Day 349.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17 ESV)
I hesitate to even write about Revelation beyond the first three chapters for a short devotional because there is so much disparity in interpretation. But no matter your view of the book, this much can be said without controversy. The wrath of the lamb is nothing we want to face. The original readers of Revelation were facing the prospect of terrible persecution. Many had already suffered for their faith. They had been stripped of property, cast out of social circles (at the least), or totured and humiliatingly killed (at the worst). It was frightening to profess faith in Christ! But there is a far greater fear than the brutality of man, and that is the wrath of God himself. Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28 ESV)”
The good news is that there is an answer to John’s question, “who can stand?” The lamb who brings his wrath also rescues those who endured persecution “by the blood of the lamb.” This is the GOOD news of the book of Revelation.
What is your greatest fear?
Pray for Christians throughout the world who are suffering for their faith.
McCheyne’s reading plan: 2 Ch 17, Re 6, Hag 2, Ps 120-122
