Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 21 May 2021

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Revelation 17:4

The great harlot named in verse 17:1, meaning the city being described in the vision, is described further in this verse. Of her, John says, “The woman.” This is repeated from the previous verse where he said, “And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.” As noted then, this term is used to describe a city. That will be stated explicitly in verse 17:18 –

“And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Therefore, the imagery given here is metaphor and needs to be evaluated from that perspective. Of this woman, John says she “was arrayed in purple and scarlet.” The two words have a close enough appearance that both are used to describe the robe placed upon Christ. First is porphurous, or purple. That is seen only in John’s gospel (twice) and here in Revelation (twice). One instance from John says –

“And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.” John 19:2

The other word, kokkinos, or purple, is found in Matthew when referring to the robe placed upon the Lord –

“And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹ When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Matthew 27:28, 29

Whether this is the same robe in both accounts, as some assume, or whether it is a different robe placed upon Jesus (one by Herod as is seen in Luke 23:11, and the other by the soldiers of Pilate), the point of using both words in Revelation is probably to show that this woman identifies with Christ. Both the scarlet color (war, blood, and judgment) and the purple (nobility/royalty) were used to describe that which was placed upon Him. This woman is an entity that appears to be emulating Him by being arrayed in both colors.

John next continues with, “and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.” The word translated as “adorned” signifies to be gilded with. Gold speaks of purity, holiness, royalty, and divinity. Next, the Greek says, “stone precious.” The singular stands for the plural. The same idea was presented by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 –

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-13

Obviously, Paul is using the term to refer to works worthy of reward. The margarités, or “pearl,” is used in parables by Jesus to refer to the precious teachings (spiritual truths) of the gospel. That is seen, for example, in Matthew 7:6 and 13:45 –

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (7:6)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (13:45, 46)

One can see that this city is supposedly identified with Christ. It is adorned with robes as He was, it is a city basing its splendor on works and upon the wisdom found in the gospel. However, it is a harlot – meaning it has prostituted itself – betraying its calling and scorning the One she is identified with. Only in pretense is she aligned with the things of God. However, in reality (as John continues), she is “having in her hand a golden cup.”

This takes the reader back to the description of Babylon from Jeremiah 51 –

“Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And every one save his life!
Do not be cut off in her iniquity,
For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance;
He shall recompense her.
⁷ Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand,
That made all the earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
Therefore the nations are deranged.
⁸ Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed.
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
⁹ We would have healed Babylon,
But she is not healed.
Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country;
For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.” Jeremiah 51:6-9

The harlot of Revelation is not unlike Babylon of old. She has a golden cup in her hand, signifying wrath and judgment, and this will be brought down upon her as well. Of this cup, John says it is “full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.”

The Greek word bdelugma, translated as “abomination,” signifies an accursed thing. It is that which emits a foul odor. Thus, figuratively, it is a moral horror. It is something that is a stench to God. It reflects those who refuse to listen to and obey His voice.

The word translated as “filthiness” signifies something that is not pure because it is mixed. Morally, it is that which is tainted by sin.

Finally, the word “fornication” means sexual impurity and that which is idolatrous. There is a selling off, or surrendering, of purity.

The question to consider concerning this woman is, “Is there a city that fits the description of this harlot in the world today? One that identifies with Christ, bases itself on good works and the pomp and majesty of the Christian faith, and yet which is filled with abominations and idolatry?”

Life application: This great harlot bears little resemblance to the woman depicted in verse 12:1, 2 – “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ² Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.”

Whereas the woman in chapter 12 is clothed with the sun – something created by God and without change by man – the great harlot is arrayed in purple and scarlet. These are materials that require forming and shaping by man’s hands, and then they have dyes applied to them. Rather than bearing the radiance and glory of the Creator, they reflect the things that are lusted after by the world.

These garments and their colors indicate wealth, status, and royalty. The great harlot is also “adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.” The adornment of the woman in chapter 12 is “a garland of 12 stars.” Again, the stars are created by God; the adornments of the harlot are materials that are cut, melted, set, and/or shaped by the hands of men. They are external refinements that hide the true state of who she is.

Remember, this harlot is symbolic of something else and not actually a person. This entity has all the appearance of finery, status, and majesty; and yet it is an abomination to God. The idea of fornication is used throughout the Bible when speaking of the intermingling of false religion with the truth, or false religion completely substituting the truth in God’s people. This harlot is a religious entity that has completely compromised itself to filth, abominable practices, and apostasy. It has taken the truth of the gospel and changed it. This is something Paul calls “anathema” in Galatians chapter 1.

