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THE WINE OF GOD’S WRATH (REVELATION 14:8-20)

REFLECTION

THE WINE OF GOD’S WRATH (REVELATION 14:8-20)

REFLECTION

“The wine of God’s wrath” is the theme for our reflection. The phrase “The wine of God’s wrath” means the manifestation or outpour of God’s anger. Generally, the book of Revelation employs symbolic language to express spiritual and eternal reality. We shall reflect on the fact that those who are unfaithful or disobey God shall face His judgement or become the wine of God’s wrath.

Beloved in the Lord, the unrepentant or the rebellious shall taste or experience the outpour of God’s anger. It is for this reason that John through his revelation warned God’s people that “A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” (Revelation 14:8-10) The beast represents a worldly and powerful nation or Kingdom ruled by the antichrist. This Kingdom or nation will persecute Christians and lure many into destruction. Today, we have some superpowers or nations promoting and normalizing immorality and all manner of abominations. These nations collectively represent the beast and the adulterous Babylon of our time. How will those who have disobeyed God or denied the Lord taste the wine of God’s wrath? In other words, what is the nature of the wine of God’s wrath? John revealed, “They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:10-11) Paul again reminds us of God’s reward and wrath when he wrote to the Romans, “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Romans 2:5-8)

Dear friend in the Lord, if those who will continue to worship the kingdom of this world or the beast and experience the wine of God’s wrath, then the assurance we those who will obey God’s word and endure to the end on account of Jesus receive is that “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:12-13) In other words, to avoid the wine of God’s wrath (or judgement), we must be faithful to the end. Our deeds shall be rewarded when He comes with His angels to harvest the earth. However, if our deeds are rebellious and oppose God’s commandments, we shall experience what John’s revelation described as “The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.” (Revelation 14:19) Let us continue to live a life worthy of our calling as those who have been saved through the price blood of Jesus. Let us hold onto the teachings and examples of Jesus to avoid being harvested and processed by the great winepress of God’s wrath.

In summary, we have been reminded that those who are unfaithful or continue to disobey God shall face His judgement or be like grapes harvested and processed through God’s great winepress of wrath to become the wine of God’s wrath.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit grant us the strength and deliver us from the great winepress of God’s wrath. May we be found worthy of eternal life and the glory of the Kingdom of God when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the world. Amen.