Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath | Revelation 16:1-9 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Bible Study Series)

Transcript

The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath | Revelation 16:1-9 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

0:01
It's a pleasure to be with you here today.
0:04
You know, as I was preparing this message, I was reminded
0:07
that we often forget that when the Lord Jesus lived on the
0:11
earth and ministered through his incomparable preaching and
0:15
teaching, He did more than just explain what he would accomplish
0:18
through his death and resurrection.
0:20
He did more than just teach us how to worship the Father and
0:25
treat one another, including our enemies.
0:29
He did more than give us insight into the spiritual realm and the
0:33
eternal world. He also predicted the future,
0:40
and specifically, He told us in wonderful detail what the world
0:46
will undergo in the period just before His return.
0:52
Moreover, people often overlook that what Christ preached and
0:56
prophesied about the end of the world is expanded and given to
1:02
us in further detail in the very last book of the Bible, the Book
1:07
of Revelation. Which means that the recorded
1:11
words of Jesus in the Gospels regarding that era known as the
1:17
Tribulation period is, is just a summary of what would later be
1:21
fleshed out through the Apostle John in the final account of
1:27
Holy Writ. And before we look at this study
1:34
and these incredibly precise prophecies in the Book of
1:37
Revelation, I want us to be reminded about a certain comment
1:40
that Jesus Christ himself made about that era that is quite
1:45
sobering. So usually at this point I would
1:47
invite you to the Book of Revelation, but let's take a
1:49
peek in the book of Matthew in chapter 24 looking at verse 21,
1:58
Matthew 24, beginning in verse 21,
2:11
Jesus Christ says here, for then there will be great tribulation,
2:15
such as not been from the beginning of the world until
2:18
now. No and never will be.
2:20
And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would
2:26
be saved. But for the sake of the elect,
2:30
those days will be cut short. Now what does Christ mean when
2:35
he says those days? If those days had not been cut
2:39
short, no human being would be saved.
2:41
It's it's quite simple, though perhaps for some difficult to
2:45
accept. If the Lord did not in his
2:52
permission to unleash all these calamities and catastrophes
2:56
which are manifestations of his wrath and holy justice, if he
2:59
did not determine an end to them, if they went on
3:02
indefinitely, no one would be able to survive.
3:07
It would be absolute and complete annihilation.
3:12
And this speaks to the severity of God's wrath toward those in
3:17
that final generation. At the same time, it also
3:21
reveals to us that God's judgment will not be executed
3:27
arbitrarily. It will not be uncontrolled.
3:30
It will be calculated, it will be orderly, and it will end at a
3:35
determined point. And we are going to be reminded
3:39
of this as we look at the fascinating visions that amplify
3:44
what Christ taught in this very chapter in Matthew as we look to
3:48
Revelation chapter 16. So now let's turn to our main
3:51
text and read from verse one down to verse 9.
3:56
As many of you know, what we find here is the final sequence
3:59
of the Lord's judgment before he revamps and transformed this
4:04
very world through the reign of the promised physical Son of God
4:10
and his Kingdom. And this final sequence is known
4:15
as the seven bowls of God's wrath.
4:20
We've already examined the seven seals.
4:22
We already studied the seven trumpets.
4:24
But after this last series, there is no further judgement of
4:28
this magnitude to come. What you and I are about to
4:32
enter is the last of the last of God's wrath in the Tribulation
4:37
period. This is it.
4:40
This is a significant turning point in our study of the end
4:44
times, and we will not rush through this chapter because
4:47
there is much that it has to offer.
4:51
And one way of organizing these seven bowls of God's wrath in
4:54
our understanding is by realizing that they are
4:57
organized in three main parts. The first four bowls are
5:03
designated to affect the natural world.
5:08
The 5th and the 6th bowl will be directed towards the political
5:12
realm of that time, namely the Kingdom of the Antichrist and
5:16
the rulers of all nations. And finally, the 7th bowl is the
5:21
apex of all judgments. This is going to be poured out
5:27
symbolically as we're going to read in the next few weeks, and
5:30
it is going to be the final cleansing agent that will wipe
5:34
the world clean before Christ ushers in the fullness of His
5:37
Kingdom on the earth. And for the sake of time today,
5:41
we will consider the first four bowls this afternoon and see
5:45
what God will do in creation as He is wrapping things up.
