Heralds Digest

"The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed." (Revelation 15:8 NKJV) The lively engagements of people within the temple represent a positive move or good occupation. Lively engagements can provide people with sufficient reasons for a flash of season. For example, Moses' activities with the children of Israel provided the sufficient water refreshments from the rock, with his engagement with the God of heaven. Yet, this engagement was not only unacceptable to God, it undermines his future engagements with the Lord. This is because his good occupation was void of the fear of God; and it could not qualify as a representation of God's glory. Whenever God's glory fills the temple, man's movement, if at all, matters just a little.

"“Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." (Revelation 14:18-19 NKJV) A joy of any vine-dresser comes from the relevance of the fruit grapes from the harvest of the vine. Being the special creature (grape) of God, made in His image and for His glory, man is not actually designed to be thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Unfortunately, sin sinks sinners into the endless pit of hell fire. But amazingly, God's grace breaks the power of sin and reverses the punishment of wasted grapes for those who believe.

"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”" (Revelation 14:13 NKJV) Unlike bread and butter beliefs, reality teaches that the grace of God that bring salvation comes with a package of labour. Obviously in the word of Jesus Christ, this labour is a rest, compared with the burden of sin and unrighteousness. Being crucified with Christ, misconceptions, misrepresentations, convictions, and possibly, prosecutions are normal light afflictions for believers. But for the generation of those who will be born during the period of the Great Tribulation, there is a blessedness in the tenure of their faith-provoked light afflictions. The termination of the earth's light afflictions opens the translation into heaven's glorious rest.

"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”" (Revelation 14:13 NKJV) Redemption starts with the spiritual translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Although the redeemed of the Lord lives in the world thereafter, they are dead in Christ; and they are subject to inevitable persecution from the system of the world. To those who are troubled daily by the enemies of the Cross, the final redemption hour remains an enviable declaration of rest from pain.

"And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Revelation 14:5 NKJV) Good impressions are the reserves of good people. Wicked people care little about goodness. However, the pressure to give good impression is often badly managed with deceit in the mouth or gesture of good people. Good impressions, wrapped in the regalia of deceitful expressions, can succeed in making good face before men. The scripture says they are not without fault before the throne of God. Even if it leaves a bad taste, honesty with gracious impressions is preferable to deceit-coloured good impressions.

"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads" (Revelation 13:16 NKJV) National planning for food, health, employment and social securities in the world depends on the accurate presentation of the global identity. There is little doubt that the network system in all the nations of the world are fast being integrated, in order to regulate the morality of man. As long as social security is guaranteed, man is brought to a state where what matter most in term of worship cannot fall outside the services of food, social, and medical care, etc. Eventually, in an anti-christ economy that will be operating on secured morality, a club member is caused (not privileged to chose) to be duly identified with the mark of the beast.

"He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." (Revelation 13:10 NKJV) Saints and tribulation represent an unexpected combination at any period of life, but they appear an unavoidable reality of all times. Tribulation readily provokes bitterness and ungodliness. The victims of tribulation period are unconsciously encouraged to join in the propagation of wickedness. However, saints endure tribulation through their patience in God's sincerity about His final judgment of the wicked, and their faith in God's salvation from wickedness. Obviously, irrespective of the times and season, the white robes of tribulation saints are more precious than their spilled blood.