Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Revelation 9 before reading the devotional below.
A whole lot of bad theology has been conjured up by some obscure verses in the book of Revelation. Some of these images of hell and the end times have been taken very literally, with pictures and timelines and a lot of fear-mongering. I believe the Bible does clearly describe the presence of a real hell throughout many Scriptures, but I don’t pretend to know what that looks like. I keep pressing on this issue in our Revelation series because I want us all to challenge the images in our mind that may or may not be true. (Side note example: I was shocked to find out that the Bible never describes anyone laughing at or mocking Noah for building a giant boat. It’s not in there.)
Today’s chapter reminds me of God’s engagement with Pharaoh in Exodus 7-12. God has often chosen to demonstrate his might to world leaders who deem themselves to be gods. Their loyalists get taken out right along with them. But those who are spared in the first round of destruction are even worse off when they do not repent after watching their co-conspirators die. It’s a slap in the face to God when we deny his power.
We know that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (see Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10, and Proverbs 1:7). So it’s never a bad idea to check your fear of God and your worship posture. If your view of God is casual and your time is spent scrolling through all the best content social media or cable news can bring you, I would encourage you to pause. Those who fear God demonstrate humility and repentance. If those words don’t describe you, what would you need to remove from your life to return to that place?