5:51
The very closing moments of human history are before us in
5:55
this prophecy, and it should sober us, and it should remind
5:59
us of the great majesty of our God, among other things that we
6:02
will see today. So let's look at it, the first
6:05
four bowls beginning in verse one.
6:09
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven
6:13
angels go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the
6:15
wrath of God. So the first Angel went and
6:18
poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful
6:21
sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and
6:24
worshipped its image. The second Angel poured out his
6:28
bowl into the sea and it became like the blood of a corpse and
6:31
every living thing died that was in the sea.
6:34
The third Angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the
6:37
springs of water, and they became blood.
6:40
And I heard the Angel in charge of the water say, Just are you,
6:43
O Holy One, who is and who was? For you brought these judgments,
6:48
for they have shed the blood of Saints and prophets, and you
6:50
have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve.
6:55
And I heard the altar saying, Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true
6:58
and just are your judgments. The 4th Angel poured out his
7:01
bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with
7:04
fire. They were scorched by the fierce
7:07
heat and they cursed the name of God who had power over these
7:11
plagues. They did not repent and give him
7:17
glory. Father, we choose to give you
7:22
glory today. We choose to repent because we
7:27
know that in repentance we find life, we find forgiveness, we
7:31
find mercy. We pray Lord, that as we look at
7:34
these verses, you would captivate us, make these truths
7:40
real to us. Oh Lord, we're fully aware that
7:43
even looking at these horrifying prophecies we can allow our
7:49
minds to wander. Instead, we pray that every word
7:54
that will be shared would arrest us as we realize the reality of
8:00
who you are and rejoice in it. In Jesus name we pray.
8:05
Amen. Let's look at these bowls one by
8:09
one, shall we? We look at the first one in
8:12
verses 1 to 2, and we notice that this bowl, when it is
8:16
poured out, will be poured out on the earth.
8:19
Remember, the first four bowls deal with creation, deal with
8:22
the natural order. And this first Angel, without
8:26
hesitation, responds to the voice from the temple in heaven,
8:29
which is God speaking, and he lets out what seems to be a
8:35
plague that harms the body. It says here in verse 2 that the
8:40
Angel, the first Angel, went out and poured out his bowl in the
8:42
earth. And harmful and painful sores
8:45
came upon the people. The people.
8:48
Now, what are these sores? There's a lot of speculation,
8:51
but most likely we're talking about cancerous tumors.
8:55
We're talking about severe agitation to the flesh.
8:59
We're talking about something that will be of great magnitude
9:04
in terms of the pain and the distress and the discomfort, but
9:10
we have to be very careful. God is not, again, arbitrarily
9:14
just letting loose this act. It is aimed at a particular
9:20
group, and that group here in verse 2 are those who bore the
9:24
mark of the beast and worship its image.
9:29
This is quite interesting. We find here that the mark of
9:35
the beast is something that people will wear, will brand
9:38
themselves with in this period of human history as a way of
9:43
pledging their allegiance to somebody who will one day rule
9:45
the world and claim himself to be God.
9:49
And in doing so, they are actually trying to preserve
9:53
their own survival. Remember, the Antichrist is
9:56
going to coerce the masses to give their devotion to him.
10:01
And so in order to spare themselves from economic
10:04
distress and to ultimately escape the death penalty, many
10:09
people will bow their knee to the Antichrist.
10:13
And what's so startling is that whatever provision or promise
10:17
the Antichrist makes for these people who think that this is
10:21
the best choice that I have in this time of uncertainty and
10:26
calamity, this is the best option.
10:28
Well, ultimately he will fail to protect them and provide for
10:32
them in the greatest time of need when God's wrath shows up.
10:38
And there are a couple of very important truths that we can
10:40
draw from this. The first is that most people,
10:43
even today, not just then but now, make decisions without
10:48
accounting for judgment day. They don't factor in that final
10:53
day of accountability. So they plan and they purchase
10:58
and they pursue and they invest thinking that whatever I do in
11:02
this life is all to my existence.
11:07
And that's what people will do then.
11:10
But if you know the Bible, then you are aware that over over
11:12
again in the Scriptures we are reminded that yes, a majority of
11:16
people will in fact live to profit in this age alone while
11:21
forfeiting everything else in the life to come.
11:25
And we have to avoid that temptation.
11:28
In Proverbs 11 verse 4, the Holy Spirit says riches do not profit
11:35
in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from
11:39
death. Riches can offer a lot in this
11:42
world, but God shows us in the single verse, and we find it
11:46
throughout the pages of the Word of God, that riches can offer
11:51
you nothing when it comes to the most important thing about you,
11:56
what will happen to your soul? And that's what we find here, a
12:02
clear example of those who accepted the mark and who may
12:06
have counted themselves among the winners.
12:08
One of those Christians rejecting the mark of the beast
12:11
because of their allegiance to Jesus.
12:12
Is Jesus helping you now to survive?
12:14
Does Jesus put food on your dinner table for your family?
12:18
Antichrist does. Where are the answers in your
12:23
Christian faith? With all the disasters around
12:25
us, Antichrist seems to provide some help.
12:30
But whatever winning they think that they are enjoying is but
12:33
for a brief time. In fact, those who rejected the
12:36
mark, namely Christians, and suffered because of it end up
12:41
escaping something far more costly.
12:46
Many people make decisions without taking into account
12:51
Judgement Day. Secondly, we also find here that
12:56
this first bowl illustrates the painful outcome of false
12:59
worship, the results of placing your adoration, your devotion
13:05
towards something or someone else apart from God.
13:09
There is irony in this plague. Think about it.
13:13
You had this group, the masses, the nations, marking themselves
13:17
on their right hand or their forehead in order to pledge
13:21
their loyalty to this man. And when God pours out this
13:24
first of the last of judgments, He inflicts their bodies.
13:32
And when you look at this more carefully, you have to
13:34
understand that this disease that breaks out did not just
13:38
come for the afternoon. We get the impression from the
13:41
context that it was lasting, didn't just disappear after a
13:45
few minutes. Look at Revelation 16 verse 10
13:49
to get confirmation of that. It says here the 5th Angel
13:52
poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and its
13:55
Kingdom was plunged Into Darkness.
13:57
People nod their tongues in anguish and curse the God of
14:01
heaven for their pain and sores. So by the 5th bowl the sores are
14:05
still there. They did not repent of their
14:09
deeds. Brothers and sisters, please
14:14
lean in and hear this. This is just one of the many
14:17
examples in the Bible that there is a kind of worship we offer
14:21
that brings us lasting peace, and there is a kind of worship
14:26
that we can engage in that invites lasting pain.
14:30
You know what's the difference? You know what makes a
14:33
difference? The object of your worship.
14:38
If you and I give our affection and our submission and our love
14:46
toward anything above God, it may provide immediate relief,
14:54
may give you a sense of pleasure, it may offer you the
14:58
identity in the wholeness that you've been looking for your
15:01
whole life. But whatever it may offer, I
15:07
tell you based on the authority of God's Word, it will always be
15:11
followed by sorrow, because the blessings of worship can only be
15:18
realized when they are directed towards the one who alone
15:22
deserves the worship. That's God.
15:27
You know many people are familiar with Psalm 16, verse
15:29
11. You have made note to me, the
15:31
paths of life at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
15:36
In your presence there is fullness of joy.
15:38
We love that it. It shows the endless pleasure
15:44
that God gives us in His presence, the uninterrupted joy
15:48
that is found in Him. And yet many people fail to
15:51
understand that David also said something about place.
15:55
Placing your sorrow and something apart from God or
15:57
placing your substance and your satisfaction is something apart
16:00
from God. In verse 4 of that same Psalm,
16:03
he says the sorrows of those who run after another God shall
16:07
multiply. That's often not quoted.
16:13
You chase anything else more than God.
16:18
You adore anything else more than God.
16:19
You serve anything else more than God.
16:23
What's guaranteed is the multiplication of sorrow.
16:27
That is just a part of God's order of things.
16:29
It is established in His law because you and I were created
16:32
to love Him supremely. So we all have the choice,
16:37
finding the fullness of joy and the the joy of of his presence
16:42
and his bliss and his fellowship that will never be taken from
16:45
us, that will never run dry, or the chase after anything else
16:50
that tries to persuade you. And sorrow will be met.
16:53
Certainly that's what we'll see at the end of times.
