Devotional 10 March 2025
Revelation 9:1-2 (ESV) “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.”
The destruction of Jerusalem was not only physical but spiritual. For generations, the Jewish people had viewed the temple as their fortress of protection — the place where God’s presence rested and where darkness had no hold. Yet Jesus warned that this protection would be removed. In Matthew 23:38, He declared, “See, your house is left to you desolate.” The temple, once the beacon of God’s presence, would become a hollow ruin, left to the spiritual forces of corruption and chaos.
John’s vision in Revelation 9 reveals what happens when God’s protective presence is withdrawn. A star falls from heaven, symbolizing demonic forces. This being is given the key to the abyss — a realm of spiritual evil. Smoke pours out like a suffocating cloud, darkening the sky and choking the light. This is no ordinary destruction; it is the sign of a city abandoned by God, where evil is permitted to reign.
This terrifying image reflects what Paul warned about in Romans 1:24, where God “gave them up” to their own sin. When people persistently reject Him, He does not force His presence upon them. Instead, He withdraws — and darkness rushes in. This is the true horror of judgment: not merely fire and ruin, but spiritual abandonment.
The Jewish people saw the temple as the ultimate spiritual stronghold — the place where God’s presence dwelled, the light that kept spiritual darkness at bay. Yet, Jerusalem had rejected her Messiah. The One who came to save them had wept over the city, warning them of the destruction to come (Luke 19:41-44). When that day arrived, the consequences were not just military defeat or social collapse — they were spiritual ruin. The city that had once been a light to the nations became a smoldering shadow of itself. The temple, once God’s dwelling place, became a monument to what happens when His presence departs.
This sobering truth compels us to seek God earnestly. Just as Jerusalem’s fall was a warning to those who reject Christ, it is also a reminder to those who follow Him — we are utterly dependent on His presence. Without Him, we are vulnerable to the suffocating smoke of sin and confusion. But in Christ, there is light that cannot be overcome.
Jesus declared, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). His presence is our refuge, our clarity, and our hope. When we pursue Him wholeheartedly, we stand in His unshakable light.
Today, let this passage stir you to seek God fervently. Do not let your heart grow cold or your devotion become routine. Draw near to Him, for He alone is your security. The darkness is real, but Jesus’s light is stronger. Seek Him now — and stand firm in His presence that no darkness can overcome.