Category: Devotionals Page 38 of 50

Revelation at a Glance – Day 23

On June 10, 2022

Rev 8:12-13 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (13) And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Good morning! As you look out your window today, is it daylight? If yes, whether it is cloudy or not, the sun is actually shining and you know that it is daytime. But imagine if you lived in Alaska! Below is a picture of the sun’s position in the sky from sunrise to sunset on December 21 (Alaska’s short day of the year). Even though the sun peaks at noon, it still appears to be sunset. This is a glimpse of what the fourth trumpet’s effects on planet earth, not just Alaska.

But the sun won’t be on the horizon, but it will be in its normal position wherever you are located on earth. The results of this trumpet will be similar to the amount of daylight Alaska reflects above. The Scriptures say that a third of the sun will taken; as a result, naturally it will also affect the moon and the stars. Will this be a decrease in the sun’s energy? Will it be due to cloud coverage or some other type of phenomenon that will filter the sun’s rays? We don’t know but it is clear in Scriptures that this will happen. Let’s take a look.

Jesus says in Luke 21:25-26 that there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. We see in this judgment a fulfillment of Jesus’ words. This will reduce temperatures on earth and that will cause a domino effect on our natural resources. Foremost, the waters will be affected because the oxygen production levels will decrease as a result. Not only will it be colder, this will make it more difficult to breathe! If you recall from Day 21, plankton is responsible for 50-80% of oxygen on earth! Therefore, if the waters get colder and the sun doesn’t shine as long, plankton will die.

The amount of oxygen at different ocean depths can vary widely according to temperature; producers that add oxygen; and consumers and aerobic decomposers that remove oxygen.
The producers are the photosynthetic organisms such as algae and plankton. Aerobic decomposers are usually bacteria. Consumers are nonphotosynthetic herbivores that feed on phytoplankton.
Fish and other aquatic organisms will die without the appropriate level of oxygen such as levels below three to five parts per million (ppm). Decreasing levels of oxygen are due to the lack of photosynthesis caused by the decreasing filtering of sunlight in the middle and lower depths.
http://www.actforlibraries.org/how-sunlight-oxygen-and-temperature-contribute-to-aquatic-life/

This trumpet, according to Jesus, will cause the nations to be in distress! I can just imagine! The whole world is currently trying to “go green”! After all the global efforts to achieve this, the nations’ leaders will be wondering why their efforts are not producing the results they desired. They will still deny that the God of Heaven and earth is trying to wake them up using these judgments. In the first four trumpets, these judgments have affected the earth. But the worse is yet to come, if we can think it possible! The next judgments will unleash pain and suffering on human beings that are unimaginable.

Please, dear reader! Share this series with friends and family in your circle. If this is the only Bible they will ever read, then they will at least have received the Scriptures. Each post is packed with the Word of God and they will have no excuse. It scares me to think that some of my own family and extended family members going through these judgments! It should scare you as well.

For those readers who are not born again and you want to live your life whatever way you wish, know that the judgment you receive when you die will be far worse. Just because you don’t believe in Heaven and Hell, or choose not to think about it, they still exists nonetheless. We don’t think about needing air to breathe, but we need it nonetheless.

Each one of us will spend eternity in one of two places … for … all … eternity (Daniel 12:2-3, Matthew 25:46, John 5:28 and Revelation 20:14-15). Hell is a place of punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ. (Matthew 13:41, Matthew 13:50, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8). This last verse, Revelation 21:8, mentioned some of the sins that warrant Hell. Having been raised Catholic, lying was considered a venial sin and murder is a mortal sin. Notice that lying is judged equally with the same outcome as murder; both will send you to Hell!

No matter what you think, those who die without Christ will suffer torment (Matthew 13:50, Mark 9:48, Revelation 14:10). Mark 9:48 is interesting. It says “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Noah Webster defines the word “worm” here as:

Remorse; that which incessantly gnaws the conscience; that which torments.

This verse proves that Hell will be for eternity. Not only will you burn and be in darkness, but you will be incessantly and eternally experiencing that guilty conscience for each of those sins in your life. You will wish you had accepted Christ as your Saviour. I’m sure you have experienced some form of a guilty conscience and how it “ate” at you. This will be over and over for each sin for all eternity. Not only that, this will torment you because there is no way out at this point. There will be no escape… none!

