THE CUP
Today’s Reading: Revelation 16
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Southeast of Haifa lies Mt. Carmel, a promontory rich in Biblical history. As you stand on its peak looking east, you can see the fertile plains of the Jezreel Valley. The book of Revelation also identifies this area, Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), as the place where the final battle of Armageddon will be fought. It was also on this mountain that Elijah the Prophet confronted the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Revelation 16:5
And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
“You are righteous, O Lord,
The One who is and who was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things…”
Jim and Kathy Cantelon write today’s 100 Words segment (originally published in Crossroads’ Day Unto Day devotional series)…
In this chapter we see the anger of God at sin and the demands of His justice. Seven angels “pour out” the contents of the “seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God” (15:7). The first bowl brings a plague of ulcers upon “the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image” (verse 2). The second bowl befouls the sea (verse 3) while the third bowl pollutes the fresh water (verse 4). The fourth bowl affects the sun so that the earth’s residents are “seared by the intense heat” (verse 9), and the fifth bowl plunges “the throne of the beast, and his kingdom” into darkness (verse 10). The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River and releases three evil spirits who gather “the kings of the whole world…for battle on the great day of God” at the valley of Megiddo (verses 12-16). The final bowl precipitates a great cataclysm culminating in a huge earthquake and violent hail storm (verses 16-21).
All of this comes from God Himself. And the people “curse” Him because of it (verses 9-10). There’s something in human nature that resents superior power, even when it comes from God, who is the ultimate Power. We each can choose to submit or rebel.
One of the most significant messages of the book of Revelation is that God will ultimately manifest His holiness and punish all unholiness. In the context of this chapter, we can clearly see that all this wrath and destruction could have been prevented – but sinful mankind “refused to repent of what they had done” (verse 11b). God will go to almost any length to impress on us our need to turn away from sin. But if we refuse, we’ll suffer the consequences.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God Almighty, as I read Revelation 16 I’m hearing clearly Your message: “You are righteous, O Lord” (16:4a), and I am a sinner. Therefore, I repent! Grant me the grace to live in a state of repentance. I pray for a constant awareness of Your holy presence, so that I may, as You said, Lord Jesus, in 16:15, be blessed by watching for Your coming again, and by keeping the garments of Your righteousness as my clothing. In Your Name, I pray, dear Jesus. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a new believer in Jesus as my Saviour and Lord, I thought long and hard about the reason for the suffering and death of Christ. For example, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, “Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will but Yours be done,” what was in the cup? The answer came from Revelation 16:19b and from other Scriptures…”The cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath!” God’s anger against all that hurts and destroys those He has created and loves was in that cup. I ask myself, “How can I get my mind around this eternal truth?” Over the years I’ve read the words from Isaiah again and again, “The cup of His fury” and “The cup of My fury” (Isaiah 51). I would urge us all, as I have done this morning, to read again Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12. I read this and weep, throwing myself on the mercies of God and confident in God’s promise that “He [Jesus] has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4a), and that “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Yours for giving our lives in a fresh commitment to Jesus every day,
David
Looking west from Mount Carmel towards the Mediterranean Sea.
Jim and Kathy Cantelon. I appreciate that they’ve allowed me to use their Revelation commentary, which Crossroads originally published in the “Day Unto Day” devotional series in the early nineties.
“Satan wants to keep us away from the light, and sin has a way of blinding us. Because of our shame, we choose to hide in the dark. We don’t want to be exposed. When Jesus says He is light, it is to deliver us to safety, free us from shame, and bring us home to the Father. Just as a boat needs a lighthouse to safely reach a port at night, we need Jesus to light the way for us through the Bible and by His Spirit. If you’re feeling lost on the waters of life, look to Jesus who is the way home—because that’s courageous living:
Jesus, Light of the World, guide my steps. When the way is unclear and darkness surrounds me, light my path and grant me wisdom and trust to follow You.” by Lorie Hartshorn
Revelations certainly is hard to take but necessary for us to pay attention I believe. May God’s blessings shower each and every believer this and each day we are to put our trust in Him and enjoy the life He has given us to enjoy.
Amen,Lynda.He has to ‘shock us’ awake.I agree with your thoughts above.Our minds are puny compared to heavenly minds;be it angelic or demonic.God bless
I am eternally grateful that as Isaiah wrote so many years ago… “Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”
Lynda, I agree, Revelations is not easy to read, oh thank you Jesus for taking my sin to the Calvary.
May many today accept Jesus as their Saviour.
Lynda, Amen to your comments and prayer.
I prayed David’s Prayer for Today.
To God be the Glory for evermore, Amen.
I read somewhere that ‘har’ means ‘hill’ and ‘Megiddo’ is a place.Combined we get Armegiddo…Google gave me this:
”’ What does Har mean in the Bible?
Etymology. The word Armageddon appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in Revelation 16:16. The word is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew har məgiddô (הר מגידו). Har means “a mountain or range of hills”. This is a shortened form of harar meaning “to loom up; a mountain”. ”’
Lynda’s comment reminded me of this:
Our Infection
In the darkest shadows of our minds
Is where we lock our sins away
But He sees what His light finds,
For He sees shadows as bright as day.
In our closet are hidden from us
What we can not fight on our own,
But there is One called Jesus
Who has the brightest light ever known.
This light is free,from a ransom paid,
To all those who will take His name,
For in His torment He made
A sacrifice when He had no blame.
He knew,back then,of our infection
And of the power we denied,
So ignoring rejection,
He left us the grace we had defied.
(G.W.)Bill Marshall/11 July, 2016
Amen William..thank you for your thought-filled poetry.
Revelation is an awesome book, fearful, and yet, awakening. We really need to focus on the book as time is running out. Praying for family & friends, and, especially for the victims of war and disaster. May they look to the Lord and hear Him – and may we as well. He is our Hope & Redeemer. Amen.
Lynda, I appreciated the whole Quote that you shared, and especially, this Prayer:“Jesus, Light of the World, guide my steps. When the way is unclear and darkness surrounds me, light my path and grant me wisdom and trust to follow You.” by Lorie Hartshorn
Thank you, also, Bill -for your heartfelt poem and Doreen and Anne for posting.
When one reads Revelation 16, the Wrath of God is overwhelming.
“Come Holy Spirit-come!” May we all know Your Presence; listen, repent and obey.
Amen to all the comments above
The book of Revelation is hard to read
But at the same time it is a book of prophecy what is yet to come
Prophecy is not only recorded in Revelation and Daniel but in many other books in the Bible because I have a prophecy Bible which is very helpful
Be blessed saints today on this May long weekend’s
The unofficial official start to Summer♥️