Encore

Revelation 16 ESV

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.” 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. 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 third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!” The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 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. 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 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. 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. 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. 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. (“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!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 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!” 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. 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. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 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.

Intro: We’ve made it through four weeks of Rocktober: The Bible is Metal. Our hope is that you enjoyed visiting some of these epic stories and gathered a fuller picture of who our God is! This week we are ending with maybe the most metal chapter in the Bible, Revelation 16. We don’t have time to read through all of it but we will talk through it all.

Hook:

What if you were stuck in a traffic jam due to a wayward driver who decided stop signs didn’t apply to him? Imagine how you’d feel when the police showed up to enforce the law. God’s wrath can be seen in the same light; it’s not about being mean, but about upholding what is right and protecting the 'traffic' of our lives.

Today we are looking at God’s wrath and judgement. But not just any instance, the finality of it. We are looking at the final events before his return as a warrior-king, as he pours his wrath out upon the world and prepares the planet itself for a final battle, a war to end all wars.

We are going to be in Revelation 16, written by the apostle John during his imprisonment on Patmos, writing what he is being shown in visions.

I. The First Bowl: Painful Sores

God’s wrath is divided into seven bowls that John is witnessing angels pour out on the planet. The first of these is painful sores, afflicting all that bear the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. God’s wrath here is direct, it is being sent to those who have blasphemed and worshipped something other than Him, specifically, the beast.

We see a parallel through each of these that there is a similarity to the plagues in Egypt, except for each the scale is far greater.

God’s wrath and judgement have become direct. In many ways, God currently operates with a passive wrath. He allows people to face the consequence of their own sin. Here, the wrath is applied directly to those who have turned from Him.

II. The Second Bowl: Sea of Blood

The angel then pours the second bowl into the sea. The water becomes like the blood of a corpse. Every living thing in it dies. The sea, which as a food source, was essential. It now turns red and the world is covered in death.

But at least there was water to drink. Until the third bowl is poured out.

III. The Third Bowl: River of Blood

Now the rivers and springs become like blood as well. The water of the earth, which was essential to life, has now become an agent of death. The sea and rivers which restore and provide show that nature and the earth which have always pointed to God as Creator, His Glory, and pointed us to worship, that those very things become direct reflections of His wrath.

We are through three of the seven bowls, and people are covered in sores and the water on earth has been rendered useless. Then the angel in charge of the waters gives a charge before the throne. In many ways a call to war.

Can i have someone read:

Revelation 16:5–7 ESV

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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”

The charge of the angel of clearness. These three events are from the eternal God. He brought these judgements and they are just. They shed the blood of his people, so blood they shall drink. God is not playing. The altar proclaims that these are true and just judgements from God Almighty.

When we talk about the fear of God, it’s not just a reverence, it’s a recognition that God is Holy, he demands holiness, and the sin and brokenness in the world is not eternal, He is. And at some point in the future he will put it to an end.

After this, the fourth bowl is poured out.

IV. Bowl #4: Scorching Sun

The Sun turns way up. And burns like fire.

Then perhaps in a fitting turn of events we see the fifth bowl.

V. Bowl #5: Darkness

The sun ends its shine and there will be darkness.

Can i get someone to read?

Revelation 16:9–11 ESV

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. 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 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

I want you to notice two things that are happening between God and the people of Earth. They curse God, meaning they have chosen to follow the beast and they recognize that the cause of these plagues is God. So they curse him. They do not repent. When there is darkness they gnaw their tongues and till curse God and do not repent.

In the midst of this, how gracious is God that he allows them to still curse Him?

The next bowl is a little different.

VI. Bowl 6: Dried Up River

The river of the Euphrates is dried up. Compared to the last five, this may not seem like much. But when this happens, John sees three beings emerge from the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet. They are demonic spirits who go out to all of the kings of the world to rally them for war. They were then to meet at a place called Armageddon.

The river dries up, removing a barrier for the Kings of the East to send their armies to Armageddon. God sends this bowl to prepare for war.

Then we see the final bowl

VII. Bowl 7: It is Done

Can i have someone read Revelation chapter 16, verse 17.

Revelation 16:17 ESV

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!”

God has fulfilled the pouring out of His wrath. It has an end. At the fulfillment of this there is a great earthquake, islands disappear, and mountains fall. Then, one hundred pound hailstones fall upon the earth. The largest recorded hailstone is 2.2 pounds. The point here is the destruction would be devastating. The world is a shell of its former self. And the people cursed God again.

Conclude: Why will this happen?

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The old earth will pass away because all and more than all that was promised in Him is fulfilled in the new heaven and earth. Where God will dwell with man. His wrath is worthy of worship, because He doesn’t do anything without His greater purpose in mind, and what waits on the other side is absolutely worth it.

As believers, we can be encouraged that our God is in control, he is just and will deal with evil, and our role is to follow Him and invite others along with us.

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