Once you die, that’s it. There aren’t any second chances (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 20:14-15). If you’re wondering why a loving God would mete out such punishments, you must remember that sin cannot be allowed to enter Heaven for God is holy. Adam and Eve’s one sin of disobedience had them banished from the Garden of Eden; all the more will sin be kept out of Heaven. God has given every man a chance to hear the Gospel and to be saved. Once a person rejects that Gospel and dies without Christ, he is sentenced to eternal punishment in Hell. The world has gotten progressively more evil and, therefore, needs harsher punishments for their sin.

God does not hold one person better or over another (Romans 2:11). It won’t matter if you’ve done more good works than bad ones (Ephesians 2:8-9). He bases His judgment on whether you accept Christ as your Saviour … period (John 3:16-17, 2Corinthians 5:14-15, 1Timothy 2:6, 1Timothy 4:10, Titus 2:11, 2Peter 3:9). God doesn’t choose to send you to Hell. This is a choice you have to make (Romans 1:18, Romans 1:21, Romans 1:25).

You may say that it’s not fair for God to send you to Hell when you haven’t been “that bad.” What’s unfair is that Christ came to earth to take your punishment for your sin – each and every one of them; what’s unfair is that you reject that love. He loves you so much that He died for those sins and has left you with an opportunity to be saved (John 3:16-17, Romans 2:4, Romans 3:22-24, Romans 4:7-8, Romans 5:8-9). That is what’s not fair! Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, didn’t have to die for our sins. He did so because He loves us.

You cannot say that you haven’t read (or heard) because I have laid it out here plainly. The choice remains with you. You can believe in your heart that you are free to live your life in sin while you’re on earth and leave your eternal destiny “to chance.” But, friend, why take the chance? Would you drive a car knowing the brakes don’t work? It’s the same reasoning. I’ve told you that you can be saved from an eternity in Hell … will you choose to ignore it? What if there is just the tiniest grain of truth in the Scriptures given to you above? If you choose to continue in your sin, this life on earth will be the only Heaven you will ever know. Hell will be your destination and it won’t be the party you and your friends joked about.

Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, serving Satan and his beast? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 22

By Kate Plourde

On June 8, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Good morning, reader! I pray you are receiving a blessing as you read this series. It is not to scare the believer but to give you a glimpse of what will happen to those who remain on earth after the Rapture. It is intended to motivate the believer to share the Gospel before it is too late to do so. Once the Rapture occurs, our work here on earth is finished and the chance to lead someone to salvation through Christ is over. For the unbelieving reader, I pray that this series will shake you into reality and that your heart is unsettled when you read these posts. If it is, that’s the Holy Spirit of God pricking your heart and trying to get your attention (Revelation 3:20).

Today’s post covers the Third Trumpet judgment. This judgment is set to affect the world’s fresh water supply, which in turn affects the drinking water. One third of fresh water will become bitter due to what appears to be a falling star named Wormwood. Is this the actual name of it or is it referring to its effects? We can’t know for sure but one thing is for sure, fresh water will be affected.

This could be an asteroid or comet. The word is defined as bitterness as we see here in Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

WORMWOOD, n. [G.] A plant, the artemisia. It has a bitter nauseous taste; but it is stomachic and corroborant.

It is referenced in these verses: Deuteronomy 29:18, Proverbs 5:4, Jeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19, Amos 5:7 and here in Revelation 8:11. Each of these verses reflect the “bitter” definition. It is a bitter plant used literally for medicinal purposes and figuratively as God’s judgment upon the earth. Here’s an interesting fact: the word “Wormwood” in the Ukrainian language is “Chornobyl”! If you recall, this disaster in 1986 released 8 tons of radioactive material into our atmosphere and 8,000+ deaths and many illnesses occurred as a result. This is a small sample of what is about to occur. How do I know it will be worse? Because Jesus said: Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Can you imagine the outcome of one third of fresh water being lost? Think of the food we receive from fresh water. Drinking water is what keeps us alive. The average adult is comprised of about 50-65% water! We absolutely need fresh water to stay alive. I drink approximately 80-90 ounces of water daily. Now multiply that for each person alive. I can only imagine the extreme struggle for those who live in dry and barren lands who don’t have access to bottled water! According to National Geographic:

