What images of the judgment of God! "The great winepress of the wrath of God"; "The blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle"; "The four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God."; "No one could enter the sancturary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.";"Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." People are certainly foolish to think that the wrath of God is somehow dimished because of His great love. But on the other side of the coin, what is the admonition? "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgmnt has come. Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." Then there is the clear command: Fear God and give HIm glory. Once again the same call is given to the saints to endure and keep their faith in Jesus Christ by keeping the commandments. What an intense time! The passage concludes by saying "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them." Just think it is a blessing to be dead! These dead saints have obeyed the call. They have endured and kept the faith. They can now rest. For me, this seems pretty scary. What if I have to endure this? I know that God gives grace for what He calls us to endure, but on the other hand, have I grown in the Word and obeyed its commands? Am I ready for the future? Do I really know how to fear God and give HIm glory?

Lord,
Make me strong to endure what is to come. Order my priorities where they should be. Show me how to bring glory to Your name and fear You.
In the Name of the Lamb,
Amen