In Revelation
15:1-16:21, John recorded the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the world in
order to call the saints to endure and unbelievers to repent. The remarkable thing about this passage is how
it seeks to root our understanding of God’s judgment in the character of God. In other words, it assumes that the more I
understand who God is, the more
necessary and right these judgments will become to me. This is important because the fact that John
uses God’s judgment to call believers to persevere means that a good
understanding of God’s judgment must be necessary for effective endurance and
repentance. I’m convinced that two major
reasons we stumble over the notion of God’s wrathful judgment is because we do
not see God for who He is and we do not see our sin for what it is. Our God isn’t holy enough and our sin isn’t
ugly enough. May God deepen our understanding
today of who He is so that we may endure and repent in light of His coming
judgment.
[15:1] Then
I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven
plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. [2] And
I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who
had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing
beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. [3] And they
sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great
and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your
ways, O King of the nations! [4] Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify
your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for
your righteous acts have been revealed.”
[5] After
this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,
[6] and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues,
clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.
[7] And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven
golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, [8] and
the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power,
and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven
angels were finished.
[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.
Let me give you a brief overview of this passage
before we dive into how this chapter roots the outpouring of God’s wrath in His
own character. Chapters 15-16 deals with
the final septet, or series of seven,
in the book of Revelation, the seven bowl judgments. In Revelation
15, the seven bowls are introduced and then in Revelation 16, the seven bowls are then consecutively poured out. Let’s now consider how this passage roots the
outpouring of God’s wrath in the character of God.
I.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s
Immutability on Display
What God being immutable
means is that God is unchanging in His
being, nature, purposes, and promises. How do these judgments put on display the
reality that God never changes? The
primary way that they do so is by echoing,
as the seven trumpets did (8:1-9:21),
the Exodus story in order to point to a greater
Exodus of God’s people. Note the numerous
parallels with the Exodus story here.
First, the seven bowls of God’s wrath are called “plagues” (15:1,6,8; 16:9,21). Second,
notice how those who have “conquered the
beast” are standing by a “sea of
glass” and singing “the song of
Moses” (15:2-3). The “song of Moses” is a song of deliverance
that celebrated both God’s judgment of
His enemies and His redemption of His
people in the Exodus story. It’s found in Exodus 15:1-21 and was sang by another sea, the Red sea. While this “song of Moses” does allude to the “song of Moses” in the Old Testament, notice that this “song of Moses” is also called the “song of the Lamb,” because it
celebrates a greater deliverance at
the hands of a greater deliverer, the
Lord Jesus Christ. The actual song is
given in verses 3-4. It celebrates the deeds,
ways, and righteous acts of God and also the nature of those deeds, ways, and
righteous acts, rooting them in who God
is. Those acts are primarily acts of
judgment in these chapters, but as with the “song
of Moses,” God’ acts of judgment upon His enemies were at the same time acts of redemption for His people.
Also, before we move on, don’t miss a neat picture
of the gospel here. This song is the
song “those who conquer” get to
sing. Remember that Revelation 12:11 says that those who conquer do so “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of
their testimony.” If it were not for
the blood of the Lamb, these conquerors would be receiving the wrath of God
being poured out in theses chapters and more.
Like the song of Moses, the gospel is also a message of judgment and redemption. In the Exodus
story, God redeemed His people by pouring out His wrath upon His enemies. In the gospel, God redeems His enemies by
pouring out His wrath upon His own Son.
Thirdly, “the
sanctuary of the tent of witness” being “filled
with smoke from the glory of God and from his power” so that “no one could enter” is an allusion to Exodus 40:34-35, when the tabernacle
was consecrated. Fourth, the first bowl (16:2), causing “harmful and painful sores,” parallels the sixth plague poured out upon Egypt (Exodus 9:8-12). Fifth, the second and third bowls
(16:3-7) that turn the marine and fresh waters and the fresh waters into “blood” parallel the first plague in Egypt (Exodus 7:14-25). Notice here how there
is an intensification of the damage
with respect to the seals, where a fourth
of the earth is affected, and the trumpets bowls, where a third of the earth is affected.
Here the damage is universal.
Sixth, the fourth bowl (16:8-9) causes the sun to “scorch people with fire,” and in
response people “curse the name of God
who had power over these plagues” and refuse to “repent” and “give him glory.” This echoes the way Pharaoh repeatedly
hardened his heart in response to God’s merciful judgments. Seventh,
the fifth bowl (16:10-11) that causes the beast’s kingdom to be “plunged into darkness” parallels the ninth plague in Egypt (Exodus 10:21-29). In response to the darkness, people “gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed
the God of heaven for their pain and sores” and refused to “repent of their deeds.” Notice also how the cumulative nature of these plagues heightens the intensity of the
bowls. People are still experiencing the
effects of the first plague when the fifth one hits.
