NT Fire Starters – Day 355: Revelation 15:1-8

READ: Revelation 15:1-8

THINK: Do you have a lot of “loose ends” in your life–things you haven’t tied off or completed? Or do you tend to finish most things you start? And when you complete a significant project, do you ever celebrate by giving yourself a special reward? Regardless of your personal tendencies, you can rest assured that God always finishes what He starts. At times there may seem to be a lot of incompleteness in the world, as well as loose ends in your own life. But thankfully, God’s justice ensures that all will be made right in the end. You can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). That’s cause for celebration.

RESPOND: What is significant about the “seven last plagues” mentioned at the beginning of this chapter? (See 15:1 note.) What is the purpose of these judgments? To what location does John’s vision shift in verse 2, and what does he see? (See 15:2 note.) Who is in this scene and what kind of song are they singing, and why (vv. 2-4)? What is “the tabernacle of the Testimony” (v. 5), and what is the connection between this and the final judgments? (See 15:5 note.) What are the “golden bowls filled with the wrath of God” (v. 7), and what does it mean that “no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed” (v. 8)? (See 15:7 note.)

PRAY: Give God thanks for providing people with ample opportunity to turn to Him. Thank Him for His perfect justice that will prevail in the end, and for His ultimate victory over evil.

ACT: Think of something you’ve started but not finished or followed through–a chore at home, a project at school, a commitment at church, a promise, a good intention, an effort to resolve a problem, or a conversation about Jesus. Make every effort to complete or follow through on these efforts in a way that honors God and reflects Christlike character.