Freshwater is vital for life, supporting ecosystems and human civilizations. We use freshwater in many aspects of daily life including food production, power generation, manufacturing, and sanitation. However, it is becoming increasingly threatened. Although the Earth’s surface is two-thirds water, less than three percent is fresh.
National Geographic’s Teaching Resources

So stop for just one moment and think about this. If earth’s entire fresh water is less than 3% of all water, now imagine it with 1/3 less! That leaves us with 1% fresh water… globally! It stands to reason that many will die due to lack of it. This judgment won’t only just affect the water we consume. Fresh water is needed for agriculture; plants and trees need uncontaminated rain water; animals need drinking water just as humans. If the waters are contaminated, the evaporated contaminated water will turn to contaminated rain. Contaminated rain will kill plant life, etc. Planet earth cannot exist without fresh water to sustain life.

Do you really want to go through the Tribulation and suffer through these types of judgments? Never has human kind, nor the planet, experienced judgments of this magnitude! If I were not born again, I would want to be sure that I settled that matter before the Rapture calls Christians Home! Christian, it is your Christian duty to tell others in your circle what is about to befall upon them. Jesus said that the Gospel shall be preached to all the world before His Second Coming. (Matthew 24:14)

Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, experiencing the worst time in history? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 21

By Kate Plourde

On June 6, 2022

In Devotionals, End Times, Rapture, Revelation at a Glance, Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Rev 8:8 -9 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Good morning, dear Reader! As I write this post, it’s a beautiful morning and the sun is just rising! We had a horrible thunderstorm yesterday but you would never know it today. It’s amazing how we can experience an alarming event and then have a beautiful day the next. But as we shall see in today’s Scripture passage, this will not be the case at this point of the Tribulation.

As we see with this second trumpet, one third of the sea becomes blood, a third of sea life is killed and a third of the ships on the sea are destroyed. What seas? We have no way of knowing which ones will experience destruction of one third of its waters. But whichever seas/oceans receive this judgment, you can believe that it will impact the entire globe in one way or another. The Tribulation is centered around Israel so the judgments will draw them back to God. However, its effects will impact the rest of mankind as well.

The Scriptures refer to the “great mountain burning with fire.” Can you put yourself in John’s shoes as he sees this prophecy? He may be referring to an asteroid hitting the earth. I can see where its entrance into the atmosphere and explosion as it hits the sea would appear to be a great mountain burning with fire. An asteroid which would produce this kind of destruction has to be of great size. Just to give you a glimpse of the enormity of its effects, scientists have found an asteroid named 1950DA which they predict will have a 1 in 300 chance of hitting earth on March 16the in the year 2880. This asteroid is greater than half a mile wide and the impact would be equivalent to one million tons of TNT! Granted, 2880 is 860 years away but I am simply using this simply as an example of what could happen during this second trumpet. An impact of that magnitude would definitely be obvious in today’s social media and internet capabilities, wouldn’t you agree?

It could also possibly be an enormous underwater volcano which has occurred many times. This judgment mentions only that the seas (and what lies on it and in it) will be affected so it appears that the effects will be only to water, fish and ships, at this point. The blood could refer to the contamination of the waters from the actual destruction of sea life decaying as a result. Can you imagine the smell coming from the sea? The biggest providers of oxygen to our planet are actually not trees and plants, but plankton from the oceans. They provide 50-80% of the earth’s oxygen!! Imagine taking a deep breath but not fully being able to feel the effects of oxygen (or the lack of it) filling your lungs.

Let’s think about the one third of the sea creatures that will die. In 2011, food from the oceans and seas provided 143.8 million tons of food per year. That means that only 96.3 million tons of seafood will be available. Not only that, but think of the economic impact this will have when there are not enough jobs for the fishermen. As if that’s not enough, there are approximately 50,000 merchant ships at any given time on our oceans and seas and a third of them will be destroyed, leaving 33,500 ships to move shipments! There will be less food going to market and less means to deliver that food to those markets. Also, ships cannot be built overnight. They take months to build and, therefore, whatever food can be taken from the seas will be limited to the number of ships that can provide delivery of the product.

This one trumpet alone is going to have a tremendous impact on life here on earth. Starvation, joblessness, bare grocery shelves, and lack of air, will have a tremendous effect on the quality of life. Oh how I pray that people will read this and get saved before it’s eternally too late! Are you reading this today and you’re not 100% certain that you would be raptured? Is there the slightest possibility that you will go through the Tribulation? Your prideful stubbornness and sin is what stands between you and salvation. Pride keeps a person from admitting he/she has done wrong. Stubbornness is what keeps a person from going in a new direction, preferring the pleasures of sin in his/her life.

