Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
We have spent considerable time considering the silence (Revelation 8:1) and the seeming silence (Revelation 8:2-6) of our Savior. The rest of the chapter (verses 7-13) is dominated by thundering trumpets and almost unimaginable judgments. The first trumpet judgment records a catastrophic destruction of a “third part of trees” (verse 7), an environmental disaster unparalleled in human history. The second trumpet judgment adversely affects “the third part of the sea” (verses 8-9). The third trumpet judgment contaminates “the third part” of the world’s fresh water supply (verses 10-11). The fourth trumpet judgment disrupts “the third part” of the cosmos (verses 12-13). Judgment upon judgment, followed by more judgment, is one more demonstration of the persistence of Jesus. Yes, this is a picture of persistent judgment, but it is also a persistent powerful witness to anyone who reflects – now or then – on these overwhelming events. Only the hardest of hearts could reject the clear warnings of our Savior. Lord, soften our hearts and open our minds to You and Your truth.