The devotion suggested that the first four "trumpets" were repeating the message of the first four "seals" and dealing with earthly destruction and turmoil. After going through it with my husband though, he had a different take on it. Stay with me here:)
If we go back to Matthew 24:4-14, he starts with describing the earthly degeneration and destruction that will take place in the last days here on earth and then leads into spiritual matters and the things "unseen" but that destroy from within. Jesus sets this pattern and it lends credence to the pattern set here - set off by the fraction 1/3 where "3" is "the Lord's number" and alludes to the spiritual nature of the images.
When reading the text in this way, we see the spiritual attacks of our world acted out in this scene. Acts against:
- The Bread of Life
- The Water of Life
- The Light of Life
Saving truth - the means of grace - are being obscured or darkened from this world.
So humour me:) Reread the first four trumpets in this way and see if it doesn't change how you understand these words.
Reading on from here, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet. The comfort found here is that Satan's lies cannot destroy the elect. But the enemy is very real and is alive and well today!
"resembled human faces" - real people
"women's hair" - alluring
"lion's teeth" - sharp bite
"breastplates" - seem indestructible
"thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle" - huge numbers
But again, even with the sixth angel sounding the trumpet, we are again comforted to know that God is in control - evil is on a leash!
"I heard their number" (vs 16) There are many lies out there but one truth!
"Why would a loving God allow these things?" Ah, the age old question. And the answer is so clear to us as we end this reading ... it's a call to repentance. What patience our Lord has with mankind! The reality is this though ... there will never be "peace on earth" this side of heaven where all will repent and turn toward God. There will still be many that will continue to turn their backs to him in defiance!
Pray with me the prayer from our reading today? Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
4 comments:
Whoa.
So I guess here's a section where some unanswered questions are. This will be a section to work through with my pastor for sure. The big picture is too overwhelming to try to take in, so my tendency is to fixate on individual details and try to assign meaning to them. My best guess as to the meaning of any one detail then gets my mind off on weird tangents that usually have more to do with the physical realm than with the spiritual realm. Our trusted theologians find this section has more to do with the spiritual realm, however, so then my own interpretation is left with nothing that holds water and I kind of sit here in shock and just say "okay" to the interpretations I'm given without really feeling like I'm really grasping it for myself.
I SO want to understand and be able to look for the signs that our God has prophesied for us! I think of those who did not recognize Jesus at his first coming because they had an incorrect understanding of the prophecies. Lord, open my heart to a right understanding of your word!
Even with all the confusion, this section still does give comfort. As one with "the seal of God on my forehead," I know that he will work all things for my good. I will not be harmed by any who wage war against my soul, because by faith I stand firmly on the rock of my salvation. Thanks be to God for that!
The prayer from the devotional reading for this section... Amen.
I echo your "whoa"!
Yes, please take this section to your pastor and discuss it with him! I pray that you're not too frustrated with this as this is REALLY challenging stuff! I have to make sure I do my readings and discussion with my husband in the morning or my brain just can't handle it in the evening:)
Having the People's Bible as a companion to reading can be a huge help! But I'm finding that it gives me the tendency at this point to get me bogged down in the details and then overwhelmed. That's why I like the devotion so much - they've condensed it to bits I can handle and they've fleshed out the overall meaning and focus. So while I am reading the PB, I'm not pouring over it too much. At least this time around.
As for the first four trumpets - the devotion and the PB both said that they had to do in the physical realm and yes, they site Biblical references that support it. But it could also be possible that they are referring to spiritual matters and you can site Biblical references to these too. Either way, it's not wrong because both are true! I think I mentioned in the beginning of this study that the advice given to me was "don't get bogged down in the details but READ ON. Often times these matters will get cleared up in the context." And so far, this has been true for me!
It's easy for me to see the physical signs of the end in the world around. But when I discuss the spiritual signs with my husband, this is where he has insight I didn't see before or consider. Perhaps your own pastor may share his own wisdom here?
And yes, I am constantly grateful for the comfort offered that you mentioned. I think in an earlier comment, cre8ev noted it too - that the reality of this world is very unsettling (to say the least) but God means it for comfort to his people. He has won the victory! He has clothed us with His robe of righteousness and we are His!
Thanks for your comments, Rachel.
As I read them the thought occurred to me that those in Jesus' day who didn't recognize him as the promised Messiah were often the ones who had their expectations focused on a worldly king. Their focus was more on the physical world than the spiritual world. That, I think, is the tendency I have as well. When I read Revelation and eagerly seek to find meaning in each detail, the first things I think of are often related to the physical world. But as you mentioned was true when you spoke with your husband, insights about the spiritual world are good to consider, and more difficult for some of us to see.
And so I am even more encouraged to ask my pastor.
Yes! I couldn't agree with you more - much easier to relate to what we can see than what we can't. But I find once I'm encouraged to think in that spiritual sense, it's like the lightbulb goes off!
May God continue to grant us both wisdom to "see" the things we can't as we continue to grow in our study of his Word!
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