Eighth, the sixth
bowl (16:12-16) causes “the great river
Euphrates” to dry up, preparing “the
way for the kings from the east.” This
is followed by the appearance of three “demonic”
or “unclean spirits like frogs”
coming “out of the mouth’ of the
Satanic trinity that assemble “the kings
of the whole world” for battle at a place called “Armageddon.” The frogs here
parallel the second plague in Egypt (Exodus
8:1-15). Ninth, even the parenthesis found
in verse 15, which warns believers to persevere and be ready for Christ’s
coming is an Exodus parallel. God
declares that He is coming “like a thief,”
so anyone who “stays awake, keeping
their garments on” will be “blessed”
and not “be seen exposed” when He
comes. The exhortation to be ready parallels the exhortation for the Israelites
to be ready in the tenth plague in
Egypt (Exodus 12:11-12). When God visited Egypt like a thief, His
people were to be ready. Tenth, part of the judgment of the seventh
bowl (16:17-21) involves “great
hailstones,” weighing 100lbs each falling on people. This parallels the seventh plague in Egypt (Exodus
9:13-26).
These parallels, along with the multiple Old
Testament allusions, teach us that God was, is, and will always be faithful to
vindicate and deliver His people. Also,
they teach us that God was, is, and always will be faithful to execute judgment
upon the wicked. You can count on God to
do what He has always done because He is a God who does not change.
II.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s
Omnipotence on Display
God’s omnipotence
is His power and ability to do whatever He pleases. It’s is why God is called “Lord God the Almighty”: because He is ALL MIGHTY! The judgments seen in these chapters put the
almighty power of God on display. In
these plagues, God exercises His absolute, sovereign power over people’s
health, over the world’s water supply, over the sun, over other forces of
nature, and even over the kingdom of the beast.
There are flashes of lighting, rumblings, peals of thunder, and the
greatest earthquake in all of history. “Every island” flees and “no mountains were to be found,” making
way for the new creation. The beast’s throne and kingdom are as nothing before
God. He has the power to plunge it into
darkness whenever He chooses to do so and they are powerless to stop Him. On the great day of God’s wrath, all the
rulers of the world will be gathered together in opposition to God at Armageddon,
but they will be as nothing before the Lord God Almighty.
III.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s
Sovereignty on Display
The sovereignty
of God refers to the truth that God ultimately rules over all of His
creation forever. He is rightly called “King of the nations” (15:3) and all of
judgments are an exercise of that kingship.
“All nations will come” and
bow before Him before it’s all over.
That is not a potential future. It is the only future that will be. Every rebel to God throne will eventually bow
before it and recognize His rule.
IV.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s
Justice on Display
God’s justice is His merited retribution (His rendering to people what they deserve). Notice that after the third bowl, there is
another eruption of praise. This is the
second time that God is praised for
His acts of judgment (5-7). A major
point that’s being made by all three of these songs is that God is being “just” and “righteous” in pouring out His wrath. There is an intentional emphasis upon the integrity of what God is doing to the
world. The Judge of all the earth is
doing what is right. People are getting “what they deserve.” [3]
“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are
your ways, O King of the nations!
[4] Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone
are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have
been revealed.” (Revelation 15:3-4 ESV) [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!” (Revelation 16:5-7 ESV)
The justice of God is also underscored repeated statement
that people “did not repent” and
continued to “curse” God. These statements show that people are getting
what they deserve. The justice of God
demands that He address rebellion in His world. A judge who does not hold lawbreakers
accountable is not a good judge. As J.I.
Packer says, “Moral indifference would be
an imperfection, not a perfection.”[1]
V.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s
Mercy on Display
God’s mercy is His unmerited compassion upon the undeserving and the
ill-deserving. Why would I call these
horrific judgments an expression of God’s mercy? I take the statements about mankind’s
unrepentance to imply that one of God’s purposes in these judgments was for
them to in fact repent. Why the plagues? Why the torment? The purpose is so that those who remain will
see the hand of God and repent. These
judgments are not only meant to judge wickedness in the world, they are also
meant to turn people to God. God is giving rebels a chance to repent even
in judging them. That is mercy because
no human being deserves a chance to
repent.
VI.
In the Outpouring of God’s Wrath, We See God’s Holiness
on Display
God’s holiness is His most important and most
defining attribute. It is a description
of God’s otherness, that He is
absolutely separate from and above
all creation. You are supposed to read these chapters
and come to the conclusion of verse 15:4: that everyone in creation should fear
and give glory to God, because He alone is Holy. No one is so immutable, and therefore so
reliable. No one is so powerful, and
therefore so able. No one is so
sovereign, and therefore worthy of reverence.
No one is so just, and therefore so dreadful for wicked sinners like
us. Finally, no one is so merciful, and
therefore so worthy of the worship and devotion of those whom He redeems.
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