What city is there today that fits this description? Be advised that the gospel is not based on works, but on faith in Jesus Christ. Acceptable works are derived from faith in Christ. Let us remember that God alone has done all that is necessary for man to be saved. It is only faith in what He has done that this comes about. The gospel is about God’s provision as is found in the giving of JESUS.

Lord, here we are – given the beauty of Your truth in the pages of Your word. And yet, we change it and pervert it. We mix in falsity with it and then pass that on to others instead of simply trusting that what You have given us is right, proper, and sufficient. Turn our hearts to Your word alone and let us rest in that. Amen.

Thursday, 20 May 2021

So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:3

John is now given a new direction in his vision which explains who is the “great harlot” that verses 1 and 2 referred to. In this, it says, “So he (meaning the angel of verse 1) carried me away in the Spirit.” This is thus an explanatory vision. It is what occurred with Ezekiel several times. One such time was –

“And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. ² Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. ³ He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. ⁴ And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.” Ezekiel 8:1-4

As can be seen, Ezekiel was among others. His physical body remained, but he was taken in a vision to see events selected by the Lord for him to then relay. This is the same now with John. In his vision, John is taken “into the wilderness.”

The wilderness in Scripture is a place of trial and testing. It can also be a place of closeness to God or separation from God, depending on the subject. For example, Charles Ellicott notes –

“The woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 12:1), persecuted by the dragon, finds a home in the wilderness into which she is driven. She is persecuted, but not forsaken; she can joy in tribulation. The scarlet-clad woman, amid all her dazzling surroundings, is still in a wilderness.”

What John next sees is a rather remarkable thing. He says, “And I saw a woman.” The angel has already called this woman “the great harlot who sits on many waters.” He also has said of her that it is she “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (17:2).

At the end of the chapter, the angel will explicitly say that this woman, “is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (17:18). Of this woman, it says she is “sitting on a scarlet beast.” Due to the description that follows, it can be inferred that this is the same as the “beast out of the sea” of Chapter 13.

Taking the symbolism from the Old Testament, scarlet, or red, in the Bible pictures and symbolizes war, blood, and/or judgment. Thus, it can be inferred that this beast is an entity that is warring, bloody, subject to judgment, or delivering judgment (see vv. 13:4 & 13:7). Further, this beast is “full of names of blasphemy.”

This corresponds to verse 13:1, which described the beast as having, “seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” The names of blasphemy are recorded there, but so also are the continued parts of the description now being given, which says, “having seven heads.”

Later in this chapter, the seven heads are said to be “seven mountains” (17:9) and also seven kings (17:10). The word for “mountains” can simply mean “hills.” Either is an acceptable translation. The word can also be taken literally, or it can be taken as a metaphor for a government entity. Finally, the verse ends with, “and ten horns.”

The ten horns are specifically said to be ten kings in verse 7:12. The description is now given, and it will be built upon in the verses to come.

Life application: The things John is seeing in his vision are identifiable as to what the things mean – scarlet, a beast, horns, and so on. The meaning is generally clear from such things already found in Scripture. However, the actual identification of them is not explicitly stated. Further, whether some are literal or are metaphors (such as the mountains) is unknown. Therefore, what is presented can be turned into countless points of conjecture.

Being dogmatic about a single interpretation is not the wise path to follow. And yet, an analysis must be made with one’s best interpretive guesses. In the end, time will meet up with the prophetic utterances, and the two will come together, revealing the truth of all of the symbolism. When it happens, the truth of Scripture will be seen.

For now, let us consider the words of Revelation as God’s inspired word. It is showing us, in advance, that He already knows what is coming and how it will all pan out. Because of this, we can be absolutely confident that what it says about the victory ahead is certain. In the end, there is victory, because at the end there is JESUS.

Heavenly Father, You have revealed future events to us in Your word because You want us to study them and stretch our minds as we think them through. Help us to see clearly into what You intend for us to see and help us to not fight over the things which are yet hidden from our view. May our studies of Your word be edifying to us and bring glory to You. Amen.

Wednesday, 19 May 2021

with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Revelation 17:2

The words of this verse should be combined with verse 17:1 to get a full view of what is conveyed –

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’”

Having the context, John begins verse 17:2 saying, “with whom the kings of the earth.” The kings of the earth speak of the world system of government. The nations have their own governmental structures, and they are not united with the Lord in any particular manner, even if some of their citizens are. They are simply the governments that exist and by which the people of the earth engage in their affairs.

