Revelation 9

Chapter 9 tells of the judgment done on earth. But people still did not repent. The things described here as judgments sound a lot like the disasters in the news. There are wars and famines and tornadoes and flooding all over the United States. They also happen all over the world but we do not hear as much about them. But people do not cry to God and repent.

That expression "natural disasters" is instructive. Today things like that are never attributed to God at all. They are "natural". That means there is no intent. They just happen randomly.

People in Jesus' time certainly did not feel that way about cataclysmic events. To people back then the power of nature had an evil spiritual dimension. Now today we would consider that type of view superstitious.

I recently read a Greek novel of the first century called Callirhoe by Chariton. It has all the aspects of a modern romance. But the author also includes the gods in the business. To a Greek mind men did not do things unless the gods motivated them. And the author goes to great pains to explain why the gods caused things to happen. Greek myths and stories included the Greek gods as players behind human motivation. Cataclysmic events had a reason. The gods were mad at someone or some group. Someone was too proud or had too many good things happen to them. Or the gods might test a person.

Are we totally wrong to not believe such stuff? We do not believe in Greek gods. But are we superstitious to believe God might have intent for the disasters that happen in out time?

I too have trouble linking our present sinfulness with drought in the south, storms in the Midwest and flooding in North Dakota. But here in chapter 9 John tells us in the end times events just like these are signs of God's judgment. The correct response is to be repentance and a cry for mercy.

God tries in many ways to reach people. He knows we need him. He knows his plan of salvation involves believing in Jesus Christ. God wants us to face the fact of our mortality. So many people refuse to face the fact that their lives will end. We need to be confronted with the implications. What happens after death?

Billy Graham used to use the expression "getting right with God". Sometimes this seems selfish, doesn't it? But we should not put it off. We still understand God to be loving compassionate. But often people want to presume on God's patience.

People need to decide. There is only a limited amount of time. God wants us to make a decision. Are we for God? Then we should live righteously. Or are we against God and want to live a life leading to death? Righteousness leads to eternal life. Sin leads to death (Romans 12).

Some people want to ignore the message. They want to put it off. But we will all die. And some of us will die suddenly unexpectedly. It's not like we were not warned. We hear about sudden tragic death all the time.

Beloveds. Let us take God seriously and live a life that leads to life in him.