Well, as always, thanks again for joining me in this verse by verse Bible study as we wrap up Revelation chapter 16. In the last episode, we covered the pouring out of the first four bowls, which means we still have three bowls of wrath remaining. And we have a lot to cover in this episode, so let’s just get started right away with where we left off.
The Fifth Bowl Brings Darkness
And we start with the pouring out of the fifth bowl of wrath, which we read about in verses 10 and 11, which tell us 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. And so the fifth angel pours out his bull, but notice he doesn’t pour it out on the earth. He pours it out on the throne of the beast. Interesting. Back in chapter thirteen, we read that the dragon, meaning Satan, gave his throne or his rule to the beast, which we discussed was likely the Antichrist. Chapter thirteen verse two said, and to it, meaning the beast, the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. And what is the consequence of this bowl being poured out on the throne of the beast? Darkness falls upon the kingdom. The kingdom is plunged into darkness. And this darkness should remind us of the fourth trumpet that we read about back in chapter eight. At the sounding of the fourth trumpet, we read that the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. And so we see this theme recurring. With the trumpets, it’s one third that’s affected, whether it’s a third of the oceans, a third of the fresh water, or with the fourth trumpet, a third of the light. But here in chapter sixteen, now that we’re dealing with the bowls of wrath being poured out, the darkness is no longer one third. The darkness is now comprehensive. And
Egypt’s Darkness That Can Be Felt
also again, we’re reminded of the plagues on Egypt. And yes, we need to be mindful of these recurring themes. Pay attention to these patterns that we see in Scripture. There are no accidents in Scripture. Everything is there by supernatural design. In Exodus ten twenty one we read beginning in verse twenty one, then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitched darkness in all of the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. And so I reference this for a reason. First, talk about foreshadowing. The plagues of Egypt foreshadow many of the bowls of wrath that we’re reading about here in Revelation. Only these are much more severe. Not only that, but the darkness was maybe something different than what you might first imagine. It says that the darkness over the land of Egypt was a darkness to be felt. Well, what in the world does that mean? I mean, how do you feel darkness? Well, the darkness could be literal, just like it was back in Exodus, but it could also be symbolic, maybe symbolic of the beast’s kingdom, as confusion sets in as the beast’s reign begins to crumble and Satan sees the beginning of the end. And so there are a couple of different options on how to view this darkness. First, that the darkness was extraordinarily dense. The Hebrew expression suggests a darkness so intense that it became almost tangible. Now normally darkness is simply the absence of light, but this plague appears to describe something beyond ordinary nighttime darkness. The Egyptians experienced a darkness so overwhelming that it produced a physical sensation. And there’s often this heavy, oppressive feeling that accompanies absolute darkness. The silence, the inability to orient yourself, and just that complete loss of visual reference can almost make the darkness seem tangible. And the plague in Egypt appears to have been even more severe than that. In Exodus 1023 we read they did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. The darkness was so complete that people apparently remained where they were. Now another way to approach this darkness is that it just describes the psychological weight of the darkness. Extended darkness, it affects us physically and emotionally, producing anxiety, fear, confusion, disorientation, even depression. And so the Egyptians weren’t simply unable to see, they experienced darkness as something oppressive, as though it pressed in around them. And so in that sense the darkness was felt. But another alternative is that there may have simply been a supernatural component to the darkness. And I think this may be more likely. Remember, the plagues were not merely natural disasters, they were miraculous judgments demonstrating God’s authority over Egypt and its gods. This plague directly challenged the Egyptian sun god Ra. And so if God could suspend light itself over Egypt while leaving light among the Israelites, then he could certainly produce a darkness unlike anything naturally experienced. But why was the darkness felt? And I think the wording is intentional. God wasn’t simply turning out the lights, he was allowing the Egyptians to experience the terrifying reality of complete darkness. Throughout Scripture, darkness often symbolizes judgment, separation from God, spiritual blindness, chaos, and death. And so the ninth plague, it wasn’t just an inconvenience, it was a theological statement. Because the people who worshiped the sun god suddenly found themselves unable to produce even the smallest ray of light. And so the creator demonstrated that he, not Egypt’s gods, controlled light itself. And notice the connection back to creation. In Genesis 1, God began by saying what? Let there be light. Light marked the beginning of God’s ordered creation. And in Exodus, God temporarily removes that light from Egypt. And so in a sense, Egypt is plunged back into a state resembling pre-creation chaos, which was a dramatic reversal of the order that only the Creator can establish. The God who spoke light into existence in Genesis is the same God who can withdraw it in judgment in Exodus. And here’s something really interesting to note.
