| The first plagues in the Bible relate to Moses. As he sought to free his people, God brought ten plagues upon Pharaoh and his people. Each plague confronts the gods of Egypt. So, God demonstrated power over each god the Israelites knew from their life in Egypt. They needed to understand the God who would lead them to freedom was God of all. Now, fast forward to the seven last plagues of Revelation. Remember the seven seals that kept the scrolled closed in Revelation 6? The seventh seal wasn’t removed until chapter 8. That began the wrath of God pouring out on the world. In chapter 15, we hear of the plagues. John sees them as the end to God’s wrath (Revelation 15:1). We can imagine these final plagues the way we do those of Egypt. John sees them as God’s triumph over evil, say the devil. God is still God of all. We are free. With the seven angels, John also sees “those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name” (Revelation 15:2). These are the saints of God. They have held true to the Lamb’s way. Their testimony and strong faith in Christ gave them victory. Well, better said, Jesus gave them victory through his sacrifice. Those saints who now sing “the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3) held on to the victory Christ gave them. To be sure, it wasn’t easy. It cost some of them their lives. Through faith, though, they conquered. God conquers in God’s way. The image of Revelation 15 reminds us God’s wrath defeats the power that seeks to destroy the world. Now, you and I conquer as we hold fast to our profession of faith and to the power God gives us. There is still a battle of gods today. We still must learn God’s power over the gods that bombard us. Power, wealth, violence, pride and lust are but a few to name. Think of how these can enslave our hearts and destroy our world. If we trust the victory of Jesus, we join the song of the Lamb. Like the Israelites who sang when they had their freedom, we sing, too. Our worship reorients our lives to the way of the Lamb. And it’s not just a song we sing. If we stay faithful to the way, we conquer and experience the true life of God. Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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