But what makes the biggest impression upon you? Is it the enjoyment of sin or the fear of being one of those who will live through the Tribulation? For me, it was the fear of going through the Tribulation. The thought of it pricked my heart and at that point, I realized that I deserved the punishment. The Holy Spirit of God worked in my heart and I understood that my “good works” would not gain me entrance into Heaven. Quite the contrary, I deserved Hell. Just as Adam and Eve’s one sin of disobedience resulted in banishment from the perfect Garden of Eden, all the more reason for my hundreds of sins in my short life of 25 years (at the time) would keep me out of Heaven. Dear Reader, if there’s even the slightest possibility of where you will spend eternity, settle the matter now. What you decide today will impact where you will spend those seven years of Tribulation: (1) raptured and in Heaven with the Lord, or (2) suffering through the worst events in history ever to occur on earth.

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 20

By Kate Plourde

On June 3, 2022

In Devotionals, End Times, Rapture, Revelation at a Glance, Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Rev 8:1-5 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (2) And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (3) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. (5) And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Good morning, Reader! Grab your favorite beverage and let’s begin today’s post with chapter 8. We will be watching as John’s writings unfold a series of judgments one right after the other. They come swiftly and people aren’t finished with the repercussions of the one before when the next judgment comes.

The seventh seal is ushering the trumpet judgments. It’s interesting to me that the seventh seal begins with silence in heaven, a holy and foreboding hush for about a half hour. As God rested on the seventh day from creation, here also we are told of a pregnant pause, a silence, a rest if you will. Just as we saw praising in chapter 7, we now suddenly experience silence, preparing us for the next series of judgments.

Verse 8 reveals an angel standing at the altar and he was given a golden censer and incense. This gesture is described as the prayers of all the saints being offered up on the golden altar before the throne. The prayers of the saints are never forgotten by God; they are preserved by the Lord and seen rising before Him. As we saw in Revelation 8:5, the angel fills the censer with fire and casts it to earth. It continues to say that there are voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. No other judgment was introduced in this manner – I find that interesting.

Rev 8:6-7 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (7) The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Now we see the first angel blow the first trumpet and one third of the earth’s trees were burnt up and all grass was burnt up. Can you imagine what this will do? The phrase, “mingled with blood” may be referencing that many will die. This judgment is quite similar to the plagues of Egypt in Exodus 9:22-26. This will have tremendous ecological ramifications. What will livestock graze upon? Those who promote a “green” planet have no idea what is about to come upon the earth.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 19

By Kate Plourde

On June 1, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 7:9-17 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; (10) And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. (11) And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, (12) Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. (13) And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (14) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15) Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (16) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (17) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Good morning, dear Reader. This morning, I’ve awoken with a tremendous burden on my heart. The thought of people dying is bad enough. But those who are born again during the Tribulation will go through a time that today’s Christians can’t even fathom in their brains! If you live in a free country, you have not experienced persecution to the point of torture and death. As the Church of Philadelphia, we are promised protection from the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). Does your heart weigh heavily with the thought of people being tortured and killed for their faith? If not, your love for the Lord is weak. He loved us so much that He was tortured and killed for us! (Romans 5:8-9) This is why I study God’s Word regarding this topic. I realize we are in the end times and I want to reach as many people as I can through this blog so I can tell them the truth! Reader, are you saved? If yes, I rejoice with you that we will be counted worthy to experience the Rapture! If you are not, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God pricks your heart to continue to read on. Please, I beg of you to do so. Learn what will happen to those who get saved during the Tribulation; don’t be one of them! Today’s blog is packed with Scripture and I pray that the Holy Spirit opens your eyes and heart to understand them.

Here we are covering a sort of parenthetical time where God’s judgment is paused and we see a glimpse of what is going on in Heaven. The Tribulation saints (also mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11) are those who are saved during the Tribulation and they will be martyred for their faith. John sees a great multitude (that no one could number) from every nation and all races and tongues standing before the throne. Notice that they are clothed with white robes which represents they are covered by the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 7:14). These saints will serve the Lord in His temple (Revelation 7:15). This reminds me of Habakkuk 3:2, that in the midst of wrath is God’s mercy. God has to show His love through justice.

