Shocke and Awe

Revelation 15:5-16:21

Shock and Awe

Intro: When they second war in Iraq Continuous bombing began on March 19, 2003 as United States forces unsuccessfully attempted to kill Saddam Hussein with decapitation strikes. Attacks continued against a small number of targets until March 21, 2003, when, at 1700 UTC, the main bombing campaign of the US and their allies began. Its forces launched approximately 1,700 air sorties (504 using cruise missiles).[16] Coalition ground forces had begun a "running start" offensive towards Baghdad on the previous day. Coalition ground forces seized Baghdad on April 5, and the United States declared victory on April 14.

The campaign was referred to as Shock and Awe. But this is not a new warfare concept.

In the 90s, A few experts analyzed the method and came up with 4 tenets that describes what shock and awe or rapid dominance

Ullman and Wade identify four vital characteristics of rapid dominance:

near total or absolute knowledge and understanding of self, adversary, and environment;

rapidity and timeliness in application;

operational brilliance in execution; and

(near) total control and signature management of the entire operational environment.

The Old Testament Prophet Malachi asks “Where is the God of Judgement” (Mal. 2:17).

And while all of these events are leading to the final judgment, God is going to use Shock and Awe to show people His power and

Read Verses:

Main Point: God uses his Power to Conquer and Judge his enemies

I. God Uses His Power to Command (Loading the Planes) (15:5-8)

Last week at the beginning of chapter 15, we heard this wonderful song of the Lamb and how amazing God is and how just and true are His ways.

But John opened up the chapter by stating that he saw seven angels with the seven plagues were standing ready and in verse 5, these 7 angels one back into our view.

John describes the angels. They were dressed in pure Bright linen and a gold sash.

But John also tells us that this takes place in the sanctuary of the tent or as the King James Version says the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

Revelation 15:5–8 (Revelation (NAC)): The word for temple is naos rather than hieron. The former references the sacred things particularly, whereas the latter word covers the entire temple complex. So what he sees is that portion of the temple considered most holy. Indeed it is further identified as “the tabernacle” or the tent “of the Testimony.” This particular identification is especially fascinating since the vision of heaven is not described in terms of the semipermanent buildings of the temple of Solomon or of Herod but rather the analogy is to the original movable tabernacle in the wilderness. However, its significance is that it contains the Testimony. The holy of holies, the naos, contained only one item of furnishing—the ark of the covenant. That, in turn, contained the tablets of the Law and therefore is properly referred to as “the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

One of the four living creatures hands the angels their Bowls of wrath.

And then the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of his power and none could enter until the seven angels were finished.

The identification of holiness on the one hand and the seven plagues on the other is further commentary on the character of God. The usual word to describe God’s holiness distinguishes him from all of his creation. He is the transcendent being who rises above all, but as a part of that holiness God’s justice and judgment cannot be dismissed.

The Smoke and tent are all a recall to the Exodus. Exodus was a foreshadow of what is to come. With the tent being a temporary, earthly building and now in Revelation we see the permanent Heavenly structure.

The angels are essentially God’s Air Force and the living creature has basically landed the ordinance on the aircraft before they take off to do their sorties.

While the Coalition was a few weeks away from ending the official shock and awe portion. But After just four days of bombing, the coalition had dropped 2,000 PGMs, averaging 500 every 24 hours.”

It takes hours upon man hours of preparation to conduct these bombing runs and maintaining the jets, building and loading the bombs. Prep the pilots. And this preparation time is multiplied by the training hours spent learning and perfecting the bombing. This is the real deal.

So the angels are now ready to do their Job. As well because they are following God’s commands. They have waited for eons for this to happen. They are ready to unleash God’s fury or his wrath. This is again the state of intense displeasure or anger”

which signals the fury of a righteous God against the contamination of his entire creation through sin. God is further described as the One “who lives,” a present active participle, stressing the uninterrupted continuity of his existence. This is then accentuated with the phrase often rendered in English “forever,” but actually aiōnos tōn aiōnōn, meaning until the “ages of the ages.” This particular expression underscores the righteousness and the justice of God in proceeding with the judgments. He is the Creator, sustainer, and owner of the universe; his judgment on the forces that have sought to destroy the goodness and kindness of God as manifested in his creation is an inevitable consequence.

When we see this fury and we tremble at its might and see the command he has over his universe, we should be in awe that Jesus stepped out of heaven and came to Earth as a man. God the son is Holy and fully God and fully man. As the God Man, he still commanded legions of Angels

Listen to the command that jesus has even during His arrest, In Matthew 26:50-54

50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Jesus went to the cross knowing full well he had a few ways out of it. But et, he knew that there will be a time for everything. But jesus came to perform his priestly function to not only offer and perform the sacrifice for us, but He was and is the sacrificial lamb. Because like the Exodus, Jesus leads his people into Freedom.

But the Angels are now set on their missions and they are lining up their bombing runs as it were.

II. God Uses His Power to Condemn (Bombing Runs) (16:1-17)

We have Seven Plagues. The first four attack the natural world and the last three attack Satan and his minions.

Revelation 16:1–2 (Revelation (NAC)): The plagues themselves have an unmistakable similarity to the plagues of exodus, being distinct in some ways but remarkably consistent in others. Boils, dead fish, blood red water. Fire. But you see the pattern or the reasoning of Who God’s targets are. Those who have the mark of the beast. There are no more believers or Christians on earth at this point. We have been removed. So only the rebellious enemies of God are left here. They are Satan’s foot soldiers

Revelation 16:1–11 (Revelation (AYBC)): The command to pour out God’s wrath shows the character of God’s judgment, since his wrath falls on those who have “poured out” the blood of the saints (16:6). The vision inverts religious customs from John’s world; that is, those who have typically poured out libations to the gods of the empire now have God’s anger poured out on them.

Then in verse 10, God turns to a more direct attack to the head of the snake or dragon and it has effects on the people.

He attacks the river that surrounds Babylon. And the drying of the river paves the way for the gathering Armes or Kings from the east to come to the battlefield that is known as Armageddon. This is the location of the final battle an so the kingdoms of Gog and Magog come together to fight God’s Army

Yet the plagues in Rev 16 also differ from those in Egypt at many points: Exodus tells of rivers turning to blood but says nothing about the sea or fiery heat. The main aspects of the last two bowl visions are warfare and earthquake, which are not part of the exodus plagues. To some extent, Rev 16 reshapes the tradition, as the bowls affect earth, water, fire, and air—the four elements that were understood to make up the world

But all of these bowls are being used to condemn those who oppose God. Not because they just decided not to follow God and that upsets him, but because he cannot abide or put up with anything unholy in his Kingdom.

In verse 15, John even adds a parenthetical statement sort of aside or as the narrator runs to the audience and gives them some tidbit of important information that the actors do not know. In

Jesus speaks and says 15 “Look, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is alert and remains clothed so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.” This is an encouragement to everyone who hears this and believes. We are being warned and are able to be alert for what will come.

This whole book or the revealing of events is about remaking and reclaiming the Garden. Restoring the World back to the idea of the perfectness that was in Genesis 1 and 2 when God made everything and how it was Good. And that when he made man, it was very good.

God will condemn the wicked. This is nothing new in the Bible. See, there is not two God, the old, mean guy who yells get off my lawn and then the nice hippie Jesus.

Proverbs 19:29

Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And blows for the back of fools.

Job 36:17

“But you were full of judgment on the wicked;

Judgment and justice take hold of you.

Application: Judgment is reserved for God alone

We cannot pass Judgement on anyone. We do not have the legal authority just like we could not sit on a traffic court bench and give people fines or erase the fines. And i can hear the theologically liberal crowd cheering saying yay he gets it. He is one of us. But I assure you I am not. Because We cannot also let people we love continue in sin.

Romans 2:1-5

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

So Paul in Romans 2 is foreshadowing the last days, but he also explains and echoes Jesus’ Words in Luke 6:36-38 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven…. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Luke 6:36-38). Hence the word “judge” here is understood to mean an unnecessarily harsh and punitive condemnation. To paraphrase the opening verses here would be to say, “Be careful not to be condemned for If you lower the boom on others, you will have the boom lowered on you. If you throw the book at others, it will also be thrown at you.”

1) You are to Correct without condemning

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any sin, you who are spiritual should recall him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Gal 6:1-2) Notice we are called to note when a person has been overtaken in sin and to correct him. Note too that the text cautions us to do so in a spirit of gentleness. Otherwise we may sin in the very process of correcting the sinner. Perhaps we are prideful or unnecessarily harsh in our words of correction. This is no way to correct. Gentle and humble but clear, seems to be the instruction here. It also seems that patience is called for since we must bear the burden’s of one another’s sin. We bear this in two ways. First we accept the fact that others have imperfections and faults that trouble us. Secondly we bear the obligation of helping others know their sin and of helping them to repent.

2) You are to Warn without Hate.

You shall not hate your brother in your heart: You shall in any case rebuke your neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. (Lev 19:17) The text instructs us that to refuse to correct a sinning neighbor is a form of hatred. Instead we are instructed to love our neighbors by not wanting sin to overtake them.

It is up to us to control our tongues and actions. It is up to the other party to receive the rebuke or admonishment. You cannot control how they react, you are just responsible for not throwing fuel on the fire.

