Once again, like so many other passages form Revelation, I'll focus on just one aspect of this passage.
Chapter 16 starts out by telling us that a mighty voice shouted from the Temple. Isaiah had heard a similar voice, “What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies” (Isaiah 66:6). This was probably the voice of God commanding the angels,“Go your ways and empty out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth"
The outpouring of these bowls occurred in rapid succession, one right after the other, but the effects of each seem to have lingered. For example, the malignant sores that people get here still affect them during the fifth plague (16:10-11), along with the sunburns they received during the fourth plague.
When the first angel poured out his bowl, everyone broke out in horrible sores. This compares with another of the plagues on Egypt—the plague of boils (Exodus 9:10-11). These sores affected everyone who had the mark of the beast (13:16) and who worshiped his statue (13:14-15). God’s wrath was only upon the unbelievers.
The second angel poured out his bowl. This time the sea became like the blood of a corpse, killing everything in it. During the second trumpet, a third of the water of the sea had become blood, killing a third of the sea creatures (8:8-9). This time, the entire sea turned to blood (see also Exodus 7:20-21).
The third angel poured out his bowl of God’s wrath, and this time the rivers and springs—the inland waters—also turned to blood. During the third trumpet judgment, one-third of the rivers and springs were turned bitter so that they were undrinkable (8:10-11). In this bowl judgment, all the inland waters were affected, leaving people with nothing to drink. Water, a basic necessity for human life, was gone.
After a brief interlude, the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. This intensified the sun’s heat so that it scorched people with its fire. The fourth trumpet had caused the sun and the moon to stop giving light for portions of the day This fourth bowl was much more serious. This is a picture of a solar explosion that reaches out and scorches the earth with fire.
The people on earth were burned by this blast of heat. They knew that these judgments had come from God, and they cursed him for sending them. But still they refused to recognize God’s authority and repent of their sins. The contrast with those protected is unmistakable: “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. . . . they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat”.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh bowls deal with Armageddon. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. This bowl was directed on the controller of the inhabitants of the earth—the beast, the Antichrist, who had been placed into power by Satan. His “throne” was merely an imitation of God’s great throne in heaven (4:2-11).
When the fifth bowl was poured out, the Antichrist’s kingdom was plunged into darkness. This was not like the partial darkness that had occurred during the fourth trumpet (8:12). This was total and complete darkness—like the plague visited upon Egypt (Exodus 10:23). Some take this “darkness” to refer to the total depravity and evil that comes from the leadership of the Antichrist. Others see it as a scientific phenomenon that after the flaring up of the sun (as described in the fourth bowl), the sun virtually burns itself out and is dark. Whether physical or merely spiritual, this “darkness” caused great anguish among the people of the earth; they were in abject fear of this total physical and / or spiritual darkness. They were also still suffering pains and sores—probably from the boils in the first bowl and the burns of the fourth bowl.
When the sixth angel poured out his bowl, the great Euphrates River was dried up. In comparison, the sixth trumpet also mentions the Euphrates River and describes an invading army of demons (9:14-21). If the Euphrates River dried up, nothing could hold back invading armies. The kings from the east have been identified in many ways. In 16:14, the kings from the east are joined by “the rulers of the world,” drawn together to the battlefield, a coalition that would bring its armies to the final battle against God Almighty and his hosts.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
What shall I say? There is only one thing to say - REPENT. Get right with God. Do a 180. Turn from your sin and make peace with God.
Remember when you were a kid and you touched a hot stove. Your parents told you don’t touch the hot stove. But you went ahead and touched it anyway and it burned and you decided not to do that again.
God’s done that for us. It’s a lot of what the scripture is, God saying don’t do this. He cares about us. He doesn’t want us to hurt. These verses are telling us right up to the end men battle against God. We’ve all touched the hot stove of sin, every one of us. We’ve all gotten burned by sin, every one of us. God has offered healing and restoration to every one of us. But there are some, many, who touch that hot stove and it burns. And God says, “Don’t touch that hot stove.”
And they say, “Who are You to tell me what to do? I will too touch the hot stove!” And they touch it again. And it burns again. God says “Don’t! Don’t touch the hot stove.” And they say stubbornly, rebelliously, “I’ll do what I want to do. I’ll run my life the way I want to run it. It’s my life.” And they put their hand on that hot stove and they leave it there. And they say “I am in control! This is my life. Not ‘Thy will be done’ but my will be done. Not Thy kingdom come but My kingdom come.” And the book of Revelation is one of the greatest tragedies in all of human history. God says right up to the end there will be those with their hand on that stove saying stubbornly to God, “My way!”
What does it take? All these tragedies, all these bowls, all this wrath that’s poured out from God on the world. If people don’t listen to that, what does it take?
It takes a cross. That’s what brings people to Christ. Look at the cross. Focus on it. The most significant event in human history is right there – that and the resurrection of Christ. That’s the hinge point of all of human history. What you and I do about that cross changes what happens at the end of time. Either my will be done or Thy will be done. Either wrath or an incredible experience of the grace of God throughout eternity. If you and I aren’t won by the grace of God we won’t be won by anything.
You read through Revelation, chapters 14, 15, and 16 and no doubt there’s some dark chapters here. But don’t miss the incredible hope. These chapters are not about destruction – these seven bowls of wrath – they’re not about blind destruction that come on this world. They’re about certain justice. Two truths to remember. When life is unfair remember God is telling us one day evil will be finished. Without a doubt. God says, It is done. One day evil will certainly be finished. And don’t forget that one day as believers in Christ, we will overcome. Absolutely, certainly without a doubt we will overcome all the injustice, all the unfairness, all the things you look at in this world and think God, why? We’ll understand it all. One day, Revelation 14, the sealed 144,000 are going to stand on Mt. Zion in heaven and praise God for eternity. One day, Revelation 15, the martyrs will be standing in glory, even those who’ve lost their lives for their faith in Christ praising God for all eternity. And one day God’s judgment over evil will be finished, will be done.
Don’t worry about it. You will overcome. Don’t worry about it. Evil will be finished. Don’t worry about it. When life isn’t fair God is. And I can trust Him.
Pray for the Bassard family.
Dave was a light in this world. A measure of a man is the character of his children. Dave was an inspiration. Another measure of a man is his spirit, faith, and strength in the face of adversity. Dave could not be defeated - even in death. He will remain a light for many of us and a hope for the future. His quiet, rich chords still resonate and echo in my ears.
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