Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 189

July 11:   Revelation 9:4;   247/260(I);   ‘Demonic Torment’

Revelation 9:4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

The mercy of God and His never ending efforts to save the lost is so evident in this chapter.  When the fifth trumpet sounds a demon opens the bottomless pit and demonic beings, likened to scorpions are released.  The devil and his cruelty are tools the Lord uses to cause multitudes to turn to Jesus.  The hatred for humanity of satan and his demonic forces  is so intense, that often it causes those attacked by the devil to turn to God.  Our adversary, satan, only knows how to ‘steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  The Lord will use the devil’s relentless cruelty to open the eyes of the lost, so that they will cry out to Jesus for help.  Notice the demonic beings cannot touch those who are already saved and sealed during the tribulation.  That would include the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Revelation 7:4) and those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the tribulation.  The Holy Spirit seals those who accept Jesus (Ephesians 1:13).  Additionally, verse 5 teaches that those scorpion like demons cannot kill anyone, only torment them for a limited period of time.  The Lord’s love allowing even more time for the lost to repent. Incredibly, multitudes, despite the incredible torment, will not turn from their sorceries, greed and immorality.  He is patient and longsuffering, not being willing that any perish (2 Peter 3:9).  That verse has never been proven more true than in this chapter.  The hardness of the heart of so many in that day is so troubling.  We, who are alive now, must reach everyone we can before the tribulation.  Like Jesus, we too must seek and save the lost.