Jesus did not even condemn the Pharisees. He actually forgave and asked God to forgive those who committed the crime of killing Him for they know not what they do.

We do these things because we love our neighbor and want to show them the Love and Grace of Jesus.

For us though it takes a lot of practice and a lot of failing to get it right, but we can’t let that stop us. Because in Christ’s death, we have had Grace poured out onto us. And we should want as many people as possible to experience the same grace and love we have had.

Augustine said At times one hesitates to reprove or admonish evil-doers, either because one seeks a more favorable moment or fears his rebuke might make them worse, and further, discourage weak brethren from seeking to lead a good and holy life, or turn them aside from the faith. In such circumstances forbearance (or patience and self control) is not prompted by selfish considerations but by well advised charity.”

But God also uses his power to complete His will.

III. God Uses His Power to Complete His Will (Damage Assessment) (16:18-21)

God must destroy his enemy completely. The disease of Sin cannot be allowed to live on. Just as your immune system must destroy forign viruses or bacteria.

The world is now almost completely ready to be restored. The seven plagues are done and there is just a little bit left to go before everything is fulfilled.

An earthquake of epic proportions happens. In the Greco-Roman world, earthquakes were considered signs of divine wrath and portents of disaster, especially war (AYBC)(Cicero, Div. 1.18.35; 1.43.97; Pliny the Elder, Nat. 2.86.200; Ovid, Metam. 15.798). This fits the context in Revelation in which God’s adversaries gather for a disastrous war (Rev 16:12–16; 19:11–21).

Jewish visionary texts anticipate that a great earthquake will accompany God’s final defeat of his adversaries and the establishment of his kingdom (Ezek 38:20; 1 En. 1:3–9; T. Mos. 10:4; 2 Bar. 32:1). In some apocalyptic passages earthquakes are signs preceding the end of the age (Mark 13:8 par.; 2 Bar. 27:7; 70:8; 4 Ezra 9:3; Apoc. Ab. 30:6, 8), but in others an earthquake is part of God’s judgment against the world, as it is in Rev 16 (cf. Sib. Or. 3:675–93; Bauckham, Climax, 199–209). According to Heb 12:27 the shaking of the universe will remove what is transient, but in Revelation the shaking is designed to overthrow a force that is hostile to God. (AYBC)

Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014), 662.

The natural world is upheaved. So the great city may refer to the whole world or it may refer to Babylon. Babylon may be the most natural choice because the next few chapters deal with Babylon and it may be the way John transitions to the larger picture of events. Also Babylon represents the centerpiece or capital city of the world because we learn that and the cities of the nations fell.

But we see that God is so powerful that He made the world and he is also reshaping it as we go along. His will cannot be stopped.

But his will is greater than wrath because while the wrath may be the full unadulterated vinegary bitter taste of wine, His Grace is much sweeter.

That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’” (James 4:6).

Romans 3:23-26 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat[r] by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

Remember that John explained that when the scene opened that This was taking place in the seat of judgment which is also the mercy seat.

Jesus took God’s wrath for you. This was His will for your life and it is the same will for all of His people. Jesus Paid for you. He is just waiting for you to be delivered to His doorstep. He is tracking you as His package

He knows exactly when you will be delivered. On one hand you have been delivered already. But you have to realize it. The Holy Spirit is revealing Jesus' work to you and what that actually means for your life or when you are explaining this to others, what it means for their lives.

Because we have to be alert for the times because we don’t know what God’s will is for us to that specific detail.

But we do know that God fulfills His will. God always gets his man or woman.

Augustine said “My God, you had mercy on me before I had confessed to you” (3:7, 62) and knows from experience that “Man’s heart may be hard, but it cannot resist the touch of your hand.” (5:1, 91)

Conclusion:

The book of Revelation shows that God will judge the wicked because it is his place and right to do so. He is the creator and ruler of the universe. This judgment is also after many demonstrations of Grace and chances to repent. And every time their hearts were hardened because they worshipped the beast and not God. They deemed God unworthy of their love.

In the end they will lose. Those who believe will not be here any more to witness this wrath and fury.

Do not be afraid to tell a person they are sinning. And we don't need to sugarcoat it but we also do not need to speak with hate from our hearts. We also need to let the Holy Spirit be our Guide in those conversations so we can bring them to God and into the Grace that has been given.

Jonathan Edwards said It is God’s will through His wonderful grace, that the prayers of His saints should be one of the great principal means of carrying on the designs of Christ’s kingdom in the world. When God has something very great to accomplish for His church, it is His will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of His people; as is manifest by Ezekiel 36:37. and it is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for His church, He will begin by remarkably pouring out the spirit of grace and supplication (see Zechariah 12:10).