|
HIS
SERVANTS' MINISTRY, Inc.
www.godcannotlie.org
Welcome to our web site
The
Book of Revelation
Lesson #19
The Seventh Bowl
of God’s Wrath
Revelation 16:15-21
Rev. 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed
is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked,
and they see his shame. (KJV) Beware! I will come as unexpectedly
as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep
their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed.
In the midst of all that John is seeing, he now hears some Words
from our Lord, announcing His Coming, and pronouncing a blessing
on all who “watch” and are faithful to Him.
It seems that during all the awful judgments, there are a “few”
(Mat.7:13-14) who do turn to Jesus in submission and loyalty.
God is gracious, merciful and ready to receive and rescue any
and all who turn to Him, any time, any place! Christ will return
unexpectedly and unnannounced at the Rapture (1 Thes.5:1-6), so
we must be ready when He returns. Our Lord Jesus will NOT come
as a “thief” in the night to the TRUE church
(God’s children), for they will be ready and looking for
Him. But, the Lord Jesus will definitely come as an unexpected
“thief” to all the unbelievers in the world,
after the church is raptured. Prepare yourself by committing yourself
to God, living a life that is pleasing to Him, and standing firmly
against and resisting any and all temptation (Jam.4:7).
Rev. 16:16 And he gathered them together
into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (KJV)
All the nations armies gathered together to a place called Armageddon
in Hebrew.
The location where the battle of Armageddon will take place is
near the city of Meggido, southeast of the modern port of Haifa.
It is a strategic location near a prominent international highway
leading north from Egypt through Israel, along the coast, and
on to Babylon. Meggido overlooked the entire plain southward toward
Galilee and westward toward the mountaind of Gilboa. “He
gathered them together. “ WHO is HE? Is it God Himself!
Or is it Satan and his dynamic duo? If it is not God, it is God
authorizing Satan to do it! Sinful people will unite to fight
against God in a final display of rebellion. In today’s
times, many are already united against Christ and His people.
Be bold and persistent in your stand for Christ; as you battle
against sin and evil. Don’t give up, for you are fighting
on the winning side!
Rev. 16:17-18 And the seventh angel poured
out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of
the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. [18]
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there
was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the
earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. (KJV) When
the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, a mighty shout
came from the throne of the Temple in Heaven, saying, "It
is finished!" The thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning
flashed. And there was an earthquake greater than ever before
in human history.
The 7th and last angel poured out the judgment from out of his
bowl. This verse says the “great voice” came
“from the throne” so it is God! God the Father?
God the Son? I think it is Christ. He states: “It is
done.” Just as Jesus cried out: “It
is finished” (John 19:30) when He completed
our salvation, so now He states that judgment has now been completed
(Rev.21:6). ANYONE can have a ‘finished’ redemption
just by accepting it; but if you refuse it, only judgment and
eternal Hell await.
“Into the air” means the atmosphere; no
specific location. Jesus controls all space, and He is getting
ready to come through it. “Voices, and thunders, and
lightnings” (Rev.6:12-17) means intense noise and global
disorder usher in the arrival of the end. “A great earthquake”
will be unequaled to anything this world has ever known! It shall
shake the entire Earth. People who have been
through earthquakes have seen nothing to match this one that shall
come!
Rev. 16:19-21 And the great city was divided
into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great
Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup
of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. [20] And every island
fled away, and the mountains were not found. [21] And there fell
upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight
of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the
hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (KJV) Jerusalem
was split into three pieces, and cities around the world fell
into heaps of rubble. God remembered all of Babylon's sins, and
he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his
fierce wrath. Every island disappeared, and all mountains were
leveled. Then there was a terrible hailstorm, with hailstones
weighing almost 100 pounds fell from the sky onto the people below.
Again the people cursed God because of the hailstorm, which was
a horrible plague.
