Black Hole

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:1-2 NAS)

According to astronomers, a black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational pull is so powerful that nothing can escape from it, not even light. It absorbs all the light that hits it and reflects nothing in its space, covering all within it with infinite darkness into which objects can fall in, but nothing can come out. A black hole is believed to be created in the collapse of a very massive star at its death. It is shielded from the outside world by what is called an event horizon. This is a sphere around the black hole where light can no longer escape and everything that crosses the event horizon is gone forever.

Despite the invisible interior of a black hole, it can reveal its presence through interaction with other matter. One of the ways to detect the presence of a black hole is by observing the inward spiraling of gas heating up to very high temperatures and emitting large amounts of radiation from earthbound and earth-orbiting telescopes. Such observations, according to information from the Wikipedia, have resulted in scientific consensus that black holes exist in our universe.

Like the gravitational pull of a black hole, the draw and attraction of this world can also be very powerful and enticing. If we are not careful, we can be absorbed deep into the entanglements of this world to a point of no return (Mark 3:22-30; Matthew 12:31-32; 22:11-13; 24:48-51; 25:11-13; Revelation 2:14-16, 20-23). Beyond this point, if we continue to persist in hardening our hearts to hold back the Light of God from penetrating, we will no longer be able to escape or come out of it, and will be lost forever once we cross ‘the event horizon of the black hole.’ So strong will be the pull from the forces of darkness that we will not be able to find our way back.

Before going too deep into darkness, therefore, let us all examine ourselves to observe what is ‘inwardly spiraling’ within us of our motives and cause when we make decisions. Have we given thought to how our decisions can affect others and our walk with God? Unless we look within our hearts and examine ourselves to see if we harbor ill intent in our plans and decisions, we can be in danger of becoming instrumental to the ‘heating up of very high temperatures and emitting radiation’ of smoke from the great furnace of the bottomless pit that shrouds the sun and air (Revelation 9:1-2).

We should therefore decisively purpose in our hearts to stay clear from the absorbing darkness of this world which can prevent the light of God from coming through. When that happens, there will be no return, and darkness will prevail to lay its claim, where all who do not receive Jesus as Lord and Savior or who turn away from Him will perish and suffer the agonizing fire of the abyss and hell forever (Revelation 20:12-15).

Lead us O Lord to walk in Your ways all the days of our lives, never to be drawn away into the enticement of this world. Help us examine our hearts Lord when we make decisions, to always consider whether we are taking a step forward or away from You. Keep us safe from the clutches of darkness Lord that we may not fall prey into the schemes of the devil and his allies to draw closer into the black hole of the bottomless pit. Do not let Your light diminish from shining through us Lord that we may not be shrouded into infinite darkness, but be spared from the burning furnace of eternal death.