The Book of Revelation
God’s Final Judgments
Revelation 15-16
Some time back the final trumpet sounded, but nothing happened, there was no judgment blasted out upon the earth; instead John was given an over all picture of history and our present.
It started in chapter 12 where we see Israel and the Messiah, along with the great red dragon, or Satan, and his fall from heaven, the Great War fought in heaven, and Satan’s defeat. We also saw the persecution of believers that would follow.
Next we saw the coming and the rise to power of the Antichrist and his second in command, the False Prophet. And in chapter 14 we saw the angelic proclamations of the gospel message, the fall of Babylon, and God’s judgment against those who take the mark of the Antichrist.
We now come to chapter 15.
Read Revelation 15
Here we see seven mighty angels prepared to pour out God’s last seven plagues of His wrath and divine judgment. Many look upon this and shutter saying, “How can a good God, a God of love do this? How can He pour such plagues upon His creation?”
Let me give a quick answer before the Lord answers this later on in our study. God is a God of love, but He is also a just God, and while He is longsuffering, He is not forever suffering towards sin and evil.
In this chapter we see a picture of those who are martyred for their faith in Jesus during this time. The song of praise they sing of Moses and the Lamb is the marriage between the law and the gospel.
These are believers who have suffered under the worst holocaust of all times, who died for their faith in Jesus Christ refusing to worship the Antichrist and his image by not accepting his mark.
This is a beautiful picture of all those who stand up for Jesus Christ, who through trials and temptations endure unto the end. And like these believers, we must likewise endure to the end refusing to accept the marks of this world.
The only marks that we as believers should take are the marks of Jesus Christ. These are not outward, however, but inward. They are the marks when seen by those outside the faith will readily identify us a Christians. This begs then the question “Is there enough evidence to convict us a being Christians?”
Now we come to the Seven Bowl Judgments of God.
First Bowl: Incurable Sores on Antichrist’s Followers
Read Revelation 16:1-2
This first judgment isn’t pretty as the first angel pours out ugly painful sores. They’re ulcerous sores, inflamed and festering, cancerous, harmful, malignant, putrefying, and repulsive, and they’re only poured out upon the followers of the Antichrist.
This is remarkably similar to the plague of boils that came upon the Egyptians when God delivered Israel from their captivity.
The judgment is an outward sign of the inward corruption of those who have rejected God by pledging allegiance to the Antichrist. Jesus talked about this inward corruption when He described the religious leaders of His day.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27 NKJV)
God predicted this type of plague upon all who walk in disobedience.
“The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.” (Deuteronomy 28:27 NKJV)
Here the followers of the Antichrist are receiving back what they’ve been dishing out.
Second Bowl: Sea Turned to Blood and Death of All Sea Life
Read Revelation 16:3
The seas and oceans will become infected with some kind of blood red contamination and all sea life will be killed by it. Imagine the sight and smell of dead sea creatures washing up on shores throughout the world. Further, imagine the economic disaster and famine that’ll happen when the world’s fishing industry crashes.
Again it brings to mind the plague of Egypt where the waters were turned to blood. Yet how this will take place is a mystery, but not too big of a mystery considering how we’ve been killing the ocean by dumping our garbage and toxins into it.
There is something today that’s turns the oceans red, and kills sea life, and that’s the natural phenomenon known as the “Red Tide.” The Red Tide is caused by the over multiplication of plankton and other microscopic sea creatures. They turn the water a reddish color releasing toxins that kill other sea life.
Third Bowl: Fresh Waters Turning into Blood
Read Revelation 16:4-7
The third bowl judgment happens to all remaining fresh water. Remember, one-third already has been destroyed in the trumpet judgments. The rest of the drinking water will be turned into blood, thus no fresh water to drink. Again, some type of poison will enter the water supply that no amount of filtration will be able to make drinkable.
Note something interesting; the angel reveals the age-old principle of retribution. I go back to an original premise of how people view God, and how these plagues don’t fit their idea of a loving God. But God knew of their objections, therefore, in the midst of this judgment the angel tells us why God is pouring out his wrath.
First it’s for the mass murder of believers. The earth is under the control of Satan through the Antichrist and False Prophet. As a result he has launched the worst holocaust known to humanity through the cruelest and most inhumane methods imaginable.
Second, not only is God merciful and compassionate, but He’s also righteous and true. God is just, and in His justice He cannot allow such evil to continue. And so the angel says that God is perfectly just as He executes exactly what the people deserve, what the people brought upon themselves. They’re reaping what they’ve sown.
And while it’s easy to point to the Antichrist, or to the really bad sinners of our day and say the same thing, what we need to understand is that this law applies to everyone. What this means is that there’s consequences for our sins.
Yes God will forgive our sins, like sexual immorality, but the consequences still apply, like unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. We can’t blame God for what we’ve done. We’ll reap the consequences just as those during this time of Tribulation.
Fourth Bowl: Intense Scorching Heat
Read Revelation 16:8-9
The fourth bowl is poured out on the sun and severe heat and radiation are going to scorch everyone.
