sins of mankind  nor the schemes of Satan will hinder Him from accomplishing His will,” my commentary said.

Father, please open the hearts, minds, and eyes of those I love to Your promises of judgment here.  Change their hearts and minds before we ever get to this period so they will not have to suffer so in their sin.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 8 -- The Trumpet Judgments Start

In the last chapter, resounding praise and worship was occurring in heaven, but when that seventh seal was broken, fully opening the scroll which represented God’s plan for the earth, there was dead silence in heaven for almost half an hour!  “Perhaps the heavenly hosts were simply awestruck at what they saw,” my commentary said.  Then a special angel “put incense on the altar (presented the prayers before God) and then cast the coals from the altar to the earth! … this symbolized God’s judgment,” it continued.

With the first trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood targeted green vegetation – grasses, crops, and trees.  This would wreak havoc on the food supply for both animals and mankind.

With the second trumpet, a third of the sea became blood, and third of the life in the sea died, and a third of ships were destroyed.  This would devastate shipping.

The third trumpet targeted inland fresh water and its sources, making a third of it too bitter or poisoned to drink.

The fourth trumpet affected the entire world, because sunlight was reduced by a third.  Temperatures, growing seasons, and more would be affected by such a drastic change.

A flying messenger then gave the equivalent of, “If you think this has been terrible, just wait!” my commentary concluded.

Father, these kinds of changes will be unimaginable and will drastically alter life as we know it on earth.  I’m so thankful that those who have accepted Christ before the Rapture won’t have to worry about it, because You’ll have taken us out of the world.  Help me to help those I love to see the importance of placing their trust in the sacrifice Your Son made for them, so they won’t have to worry about it either!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 7 --Hope For The Lost

John doesn’t know who he’s seeing and has to be told by the angel.  144,000 Jews are being marked by God for protection during the Tribulation so they can be His special witnesses for Christ to the Gentile world.  The verses parallel Matthew 24:14 and show that the next vision John sees in the second part of this chapter amounts to the results of their witnessing:  multitudes of people saved during the Tribulation.

Those people are described as accepted by God, for they are before His throne; joyful, for they are singing praises to Him; and rewarded, having the privilege of serving Him.  My commentary added:  “When God’s people get to heaven, there will be work to do.  We shall be able to serve Him perfectly.  The Lamb will shepherd us and satisfy us with every good thing.”

I was reminded of the treasure hunts I’ve put together for our youth group over the years as I read this chapter.  They lasted from 4 to 8 hours, and interwoven with some hidden clues that most never understood until the end when it all came together.  I think that’s what we’ll  discover about some of the questions we might have in this chapter.  We’ll say, “OH!  THAT’S why Joseph is mentioned instead of Ephraim!  That’s why Dan is missing!  It was right in front of us!  How could we not see that!”

And lest anyone try to let their intellect take them down the wrong road away from God as I did for years, the four corners of the earth doesn’t mean they had no clue that the earth was round and not flat, indicating an error in the Bible.  That simply means from every direction the wind stopped blowing, and the way it’s blowing outside my windows in West Texas this morning, I believe God is reminding us of just what power He has to hold back the wind (and for Him, that’s not even an afterthought!).

Father God, I’m so thankful that in Your mercy You have already provided for those who will remain on earth after the church is raptured – that they will still have a way to know about salvation through Christ, and that untold multitudes will be saved during those years.  I pray for those I love – that they will accept Your offer of salvation now and not have to endure those times.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 6 -- What's Coming

Wow!  My commentary says, “The worship described in Revelation 4-5 is in preparation for the wrath described in Revelation 6-19.  It seems strange to us that worship and judgment should go together, but this is because we do not fully understand either the holiness of God or the sinfulness of men.”  It also said that Revelation isn’t just prophecy.  It dramatically reveals the character of God and the principles of His kingdom.

Boiling it all down, it identifies the four riders and their horses as Antichrist, War, Famine, and Death, and points us back to Christ’s words in Matthew 24 where He mentioned them in this same order, including the martyrs and the worldwide chaos that will follow!

Regarding the martyrs, it said, “God made clear to these martyrs that their sacrifice was an appointment, not an accident, and that others would join them.  Even in the death of His people, God is in control; so there is nothing to fear … It appears that the enemy is winning, but God will have the last word.

The end of the chapter mentions impenitent people from all segments of society trying to hide from God’s wrath.  My commentary said, “If men and women will not yield to the love of God and be changed by the grace of God, then there is no way for them to escape the wrath of God.”  That’s something every nonbeliever needs to know!  It will never pay to refuse to submit to the will of God!

Father, please open impenitent hearts to Your love.  Remove Satan’s blinders so that people can see where they stand before You and just how much You love them!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Revelation 5 -- Worshiping The REDEEMER

John is shown a sealed scroll representing both “Christ’s title deed to all that the Father promised Him because of His sacrifice on the cross,” and God’s plan to set us free from the bondage of sin, which could never be accomplished without Jesus’ sacrifice.  “The redeemer had to be near of kin, willing to redeem, and able to redeem.  Jesus Christ meets all of the qualifications.  He became flesh, so He is our Kinsman.  He loves us and is willing to redeem, and He paid the price, so He is able to redeem.”

The chapter centers on worshipping Him because of who He is (“the Lamb is God the Son, Christ Jesus”); because of where He is (“in Heaven, on the throne, the center of all that transpires in heaven”); because of what He does (He was able to open the scroll and complete redemption); and because of what He has (all power, all riches, all wisdom, all strength, all honor and glory, and all praise).

Worshipping the Redeemer is not something everyone can do.  “While an unconverted person could praise the Creator, he certainly could not sincerely praise the Redeemer,” for he’s never been redeemed.

Father, I thank You for choosing to redeem me before the foundation of the world, and for pursuing me so that I could ask for such redemption.  Help me to not let sin inhibit my ability to offer praise and worship to my Redeemer.  Keep me focused on Him and what He’s done for me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford