Courting Calls
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’.” [Revelation 14:6,7]
Cicadas are a small insect with a big voice. They live all over the world in temperate to tropical climates, and they especially love to sing during the hotter hours of the day. Male cicadas have loud noisemakers called tymbals on the sides of their abdomens, which are essentially a corrugated membrane. Unlike crickets, which rub their legs together to make noise, the cicadas contract and release the internal tymbal muscles to produce an ear-splitting clicking sound as the thin membrane buckles in and out. The interior of the male abdomen is largely hollow, which serves to greatly amplify the sound.
While a jet flying overhead or a jackhammer is about 110 decibels, the sound of some cicadas can be as loud as 120 decibels, which makes them the loudest of all insects. In fact, if a cicada were to sound right next to your ear, it could cause permanent hearing loss! Of course, the intent of these ear-splitting sounds is usually to attract and court a mate.
Did you know the Bible says that just before the Lord returns there will be a series of loud messages that will reach all around the world? Frequently called the three angels’ messages, these comunications are intended to do what the cicada’s song should do: attract a mate – a bride. The first angel has the “everlasting gospel” to preach to everyone on Earth, and stresses giving glory to God and worshiping Him as Creator. The second angel warns that Babylon, or false worship, has fallen. The third angel gives a very explicit warning of the danger of worshiping the beast.
Will you respond to His invitation? “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). Nothing could be better than being part of the bride of Christ!
