REVELATION

” The fifth angel sounded his trumpet and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the shaff of the Abyss ” Revelation 9:1.

A “star” had fallen from the sky when the fifth angel sounded his trumpet. It is not known whether this “star” is satan, a fallen angel, Christ or a good angel. This being whoever he may be is, is still under God’s control and authority. The Abyss (bottomless pit) represents the place of the demons and of satan. A smoke of locusts came out from the Abyss. The prophet Joel described a locust plague as a fore -shadowing of the “day of the Lord”, meaning God’s coming Judgement. In the Old Testament, the locusts were symbols of destruction because they destroyed vegetation. Here, the locusts were told not to harm vegetation, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Their sting was like that of scorpion and they were not given power to kill them but to torture them for five months. The limitations placed on the locusts, show that they are under God’s authority. Due to the agony, people of those days would seek death, but would elude them. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions which had the power to torment people for five months.

STRENGTH IN GOD’S GRACE

” My Grace is sufficient for you, for My Power is made sufficient in weakness ” 2Corinthians12:9.
Paul does not mention what his thorn was in the flesh, which was a hindrance to his ministry. As it was a chronic problem, he prayed for its removal. Though God did not remove his thorn, He promised to demonstrate His power in Paul. The fact that God’s power is displayed in weak people, should give us courage.Once, a sailor had to cross a big river. Every time when he tried to cross it,his boat would dash against a big rock in the middle of the river and caused damage to his boat. He was unable to cross the river and hence he cried and prayed to God to remove that rock. But what did God do? He never removed that rock; it was there. But, our Almighty Lord raised the level of the water and the rock was submerged in the water and could not be seen. Then, the sailor sailed in his boat happily above the rock without any difficulty. Many a time, God does not remove our weakness, which is like that rock; instead, He increases the level of His abundant Grace, which makes our weaknesses and troubles invisible and insignificant. Experiencing God’s abundant Grace, Paul proclaims, “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness,so that Christ’s power may rest on me “. So, he delights in his weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions and in difficulties. For, when he is weak, then, he is strong by His Grace.
” Dear Lord, when I lose my strength, I rely on Your Grace to uphold me. Only Your Power and Grace will make me effective for You and will help me do work that has lasting value. In Jesus’Name I pray “.–Amen.