We see repeatedly that these Tribulation saints will more than likely face martyrdom under the wicked rule of the Antichrist. Remember, this is a time which has never been seen on earth. If you have ever read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, you’ve seen man’s inhumanity to man. If you paid attention during History class, you’ll remember learning about the Holocaust and what Hitler did to the poor Jews! The Tribulation will be much, much worse. Why do I know this? Jesus said:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

These Saints will pay the ultimate price for loving the Lord and living out their faith. (Revelation 13:7, Revelation 13:10, Revelation 13:15, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20:4) These dear saints won’t hide their faith and will be bold for loving the Lord Jesus Christ. I write this because it stands to reason: how would the Antichrist know about them and why would he martyr them if they were silent? The only encouraging thing for these Saints at this point is that they will see Christ face-to-face and He will reward them for their boldness. They will serve Him day and night in His Temple and He will wipe away all their tears!! (Revelation 7:15)

Friend, the Tribulation will be so horrible and trying that it is said there are some Christians today who are actually leaving encouraging notes, Bibles and food in places where these Tribulation saints can find them in a city called Petra. How bold are you, dear Christian? Are you afraid to speak out to those God has placed in your circle? Share the Gospel now so they can be included in the Rapture. Don’t be shy or afraid – just think of that unsaved person you love dearly and imagine that person going through the Tribulation! Your heart should be breaking!

If you are not saved but have managed to find this blog, ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins, repent of those sins (this means to turn from your sins and live for Christ) and ask the Lord to save you. Get your hands on a Bible, if possible the King James Bible (having 66 books). Then start reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to learn about your Saviour. Then learn all you can about the end times (from the Rapture to Christ’s Second Coming) and what is in store for you in the books below:

Verses dealing with the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; 2 Timothy 4:8; Ephesians 5:25-27; John 14:1-3; Luke 17:26-37; Luke 21:29-33; Mark 13:28-37; Matthew 24:32-44; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 3:10-11; Revelation 9:11-21; Revelation 12:12 Revelation 19:6-16; Revelation 22:12; Romans 5:9; Romans 8:1

Verses dealing with the Second Coming (this is what you will be waiting for if you are saved during the Tribulation): 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Acts 1:9-12; Daniel 7:13-14; Daniel 9:24-27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11-12; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Hebrews 9:28; Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 35:1-6; Joel 2:31; Jude 1:14-15; Matthew 24:3-39; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 11:2-3; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 22:3-5; Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 14:1-5; read all of Revelation chapters 6 through 18.

I realize this list has a LOT of Bible verses, but if you’re anything like I was after I was first saved, you will have an extreme desire to read your Bible! You should learn about what lies in store for you so you can be prepared. If you are saved at the beginning of the Tribulation, you won’t have anyone to teach you. All you will have is a Bible so read, read, read! All Christians will have been raptured prior to the Tribulation and there will be no one left to teach you from the Bible. A Bible will be your only life source and you will need to spiritually feed yourself. The churches on the corner will be empty and there won’t be Pastors to help you. Therefore, feed yourself and read the Bible as much as possible. You may be the person God will use to lead others to Him.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 18

By Kate Plourde

On May 30, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 7:1-8 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (2) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (3) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (5) Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. (6) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. (7) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. (8) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

It’s a new day and people are scurrying around getting their tasks accomplished. Some are going to work; some are retired (like me) and enjoying a slower-paced life. But what will it be like for those who are alive during the Tribulation?

We have seen through this series thus far, God’s reasons for allowing the Tribulation to occur:

to wake up unbelievers
to shake up the nation of Israel, and
to make up the Kingdom of God

Each judgment is progressively worse. Just as a crescendo indicates an increase in loudness, during a piece of music to capture the listeners’ attention, so will each of the judgments. Here’s a short review of what we’ve covered follows:

The Antichrist rises to prominence (Revelation 6:1-2)
Wars (Revelation 6:3-4)
Famine and economic collapse (Revelation 6:5-6)
Death of many unbelievers (Revelation 6:7-8)
Death of some believers (Revelation 6:9-11), and
Universal natural catastrophes (Revelation 6:12-14)

Chapter 7 and 8 seem to remove the focus from earth’s judgments and appear parenthetical, a pause if you will. But this pause packs quite the punch! Judgments on earth have ceased in order to introduce a special people; they will receive the seal of God on their foreheads. It doesn’t say what the seal will look like. But we do know that it will set them apart from everyone else on earth. We will see later that the Antichrist’s mark will be on the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16). The devil’s attempt to be “god” is revealed as he tries to duplicate his own counterfeit mark. Who are these people? This chapter introduces them as the 144,000 who will be anointed in a unique and powerful way in order to preach the Gospel.

