July 15: WHAT IS YOUR INHERITANCE?

And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Revelation 9:2

The fact that the bottomless pit was allowed to be opened in the fifth trumpet plague suggests that it had been covered or suppressed earlier. The darkness of the fourth trumpet plague was only partial, limited to one third. But the fifth trumpet plague was allowed onto the whole earth in the fullest sense. There are two aspects of God associated with smoke. One is judgment, as illustrated here:

Then [Abraham] looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. Genesis 19:28 (see also Revelation 14:11; 19:3) None of us should have a sliver of doubt regarding the “why” of the judgment that fell upon Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of that great plain.

Another is the nearness of God:

Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. Exodus 19:18 (see also Revelation 15:8)

When we sense God’s nearness and willingly lay down our sins at the foot of the cross, He can then destroy them without destroying us. His destruction of our confessed sins is accompanied by forgiveness and, amazingly, forgetfulness (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17). His desire to cleanse us from every harmful habit and attitude is rooted in a love that is beyond our imagination. As we grow in Him, His cleansing is accompanied by ever-growing discernment. Such discernment aids us in detecting the inaccuracies that the counterfeiter would subtly introduce into the minds of the undiscerning.

The smoke that emanates from the bottomless pit is nothing like the nearness of God. This smoke is filled with excuses for breaking the commandments of God. It is produced by Satan: one counterfeit after another of spiritual doctrines based upon lies. The darkness that results obscures the plain truth of the gospel message, but sadly, it is the preference of all who cherish sinful lifestyles.

So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. A vital nuance is supplied by the King James translation of this passage: the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. The words by reason highlight a particular foundational aspect of Satan’s teachings: his success in selling the idea that sinners possess immortality. This has led to “inhaling” of numerous “reasonable” conclusions that are not only erroneous but that totally contradict the character of God, especially His justice and mercy. God’s call to Saul—now Paul—expressed the greatest need for both Jews (His chosen messengers) and Gentiles (everyone else). No one is excluded:

“to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18