But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!
(Revelation 9:20 NLT)
There are many mysterious things to me in the book of Revelation but still there are points that are very clear. We currently know God’s mercy but there will come a day when His mercy will be hidden from the earth and His wrath will instead be released but even on that day if people will turn to God they will be saved. In spite of all that will happen there will be those with God’s seal on their foreheads showing who they belong to.
Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
(Revelation 9:3-4 NLT)
God surely will prove His power and authority throughout the tribulation but because of the condition of man’s heart he will not be able to acknowledge who God is. In this series of events God brings to a close the hurts and pains of this life mentioned in Romans chapter 8.
For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us.
(Romans 8:19-23 NLT)
In this way the darkest hour is right before dawn and this step must be taken before we can partake in the life we hope to gain but even in this God is with us, as He was with Israel during the seven plagues in Egypt. Our faith will be tested and our eyes will see many terrible things but our trust must remain in God’s goodness. It seems whether we go through these future plagues or if we die as martyrs beforehand if we are alive when these events take place then our dedication to God will be proven but our reward will be God’s honor.