At the beginning of this chapter, we read that John has two visions. He sees four angels holding four winds; wind is often an indication of judgment, as we see here. However, we don’t see any mention of judgments in this or the next chapter. John then hears the number of those who will be sealed. Notice these are 12,000 men from each tribe of Israel, except the tribe of Dan. These are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, as believed in their doctrine. (They cannot be Jehovah’s Witnesses as they are not form the twelve tribes of Israel.) Since the tribe of Dan is not included, it makes me wonder if this is a fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy over each tribe (Genesis 49:17): Dan shall be a serpent? Very interesting 😀

These 144,000 will be redeemed from the earth (as told to us in Revelation 14:3), and nothing will be able to overcome them until their evangelizing mission is complete. Because they are men from the tribes of Israel, they will be evangelizing to Jews. Naturally, Gentiles will hear the Gospel and will get saved as well but the main target will be Israel. The whole purpose of the Tribulation is to call the Jews back to God. This parenthetical chapter once again reveals God’s mercy in the midst of judgment! What a loving God we serve! People look at the negativity of the judgments rather than the Lord’s beautiful mercy! We will see later what will happen to those people who accept Christ as the Messiah. It will not bode well for them at all.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 17

By Kate Plourde

On May 27, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Good morning, Reader! Has the sun risen in your part of the world yet? Mine has and with it comes the promise of Christ’s return for us at Rapture! I often wonder if Tribulation believers will be able to experience some of these beautiful days or will they be constantly watching their backs. Will they be able to sit and enjoy each other’s fellowship over a meal as we experience today? Will they be able to worship together and share the Scriptures with one another in order to encourage each other? Or will they be in hiding, constantly afraid, at this point of this series? You and I have no idea what it would be like without these blessings. But the Tribulation believers will have challenges you and I can’t even imagine!

Today’s devotional covers the sixth seal. This seal unleashes universal natural catastrophes and disasters that will cause havoc to the entire earth. There will be occurrences which the like has never been seen. A good example is a volcanic eruption. In 1883, the volcano in the Krakatoa Islands erupted and was heard 3,000 miles away!! Tidal waves went as far as 1,500 miles away and it changed the tides 7,000 miles away! Just this eruption alone changed the weather for two years; and this is only one volcano! 😮

According to history.com:

But in 536 A.D., much of the world went dark for a full 18 months, as a mysterious fog rolled over Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The fog blocked the sun during the day, causing temperatures to drop, crops to fail and people to die. It was, you might say, the literal Dark Age.
Now, researchers have discovered one of the main sources of that fog. The team reported in Antiquity that a volcanic eruption in Iceland in early 536 helped spread ash across the Northern Hemisphere, creating the fog. Like the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption—the deadliest volcanic eruption on record—this eruption was big enough to alter global climate patterns, causing years of famine.
What exactly did the first 18 months of darkness look like? The Byzantine historian Procopius wrote that “the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year.” He also wrote that it seemed like the sun was constantly in eclipse; and that during this time, “men were free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to death.”
Accounts like these weren’t taken very seriously until the 1990s, says Michael McCormick, a history professor at Harvard University and co-author of the Antiquity paper. That decade, researchers examined tree rings in Ireland and found that something weird did happen around 536. Summers in Europe and Asia became 35°F to 37°F colder, with China even reporting summer snow. This Late Antique Little Ice Age, as it’s known, came about when volcanic ash blocked out the sun.
https://www.history.com/news/536-volcanic-eruption-fog-eclipse-worst-year

Imagine this event during the Tribulation, but on a much greater scale! The above will be miniscule compared to these end times. Why would a loving God allow this to happen if He supposedly loves the world? It is because of the world’s love of sin and unwillingness to repent! Each year, their sinful hearts get harder and harder; it takes more judgments in order to turn their hearts. God could easily just destroy the entire earth and be done with it. But because He loves each soul so very much, He gives them repeated opportunities to be saved. This is true love!

