Lot of exciting things are happening in the world right now.  The Palestinians are trying to create a unity government for the purpose of obtaining money from the international community.  The Prime Minister, a member of the Hamas party, has tendered his resignation and has been given five week to form a unity government.  Yet, he strongly insists that he will not recognize the existence of the Israel.  So, one wonders how this will all shake out.  (I will give you a full report when I get back from Israel the end of March).  Scandals are rocking the Israeli government of Prime Minister Olmert.  We don't hear much about them here in the States, but his popularity is lower than that of our own president.  The Second Lebanon War has created such an overwhelming shadow that he cannot escape.  And the Iranians continue moving ahead with their nuclear plans and their threats.  Meanwhile, here in the States, the weather gets more weird with each passing day.  We go from hardly any winter to a winter we want to forget.  And, the presidential campaign has begun in earnest.  If you are into politics these should be very interesting month.  Begin to do your homework now...lots of candidates to investigate.  And, overarching all of this is the exciting thought that our God is still in control!  Amen! 

 

It has been a while since we were last in Revelation.  We turn to chapter 16 this week.  In many ways this is one of the most depressing chapters in the Bible for me.  The wrath God pours out upon a sinful people hardly leaves anything to the imagination.  Yet, the more intense the judgment, the more committed the people are to their sins.  Notice that as you read this chapter.  In fact, underline those passages.  The prophet Jeremiah was correct when he said that the human heart is incredibly evil - who can comprehend it?  It seems from the text itself that the judgments follow one upon the other in rapid succession.  That makes their intensity all the more dramatic.  Yet the people are unresponsive to God, except to blame Him for all their troubles.  So, let's see what the chapter says.

 

I.  The first bowl - Revelation 16:2

 

     A.  The sores are most likely the result of malignancies that are worse than leprosy or cancer.  Much like Job's boils (Job 2:7-13 - painful, odorous, causing disfigurement)

     B.  The Antichrist cannot heal them with his miracle-working powers

     C.  Men do not repent because of these sores.  Instead, after the fifth bowl, they are still curing God because of these sores.

     D.  These sores fall only upon those who have received the mark of the beast - those who have sold themselves to the Antichrist

     E.  This bowl is similar to the sixth plague in Egypt - Exodus 9:9

 

II.  The second bowl - Revelation 16:3

 

     A.  The second bowl is poured out upon the sea, causing the entire sea-world to become blood and all sea-life is destroyed.  (You might remember that when the second trumpet sounded, 1/3 of the sea became blood)

     B.  This reminds one of the first plague in Egypt - Exodus 7:20-21

     C.  The sea "turned into blood like that of a dead man" - the vivid image is of a dead person wallowing in his own blood.  The sea will wallow in blood.

 

III.   The third bowl - Revelation 16:4-7

 

     A.  Affects the fresh water supply in the world, not just a third of it as happened during the third trumpet

     B.  This bowl brings forth the retribution from God for all those who were martyred during the Tribulation.  Those living shed the blood of the saints and prophets, so they must now drink blood.

 

IV.  The fourth bowl - Revelation 16:8-9

 

     A.  Under the fourth trumpet a third of the sun was affected and its power was diminished.  Under the fourth bowl, the power of the sun is increased for it becomes so hot that mean are "seared by the intense heat"

     B.  The bowl tells us four things:

 

           1.  The absolute power of God over His creation.  The beat has no power at all to direct creation.

           2.  The Lord Jesus said there would be signs in the sun, moon, and stars - Luke 21:25; 2 Peter 3:10

           3.  There will be no refuge from this plague nor does God intend there should be

           4.  Men do not repent and give God the glory.  Instead, they blaspheme God

 

V.   The fifth bowl - Revelation 16:10-11

 

     A.  This plague brings darkness on the seat of the beast and his kingdom.  It is so great that it causes men to gnaw their tongues for pain.

     B.  This judgment will aggravate the sores which men have as a result of the first bowl of God's wrath.

     C.  In the previous bowl, the people cursed the name of God, and now they curse the God of heaven.  Sin grows as it goes.

 

VI.  The sixth bowl - Revelation 16:12-16

 

     A.  It is the final preparation for the last great battle of Armageddon

     B.  The drying up of the Euphrates River prepares the way for the armies of the East to gather for this great battle - the purpose of this drying up is to gather the world for war

     C.  Verses 13-16 are a parenthetical vision, but a commentary on the sixth bowl

 

           1.  The source of this earth-wide movement are the three special evil spirits.

           2.  The power of persuasion: miracle working before all the rulers of all the earth

           3.  Revelation 16:15 relates that Christ's coming will be as a thief to surprise and to plunder; watchfulness is necessary at all times by all saints; blessedness is connected with watching and shame with carelessness

 

VII.  The seventh bowl - Revelation 16:17-21

 

     A.  This final bowl is poured out into the air, that is, into the atmosphere about us which is where Satan has his habitation.

     B.  "It is done!" - this is the final act of God preceding the Second Coming

     C.  An earthquake divides the city of Jerusalem into three parts, and causes other cities to fall

     D.  Babylon is fully judged

     E.  Islands and mountains disappear - the earth is radically changed in its appearance

     F.  Great hail stones of over 100 pounds fall - OUCH!

     G.  Man's response is that of continued curing toward God.  Although the judgment and its demonstration of the power of God are great, men are still unrepentant.

     H.  The conclusion of this series of judgments brings us to the Second Coming of Christ.