I was looking for a specific verse this morning on gifts, and through my word search I glanced across a gift in the book of Revelation. My first thought was “That’s a strange place to find a gift!” And so my curiosity got me and I had to follow it through. It was not the kind of Christmas message I had planned on receiving this morning, it would more than likely fit into the Halloween season. I like the gift stories with happy endings; no happy ending here.
Revelation 11
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Wow! Did you catch that? Here we are in the latter days of the world, the end times, and the two prophets which God had warned them would come have been murdered. A prideful, arrogant world leaves their bodies lying in the street and celebrates around them; SENDING EACH OTHER GIFTS! Oh my goodness… how wicked does this world get that we go from celebrating life, to celebrating death?
Not so long ago, in the year of my salvation, 1996; I would read the book of Revelation and it would read like a sci-fi flick. I could barely imagine the reality of it. Now it reads like yesterday’s news. Truth? So how is this a Christmas message? Thanks to the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ our Lord, I’ll have no part of this story. This is one gift that you should make sure that you, your family or friends have no part of. Their celebration only lasts a few days until God breaths the life back in those two prophets, then I figure the arrogance and prideful attitudes were drained from their day like the color from their face when they realized “their back!”
I know that’s not a very Merry Christmas message, but it’s one I want to take to heart as I celebrate the Holidays. I want to remember not only what I’ve been given, but what’s been taken away. God is so good…I am so not. I deserve the worst, yet He has afforded me the best. Merry Christmas Child of God!!!!! Thank Him and Praise Him this wonderful, blessed season of gift giving and receiving.