Moving on, we see at this point during the Tribulation, as if this isn’t enough, stars will be falling from the sky! These could possibly be meteorites or comets. Earthquakes will be so strong that the Bible says all the mountains and islands will shift positions! Just think of Hawaii changing locations and no longer located at 18°55′ N to 28°27′ N Longitude – 154°48′ W to 178°22′ W Latitude! Think about it! This will horrify people so badly that they will seek shelter in rocks and mountains and will want the mountains to fall on them so they can escape this judgment through death! Wow!

If these are only the first six judgments – can you imagine what’s to come? Each one gets worse and worse because it’s taking stronger punishments to wake up the sinful world! Hearts have hardened so much, they no longer are tender to the Scriptures.

Friend, don’t delay if you are not born again! Do not trade eternal life in Heaven for a few years of pleasure on earth. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 16

By Kate Plourde

On May 25, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Good morning! If you’re anything like me, you try to start your day with time in the Word. The early morning is usually pretty quiet and it allows me to concentrate without distractions. I love the sounds of nature and watching the sunrise. It’s so peaceful and encouraging to me. But there is coming a time when one won’t be able to say this as we are seeing during this devotional series. Those who are born again during the Tribulation will be dealing with things that have never happened before! I can’t even imagine! I’m thankful for my salvation and the fact that I will be included in the Rapture when Jesus calls His Bride Home!!!

Today we are covering the fifth seal. This is an extremely sad seal to me because it depicts those who are born again during the Tribulation. What’s wrong with that, you may wonder? Unfortunately, these dear brothers and sisters in Christ will be martyred for their faith! It is at this point that the Antichrist will impose on all people to receive his mark (Revelation 13:16) and will force them to worship him as God. All those who refuse the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him will be killed. This alone should draw the unsaved to the Lord now so they don’t have to experience this horrifying time! This very topic is exactly why I was saved! This is not something that was taught to me in the Catholic church. I was so scared to be martyred and I was definitely open to hearing about the Rapture! We see that these martyred souls remain under the altar until the end of the Tribulation when the remainder of those who will die for their faith will join them. These souls under the altar are wanting justice but that justice will have to wait until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming.

My heart actually hurts when I read about these souls under the altar. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ after all! I’ve never suffered persecution because of my faith. I’ve been privileged to live in a country where we are free to practice our faith; at least, for the time being. Currently, Christianity is the main religion suffering persecution and martyrdom in other countries. I will be in Heaven and seeing these beautiful souls under the altar with my own eyes! I can see myself crying because they cannot experience justice just yet nor can they take part in being the Bride of Christ. 😥 But the Lord’s mercy is great and He will reward them soon!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 15

By Kate Plourde

On May 23, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:7-8 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

It’s a rainy day in Northern Virginia! The warmer temperatures have finally arrived and it feels so good! But I sit here meditating on what the Tribulation’s judgments will bring and how the sun will lose some of its power. I can’t even fathom this in my mind but I trust God’s Word and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this will happen. Interestingly, I have not read any account of torrential rains (other than hail stones) in Revelation. My prayer is that God uses this blog to draw souls to Him before it’s too late.

As we’ve read above, this fourth seal reveals a pale horse will arrive. This is not a pasty white horse, as we think when someone has a pale complexion. The Greek word is:

χλωρός
chlōros
khlo-ros’
From the same as G5514; greenish, that is, verdant, dun-colored: – green, pale.

This is where we get the English word chloroform. When one thinks of the color green, we think of God’s green earth and how it grows and blooms. A green plant or tree is a healthy one, growing and producing leaves and flowers. A brown or withered plant shows it is no longer healthy but dying. This horse is pale and is not vibrant in color. I think of the Laodicean church being lukewarm and not vibrant for the Lord.

We read that this horse’s rider has the name of Death. Many will die on earth at this point. The Word also says that Hell follows this horse, which indicates these people who will die are unbelievers because it says Hell follows him – believers go to Heaven, not Hell. Revelation 6:8 reveals that a fourth of the earth will die and go to Hell 😥. This seal also tells us that this horse will be given the power to kill by the sword (wars), and with hunger (famines), and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. As if wars, hunger and death aren’t enough, the Scriptures say people will be killed by beasts of the earth. I have no clue what this means but could it be that the animals are also starving and they turn to human flesh to feed? A lot of death is happening during this seal as we can certainly see!

