33 Unveiling Catastrophes 16-1-21
Notes
Transcript
Unveiling the Final Catastrophes!
Unveiling the Final Catastrophes!
Bible Passage: Revelation 16
Bible Passage: Revelation 16
Last week we saw preparation in heaven for the end of God’s wrath.
As we have walked through Revelation we are nearing the end of the time known as this present time.
Already so much has happened.
The church has been called up to heaven along with the dead in Christ.
14 judgements have killed millions of people on earth.
Evil is running wild and yet still many have become tribulation saints and many of them have died as a result.
Satan is ruling earth through the antichrist and false prophet.
Signs and wonders are deceiving so many to worship the image of the beast and to take the mark of the beast, the antichrist.
The times sound sort of familiar with evil being so rampant as you and I go about our everyday lives today.
Today’s message is a reminder of the need to work hard to see to it that no one goes through this time because they did not know about Jesus.
1. The Wrath of God
1. The Wrath of God
Revelation 16:1
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
This loud voice has to be God’s voice.
God alone knows the time when the second coming of Christ will be.
So He tells those who hold the last of God’s wrath to, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
These chapters of Revelation are hard for this generation of believers.
We have for, so long, focused on God’s Love.
So, it seems backward to talk about God’s wrath for weeks on end.
Yet Here we are seeing God command that His wrath be poured out on the people of the earth.
Nothing has changed
God’s Love has always been tempered with His justice.
Justice sometimes demands wrath.
So it is best for all concerned to huddle around God’s love and forgiveness.
2. Look at God’s Wrath
2. Look at God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:2-11
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
This verse causes all of us to see these sores.
Loathsome
Malignant
Horrible sores.
But, notice, they were on only certain people.
Those who had the mark of the beast
Those who worshiped his image
No one else suffered these loathsome sores
This wrath is on those who oppose God
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
A horrific picture of oceans full of blood
Of shores filled with lifeless fish and sea creatures
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;
Now the rivers and springs become blood
So many sources of fresh water are becoming contaminated.
Living is becoming more and more difficult.
Tell about the flood in Mexico for Kenedy’s aunt Reina and uncle Choo Choo
But the angel calls the Holy One, Righteous for His judgement of all these things.
The reason becomes evident in these next verses...
6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Remember who is under the altar of God? Those who stood against the antichrist, the false prophet and the mark of the beast.
This cup of wrath seems appropriate for all the blood of the saints and prophets that have been spilled over all the years.
Again God’s judgements are proclaimed righteous.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. 9 Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Now even the sun becomes a source of wrath as the atmosphere seems to stop holding back the harmful effects of the sun.
I’ll never believe that man has the power to destroy our atmosphere but I know God does and He can use man if He pleases to do so.
We must be good stewards of what God has given us but we cannot worship the things nor ourselves.
We must pray for God Himself to lead us in the way we should go.
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
Darkness-spiritual or physical?
Spiritual darkness is obviously occurring.
But I believe this will be a time of physical darkness
Darkness is frightening to many because so much evil takes place in the dark.
But this darkness brings pain, so much pain.
Yet they blasphemed God.
They did not repent.
3. Gathering Forces of Darkness
3. Gathering Forces of Darkness
Revelation 16:12-16
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.
So now the Euphrates river dries up
There is nothing like a dried up river.
In TX there is the Red river
It is broad and possibly deep at times.
But I have only seen it trickle but the evidence of the broad and deep are abundant.
But mostly it is dry.
There is something eerie about a dried up river especially one as great and as important as the Euphrates.
It begins in eastern Turkey where Noah’s Ark landed in the Ararat Mountains
It travels more than 1600 miles east and south to the Persian Gulf
It is navigable for 1200 miles north and west of the Persian Gulf.
It provides nourishment for millions of people in water for human and animal consumption as well as irrigation.
The Euphrates River was mentioned in Genesis 2 with the story of creation
Now it is mentioned again, this time drying up because of God’s wrath at the end of time.
It is dried up in preparation for the kings of the East.
Preparation for the battle of Armageddon
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 spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) 16 And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
Notice the demons coming from the dragon, the beast and the false prophet.
These demons are deception.
V. 16 they deceive those in charge to gather to the place called Har-Magedon.
The great tribulation is marked by so much deception.
Obviously the prince of the power of air is at work in the world at this particular time.
But God is not finished yet.
4. Shaking Earth’s Foundations
4. Shaking Earth’s Foundations
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon 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 and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
Finally it is done.
This final plague I believe destroys the earth entirely.
Earthquake like never before v.18.
v.19 The great city split into 3 parts-totally destroyed.
Cities of all nations destroyed.
Babylon faces the wine of His fierce wrath.
V. 20 Islands fled, Mountains not found.
Total destruction of all the earth.
But don’t forget the hail stones v.21
Hailstones weighing 100# each.
Very destructive force.
But the men still blasphemed God because of the plague.
Do we ever learn from the terror that comes to our lives?
Are we like these deceived by Satan?
Do we so long for our comfort that we fail to learn from the horrors of our lives?
Are we sometimes angry with God because He allows these terrible things to happen?
God demands that we trust Him
That means we trust Him in the good times.
We trust Him in the bad times.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The completion of God’s wrath coincides with the destruction of this earth as we know it.
These bowl judgements will happen rather quickly I think.
The purpose is to dispense the wrath of God upon those who have rejected, blasphemed and refused to repent of sin.
AS I look at the world I live in so many refuse to repent of sin and return to God.
Our knees need to be sore as we lift our family, our friends and even our enemies in prayer to the only one who can save them.
Let us sing
#294
Have Thine Own Way
#294
Have Thine Own Way
1. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
2. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
3. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
4. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
