Expectant, Not Exposed (Revelation 16:1-21)

Happy Ever After

It Is Done
Revelation 16:1-21
(One Lord: So Great a Salvation )
August 9, 2015

I. Two Passages

Consider for a minute the relationship between these two passages:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Two passages that speak directly to you this morning about how you live your life. As we return to our study of Revelation this morning, I believe chapter 16 of that book is going to show us more clearly the relationship between those verses. Turn, if you haven't already, to Revelation 16.

II. The Passage: “The Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God” (16:1-21)

I am going to begin by simply reading the entire chapter, and then we can talk about what it means and what God has for us in this passage.

Before we do that, let me give you just a quick reminder here: when you listen to this, I want to encourage you to try to be as conversant as you can with apocalyptic literature. It's a language, like I talked about last week - apocalypt-ese, if you will. It's a way of communicating Revelation as a picture book more than a written book, So as you hear it, please let the imagery drive you to the painting that is unfolding here. Let a sense of it overwhelm you, rather than trying to just figure everything out in the way that we might be tempted to do. But I'm going to read it thoughtfully and carefully and I want you to get a sense of the power and the anguish of this chapter. Revelation 16:1...

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 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 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. [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, 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 each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

Now, before we talk about this chapter as a whole, let me do a quick footnote on the pouring out of the sixth bowl in verses 12-16. That judgment often elicits a lot questions because of the famous place name we find in verse 16: Armageddon. What's important to know about Armageddon is that it is not a known place name in any ancient source, including the Bible. In Hebrew it means “the mountain of Megiddo”. The problem is Megiddo is a city on a flat plain in the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. There is no actual har-megiddo.

So how should we understand this name? Well, like the other place names in the main vision of Revelation (e.g. Babylon, Zion, Jerusalem), Armageddon is a symbolic place. Megiddo was the site of several famous battles in the Bible, and the prophet Ezekiel spoke of a great battle with many nations on the “mountains of Israel.” I think this is why it's used here as part of a ymbolic picture of mankind's last organized assault on the rule and glory of God. But notice this “battle” is not even described here. We'll discover more about this in chapter 19!

So clearly, what we find here is exactly what we were anticipating last week: the seven angels dispensing seven plagues of judgment upon the world. To better understand these seven plagues, or as they are described in verse 1, these “seven bowls of the wrath of God,” I want us to think about this chapter in light of questions: 1) what is the target of the bowls, 2) what is the extent of the bowls, and 3) what is the purpose of the bowls.

1. The Target of the Bowls

So first of all, look at what this chapter tells us about who or what is being targeted by these bowl judgments. From the very first judgment in verse 2, it becomes clear that those being judged are those “who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” Similarly, the fifth angel in verse 10 pours out judgment on “the throne of the beast.” But then in verse 19, we read that not only is “the great city” struck, but that also, “the cities of the nations” fall when the seventh bowl is emptied. And that same verse goes on to emphasize and clarify that the “great city” that is experiecing God's wrath is, in fact, “Babylon the great.”

So how do we make sense of all the different concepts?

Well, what we know from chapters 11-14 is that all of these ideas are connected, and that all of these ideas point us toward, not one, but two answers regarding who is being targeted by these judgments. First of all, in light of chapter 13, there is good reason to believe that John and his readers would have recognized the first beast as the Roman Emperor and the Empire over which he ruled.

But chapter 13 also introduced us to a second beast, a creature whose sole purpose was to promote the worship of the first beast. Here in chapter 16, verse 13, that second beast is referred to as “the false prophet.” That title fits perfectly with his work of deception and false worship. The seven churches to whom Revelation was addressed would have quickly identified this “false prophet” as the Imperial Cult, an institution that promoted worship of the Emperor and loyalty to Rome.

But when we studied chapter 13, we also talked about the fact that certain clues from that chapter should lead us to a second, fuller identification of this beast. And that broader identification is, I believe, confirmed by what we see here in chapter 16.

The powers-that-be in John's day were only the contemporary expression of something that has existed from the first rebellion of mankind against God all the way down to right now. It is a system the Bible often refers to as “the world.” What is this world system? It is the common beliefs, the collective effort, and the corrupted institutions and traditions that exalt human beings over their Creator.

When a father teaches his son that to handle a bully at school he should hit him back as hard as he can, that's “the world.” And that message is driven home by scads of violence on television; by the glorification of war whether present or past; it's seen worked out in adults when they choose war over diplomacy when diplomacy is possible; it feeds off the violent tendencies of man to gain and to get; blood lust. All of the institutions that support this kind of thinking, whether it be media or military, right down to the conversation between father and son...that's the world system.

The “great city” was and is the city of fallen man. It was and is “Babylon the great”. It's dominant powers were and are today “the beast” and “the false prophet.” And those who worship the beast were and are all those who “LOVE the world and the things of the world.” But as we see here, they will be judged. This world system will be judged.

2. The Extent of the Bowls

But to what extent will the world be judged? As we move through the book, from the seven seals, to the seven trumpets, to these seven bowls, if we (as we've described it...if we) 'follow the fractions', we realize that “all” means “all” in this chapter.

Remember that the first four trumpet judgments in chapter 8, like the first four bowls here in chapter 16, were judgments on the earth, the seas, the inland waters, and the sun. But in chapter 8, we read that only a third of these different spheres were affected when the trumpets were sounded. But here in chapter 16, the extent is explicit. Here's an example:

Chapter 8:8-9...The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. [9] A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

But as we saw in 16:3...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.

The symbolism of these bowl judgments is symbolism that encompasses the whole realm of human affairs: from our environment, to our economics, to our health, to our armies, to our cities and leaders and institutions. They will ALL be struck. They will all be shaken. That the seven bowls are in fact a description of the final outpouring of God's wrath is evident from how verses 18 and 20 points us back to the summary we found way back in 6:12-17...

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, [13] and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. [14] The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. [15] Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, [16] calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, [17] for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

This is not just a sip, or a good gulp. This is the whole cup of judgment. God will make this world (v. 19) drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

3. The Purpose of the Bowls

But why? What is the purpose of these bowls. As we know from 15:1, these seven plagues... are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And so these bowls represent the fullness of God's ultimate justice. Every wrong will be punished by a just Judge. Notice how an angel affirms this in verses 5 and 6:

And I heard the angel in charge 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!”

The murder of Christians is the rawest expression of what is always present in the world, every single day: the hostility of humanity against God.

We struggle with this chapter because we have in our mind that most people are halfway decent, isn't this true? I know you know the right theological, the Bible answer for this, but if you check yourself, you often walk around this world thinking that most people are generally decent people, generally good people.

But if you believe that about the world, number one, you're denying what the Bible says about the true nature and ugliness of sin, and, number two, you will always think chapter 16, what's described here, is way over the top; is too severe. But by the power of God, by His grace, the Holy Spirit can open your eyes to see what Jesus saw: that he would not trust himself to man (John 2) because he knew what was in man. He said, “I know you give good things to your children; I know when your children ask you for something to eat you don't get them a scorpion a snake or a rock. You give them something good.” But then he goes on to say, “So if you do that and you're evil...if you being evil do that, how good is God our Heavenly Father, in that He will provide for your needs; He won't give you a rock, a snake, a scorpion; He will take good care of you.”

Unless we can understand the death the depravity of human beings we won't get this. And do you see how that hostility is displayed here, in all its irrationality and stubborness. (v.9) They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. (v. 11) [They] cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. (v. 21) ...And they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

There are no wake-up calls here. There is no conviction or humility. There is no repentance. Even when God's power is so evident, there is only hostility. But as we see here, that hostility will receive a perfectly just response. As the seven bowls confirm, vengeance does belong to God. He will repay.

One more way the imagery drives this point home is by connecting this judgment with God's judgment on Egypt and her Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Did you notice the connections here between the bowls and the plagues God poured out on Egypt? Sores. Water turned to blood. Fire. Darkness. Frogs. Hail. This shouldn't be surprising. We saw how chapter 15 pointed us back to Exodus: the “song of Moses”, “standing by the sea”, “glory filling the tabernacle”.

Just as God judged the child-killing, slave-making, burden-laying, self-exalting, grace-refusing, God-defying kingdom of Egypt, so too will God justly judge, justly punish the kingdoms of this world.

III. When Jesus Interrupts

But as we sit here this morning attempting to take in this powerful scene of anguish, it is critical we remember this passage's intended audience. John was not called to write this down and post it in the public square. He was called (1:11) to send it to the seven churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3. Why would chapter 16 be important for them?

Yes, it would be a reminder that the injustices they were suffering would one day be addressed by God. The cry. "How long?" (6:10) would be answered. But we also saw when we studied chapters 2 and 3, the work of the dragon, the work of the beast, the work of the false prophet was just as active inside the churches as outside. False teaching. Idol worship. Sexual immorality. The love of money and possessions. Apathy and compromise.

You see, when we remember this, we understand why Jesus is compelled to interrupt in 16:15. As this awful time of coming judgment is being described, Jesus breaks in and issues what is the third of seven benedictions or blessings we find throughout the book. He says:

(“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!”)

The loving interruption of Jesus here should make it abundantly clear to us, just as it should have for them, that what Revelation is giving us is not a timetable for the return of Christ. Why is that? Because, like a thief in the night, we will not know the time of His coming. Jesus said this same things in the Gospels.

What Revelation should do is sober us. As we see and understand the horrific end of the world system, Revelation should cause us to do a 'gut check' about how badly we are entangled in that world system. Ask yourself, “In what ways am I compromising? In what ways do I care more about the world's pleasures than God's pleasure? The world's ways rather than God's way?”

One thing the Bible is clear about is this: not everyone at church is in the Church. Not everyone who confesses Christ belongs to Christ. Sadly, in the end, many will find themselves sleeping and undressed. And then judgment will drag them out of bed, and expose the shamefulness of their sins.

Friends, wherever you are with the “beast” and “Babylon” this morning, let Jesus do in your heart the very thing He is doing here: let Him interrupt. Let Him break into your distracted, busy, guarded, chaotic, despairing heart and speak these words of encouragement: Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on...

One day Babylon will drain the cup of God's wrath and God will announce “It is done” in regard to judgment. This morning we need to look to the One who drained the cup of God's wrath on the cross and announced “it is finished” in regard to payment, pardon, and peace. Let that be the final word in your story. Let's pray that God would give us the ears to hear the wonderful interruptions of Jesus this week.