Scripture Daily

Context No. 1570 of 4322 · Revelation

Context · Reflection

Revelation 16:12-16: in context

12The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise. 13I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; 14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God the Almighty. 15“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn’t walk naked, and they see his shame.” 16He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, “Harmagedon”.

As the sixth bowl is poured out, the great river dries up to prepare the way for the kings from the east, and John sees three foul spirits like frogs coming from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, demonic spirits working signs to gather the kings of the world for the great battle. And into the middle of this scene of deception and gathering conflict comes a sudden word from Christ: behold, I come like a thief; blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, so that he does not go naked and his shame be seen.

The interjected word from Christ, dropped into the midst of demonic deception and gathering war, is a call to watchfulness: I come like a thief; blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments. Amid the confusion, the deceiving spirits working signs, the world being gathered for conflict, Christ's word to his people is simple: stay awake, stay clothed, be ready. There are two images in the blessing. The first is staying awake, spiritual watchfulness, not being lulled into sleep or caught off guard, keeping alert for the Lord's coming which will be sudden, like a thief. The second is keeping one's garments, not being caught unclothed and exposed, but remaining dressed, ready, covered. Both speak to the readiness Christ asks of his people, especially in times of deception and turmoil. When the world is full of deceiving spirits and gathering conflict, the temptation is to be swept up in it, distracted, lulled asleep, or stripped of the readiness we should keep. Christ's word cuts through it: stay awake, keep your garments, be ready for me. The one who watches and keeps his clothing is blessed, not caught off guard or exposed when the Lord comes. There is a call here to keep spiritually alert and ready in confusing times, not lulled to sleep by the world's distractions or stripped of our readiness by its deceptions, but watching, clothed, prepared for the sudden coming of Christ. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments.

In a time of confusion, deception, and distraction, am I staying spiritually awake and keeping my garments, ready for the sudden coming of Christ, or have I been lulled asleep or stripped of my readiness, so that I would be caught off guard and exposed when he comes?

Sources