Of these kings of the earth, John says that this great harlot has “committed fornication.” Of this thought, Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“The figure of a harlot committing fornication with kings and peoples occurs frequently in the prophets, representing the defection of God’s Church and its attachment to others. See Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 3:1, Jeremiah 3:6, Jeremiah 3:8; Ezekiel 16:15, Ezekiel 16:16, Ezekiel 16:28, Ezekiel 16:31, Ezekiel 16:35, Ezekiel 16:41; Ezekiel 23:5, Ezekiel 23:19, Ezekiel 23:44; Hosea 2:5; Hosea 3:3; Hosea 4:14. The word is applied to heathen cities in three places only: to Tyre, Isaiah 23:15, Isaiah 23:16, Isaiah 23:17; to Nineveh, Nahum 3:4; and here.”

Due to the nature of this concept, that of fornication referring to “God’s Church” an overwhelming number of times, this is an immediate indication that it is referring to a body claiming to be aligned with the Lord, but which has defected from what is right, sound, and proper.

But more directly, these instances cited by Vincent’s speak of people groups (such as Israel) and cities (such as Jerusalem, Tyre, and Nineveh). There is the merging of what is profane into what occurs in them – idolatry, turning from the Lord, and so on.

As will be seen, the final verse of the chapter identifies this harlot, Mystery Babylon, as “that great city which rules over the kings of the earth.” This is explicit, and there is no reason to assume that the word “city” means anything other than an actual city. Of this city, John next says, “and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk.”

The inhabitants of the earth include, but are not limited to, the kings of the earth. This city, which is a great harlot, has influence around the world and among people within many governments. These people have participated in her adulteries, being led not to the Lord, but astray from the Lord. This, even though the city claims to be aligned with the Lord. This is evidenced in the words, “were made drunk.”

The idea of drunkenness is that of spiritual waywardness, pursuing idolatry, and the like, all of which is leading to punishment. The theme is seen especially in the prophets. A notable example is seen when speaking of Judah in Ezekiel –

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself. ²⁹ They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. ³⁰ I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. ³¹ You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.’
³² “Thus says the Lord God:
‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
³³ You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
³⁴ You shall drink and drain it,
You shall break its shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 23:28-34

This is what is now being portrayed by John. And so, he finishes with, “with the wine of her fornication. This city is responsible for leading the inhabitants of the earth astray from the Lord through her actions of idolatry and spiritual prostitution. Wine represents a cultural expression where the mingling of things occurs. In this case, there is the mingling of what is supposed to be true religion with that which is idolatrous. In giving this wine to the inhabitants of the world, they become drunk with the idolatry of the harlot.

So, the question to be put forth before continuing on in this chapter is, “Can you think of a spiritual body, supposedly aligned with the Lord, based in a single city, which is filled with idolatry, and which conducts its affairs on a global scale, including making alliances with the leaders of nations? If so, you can then see if the pattern in the verses ahead continues to describe that religious city that you have in mind.

Life application: There is one God and one way to approach Him. It is the Bible that reveals this one way. Therefore, any other religious system on earth, no matter whether it contains snippets of truth or not, is false. And, it is certain, even some religions which stem from the Bible are false because they manipulate it in ways that twist the truth it contains. Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are two of the many cults which have sprung from the Bible, but which bear no resemblance to the truth contained in it.

Because the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to the world, it is the source of how to have a loving and close relationship with Him. In it, we find that God desires this type of intimate relationship. However, this beautiful relationship is violated when we participate in religious or philosophical systems which pull us away from what He has ordained. And so, the metaphor of harlotry is used.

Just as a harlot seduces us and draws us away from our marriage partner, false religion pulls us away from our God. This type of spiritual fornication is unacceptable to God. Today we see the world heading towards a worldwide system of false religion. Indeed, the whole world is moving towards this system.

Add in a charismatic world leader, the antichrist, and there will be almost universal idolatry of him and the following of whatever religious system he espouses or aligns with. Add in the false prophet who will lend credence to this thought, and you can see how easily the world will be duped into its plunge into perdition. What is coming will be so far from the truth of the Bible that there will be no remedy. Instead, God will judge this great harlot and destruction will come upon her.

The way to avoid this is to have one’s mind aligned properly with God as He has revealed Himself. And the way to do that is to read and know the Bible – His inspired and breathed out word to us. What it says is coming is already in the works, and countless masses will be led astray – all because they failed to check the word. It is all there, and it is a message that tells us to fix our eyes on JESUS.

