A Flood of Evil

One Year Bible
New Testament passage for Tuesday, December 18, 2012: Revelation 9:1-21

² He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³ Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Revelation 9:2-4 (ESV)

As the end of time draws upon us, Scripture prophecies that an incredible spiritual battle will take place.  Forces of evil will be released in unprecedented fashion.  This is part of the scenario that will usher in the end of the age and the return of the Prince of Peace. 

The Book of Revelation gives vivid imagery.  Hell's mouth is opened up and out comes a swarm, a host of demonic creatures that are aimed at injuring men.  This is like a flood of evil.  This may seem like a pattently Christianized, religious view of our world.  But, others who are far from Christianity have made similar assessments of our culture.

In 1990, feminist scholar Dr. Camille Paglia of Philadelphia wrote the following words:

"History's most glaring error has been its assertion that Judeo-Christianity defeated paganism.  Paganism has survived in a thousand forms of sex, art, and now the modern media.  Christianity has made adjustment after adjustment, ingeniously absorbing its opposition (as during the Italian Renaissance) and diluting its dogma to change with changing times.  But a critical point has been reached.  With the rebirth of the gods in the massive idolatries of popular culture, with the eruption of sex and violence in every corner of the ubiquitous mass media, Judeo-Christianity is facing its most serious challenge since Europe's confrontation with Islam in the Middle Ages.  The latent paganism of western culture has burst forth again in all its demonic vitality."

These are the words not of the Book of Revelation but of a secularist, a non-believer, a professor in a major U.S. university.  Her thoughts are incredibly parallel to Revelation 9.  We are witnessing a flood straight from the bottomless pit that issues forth to do damage to us and our families.

At this point you might think me to be very negative and the situation extremely perilous.  But, there is another side to this story.  Once again, the imagery of Revelation comes into play.  There is mention of God's blood-bought servants being "sealed on their foreheads" (Rev. 7:3 and 9:4).  What does this mean?  Is this a literal stamp on the forehead?  I do not think so. 

This seal is the Word of God filling our minds.  The seal on the forehead is symbolic of our heads, our brains, our thinking processes.  We need to have a biblical worldview.  We need our minds filled with God's truth. It is important to have our hearts born again and regenerate, but our MINDS ARE WHERE THE BATTLE TAKES PLACE. 

Filling your mind with God's Word is the defense against the demonic attack.  They cannot harm you!  This vast attack from Hell is unable to take down anyone who stands in God's truth.  This is our GREAT DEFENSE.  We can overcome any attack by the power of God's Word filling our minds.

So, in closing, your time in the Bible each day is far more than just a nice devotional time to help you have peace.  It is the filling of your mind with the truth that will keep you strong in the midst of a flood of evil.  This is like a vacine in the midst of a plague.  Praise God for the deliverance and victory He can give us in the middle of world being overrun.  And we shall prevail.  We shall stand with Jesus.  His victory is already secure.  It is our job to stand in that victory daily.