Daily Devotional | Revelation

Resilient – A Revelation Daily Devotional – Day 36

Cedar Creek Church September 1, 2025

Day 36 – September 1

Read or listen to the audio version of the Bible Reading and Daily Devotional.

The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

1Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

2And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

O King of the nations!

4 Who will not fear, O Lord,

and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

5After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, 6and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, 8and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

Our perspectives have an interesting power over us. Once we see something, or even someone, a certain way, it becomes quite difficult to change that viewpoint.

What is your perspective of God’s impending judgment? For many, this topic is grounded in fear and uncertainty. We’ve been conditioned to believe that it will surely be bad. While that’s partially true for those who have rejected God, today’s passage from Revelation offers a different context.

Throughout Revelation, and even as far back as the book of Psalms, we hear the cries of suffering followers of God asking, “How long?” But here, with the picture of final judgment, that cry shifts into worship. Questions that once sought to illuminate the purpose behind pain now give way to worship as the answers are revealed in God’s ultimate justice.

It’s important to note that this worship is not focused on the accomplishments or faithfulness of the martyred saints singing the song, but on what God has done. Even as we glimpse the first stages of the consummation of all things, we are reminded again that it is the sovereign, saving power of God that anchors our hope.

The power of our testimony rings loudest when it points toward Christ’s work on our behalf. We find ourselves more and more alienated from a world that says “accomplish more,” “be more efficient,” “work harder,” and “make a name for yourself.” Our song proclaims the majesty of a God with “great and amazing deeds who is almighty, just, and true.”

When worship of that God becomes the true refrain of our hearts, our view of God’s judgment truly begins to shift. We praise Him for His justice. We celebrate the unity it provides for all nations, tribes, and tongues. God’s judgment of His enemies, like every one of His actions, paves the way for our eternally joyful existence in communion with Him.

Let us read and meditate on the words of verses 3-4. Place these words on the pages of your story. Use them to step off the treadmill of performance and anxiety that marks our culture. Trust in His goodness and be reminded that a day of just judgment is coming, and our present suffering will be vindicated in that moment and replaced with joy.

Pray: God, help me reframe my view of Your judgment in a way that calls me to sincere worship. Thank You for being just, loving, gracious, and kind. Help me to lean into the joy You offer. Amen.