Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelations 16

Highlight Verse:

“and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Book of Revelation has always made me uncomfortable.

When I was young, I avoided it altogether.

And now, I struggle with what verse to pick and what to say about it.

The thought occurred to me that chapters like this show the earth as a construction zone in the demolition phase.

But then I thought that was an insensitive and even crass way to look at it.

I look at verse 5 and think that God is completely justified in punishing those who rejected him.

But I think that misses the ultimate heart of God.

I believe the ultimate heart of God comes in the desperate attempt before the final chapter of Earth, to bring people to a place where they can finally come to eternal life.

Twice this chapter mentions that people did not repent. Other times it speaks of people cursing God.

To me, that means God’s desire was for people to turn from evil and repent into new life.

One final thing this chapter shows me is that it will be much easier to come to new life now than it will be in those final last days.

What do you think? Is it God’s will to judge or to bring people to repentance? Or both?
What can we do to spare people the pain and suffering that will be here during the final days?