Darkness At The Cross And Hope
When Jesus is crucified, darkness falls over the land for three hours. This is not merely weather. It signals judgment. But here’s the shocking reversal. The judgment does not fall on Egypt or the nations, it falls on Christ. In Revelation, darkness returns as part of end time judgment. The kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness, showing again that rebellious humanity cannot escape the rule of God. And so the connection is powerful, and I want you to follow this. The darkness in Egypt judged Pharaoh’s kingdom. The darkness at the cross fell as Jesus took on judgment for sinners, and here in Revelation, the darkness warns a final judgment on an unbelieving world of rebellion. And one more thing worth noticing here is the repeated pattern of three days of darkness or this death like stillness. In Exodus, during the ninth plague, the darkness over Egypt lasted for three days. The text says that the Egyptians did not see one another, and no one rose from his place for three days. In other words, unbelieving Egypt was trapped in darkness, immobilized under judgment for three days. Now fast forward to the cross. Darkness falls over the land while Jesus is bearing the judgment for sin, and after his death, Jesus is placed in the tomb for three days. For three days his body lies in the darkness of the grave, and just like the Egyptians immobilized for three days. But here’s the difference. In Egypt, the darkness was judgment on the enemies of God, but in the tomb of Jesus, the darkness does not win. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. And so we have this powerful biblical pattern. In Egypt, three days of darkness ended in judgment and then deliverance for God’s people through Passover. At the cross, darkness fell as the true Passover Lamb was sacrificed. And after three days in the grave, Jesus rose from the darkness of death itself. And so the message is unmistakable. God has authority over darkness. God has authority over judgment. God has authority over death. And in Jesus Christ, the darkness does not get the final word. But also, and once again, truly, truly not wanting to open up a rapture’s pandora box here, but notice that even back in Exodus and the plagues of darkness, God did not remove the Hebrews before the plagues, or even during the plagues, but only after. But He protected and He provided for them during the plagues. Even though the Egyptians experienced this darkness, we’re told here, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. And so again, God didn’t remove them from the plague, but he provided for them in the midst of it. So be careful. And always remember that the only barrier to the truth is the assumption that you already have
Pain Without Repentance
it. And so now that we’ve completely gone down the rabbit hole in the first half of verse 10, let’s talk about the remainder of the verse, which tells us people gnawed their tongues in anguish or because of their pain. And maybe they gnaw their tongues as a result of the pain inflicted in earlier bold judgments being poured out. You know, maybe because of the painful oozing sores, maybe because of being scorched by the sun. But honestly, it’s just difficult to discern here. It may also be referring to the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Jesus described in Matthew 8 12. There, Jesus said, While the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So Jesus even mentions this darkness as well, where there would be this weeping and gnashing of teeth. And it might also be something like what we read about in chapter 9 with the fifth trumpet judgment, where we’re told that in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. And so they gnaw their tongues because they’re overwhelmed by anguish and physical pain, supernatural darkness, terror, and this rage sort of all crashing in together. But the most sobering part to me anyway is not their pain, it’s their response. They know that God is judging them, yet instead of crying out for mercy, they curse the very God who could save them. And I think that last part is key. Revelation doesn’t portray them as confused but good hearted atheists who simply don’t know what’s happening. It says that they curse the God of heaven. And so they recognize the source of judgment, but their hearts are so hardened that suffering doesn’t produce repentance. It produces blasphemy.
The Euphrates Dries Up
Well let’s continue with the pouring out of the sixth bull, which is described in verses twelve through fourteen, which read And the sixth angel poured out his bull 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 the battle on that great day of God the Almighty. And so the sixth angel pours out his bowl, and it’s poured out on the great river Euphrates. It reminds us of the six trumpet judgment, where back in chapter nine we saw that the four angels who were chained at the Euphrates were released, and a multitude of demons then flooded the world. But here the great river is dried up. And as I’ve mentioned a few times now, many of these plagues should remind us of the plagues on Egypt. And this one’s no different. Back in Exodus, God dried up the Red Sea as a path for Israel’s escape. It was for their benefit. But here in Revelation, the Euphrates river is dried up to prepare a way for the kings of the East. It’s very interesting that in Isaiah, Cyrus the Great also came from the East. And so one fascinating possibility is that the drying up of the Euphrates in Revelation 16 here may intentionally remind us of an event from the Old Testament. In 539 BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered ancient Babylon in a remarkable way. Babylon was considered one of the most heavily fortified cities in the ancient world. The city was surrounded by these enormous defensive walls. They were so wide that ancient riders used to claim that chariots could travel side by side along the top, that they even had races on the top. Massive gates protected every entrance, and the Euphrates River flowed directly through the middle of the city, so it provided both a reliable water supply and an additional natural barrier against invading armies, and so to many people, Babylon simply appeared impossible to conquer. But according to ancient historical accounts, Cyrus diverted the waters of the Euphrates into a nearby canal, lowering the river enough so that his army could enter the city by marching along the exposed riverbed beneath the walls. Babylon fell in a single night, with very little resistance. And we also read about that event in the book of Daniel. But that historical event, it may serve as foreshadowing of Revelation 16. And so what John writes, the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare a way for the kings from the east. And so just as God once dried or allowed the river to be lowered, to prepare the way for Cyrus to bring judgment upon historical Babylon, Revelation describes the Euphrates being dried up again to prepare the way for the kings of the East as God’s end time judgments reach their climax. And while we should avoid trying to press every detail into this exact parallel, the similarity is quite striking. The first drying up of the Euphrates led to the fall of literal Babylon. The drying up of the Euphrates here in Revelation precedes the fall of mystery Babylon and the final defeat of the world’s rebellious kingdoms. Throughout Scripture, God often uses historical events as patterns that point to greater future fulfillments. And the fall of ancient Babylon under Cyrus appears to be one such pattern, reminding us that the God who directed history in the past will also bring his prophetic plan to completion in the future. And I think there’s an important spiritual lesson here as well. Babylon trusted in its walls, its military strength, its wealth and its engineering. And from a human perspective, again, the city appeared unconquerable. But no wall is high enough to keep out the judgment of God. And that same lesson applies here in Revelation. The kingdoms of the world appear powerful and secure. But when God decrees that judgment is come, no military, no government, no economy, no human achievement can stand against God’s sovereign will.