16:59
People will pursue the Antichrist thinking that he is
17:03
their answer and in the end they are met with sores and much
17:08
sorrow. Let's look at the second bowl in
17:10
verse 3. The second Angel poured out his
17:13
bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse and
17:15
every living thing died that was in the sea.
17:19
So again the 1st 4 bowls deal with nature.
17:22
Now we go from something being poured on the earth and that
17:26
speaks namely about those who inhabit the earth, to now a
17:29
second Angel pouring out his bowl into the sea.
17:33
And all we have to mark from the second bowl is the fact that
17:36
every living thing died that was in the sea.
17:40
Now, why is that significant? I'll tell you one reason.
17:44
Yes, it illustrates just how devastating this blow will be on
17:47
the economy of this generation, but it also is another
17:50
confirmation of the way the Book of Revelation should be
17:53
interpreted. There are alternative views of
17:56
how we should unpack this set of prophecies, and one way that you
18:01
and I can ground ourselves in the proper way is by
18:04
understanding that Revelation is generally chronological, and so
18:11
this is one other proof text for that truth.
18:15
So we see that the sea is being harmed here, but this is not the
18:18
first time that the sea was affected by God.
18:22
This is the bold judgments. But let's rewind to the trumpet
18:24
judgments. Come with me to Revelation 8,
18:26
verse 8, and I'll tell you in a second why all of this is
18:29
important. Revelation 8, verse 8, it says
18:38
here the second Angel blew his trumpet.
18:40
These are judgments that happened some time before this
18:44
bold judgment. The second Angel blew his
18:46
trumpet and something like a great mountain burning with fire
18:48
was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
18:52
1/3 of the living creatures was in the sea that died, and a
18:55
third of the ships were destroyed.
18:57
It's clear, isn't it? There's an escalation taking
19:00
place here, and there are some who propose otherwise, and it
19:04
really confuses the simplicity of the unfolding of these
19:06
prophecies. All I'm saying is take this
19:10
text, tuck it away in your heart if you're ever challenged by a
19:15
viewer perspective of this book that calls you to abandon the
19:18
simple timeline of it, because understanding how this all flows
19:24
has greater implications of how we view the end times than we
19:27
might think. So things are getting worse.
19:33
Things are getting more intense, things are leading up to the
19:38
culmination of the age. OK, but is there any practical
19:42
insight with the second bowl? Absolutely.
19:43
You ready for this? It's simple.
19:46
God's patience has virtually run out.
19:49
Time is up. The reason why he only affected
19:54
1/3 of the sea and 1/3 of virtually most of the natural
19:57
world and the trumpet judgment is because he still gave them a
20:01
chance. He didn't completely obliterate
20:03
it, He still dispensed mercy. But they they keep rejecting it.
20:10
And so now you come to this moment and you realize he's
20:12
actually removing everything. Enough is enough.
20:19
Human history is coming to a close, and the world is being
20:23
prepared as it is being cleansed, for the Son of God to
20:27
renew it and to cover it with His glory in a way that humanity
20:32
has never experienced. How does that impact you and I?
20:37
Here's how it does. This future reality reminds us
20:40
of just how fragile our world is, just how flimsy you and I
20:47
are. Have you ever just gone about
20:50
your day and thought to yourself, who's holding all of
20:52
this together? Well, in Genesis, you and I
20:57
learned that with a word, God spoke everything into existence.
21:00
And in Revelation, we learned that with a word, He can bring
21:03
an end to absolutely everything with a word.
21:08
And today, according to Hebrews, all of our systems are in order.
21:14
We get to go fishing. We get to have food, we get to
21:19
have clear skies, we get to have rain.
21:22
The sun is placed exactly where it needs to be positioned not to
21:25
destroy us because God upholds it with the power of his word.
21:33
And there's a time coming with with that same word.
21:35
He'll say destroy it and it will be destroyed and nobody can stop
21:40
it. Be humbled today.
21:44
I'm humbled. I'm borrowing my next breath
21:49
from Him. My heart is beating because of
21:52
His mercy, and so is yours. All these politicians and all
21:58
these people in power thinking that they can actually determine
22:00
things. You are at the mercy of Almighty
22:03
God. You can't even tie your shoe
22:06
without God's permission. And so God is humbling these
22:14
sinners, but it doesn't mean that the Saints can't be
22:16
humbled. We must be humbled and we must
22:19
remember your God. We come to the third bowl in
22:25
verses 4 to 7. This is something very unique in
22:27
comparison to the other bowls. It says here in verse 4, the
22:34
third Angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs
22:38
of water, and they became blood, very similar to what happened
22:41
with the sea. But then there's this
22:43
interruption. An angel's about to speak.
22:49
And the reason for that is because we go from the sea to
22:53
different bodies of water being contaminated, namely rivers and
22:56
springs of water. So what?
22:58
What kind of practical implications does this have?
23:00
People can't have drinking water anymore.
23:04
That's a problem. For obvious reasons.
23:06
The basic necessity for survival is now removed from the world.
23:14
And the readers perhaps looking at this, maybe you're thinking
23:17
this and you're wrestling now because you're trying to
23:21
reconcile this God who claims to be a God of love and compassion.
23:27
And we haven't even get past the third bowl and he's already
23:30
removed water from people's lips.
23:35
He's cut off the refreshment, the replenishment, their fuel.
23:41
We know there are some parts of the world now where people don't
23:44
have access to clean water. Imagine the entire world being
23:48
stripped of that gift. Nowhere to go, no supply, no
23:57
nation that is a safe haven. No matter where you look, the
24:01
news breaks out. There is nothing for us to
24:04
drink. Imagine the carnage.
24:08
Imagine the added frustration of those who are already trying to
24:11
deal with their sores and businesses that have been run to
24:16
the ground because the sea is now poisoned.
24:18
And now, before you can even blink, there is nothing for me
24:22
to put to these dry, calloused lips.
24:28
Who is this God? And we're ready to sit on the
24:32
judgment seat and analyze him and accuse him.
24:35
And an Angel speaks to his defense.
24:38
The Holy Spirit knows how we're thinking and he knows
24:41
potentially what we're dealing with in our own hearts.
24:44
So notice what happens at this point.
24:48
There's an answer, verse 5. And I heard the Angel in charge
24:52
of the water say, just are you a holy One who is and who was for
24:56
you brought these judgments, for they have shed the blood of
24:59
Saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink.
25:02
It is what they deserve. Simply put, God is not doing
25:07
this out of cruelty. He's not being unpredictable.
25:11
He doesn't have sudden mood changes, and he just felt like
25:15
doing this because he's sadistic.
25:18
The first thing you and I encounter at this point that
25:21
we're trying to make sense of how these events and how these
25:25
acts reflect His heart of mercy and grace is that He's also
25:31
just. He's holy and to affirm God's
25:39
righteousness in these acts, the Angel brings to our attention
25:42
something that we probably have forgotten, that those who are
25:46
facing such suffering deserve it.
25:52
They have massacred Christians across the world in a way that
25:57
the church has never seen. The greatest slaughter of
26:02
believers will take place during the Tribulation period.
26:05
It will be spearheaded by this Antichrist fellow, and it will
26:08
be performed by those who are his followers.
26:12
They will hunt down Christians. They will RIP apart families.
26:18
They will wreak havoc on a scale again that is unprecedented.
26:25
Verse 6. For they have shed the blood of
26:28
Saints and prophets. So what does God determine?
26:32
You shed innocent blood. Here's blood to drink.
26:39
You killed innocent people, you're guilty.
26:43
And I will let you drink blood because you poured it out.
26:52
It is what they deserve. Listen, you and I don't want
26:56
what we deserve, because what would be our do is absolutely
27:04
terrifying. But thanks be to God, as I speak
27:08
today, the same one who offers this blood to drink gives us
27:11
something that we don't deserve. You know this very well, don't
27:14
you? It's not blood that poisons us
27:17
but heals us. It's not blood that causes us to
27:21
die but makes us alive. It's not blood poured out in
27:23
judgement. It's blood poured out for the
27:25
forgiveness of our sins. This imagery here of blood being
27:31
offered to drink takes us back to that night when Jesus Christ
27:36
was betrayed and he looked at his own who would indeed forsake
27:43
him. And he says in Matthew 2627,
27:47
after taking the cup, giving it thanks, he gave it to them,
27:50
saying, drink it, drink it, all of you.
27:54
For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for
27:56
the forgiveness of many. And tragically, there will be a
28:02
generation as revealed in Revelation 16, who have rejected
28:06
the blood of this covenant offered by the Saints and the
28:09
prophets who will be preaching and witnessing at this time and
28:13
will instead be forced to drink the blood of God's wrath.
28:20
And verse 7 says, and I heard the altar saying, the altar is
28:22
personified. They should bring us back to
28:24
chapter 6 when the martyrs in heaven cry out to God for
28:28
vengeance. And they said, Lord, when?
28:30
When will you vindicate us? And the Lord assure them in a
28:36
short time that time is here. Delayed prayer doesn't mean
28:43
denied prayer. These Saints wanted God to
28:52
defend them and deal with their enemies, and God came at the
28:56
right time. God always comes at the right
29:00
time. I know this is a very sobering
29:05
prayer request. Take that for any prayer
29:08
request. He never forgets your cry.
29:12
He never forgets the unfairness, the persecution, the injustice
29:14
that's been committed against you.
29:17
He loves you. He cherishes you more than you
29:21
can imagine. You shed blood.
29:25
OK, here's blood to drink. But we come now to the 4th bowl.
29:35
We saw the first Angel pouring out on the earth.
29:39
We saw the second one pouring into the sea, the third one
29:41
pouring into the rivers and springs of water.
29:44
And now we come to the 4th Angel in verse 8, and we read the
29:47
fourth Angel poured out his bowl on the sun and it was allowed.
29:52
Notice that phrase. It was allowed.
29:54
Again, we're going back to the authority of God here.
29:56
It was allowed. You know, the sun needs
29:59
permission from God to shine. The sun needs permission from
30:05
God to radiate a certain level of heat and to remain a certain
30:09
size. The sun needs God's permission,
30:15
and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
30:20
So we come here. We realize that God seems to be
30:23
cornering the world. This judgment is becoming
30:28
comprehensive. The earth, the sea, the springs
30:32
of now, the sun, and the description of the sun's deadly
30:38
rise and temperature reminds us of Isaiah's prophecy about the
30:41
end times. You don't have to turn that, but
30:43
maybe mark this in your margins. And Isaiah 26 verse 24, verse 6.
30:47
Isaiah 24 verse 6 says therefore a curse devours the earth and
30:52
its inhabitants suffer for their guilt.
30:54
Therefore the inhabitants of earth are scorched and few men
30:58
are left. And combining what we've seen
31:03
thus far in these bold judgments, we can sense just how
31:05
tormenting this unparalleled heat wave will be.
31:09
There's no water to drink now. There is no seat to cool off in.
31:15
They're already being agitated by whatever is breaking out on
31:20
their skin, and this rapid sequence of unexplainable events
31:25
impacting the entire planet will cause even these worshippers of
31:30
the Antichrist to acknowledge this has to be God.
31:36
This is not. This is not happenstance.
31:40
This is not random. This is being orchestrated by
31:44
God. This is supernatural.
31:49
And don't get too excited, because although they will
31:53
recognize God as the power behind these plagues, they will
31:57
they will fail to admit the reason for them.
32:02
Look at verse 9. They were scorched by the fierce
32:04
heat. The atmosphere itself will be
32:08
like an oven. And they cursed the name of God
32:14
who had power over these plagues.
32:17
They did not repent and give him glory.
32:22
So instead of reflecting and maybe thinking all of this is
32:30
the fruit of our rebellion, our wickedness, this widespread
32:33
destruction is because of us, they choose instead to blame God
32:39
and point the finger to the heavens and blasphemy His name.
32:49
Can we just like sit back and try to digest this?
32:58
At the same time, the fact that a lack of repentance is being
33:01
highlighted here on a positive note shows us that God was
33:08
hoping for it. That even though He is taking
33:15
everything absolutely away from them, he's longing for them to
33:20
realize the foolishness of their sin, their mistrust in a man who
33:27
claimed to be God, and to surrender to the true God.
33:30
And they refused. So after all the preaching of
33:33
the Saints during the Tribulation, the mighty miracles
33:36
performed by prophets, the supernatural messages of angelic
33:41
beings, God tries with a final attempt by enforcing pain and
33:50
amplifying it to jolt this generation from their sinful
33:56
craze. And instead of being humbled,
33:59
they harden their hearts. I know this might be hard for
34:07
our sanctified minds to imagine and comprehend, but there are
34:10
many people now, not just that now, who love to sin.
