Revelation 8—9

Horrors are described that would be put the most advanced cinema technology to the test. Chaos irrupts in these chapters of the last book of the Bible that make us wonder if the order God created in Genesis has been totally reversed.

Yet three aspects of this reading remind us that order is still in effect. First is the half-hour of silence and tranquility just after the seventh seal is opened. Second, the prayers of the saints blend with the incense rising before the heavenly altar. Third, what happens is at the direction of God. These are not actions of a whimsical, reactive, wrathful God, but rather the consequences of arrogant, human violence that has been disrupting the order of creation. Evil will ultimately be vanquished; God will prevail.

If you and I were to have that half-hour of silence, prayer, and God’s Word each day, we would be drawn by faith to know that all that happens in the course of the day must yield to the protective hand of God upon us.

The Reading for Today