Frogs, Demons, And Global Deception
But let’s continue with verse thirteen, and since we kind of veered off path a bit, let me read verse thirteen again where John tells us, 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. And so we just read in verse twelve about God drying up the Euphrates River to make a way for the kings of the east. And so that’s what we expect to see, but that’s not what we see. Instead, what we see is the beast, the Antichrist, and the false prophet, this unholy or satanic trinity. But what’s strange is that John focuses on what is coming out of their mouths, three unclean spirits like frogs. And again, if you remember the plagues on Egypt, frogs inundated the land during the second plague. And by the way, this is the first instance of the second beast being identified as the false prophet, and that’s significant. And also notice that John specifically directs our attention to their mouths. This satanic trinity advances their cause by the words and the teachings that come out of their mouths. In other words, this is most likely referring to some sort of propaganda effort. And the danger of these false teachings, these deceptive messages, is that it leads people down the wrong path. And that path usually ends up leading to spiritual adultery. We see that in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, Ahab was deceived and he went into battle against Syria. In the New Testament, here in Revelation actually, in chapter two, they’re corrupting the church, and Jesus tells the church at Thyrotira, if you remember, but I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Well, how do we even know for sure that these are deceptive spirits? And what’s the purpose of this deception? Well, that’s easy to answer, because we’re told in verse 14. We’re told in verse 14, for they are demonic spirits, performing signs who go abroad to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for battle on that great day of God the Almighty. And so there you have it. These spirits speaking through this satanic trinity are leading people to assemble for battle against God. They will perform signs, and this is what we’re told back in chapter 13 where we read, it performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. And by the signs that it’s allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth. And lest we forget, just because someone performs a sign, it doesn’t mean that that sign is from God. Pharaoh’s magicians were able to perform magic, and we’ve seen elsewhere in Revelation that this unholy trinity will be allowed to perform signs and wonders. And here the whole world will be misled by these signs, by these so-called messages from God. And the kings of the earth will receive their messages. These are the kings of the earth referred to in verse twelve, and of course, these kings will exert universal influence, and they will join the beast in rebellion against God in the next chapter. And these kings, along with the whole world, will receive Gather together. And the purpose for the gathering is in the Greek polymos war. And it reminds me of some science fiction movie where the only time the entire world bands together is when the Earth is threatened, either by some enormous asteroid or a worldwide flood or some alien invasion. But this isn’t science fiction. It’s not an alien invasion. This is the creator, the Lord God Almighty, which should clue you in as to the level of insanity and delusion that has set in on these world leaders and the people that they lead.
Stay Awake As Armageddon Nears
But let’s continue with verses fifteen and sixteen which read 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 that place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. And so right in the middle of all these bold judgments, almost as if to interrupt the narrative, John reminds us of the words of Jesus. It’s almost as though Jesus pauses the action and then turns directly to his people to remind them. I mean, think about what’s happening here. The nations are gathering for war. The world is rushing towards Armageddon, judgment is being poured out. And instead of giving us another prophecy to analyze, Jesus gives us a command to obey, stay awake, be ready, remain faithful. In other words, live in expectation of my return. And also notice that Jesus says that he is coming like a thief. And the point isn’t that he comes secretly. A thief doesn’t usually announce when he’s coming. The emphasis is on unexpectedness. His return will catch many people completely unprepared. But then Jesus speaks of keeping our garments on, that we may not go about naked and be seen exposed. So in the Bible, nakedness and shame, they’re closely related and they convey the idea of idolatry and moral failing. And so for example, Isaiah, he walked naked to symbolize the shame and the judgment that was coming upon Israel. Nakedness also means that people stand under God’s judgment, as we see in Ezekiel chapter 16. And even in Genesis, Adam and Eve felt the shame of their sin as they stood naked. On the other hand, throughout the Old Testament and Revelation, garments often would symbolize righteousness and purity and faithful perseverance. And so Jesus is calling believers to remain faithful, to continue walking with Him and living lives that reflect the righteousness that He’s given us. And so even in the middle of God’s judgment, His concern is still for His people. He’s reminding us that prophecy is never meant merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future. It’s meant to transform how we live today. And so the