34:19
They love to sin like more than you think.
34:24
They love to injure people and murder.
34:26
They enjoy raping women. They take delight in kidnapping
34:34
young girls and trafficking them.
34:36
They take no issue in abusing their bodies with drugs and
34:40
drunkenness and sexual immorality.
34:45
They prioritize themselves above everybody, including God, and
34:49
they think they're on the right for that.
34:52
There are people in the masses who are enthralled and who can't
34:58
imagine living outside of pitch darkness, and they absolutely
35:05
loathe the idea that there would be a God who'd call them to
35:10
repent of such things and would choose rather a brutal,
35:16
torturous death than to submit to him.
35:21
I know, I know, it's hard for us to imagine.
35:22
A lot of us in here come to this church three times a week, and
35:26
this is our world. And that's great.
35:28
It should be. We are followers of Christ.
35:29
This is our home, But Revelation gives us insight into just how
35:34
depraved and warped sinners are. And you and I would be no
35:39
better. Apart from the grace of God,
35:45
they love it. They love it so that when a God
35:48
of purity and holiness comes and steps into their world and shows
35:52
them the true way, they hate him for it.
36:01
I remember when I first got saved, I was so excited.
36:04
I mean, I, I realized I'm forgiven.
36:06
I realized I'm not going to be condemned.
36:08
And I was like many of you who were first safe hungry.
36:11
I wanted to know as much as I can.
36:12
I tried witnessing to people and they would give me pushback and
36:15
objections. I'm like, listen, I don't have
36:16
the answers, but I'll get back to you have my word on it.
36:18
So I would watch debates and teachings and I remember this
36:22
still obviously still marked marked me.
36:26
I remember reading a comment, I think it was a discussion
36:28
between atheists and Christians on a panel and I was looking at
36:32
what people were saying on the YouTube and one of the comments
36:35
said this. It actually like took my breath
36:37
away. But then I come to the Bible and
36:39
I realized, no, it's true. One person said a very simple
36:43
thing, but it was so weighty. He wrote the following I rather
36:48
go to hell than be in heaven with your God.
36:57
I want to tell you something. There are more people who
37:00
believe that and want that than you think.
37:04
I know our sanctified minds can't think about it.
37:06
No way. Yes way.
37:10
Most of the world in the end, will curse God as He is judging
37:15
them. They don't even plead for mercy.
37:19
They don't ask for just some reprieve with whatever energy
37:23
they have left. They want to blasphemy Him.
37:32
If you were here last week, you remember that in chapter 15 we
37:35
made the case how John was mirroring the events of the
37:38
Exodus in his description of the last days.
37:43
And he did so in part to communicate how in the same way
37:46
God delivered Israel from the tyranny of Egypt, bringing them
37:50
into the Promised land by using plagues and judging the wicked,
37:54
their oppressors, He will also usher in the Church from this
37:58
world into his everlasting Kingdom by judging the wicked.
38:06
But the, the parallels didn't end at the end of chapter 15.
38:10
They go on. In fact, maybe you've, you've
38:12
picked up on this, that some of the plagues that we've already
38:14
looked at in these bold judgments are similar to the
38:18
plagues in Egypt, right? Boils and rivers turning into
38:21
blood. And the comparisons continue,
38:28
and they go deeper than even that.
38:30
I want to argue that in chapter 16, the stubbornness of the
38:34
evildoers and those who oppressed and and came against
38:39
the true people of God is reflective of the stubbornness
38:42
of the Egyptians while they were trying to adapt to the plagues
38:47
that were being poured out on them.
38:48
And I want to give you just one example of that.
38:53
And this is where we're going to end.
38:55
If you would come with me to Exodus 7 and look at the first
38:59
plague with me beginning in verse 20, not just similar
39:07
plagues, but similar stubbornness.
39:14
Exodus 7, verse 20. Moses and Aaron did as the Lord
39:20
commanded in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his
39:23
servants. He lifted up the staff and
39:25
struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile
39:30
turned into blood. Why did the Nile turn into
39:33
blood? This was the first thing that
39:35
was done to get Pharaoh's attention to let God's people
39:38
go. Do you know why?
39:39
Because earlier in Exodus, Pharaoh made a decree.
39:42
Any Hebrew boy that is born to the Israelites throw them into
39:46
the Nile. You get the picture?
