WEEK 21 MEMORY VERSE:
”Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Revelation 16:15

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Revelation 14:6-20
Judgment on the Beast’s Followers
In stark contrast to the previous scene of celebration of those who have been faithful to the Lamb, today’s passage introduces the judgment of those who have been seduced by the Antichrist and rejected the rule of God in their lives. Dark phrases pepper this whole passage: “Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries”; “he, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury….He will be tormented with burning sulphur”; “the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night…”; “They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.”
This is a horrifying conclusion, and should simply reinforce for us the truth that the realities of life on this earth, both now and during the tribulation period, are strictly temporary. We must not let the pressures of this world to conform overcome us, even if that pressure includes the threat of death, for the truth is clear – eternal joy awaits those who are faithful to Christ, and eternal torment for those who bow down to idolatry of whatever form.

Prayer Starter:
Thank you, Lord, that as your child I am eternally delivered from the wrath and justice of God, which will eventually win the day. Help me not forget the awful eternity that awaits those who reject you in favor of the spirit of this age.