question isn’t simply do I understand the book of Revelation? The question is Am I living each day in such a way that if Christ returned today, I would be faithfully following him? And that’s the challenge that Jesus leaves with every one of us. But then we transition to verse 16, which says, and they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Now even people who don’t believe the Bible, they know about and they’ve heard about Armageddon, and this is where it comes from, the book of Revelation. Because what we see here is that the kings of the world gather for the last battle, the battle of Armageddon. Now one thing to keep in mind here is that this false trinity, this satanic trinity made up of Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet, they’re the ones who are doing the gathering. They’re the ones leading and driving the kings of the world to assemble for battle. Now the place of the war is Armageddon. That name Armageddon, it comes from a Hebrew phrase meaning Mount Megiddo, which is a bit puzzling because Megiddo is not actually on a mountain. Although it is located in hill country, it’s actually located on a plain. It’s a very flat area, and it’s in a plain in the valley of Jezreel. But this valley near Megiddo has been the site of many previous battles. Deborah, for example, had a victory there. Gideon had a victory over the Midianites there. But also we see in 2 Kings 23 that this was the location of the defeat of King Josiah, who was killed by Pharaoh Neco. And so many people interpret this to mean that the final world battle, the Battle of Armageddon, will be fought in this valley. And there’s a longstanding tradition that Napoleon, when he saw this plain, this valley of Jezreel or Megiddo, during his 1799 campaign in the Holy Land, he remarked that it was one of the greatest natural battlefields in the world. And he’s reported to have said that all the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this vast plain. There is no place in the whole world more suited for war than this. It’s the most natural battleground of the whole earth. Now, just so you’re aware, there are some people who believe that Armageddon is not referring to one specific geographical location, but instead it’s symbolic of the entire world. In other words, they believe that the final battle is very real, but that the location itself is symbolic, and it represents this worldwide gathering of the nations in rebellion against God. But enough right now about Armageddon. Let’s
The Seventh Bowl And “It Is Done”
continue with the pouring out of the seventh bowl in verses seventeen and eighteen where we read 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, rumbles, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake, such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. And so we see the last of the seven bowls of God’s wrath poured out by the seventh angel, and this angel pours out his bowl into the air. And what we’ve seen now is that between these seven angels pouring out their seven bowls, judgment has now been poured out upon humanity, but also on the four elements of the Greek world earth, water, fire, and air. But this seventh bowl is the last one, and so it makes sense that we are now nearing the end of human history, with Armageddon right around the corner. And this bowl being poured out into the air, it’s referring either to the judgment over the air itself or perhaps over the entire world just in the realm of air, which was the lowest of the heavens, according to at least Greek and Roman thought. But either way, after this bowl is poured out, a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, It is done. And we saw something very similar with the seventh trumpet back in chapter eleven, and we’ve already discussed that the temple represents God’s dwelling place. But the voice which is most likely that of God declares that history is over. It is done, and it reminds us of the words of Jesus on the cross to Tetelystye. It is finished. God’s plan and purposes are about to be completed, and the arrival of his kingdom is at hand. But verse eighteen tells us that and there were flashes of lightning, rumbles, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake, such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. And so as we approach the end, it appears a massive storm breaks out with lightning, thunder, great earthquake. And it’s interesting, because if you remember from chapter four, where we covered the throne room of God, we also saw something similar. In chapter four we read that from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, but here in chapter sixteen, this lightning and thunder have moved from God’s throne room now to the earth. And this also appears to be much worse than the plague of hell in Egypt where there was also thunder and hell and fire. In the Old Testament, we see where God brings associated lightning and thunder and earthquakes against his enemies. We see that in Judges, 1 Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, but even the earthquakes experienced by humanity, they’re not like this one. John says that no earthquake in human history can compare to this one. And an earthquake being associated with the last times, it’s also seen here in the book of Revelation in chapters six and eight and eleven, and when we get to chapter nineteen. But the bottom line is that the glory and holiness and awesomeness of God that filled his throne room will descend to earth, just as it did on Mount Sinai, and only the people that belong to him will be spared from this coming judgment.