39:51
You shed blood, here's blood to drink.
39:54
Did we just see that in Revelation?
39:57
You shed blood, here's blood to drink.
39:58
Same God, same God. His justice isn't wavered.
40:05
But what I want to draw your attention to is how the
40:09
Egyptians responded to this judgment.
40:12
This might actually make you chuckle a little bit.
40:14
Look at verse 24 and all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for
40:19
water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
40:23
What a picture. Can you envision it?
40:28
So their main supply and source of water is contaminated?
40:33
And what's the response of those who depended on it, who realized
40:36
that this was a miracle? They dug along the sides to say,
40:40
OK, if we can't, we'll go to the Nile.
40:41
Let's go to something else. What would be the same thing to
40:46
do? OK, there's a message behind
40:51
this. Maybe God's trying to get our
40:54
attention. Clearly He is demonstrating our
40:58
guilt and what we've done against Israel and their
41:00
children. But instead, what you find here
41:05
is that they pivot. It's a resilience, but it's a
41:10
scary 1. Instead of being humbled,
41:15
they're willing to endure the consequence of their sin.
41:20
Instead of looking up and saying, OK, God, we hear you
41:24
loud and clear and we we understand the error of our
41:27
ways, what do you ask of us? They look down and they try to
41:31
find a way to have their own way.
41:39
And then you read through Exodus, and you read through the
41:41
Old Testament, and you read through the New Testament, and
41:43
then you come to the last book of all, and you realize in God's
41:46
final plagues that human nature has not changed.
41:55
And it could be even today that as we come to a close in this
41:57
message, that you find yourself enduring things and instead of
42:06
going to the fountain of life, you are digging holes, trying to
42:11
find your own water. It will not satisfy.
42:19
It will not bring the answers that you were looking for.
42:23
You worship something or someone else, including yourself, more
42:26
than God. Sorrows are promised to
42:29
multiply, but all those unnecessary sorrows can come to
42:34
a halt once and for all if you come to Christ.
42:41
Unfortunately, and I've said this in Revelation before,
42:43
please give me permission to say it again.
42:46
Some people can only understand the language of pain before they
42:52
wake up and realize who Christ is their need for a savior.
42:58
I don't want you to be that person.
43:01
I don't God doesn't want to notice that he's already done so
43:05
much. This is the last.
43:06
This is the last resort here by touching everything.
43:10
It was after so many other attempts to get to get them to
43:13
see his greatness and his glory. And so my genuine desire for for
43:22
the person here today who maybe stumbled into this place out of
43:25
curiosity. Or maybe you feel like you've
43:29
found success in evading things and tiptoeing around the truth
43:35
and sustaining your kind of way of life and what you want to do
43:39
in the sins you want to keep while still, you know, giving
43:41
respect to God in the church. You can't maintain that for
43:46
long. Just give up, just surrender.
43:51
Take this cue and realize this is more than just prophecy.
43:54
This is this is a realization afresh of who God is today.
44:01
And I choose to hear Him loud and clear.
44:04
We ask, Lord, that you would help us hear you loud and clear.
44:10
And Lord, as heavy as a message as this was, you intended to be
44:15
heavy. So, Lord, we've done our best to
44:25
not try to lighten this message. Lord, as we continue in
44:35
revelation, we have listened to a lot about judgement, but at
44:40
the same time, you have provided rays of hope in it and through
44:44
it. We've seen your kindness.
44:46
We've seen your patients. And so look, even now, as we try
44:51
to absorb all the things that were explained from these
44:54
prophecies, help us land in your mercy, Lord.
45:05
For the Sinner who doesn't know you hearing this message, may
45:08
today be the day where they become a child of God.
45:12
For the children of God here who are pained by these things, and
45:16
rightfully so, may they also rejoice in knowing that they are
45:20
not destined for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our
45:24
Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, so that whether we are awake
45:27
or asleep, we might live with him.
45:30
Thank you that we get to live with you.
45:31
We can no only everlasting joy in you.
45:36
Glory be to your name, O God. We now stand, and we choose to
45:40
be like this Angel. And in the midst of facing and
45:43
trying to comprehend judgment, we can say, just are you, O Lord
45:47
Holy are you, O Lord, you as the judge of the all of all the
45:53
earth will in fact do right. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
46:02
Let's stand church.