November 30, 2012
SATAN, YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!
Revelation 16
Kevin Johns
Central Truth
"These plagues are God's answer to Satan's last and greatest effort to frustrate the divine rule." (George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope, p. 209)
Key Verse | Revelation 16:7
And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." (Revelation 16:7)
Revelation 16
The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters 1 16:5 Greek angel of the waters say,
“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
for you brought these judgments.
6
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”
7 And I heard the altar saying,
“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
true and just are your judgments!”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed 2 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21 the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The Seventh Bowl
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, 3 16:18 Or voices, or sounds peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds 4 16:21 Greek a talent in weight each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
Dive Deeper | Revelation 16
When I first started reading this chapter, all I could seem to focus on was the bowls that affected man. With a legalistic background, all I seemed to think about was, "What am I going to have to do to prevent me or my family or my friends from having to go through all of this?"
But after many hours of reading and praying, my mind began to shift. I must have thought that there was a new savior called Kevin Johns, or that the truth found in Isaiah does not apply to me when reading this passage: Isaiah 45:5-6 states:
I am the LORD, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me;
That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Once more I had to read Proverbs 3:5-6 and dig deeper. The separation between man and God was already bridged by the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). If God isn't directly judging the sin of man here, who is He bringing this unfathomable wrath and destruction upon? This is the finalization of the seventh seal, the last blow of the seventh trumpet, and the outpouring of the seven bowls containing God's wrath against Satan. All of those who have put their faith and loyalty with Satan and the earth will suffer this wrath, but that is not the way God meant it to be. The people of this chapter know that God is bringing these judgments on them for their refusal to repent and follow Him, but they blaspheme His name nonetheless (Revelation 16:9, 11).
Satan and the world he was allowed to rule are coming to an end. When I focus on what effect this brought on man, I lose sight of our Sovereign God and the work that He is doing. In my own life, only when the Lord allowed me to experience a pride-destroying brokenness through shattered relationships, attempted suicide, alcohol, and materialism were my eyes finally opened to the grace He offers in His Son Jesus Christ.
Discussion Questions
1. When studying God's word do you stop after your first thoughts and impressions, or do you go further and trust that he has something deeper to teach you?
2. What are the attributes of sin in your life that YOU are trying to fix and not let GOD heal? Do you blame the Lord for the past sinful actions of man?
3. Have you pursued true healing in the Lord and not the ways of man?
4. Have you found the joy of life in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ? If not, would you want to?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
November 26-30 (Revelation 12-16)
Read Revelation 15:1-4.
• What two names does the writer give this little song in verse 3-4?
• Who was Moses? What did Moses do? (Hebrews 11:23-29, Exodus 3:10-12)
• Who is the Lamb? What did the Lamb do?
• Read Hebrews 3:1-6. What's the difference between Moses and the Lamb?
• What will the Lamb ultimately do one day?
• Why does it mean to be holy? Who is holy?
• Read Revelation 16:7. What does it mean that God's judgments are true and just?
Activity: Go to the following link (http://wmcc.jointhejourney.com/page_/3913) to listen to the song "Jehovah" and download the crossword puzzle. As you listen to the song fill in the meaning of the names listed in the clues of the crossword puzzle.
When done, talk about all the names of God and what they mean. This is the God whose judgments are just and true. How does it feel to be under a God who is loving, a healer, a provider, etc.?