Sep. 25, 2024
“REVELATION”
REVELATION 15:1-8
Setting The Stage Before The Final Scene:
So far, we have watched the first two acts; the seal judgments (Revelation 6:1-17; 8:1) and the trumpet judgments (8:7-9:21, 11:15).
Now the final act, the bowl judgments, is about to begin.
*The Announcement of the Seven Last Plagues On The Earth.
Revelation 15:1 “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.”
These seven judgments, John said, are “the seven last plagues.” The word “last” is the Greek word eschatos, from which we get our word eschatology, the study of last things.
Notice these judgments are called “plagues.” In the Bible a plague is a natural disaster that is supernaturally timed as a manifestation of God’s judgment.
The word for “plagues” in Revelation 15:1 literally means “blows” or “wounds,” something swift, decisive, and destructive.
And when the final bowl is drained, “the wrath of God is complete.” vs.1 In other words, these last plagues will bring about the culmination of God’s purpose on earth; the final victory of Jesus Christ.
The word “wrath” vs.1 is the Greek word thymos, used also in 15:7. It can be translated as “anger” or “rage.”
Revelation 12:12 “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
The other word translated “wrath” in Revelation is “orge” which is the expression of anger through some kind of judgment.
1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
God loves mankind, He is not willing that any should perish:
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
This doesn’t mean none will perish, but He doesn’t want that. He wants all to come to a knowledge of the truth.
But God is also a God of wrath.
Nahum 1:3 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.”
His holy nature demands that there is payment for sin.
*The Two Songs of Praise
John now gives a vision of victory.
Revelation 15:2-4 “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”
*The Song of Moses
The song that the tribulation saints sing was “the song of Moses, the servant of God..” vs.3. Did you know that the very first hymn in the Bible was composed by Moses? After the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea and were delivered from Pharaoh, Moses composed a hymn (Exodus 15:1-18).
*The Song of the Lamb
The tribulation saints also sang, “and the song of the Lamb…” vs.3. The song of the Lamb, is recorded Revelation 15:3-4
Notice that in neither of these songs did the martyrs refer what they did for Christ or how they overcame the beast. Rather, their music was an outburst of praise to God from the first note to the last.
*The Seven Angels With Seven Bowls
Revelation 15:5-8 “After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”
*The Coming to Earth from the Temple.
In the Old Testament, the holiest part of the temple was the holy of holies, where the high priest went in once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people.
God is now going to hold them to the standard of the law and judge there by it. He is going to judge them severely as the law allows.
*Coming To Earth with Bowls of Judgment.
John describes these angels in vs.6 as “… clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.”
The smoke that filled the temple was from the “glory” and “power” of God vs.8.
*Three Practical Truths about God’s Holiness.
What does all of this mean to us today?
- No One Can Approach God In His Own Righteousness.
Romans 3:10-12 “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”
Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”
Philippians 3:9 “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
2. God’s Purposes Are Sometimes Hidden From Us.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
3. There Is a Time When It Is Too Late To Pray.
Why did the people of Israel go to the temple, or have the priest go into the temple for them? In order to receive God’s forgiveness and help.
“REVELATION”
REVELATION 16:1-21
*The Road To Armageddon:
In Revelation 16, we are going to see the road that leads to the final great world conflict, known as Armageddon.
*Pouring Out The Bowls (Judgment)
Revelation 16 opens with God commanding the seven angels to pour out their bowls of judgment:
Revelation 16:1 “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
Before we look at the first bowl, let me makes some observations:
*First, The Bowl Judgments Follow Each Other In Succession.
*Second, The Bowl Judgments Are Similar To The Trumpet Judgments.
*Third, The Bowl Judgments Are Unique In Their Severity.
*The Execution Of The Judgments: The Bowls Poured Out:
As we look at these judgments, keep in mind that John made clear they are specifically targeted as those “…those who worshiped his image.” vs.2 The judgments are for unbelievers.
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
We’re not exempt from problems, but we are exempt from God’s wrath.
- The First Bowl- Skin Boils
The first bowl judgment will result in terrible sores.
Revelation 16:2 “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.”
The Greek word for “sore” in this verse is the same word used in the Greek version of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, to describe boils that afflicted the Egyptians:
And those that Job received:
Job 2:7 “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”
2. The Second Bowl- Destruction of Sea Life.
The second bowl judgment is the destruction of sea life. Remember, a third of the sea creatures died during the second trumpet judgment in Revelation 8:8-9. But when the second angel pour out his bowl, the entire oceanic ecosystem will die:
Revelation 16:3 “Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.”
3. The Third Bowl- Pollution Of The Fresh Water.
When the third angel pour out his bowl of judgment, the earth’s entire fresh water supply will become undrinkable.
Revelation 16:4-7 “Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord,
The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.” 7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Can you imagine what it would be like to have no fresh water?
Matthew 24:22 “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
4. The Fourth Bowl: Scorching Sun.
The fourth bowl judgment will increase the sun’s intensity.
Revelation 16:8-9 “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.”
In this judgment, the sun’s heat will become much hotter than normal. The sun will become so fierce it will scorch unbelievers vs.9 “men were scorched with great heat…”
“Blasphemed” vs.9 means to strike against.
5. The Fifth Bowl: Worldwide Darkness
The curse brought on by the fifth bowl judgment will bring universal darkness on the Antichrist and his worshippers.
Revelation 16:10-11 “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”
Could it be some kind of solar eclipse that causes this? Could it be a failure of the power grid, or an attack on the power grid?
But these unbelievers in the great tribulation refuse to accept that their sin is the cause of the darkness. As the darkness fell and they gnawed their tongues in pain, they again “blasphemed the God of heaven..and they did not repent of their deeds.” vs.11
6. The Sixth Bowl: The Euphrates Dried Up.
When the sixth bowl is poured out on the Euphrates River, it instantly dries up, creating a literal road to Armageddon.
Revelation 16:12-16 “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”
The Euphrates, which in the Greek means “sweet water,” has been turned to blood, with all it’s fish dead and rotting vs.4.
John say, “three unclean spirits like frogs; For they are spirits of demons” vs.13-14.
God is sovereign over the demons, and He uses them to execute judgment. Here, God is bringing all the armies of the world into one place in order to experience His judgment.
7. The Seventh Bowl: Final Destruction
With both the seal and trumpet judgments, there was an interlude between the execution of the sixth and seventh judgments. But that is not the case between the sixth and seventh bowl judgments. They are relentless in their outpouring:
Revelation 16:17-21 “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”
After the emptying of the seventh bowl, the voice of God declares, “It is done!”
The battle of Armageddon and the great white throne judgment are still to come and are included in the judgment of the seventh bowl.
The results of this unprecedented earthquake will split the “great city was divided into three parts…” vs.19 The “great city” refers to Jerusalem (11:8).
Out of the violent storm described in verse 18 will fall “huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each” vs.21.
How do the unbelievers on earth respond to this severe judgment coming down from heaven?
*What doe this mean to us today?:
Revelation 16 underscores a timeless principle from God’s Word:
God’s judgment is not always immediate, but it is always inevitable.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
There is a verse in Revelation 16 I haven’t mentioned yet:
Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
What does it mean that you don’t want to be caught naked when Jesus returns?
Live Steaming
Groups
