Wake Up Call
I had a college roommate who was a sound sleeper. A lot of it may have had to do with the hours he kept, but trying to help wake him up, particularly after he had stayed up late cramming for a test, was daunting. As his alarm blared and his backup alarm roared, he snored. Yelling at him escalated to turning the lights on, escalated to throwing things at him. Finally, the only thing that would awaken him was to literally shake him out of the bed.
I was reminded of this in the earthquake that accompanies the final bowl judgment. It is the ultimate final wake-up call. No more gentle nudges. No more sing-song wake-ups. No more bird and wave sound alarms. This is a “your house is on fire and you are going to burn up (for all eternity) wake up shake”.
We tend to focus on the power and the terribleness of these final judgments/ But isn’t it also reassuring that even up to shaking people out of the planet, with no place to hide under the covers, God pours out His desire on mankind to wake up and repent and turn to Him?
And isn’t more amazing and far more terrible that even in the grasp of God shaking them violently to wake up and repent, they still refuse?
My Answers:
12.
a.
Jesus
b.
The heavens and the skies opened and the earth quaked like nothing before in all creation – islands disappear and mountains fall
c.
personally seen was aftermath of a Tornado in Joplin. heard of would be the Japan tsunami
d.
Terrifying – there will be no place to turn or hide – but more so terrifying is the fact that they still curse God
13.
a.
To be ready and alert. To not follow the worlds ways and be deceived – to joyfully anticipate God
b.
Working – prepared to fulfill duties – not sleeping on the job
14.
Amazingly they still curse God rather than repent. It is a total denial of God’s justice replaced by their own. They want to be God.
The Notes are Good 