The “great city” is Jerusalem. This horrendous
earthquake upends and spilts the city into 3 parts. ALL the cities
of the world will fall. “Babylon” is specifically
mentioned again. In Rev.14:8, we are told she would fall. God
does NOT lie! She shall fall! The next two chapters will give
us the details about her collapse and death. The downfall of Babylon
was finished. The triumphant church in Heaven saw it and rejoiced;
and those faithful to Christ, in conflict on Earth saw it and
became triumphant. God remembered the great and wicked city; though
for some time it may have seemed as though He had forgotten her
idolatry and wickedness. All that seemed most secure was gone
by her ruin.
“Every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found.” This is a tremendous statement! Can
you even begin to imagine God’s power??? It is
far beyond my comprehension! EVERY island dissappears! ALL the
mountains move out of their place and come tumbling down! This
earthquake is world-wide, not in just one location. EVERY island,
ALL mountains are effected in the entire world! But, God’s
judgment is not over yet! Now, on top of all this, there is a
world-wide hail storm! Can you imagine a world-wide hail storm?
I was caught out in a hail storm once, with stones that were golf
ball size. They pounded me and my horse before I could get to
shelter. My husband’s horse had never bucked, ever! He bucked
that day. That storm was nothing compared to
hail stones weighing 100 pounds!
If you remember, there are 3 important features in chapters
15 & 16:
- God’s Holy righteousness.
- God’s Holy wrath.
- Man’s response.
So, what is man’s response to this
judgment? They have been blaspheming God in previous judgments,
and refusing to repent (Rev.9:20-21; 16:9-11). Well, they have NOT
changed their hearts and minds! Here they “blasphemed
God” again! Men and women blasphemed God! The most horrific
judgments that can befall them, will NOT bring these evil people
to repentance. They are so hardened against God by His righteous
judgments, that it is certain of their sure and everlasting destruction
(2 Thes.1:9). The people KNOW that these judgments come from God,
because they curse Him for sending them. Yet they still refuse to
recognize God’s authority and power, and refuse to repent
of their sins. Christians should not be surprised at the hostility
and hard hearts of unbelievers. Even when God’s power is fully
and completely revealed, many (MOST) will still refuse to repent.
Rejecting the Gospel is shutting your heart to God, and letting
yourself wide open for the “big lie” (2 Thes.2:11-12).
Every time you reject Jesus, your heart becomes a little harder.
Have you been ignoring God? Turn to Him (or back to Him) NOW before
your heart becomes too hard to repent. So many people are falling
for anything and everything that comes along. And, my friend, it
you stand for ‘nothing’ you will fall for anything!
Why not stand for Jesus? He will help you stand for what is right,
and keep you from giving in to false doctrines.
The Book of Revelation
Lesson #1, Ch.1:1-11 . . Lesson #2, Ch.1:12-2:7 . . Lesson #3, Ch.2:8-20 . . Lesson #4, Ch.3:1-22 . . Lesson #5, Ch.4:1-5:14 . . lesson #6, Ch.6:1-17 . . Lesson #7, Ch.7:1-17 . . Lesson #8, Ch.8:1-13 . . Lesson #9, Ch.9:1-21 . . Lesson #10, Ch.10:1-11 . . Lesson #11, Ch.11:1-19 . . Lesson #12, Ch.12:1-17 . . Lesson #13, Ch.13:1-10 . . Lesson #14, Ch.13:11-18 . . Lesson#15,Ch.14:1-13 . . Lesson #16, Ch.14:14-20 . . Lesson #17, Ch.15:1-8 . . Lesson#18,Ch.16:1-14 . . Lesson #19, Ch.16:15-21 . . Lesson #20, Ch.17:1-18 . . Lesson #21, Ch.18:1;17A . . Lesson #22, Ch.18:17B-24 . . Lesson #23, Ch.19:1-10 . . Lesson #24, Ch.19:11-21 . . Lesson #25, Ch. 20:1-15 . . Lesson #26, Ch.21:1-27 . . Lesson #27, Ch.22:1-6 . . Lesson #28, Ch.22:7-21
Home Page
|