There is a terrifying battle going on all the time between the great God in heaven and the forces of darkness and evil, egged on by Satan the destroying devil. This battle will one day come to an end. Satan will be destroyed for ever; Christ will be the glorious Victor.
The book of Revelation has many pictures which show us a lot about the battle that is going on between good and evil. It shows the terrible effects that evil can have, the misery it brings and the sorrow that comes with it. We should never forget that behind many of the bad things which happen in our world there is an evil genius Satan the 'angel of the bottomless pit', as he is called in Revelation 9. His name means 'destroyer' - the destroyer of all that is good.
While Revelation 9 has some things that are difficult to understand, one thing stands out. God's people cannot be destroyed by Satan. The angel of the bottomless pit has no power to harm those who are trusting in Jesus. That is a great encouragement.
Another thing that becomes clear is that many people just ignored God's warnings and pleadings. People did not repent of their sins and continued under the power of the angel of the bottomless pit. That is a terrible choice to make.
Dear Lord, I pray you will keep my soul in your care for all eternity. Amen.