Today the earth’s atmosphere is experiencing an on going assault from both the sun and from humanity, which it protects. During this time it would seem that several layers of the ozone are gone, and people will be seared by the intense heat, and curse God for it. Malachi records this for us.
“‘Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 4:1 NKJV)
The amazing thing is people won’t repent, but instead choose to curse God. They’ll do what unbelievers and believers have done for centuries, and that’s blame God for their misery. Whether it’s hitting their thumb with a hammer, getting into a car accident, or coming down with a disease, most people curse and blame God for their lot in life. Like Pharaoh in Egypt, when faced with the plagues, they’ll harden their hearts against God.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
Read Revelation 16:10-11
A thick black darkness will cover the earth, a darkness that can be felt and intensifies the pain the people are presently going through. Again I go to the plagues of Egypt where there was likewise a plague of darkness that covered the land, a darkness that could be felt for three days, Exodus 10:21-22.
This is what the prophet Joel predicted.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand: a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Joel 2:1-2a NKJV)
The darkness literally intensifies the pain and suffering for the ulcerous sores, and the burns from the scorching heat. But still they don’t repent but continue to harden their hearts.
Sixth Bowl: Preparations for the Final Showdown
Read Revelation 16:12-16
The sixth bowl is poured out upon the Euphrates River drying it up, or a portion of it, in order for the armies of the East, the armies of the Antichrist to pass over and attack Israel. This judgment is actually a trap to draw the Antichrist’s armies into the last and final battle known as Armageddon.
The Euphrates River is the longest and most important in Western Asia. In ancient times it marked the Roman Empire’s boundary, and was one of the boundaries of the Promised Land.
There are all sorts of theories on how this will happen, from lakes, canals, dams, or a natural catastrophe. But it isn’t important to know how, only that is will, and that it allows this great federation of nations and their armies to attack Israel.
There’s an interesting comparison to the sixth trumpet judgment releasing four demonic angels from the Euphrates that led a great army of 200 million and a battle accounting for one-third of humanity being destroyed. Now at this sixth bowl judgment we see the Euphrates becoming dry to allow the Antichrist’s army access.
Some wonder why not just bomb the daylights out of Jerusalem, but the Antichrist wants the city and temple intact. Even through Babylon at this time is the center of commerce, and Rome is probably the religious headquarters, Jerusalem and the temple are the center of the world, and the place where Jesus is going to return. So Satan needs possession of the city and temple to prevent this from happening.
To accomplish this Satan, the Antichrist, and False Prophet have three frog-like demons coming from their mouths whose sole purpose is to deceive the nations into joining the Antichrist and attack Israel.
This last great battle in a way was prophesied in Psalm chapter 2
“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed.” (Psalm 2:1-2 NKJV)
And the Lord responds,
“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.” (Psalm 2:4-5 NKJV)
But while all this is happening, Jesus is poised at the doorway ready to make His triumphal return. Before the last bowl is poured out, Jesus warns of His coming like a thief in the night. Paul spoke about this in his letter to the Thessalonian church saying,
“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV)
But He goes on to say that Jesus doesn’t come like this to the church.
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4 NKJV)
While we look forward to His return, those attacking Israel will see Him as an unwanted intruder and will mourn. But for us, for believers, either then or now, we are told to watch.
And so, are you ready? By what we see today, and what the Scriptures foretell and those that have already been fulfilled, we know that we’re in the last of the last days, and that Jesus can come at any time for His church. So are you ready?
Seventh Bowl: It’s Finished
Read Revelation 16:17-21
God says, “It’s done,” and an earthquake of unimaginable intensity will literally rock the world as island sink and mountains crumble. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this saying,
“The windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again.” (Isaiah 24:18b-20 NKJV)
What could cause such an earthquake? Presently the earth has what scientist call the “wobble effect.” It’s where the earth is literally wobbling upon its axis. And this may very well happen here as the wobble becomes so great that the earth literally shifts upon its axis. Scientists have suggested this has happened in the past.
With such a shaking is it any wonder Isaiah spoke of the earth reeling like a drunkard? Islands sink, mountains disappear, and cities will collapse. It’s nothing but devastation.
And if that’s not enough, it’ll produce such a climate change that ice weighing about 100 pounds will fall from the clouds. Rain clouds will become killing machines.
And God said, “It is done.” We see similar words spoken by Jesus as He died upon the cross. He said, “It is finished.” But there’s a world of difference between the two.
For all of us today, the door of Jesus still remains open for any and all to enter, because we are in the time of God’s grace, but there is coming a time that this will no longer be the case.
The Bible says that it’s been given to men and women to die only once, and then comes the judgment. So the time is now when you’re alive, because at death, the door is closed.
So which set of words do you want to hear, “It’s finished,” or “It’s done.”
“Let me give to you one verse of an old ballad called, “I’d Wish We’d All Been Ready.”
Life was filled with guns and war, and all of us got trampled on the floor
I’d wish we’d all been ready
A child died the days were cold, a piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I’d wish we’d all been ready
There’s no time to change your mind the Son has come and you’ve been left behind.”
Are you ready?