O God, You have held out Your hands to the people of the world and beckoned us to come and fellowship with You. You’ve given us everything we need to do so, and You alone have paved a spacious highway for us to follow. But we, like straying sheep, look for any other avenue other than the right one. Lead us, O great Shepherd, and keep us from straying. Amen.

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, Revelation 17:1

With the pouring out of the seven bowls of God’s wrath complete, the first verse of Chapter 17 now begins two chapters concerning the destruction of Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots. The fall of Babylon has already been mentioned twice already. The first time was in chapter 14 when the three angels made their proclamations. The second time was in the preceding chapter at the time of the great earthquake.

The big question regarding these references to Babylon for scholars of Revelation – almost as big as what the number of the beast signifies – is, “Who is this great harlot.” There are several views, and the debate is both heated and often bitter. One view is that it is a worldwide system of all the false religions on earth. Some who hold to this view include politics as a part of the system – a political/religious system that is in opposition to God.

A second view is that this is a religious system centered specifically in Rome. A subview of this is that it is the Roman Catholic Church, both in past history and leading up to and through the tribulation period. A third view is that the location is actually Babylon in Iraq which has been rebuilt and from which spiritual leadership is exercised. And a fourth suggestion is that it is a system centered in Jerusalem rather than Rome or physical Babylon.

Of course, there are many other views – it is America, it is the EU, it is this or that… It is hard to be dogmatic about much of what is presented, but each verse will be analyzed, and the most probable location and concept will be identified as we progress.

For now, it should be noted that it is one of the seven angels with the seven bowls who speaks to John. As this opening verse says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me.”

Which of the seven angels this is remains unstated. Therefore, the angel’s identity in regard to the pouring out of the seven bowls is irrelevant to the narrative. In other words, it could be the sixth saying to John, “Here comes the seventh bowl. Watch what happens to Babylon with this!” Or, it could be the seventh, saying, “Watch what I will now do to Babylon!” This is intentionally left out, and so the speculation that many devolve into over the identity of the angel is pointless. What matters is what this angel presents to John. He says, “Come.”

The Greek word is deuro. It does not necessarily signify motion, although it could. Jesus used it when calling forth Lazarus from the tomb. But Paul uses it in the sense of “the present time” when he said in Romans 1:13, “but was hindered until now.” Being an adverb, the thought now might be, “Presently, I will show…”

With this call, the angel then says, “I will show you.” It indicates that everything to be presented is a description of what will occur during the bowl judgment. What is seen then explains more fully what was said in Chapter 16 with the words, “And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.”

This is the same in idea as that of the sixth day of Genesis 1 being explained more fully in Genesis 2. The Bible introduces a subject, and then details are later filled in. The book of Ruth is an insert into the time of the Judges, which is the book that precedes Ruth. John saw the bowl poured out, and now he will see that presented in a more detailed manner. The angel next says it is “the judgment.”

In other words, what follows is a careful explanation of the wrath of God being poured out upon the object of what the contents of the bowl are directed to, which is the judgment “of the great harlot.”

The symbolism here is taken from elsewhere in Scripture. A city is identified by its conduct. In this case, the conduct of the city is that of harlotry. This was stated of Jerusalem –

“How the faithful city has become a harlot!
It was full of justice;
Righteousness lodged in it,
But now murderers.” Isaiah 1:21

As a city is a representation of its people, the same thought is extended to the people of the city directly at times –

“Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.” 2 Chronicles 21:11

Such terminology is not limited to Jerusalem, but is used to refer to Samaria as well in Ezekiel 23. It is further used when referring to Tyre in Isaiah 23. The idea is that of spiritual harlotry against the Lord. Of this harlot in Revelation 17, the angel identifies her as one “who sits on many waters.”

This is an Old Testament reference to Babylon –

“O you who dwell by many waters,
Abundant in treasures,
Your end has come,
The measure of your covetousness.” Jeremiah 51:13

However, what was presented of Babylon was only a physical location anticipating a spiritual Babylon. Ancient Babylon was by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and was surrounded by the various lakes and wetlands adjoined to them. This reference to “many waters” now in Revelation is explicitly defined in verse 17:15 –

“Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.’”

What ancient Babylon was in a physical sense was only a type of what the Babylon of Revelation is in a spiritual sense.

With this description now provided, it should be noted and compared with the introduction of another female figure coming later in Revelation –

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.’” Revelation 17:1

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’” Revelation 21:9

By noting the different introductions of these two, one can see that they are being set in opposition to one another. The theme is being developed for the reader to show the contrast between the two.

