Rebellion

Revelation 16:9-11,21: "They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done . . . . From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible."

The 16th chapter of the book of Revelation chronicles the events that befall those who do not submit themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As part of His Divine, eschatological judgment, God will pour out His wrath upon those who have spurned His offering of grace through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. This sad episode is a perfect attestation to the recalcitrance of people, who even in the face of God's wrath, will hurl insults at God and not repent. In their defiance, they will hate that they are not able to destroy God and take His throne for themselves.

This rebellious attitude is not unlike the response of the chief priest and his cohorts in Jerusalem during Jesus Christ's time on earth. Two thousand years ago, all in Jewish culture recognized that only God could raise the dead; but when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the religious leaders did not celebrate this victory over death. Rather, they plotted ways to kill Jesus and kill Lazarus to get rid of the evidence (John 11:50-53; 12:10). Sadly, they saw Jesus as a threat to their power that they had amassed in their society, and they detested that those who once paid homage to them were now "going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him."

God's Word tells us that "every knee will bow before me (God); every tongue will confess to God . So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:11-12)." Therefore, isn't today the perfect time to recognize God as Lord, and submit to Him (Christ) as your personal Lord and Savior? By doing so, you will not have to face His ultimate wrath to come, but will be grafted into His holy family for all eternity (John 1:12). Take advantage of this opportunity to hear the convicting Word from God Himself, and surrender yourself to Him.