Heralds Digest

"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”" (Revelation 11:15 NKJV) As long as unrighteousness exists, righteousness can neither be defined nor understood without reference to unrighteousness. But at the final sounding of trumpet according to God's great tribulation programme to judge unrighteousness, righteousness will commence a glorious reign without any constraint. Although the present constraints are relevant to prove the sincerity of the saints' love for God, it will be beautiful to experience a new kingdom void of temptation or unrighteousness. Expectedly, only those who allow God's kingdom of righteousness to reign within will reign in God's kingdom of righteousness.

"In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven." (Revelation 11:13 NKJV) Guilty plea is generally accepted as an expression of a sincere conviction of unrighteousness; whereby pardon becomes possible. Actually, pardon for sin is paid in full through grace. However, the unrepentant sinners, who will face the great tribulation after the rapture of the saints of God, are eventually forced to a shameful conviction through the witnesses of the glory of God. Unlike sincere conviction, shameful conviction brings lawful condemnation into hell, instead of conversion from unrighteousness.

"And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”" (Revelation 10:11 NKJV) Many residents of free states may be ignorance of the cost of preaching the gospel message. Without undermining the sweet stories of love and forgiveness from sin, gospel preachers can face intense persecution that leaves bitter statement behind the bearers. John the Apostle had to be compelled to prophesy again, after his current suffering for the gospel message had become a common knowledge of all. After all, a bitter gospel is sweeter than a bitter eternity.

"But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk." (Revelation 9:20 NKJV) Hell was originally prepared as the final place of abode for the Devil and the fallen angels. Unfortunately, all of human race inherited hell with the Devil by reason of the fall of man into sin. Nevertheless, God's redemption plan through repentance from sin is brought by the grace of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the privilege to repent is limited to the period before the commencement of the Great Tribulation. It was revealed that about 75% of mankind, who will escape destruction by the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates, will be dead-hearted and unrepentant. This attitude underscores the preciousness and the privilege of repentance. Wisdom demands that we stop sinning when...

"They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads." (Revelation 9:4 NKJV) The sounding of the fifth trumpet, according to God's programme of tribulation for the inhabitants of the earth during Great Tribulation period, will introduce harmful locusts from the bottomless pit. While everyone will not be able to invite death as escape route from the locusts' torments, some special people will be spared by reason of God's seal on their foreheads. Even today, God's seal protects the redeemed of the Lord from the corruption of the world and the condemnation of its sin.

"Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night." (Revelation 8:12 NKJV) The sounding of the first three angels has destroyed the different sources of renewable energies, including biomass, hydro and tidal. With the extension of woe to the source of solar power, the concept of renewable energies becomes obsolete. Therefore, the loss of the power of excitation to all the technological innovations of man expresses the shameful end of human knowledge. Unlike confidence in the grace of God, confidence in the renewable strength to power human innovations is not sustainable. If the sun, moon, stars were created by spoken word of God, the real renewable power is resident in His declaration upon every dead situation and circumstance of life.

"Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water." (Revelation 8:10 NKJV) The struggle for the top or the rise to reach for the star is always a lonely adventure. However, the fall of any star attracts great consequences. The sounding of the third angel will invite the falling of a great star from heaven, according to the revelation of Jesus Christ about the last days events. While this event signifies one of the episodes of God's punishment upon the earth before the Final Judgment, it reminds believers about the danger of a great fall. A star is admirable by all people when viewed in the sky. Apart from the fact that the fall of a great star is not admirable, it is equally not lonely.