Life application: Throughout the Bible, a harlot is used to refer to religion that is defiled, or outright false religion. There is One Maker, and He deserves pure and undefiled religion. When worship of Him is mixed with falsities, or when it is rejected entirely, that worshiper, congregation, or people group is in a state of prostitution, and the mode of worship is considered harlotry.

The Lord expects His people to honor Him. Being called as His people, and then allowing false religion into their lives, brought great trouble and destruction upon the people of Israel. The seven letters to the seven churches show that those who identify with Him are not immune to this. Our worship of the Lord is to be pure and untainted. We follow a great God and a glorious Savior. We follow JESUS!

Lord God, You have shown us what pure and undefiled religion consists of. You have sent Your Son to cleanse us from our past religious failures and to lead us into true worship. And You have given us Your Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and lead us into all righteousness. Help us to properly worship You and never mix error into our fellowship with You. Amen.

Monday, 17 May 2021

And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. Revelation 16:21

The previous verses referred to the great earthquake and its associated terrors. This final verse of Chapter 16 continues with that theme, saying, “And great hail from heaven fell upon men.” Hail was one of the plagues of Egypt as is described in Exodus 9:22-32. That account was hail that was mingled with fire that was “so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation” (Exodus 9:24).

In this account, it is not so much the volume as in Egypt, but it is rather the weight of the hail. As John says, “each hailstone about the weight of a talent.” A talent is approximately 75 pounds. Because of this, the effect will be devastating.

If this is to be taken literally, one possibility to explain such great hail is that the great earthquake mentioned in the preceding verses will cause such great atmospheric changes that massive hailstones will result. Or it could be that along with the earthquake, other events occurred which caused great amounts of debris to be cast into the air, and which then falls back to earth as if hailstones.

A third possibility is that a major meteor hits the earth which would cause:

1) a change in the earth’s rotation
2) a massive earthquake
3) breakaway meteorite chunks flying everywhere (hail)
4) Lots of debris once it hits

Whatever the cause of them, in the Bible they are considered their own form of judgment. This is seen elsewhere besides the exodus account, such as –

“The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard,
And show the descent of His arm,
With the indignation of His anger
And the flame of a devouring fire,
With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.” Isaiah 30:30

Hail as judgment is also seen in the Psalms, other passages in Isaiah, in Ezekiel, and in Haggai –

“I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the Lord.” Haggai 2:17

An event of hailstones falling on Israel’s enemies during battle is seen in Joshua 10:11 as well. The terror of hail is that there is no way to know where or when it will land. Like being in an artillery barrage, there is no certainty of life from moment to moment. Because of such terror, John says, “Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail.”

It is the same reaction as that of the pouring out of the fourth bowl. Instead of appealing to God, the people will blaspheme Him. The minds of the people will be so twisted and corrupt that they curse the Creator, as if it could have any effect on Him. The hail was prophesied in advance, showing that even if it is a result of the earthquake or some other natural event, it was known to – and allowed by – God to occur. And yet they still blaspheme Him “since that plague was exceedingly great.”

The judgment of hail is great because the sin of the people is great. The judgment is just and right. It is not unlike that which will occur during the battle of Gog and Magog as is recorded in Ezekiel 38 –

“And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. ²³ Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 38:22, 23

Life application: These occurrences have come about ,and will come about, because of the sins of the people and a rejection of God.

This is the state of depravity in the human heart. We ignore God, claim He doesn’t exist, and we fight against Him. But when tragedy strikes, we blame Him and curse His name. Our words and actions toward God are usually contradictory. Instead of acknowledging His sovereign greatness, we exalt ourselves above Him by judging His actions.

But humanity is a part of creation, and God has every right to dispense with His creatures in whatever way He deems is appropriate. The amazing thing isn’t that God doesn’t keep us from harm. The amazing thing is that He lets us live at all. We have sinned, we have failed to recognize His glory, we find other avenues to pursue from day to day without having Him as our greatest joy.

Despite these things, He took the initiative in order to reconcile us to Himself. He accomplished the work, He sent His Son, and He allowed us to crucify Him. All that is needed to bring us back to Himself was accomplished by Him. And all He asks for is that we will just believe. Let us turn to Him through this marvelous message of reconciliation. Let us praise Him forevermore for the giving of His Son, JESUS.

It is hard to imagine how unclear our thoughts are toward You, O God. We try to hide from You and we speak ill of You – as if You couldn’t hear. We even curse You when we receive Your stern hand of discipline and correction. Were it not for Jesus, we certainly would be utterly swept away. Thank You for Jesus! Thank You for peace and hope through Him. Amen.