Heralds Digest

"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent." (Revelation 12:14 NKJV) Peace, purity and power represent the place of all creatures of God in relationship with their Creator before the fall. And without intervention of heaven after the fall, all are doomed with the dragon and his fallen angels. But grace (God's riches at Christ's expense) represent the sufficiency of the two wings of a great eagle, that cannot held any creature to feast as prey to the hawk of sin. God's grace is great and full of sufficient protection from the embarrassment of sin.

"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12:17 NKJV) Friendliness is the natural characteristics of friends; but it is a misnomer with fiends. Unfortunately, the redeemed of the Lord often appears to treat fiend as friend to their destruction. Those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ should not be deceived: friendliness with the world is a dangerous romance with a fiend. Fortunately, anyone who keep his eyes upon Jesus will not be consumed by the rage of an unfriendly fiend.

"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.