"Wonders of God"

Revelation 12:1-6

The sub-title over these six verses in my English Standard Version of the Bible is, “The Woman and the Dragon” now that should conjugate some thoughts in anyone’s mind.  I have often stated that when the Lord made me He made a very simple man, but He blessed me with a simple faith to believe in the “Wonders of God.”   Do you recall the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three men who were confronted by king Nebuchadnezzar to worship a golden image of the king, and this was their reply to the king about the punishment of death in a furnace.  “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it know to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

We are told that the king was like a god and what he told someone happened, so in his fury the king ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated, and the three of them were bound and thrown into the burning furnace.   The men who were to throw them into the fire were consumed by the heat and fire and died putting them into the furnace, and then the “wonders of God” showed up, and the king ask this question, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”  He was told yes, and the king said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

We are given this account of what happen next, “Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”  They came out and it was clear to all that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of these men, they did not even have the smell of fire on them. 

This is what king Nebuchadnezzar had to say to the world he controlled at that time, and it was recorded and put into the Scriptures so that you and I would believe in the “Most High God.”  “King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you!  It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.  How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

Many Bible scholars believe the first six verses of Revelation, chapter 12 are referring to “The birth of the man child, Christ, and the simultaneous manifestation of the satanic powers arrayed to destroy him.  The justification for this viewpoint is that during Christ’s earthly life the powers of darkness were in frenzied activity.  Note the attempt of Herod to destroy the child Jesus, the numerous cases of demon possession, and the malignant opposition that resulted in Christ’s crucifixion.”  (Taken from page 1551 of the analyses of books, from the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible)

For those of us who are not scholars, can we agree that the “wonders of God” are beyond our ability to be grasped unless God puts faith into our hearts and minds so we agree with king Nebuchadnezzar;  “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”  It has always intrigued me how anyone could state that they believe God came in the form of a man to live among them and choose to die for them on a cross, a very painful death; and because of that act of His love, they believe they will live forever in heaven with Christ, and yet they do not obey or study the Scriptures, and often do not believe in a God powerful enough to keep His Bible without error. Those same people who are putting faith in what the Bible states God has done, to make them in right standing with Him by the broken body and poured out blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, will not believe in the “Wonders of God.”  My hope and prayer for all of us is that we can agree with king Nebuchadnezzar’s statement, “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice