Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 10:1-7.

 

“¹ I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud;  and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;  ² and he had in his hand a little book which was open.  He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;  ³ and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars;  and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.  ⁴ When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write;  and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.”  ⁵ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven,  ⁶ and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, ⁷ but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”  Revelation 10:1-7.

 

—————————

 

God “created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it”.  Verse 6.  It is almost as if we “fast forward” through this truth to get to what we think is more important and more interesting.  

 

But, when we pause to meditate upon this truth, then we recognize its application to the rest of today’s Scripture.  We are reminded that God created this strong angel to do His will.  We appreciate the “cross-over” use by God of “things in earth” such as clouds, rainbows, sun, fire, and thunder to be used also as images for things in heaven.  This “cross-over” use reminds us that there is one God Who created it all:  “heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it”.

 

We are reminded that this Creator is certainly sovereign and in total control.  We don’t think much of man and his alleged free-will.

 

Much of Revelation seems like a mystery, and the “mystery of God” in verse 7 and elsewhere may be a mystery to man, but we now better understand that it is not a mystery to the Creator.

 

“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure‘;
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.