Devotional 08 March 2025

Revelation 8:13 (ESV) “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!’”

The image of an eagle crying out from heaven is astonishing. In the original Greek, the word translated “eagle” (aetos) can also mean “vulture,” it is the same word Jesus used in Matthew 24:28 when He warned, “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Jesus spoke these words in the context of Jerusalem’s impending destruction, a warning that came to pass when Roman armies — bearing eagles on their banners — devastated the city.

The eagle in Revelation cries out three times, declaring, “Woe, woe, woe.” This triple warning reflects the certainty and severity of what is coming. Just as the Romans fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy by surrounding Jerusalem in judgment, this vision in Revelation reminds us that God’s justice is sure and His timing perfect. Judgment may seem delayed, but it is never forgotten.

Yet even amid this sobering warning, there is encouragement for those who belong to Christ. The eagle does not fly at random — it appears in heaven, symbolizing that these events are under God’s sovereign hand. Rome’s power, devastating as it was, did not escape God’s control. His judgment is not chaotic; it is precise and purposeful. Like the prey cannot escape the eagle’s eye— no evil escapes God’s vision.

When you see the world unravel, remember that Jesus has never lost control. The cries of the eagle are not just declarations of judgment — they are reminders that God sees, God hears, and God acts. Trust Him, for He alone is your refuge.