According to Wikipedia, the population of this earth as of November 2021 was 7.9 billion. I have no way of knowing how many people will be raptured prior to the Tribulation. So let’s just use this particular number of 7.9 billion for calculation purposes. If the population holds at this number when the Tribulation begins, that means there will be a loss of 1,975,000,000 people who will die during this seal alone! That’s nearly two billion people!!! That’s a lot of people dying from wars, famine and beasts! To give you some perspective at the enormity of this number, an estimated total of 40-50 million people died during World War II – that number includes all nations involved. This WWII total is peanuts compared to the nearly 2 billion deaths during this seal alone. At no time in history has this many people died during a specific timeframe. It will make all the Black Plague seem miniscule. This plague killed as many as 50 million people in Europe. This seal will kill 1.975 BILLION people.

What will people be thinking at this point? Will they start to see their need for repentance? Will hearts be turned to the Lord? If hearts are turned, what will happen to those who are born again? We’ll see that in our next post where we will cover the next seal.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 14

By Kate Plourde

On May 20, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 6:3-6 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. (4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (5) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (6) And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

Rise and shine, Reader! Grab that favorite beverage and let’s read about what’s to come. It almost sounds like a work of fiction, doesn’t it? Don’t be mistakened, every prophecy from the Bible either has come to past or will come to past! Jesus made this exact comment:

Mat 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

If you think that the Bible is a work of fiction, you will be rudely awakened! Your ignorance does not negate the Bible and all its prophecies. Your ignorance only manages to lead you to a Christless eternity, burning for all eternity! Please, I beg you, ask God to open your eyes and soften your heart toward Him and His prophecies. This time period (the seven-year Tribulation) will be like no other and God’s wrath will be poured out! Please, become part of the Lord’s Bride who will be protected from God’s wrath because we are covered by the blood of His precious Son, the perfect Passover Lamb!

In today’s post, we will cover two seals. These “Horsemen of the Apocolypse” are an overview of judgments to come. In this seal, we see a red horse coming into the picture. Red is the color for terror, blood and carnage. It’s no surprise that there will be much bloodshed at this point. This will be when the Antichrist takes away the peace that started the Tribulation. At this point, there will be all out war on earth and many will die. Notice it says in Revelation 6:4 that a great sword is given to this red horse. Since the judgments are going to be so much worse during these seven years, many will die. We will see this in a later post.

3rd Seal, Famine - Scriptural Interpretation, Picture ...

Revelation 6:5-6 reveals a black horse who holds a pair of balances. Scales were used in those days to measure money and crops. Notice that during this time, a measure of wheat will cost a penny! It may not seem like much to you but in John’s time, a quart of wheat was a day’s wage. In today’s standards, it would be about $200 for a loaf of bread! Once reality sets in, you’ll be able to put two and two together and see what is in store for the godless world.

If you think food and gas prices have soared in 2022, it will be much worse during the Tribulation. I went grocery shopping last week and two plastic bags from Walmart cost me $80, and that did not include meat! Just at the beginning of these seals, we are seeing a drastic increase in hardships!!! Recession has been brought on by a godless government with no care for this country’s inhabitants. The current cost for fuel in May 2022 has gone up 44% in 16 months. Can you imagine the cost of living for an average family during the timeframe of this seal?

In John’s day, only the wealthy could afford oil and wine so it stands to reason that they will continue to eat well, but not so with the rest of the world. The Bible contains truth – all truth! This will be a very difficult time for those who are mid-income level wage earners. And you can forget about the poor! How will they be able to eat? If you think we have a lot of beggars on the street corners, you haven’t seen anything yet. There will be an economic collapse like never before. I can’t even fathom this and it grieves me that people will be so sinful and hard-hearted that they still won’t seek the Lord. It is because of this sinful and hard-hearted people that the judgments will only get worse. They will refuse to turn to God, therefore it will take harsher judgments to get their attention. 😥 It is very much like a child who is raised by parents who do nothing but scream commands. Eventually, the child becomes deaf to his parents’ screaming and only becomes more rebellious. One can see how the world will still have a blind eye toward the things of God.

Dear reader, if you are not saved, it’s not too late to get saved! Salvation is there for the taking if you will choose repentance over earthly and worldly pleasures. The Lord is waiting, knocking at the door of your heart!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.