Babylon Falls Under Final Wrath
But let’s finish now with the last three verses, verses nineteen through twenty one where we read 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 hell because the plague was so severe. And so what we see here is that in the face of God’s wrath, Babylon falls, along with the other great cities of the world. Because keep in mind, Babylon is specifically named, but it’s also used to symbolize Rome and by extension, all of the world’s political and economic and religious and cultural centers. Again, this is a worldwide judgment. And it tells us that the great city, referring to Babylon, was split into three parts. And honestly, the meaning of that, it’s a little bit obscure. But some people think that it is a reference to the events that were surrounding the Tower of Babel. Because that same word is used for Babylon and Babel. It’s the Hebrew word Babel, and that word literally means confusion or confusion by mixing. And if you remember, at the Tower of Babel, the people united in their rebellion against God, and as a result, God confused their language, and there’s that same word, Babel, and they could no longer communicate so that they were divided and ultimately dispersed. Well here we see the great city is also split. It’s split into three parts, and so it may be that the splitting of the city represents the final frustration of a people that are once again united in their final rebellion against God. These cities of the world, they’ll be divided and weakened and ultimately destroyed. And keep in mind, again, Babylon is not alone in all of this. Babylon is simply representative of all of the great cities of the world. I mean, think about it. New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, Beijing, Moscow, everywhere. And I mentioned this before, but Babylon represents Rome and all of the great cities of the world that oppose God, or distill a phrase from Augustine, the city of man. And so God remembers Babylon and makes her drink the full cup of wine of the fury of his wrath. And this is just the beginning of the judgment on Babylon that we’re going to see played out over the next three chapters. In verse 20, we’re told that every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And that should remind us of what we read about being described back in chapter six, where we were told the sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones, and the generals and the rich and the powerful called out to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? But we don’t have to press this literal disappearance of islands and mountains too hard, because it’s likely that John is using this symbolically and in apocalyptic terms to simply represent the end of the present created order. Because throughout Scripture, mountains often symbolize kingdoms or governments and centers of power. And so it’s possible that John’s even communicating that every human institution, every empire, every government or religious institution, every power structure that opposes God will ultimately collapse before the coming of Christ. In other words, this is signaling the end of things as they presently are. And it reminds me of the words of Jesus that we see in Revelation chapter 21, where he says, Behold, I am making all things new. And the last verse of this chapter, verse 21, says, And great hailstones, about 100 pounds each, fell from heaven on people, and they cursed God for the plague of the hell, because the plague was so severe. Now some of your translations may say that the hailstones weighed a talent, maybe if you’re reading out of a King James, and that’s fine, because a talent was anywhere from seventy five to a hundred pounds. But this brings up images of the seventh plague on Egypt, which was hell. Hell, the likes of which had never been seen. And we also see God raining down hailstones on the enemies of Joshua. And we know that the prophet Ezekiel warned of the same thing back in chapter thirty eight, when he delivered God’s warning, saying, With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many people who are with him torrential reins and hailstones. So I will show my greatness and my holiness, and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. And here in Revelation, this will be even worse. But even after these judgments of the seven bowls of wrath, people still don’t repent. In fact, they continue in their rebellion and even blaspheme and curse God. And we saw that same response from unbelievers after the fourth and fifth bowls were poured out. And we’ve seen in these plagues that they’re worse than anything humanity has ever experienced, and still people do not repent.
The Tragedy Of Hardened Hearts
And so as we close out Revelation chapter sixteen, I think the greatest tragedy in this chapter, it’s not the hailstones, it isn’t the darkness, it’s not the sores, it’s not the earthquakes. The greatest tragedy is that after all of that, people still refuse to repent. Now think about that. The evidence, the miracles, the warnings, none of that was lacking. And I say that because you hear many skeptics and many nonbelievers say, if God would just give me more evidence, then I would believe. And in all honesty, when I hear that, I usually just don’t put a lot of faith in it. Because the problem was never a lack of evidence. Just like those who continue to rebel here in Revelation chapter sixteen, the problem is a hardened heart. And Revelation reminds us that there will one day be people who witness judgments unlike anything the world has ever seen, and still they will curse God rather than bow before him. And so the issue has never simply been the evidence. The issue is the condition of the human heart. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the same God who will one day pour out his righteous judgment is the same God who today extends his mercy through Jesus Christ. And so today, forgiveness is still available. But one day the bowls of wrath will be emptied. History will reach its conclusion and every person will stand before the Creator of the universe. So don’t wait until Revelation 16. You might not make it that long. Run to the cross today, because the same Jesus who warned of coming judgment is also the Jesus who stretched out his hands on the cross so that everyone who trusts in him might be saved.
