Revelation 16:1-21

Anyone who has ever wondered about the power of God over the earth or the hatred of God towards sin should read this chapter.  Though the passage does not tell us, I imagine that these plagues occur during the final months of the Tribulation because I cannot imagine how life would be sustainable on the planet with all of these plagues taking place.  The wrath of God is clearly being revealed and the picture is not very pretty.

BOILS AND BLOOD: The first bowl is one of malignant sores breaking out all over the bodies of those who have the mark of the beast.  This clearly reveals God’s ability to judge or relieve from judgment according to His will.  One time I got hundreds of chigger bites on my legs.  The itching was driving me absolutely out of my mind, and then several of them got infected.  I felt like taking a knife and just scraping my skin.  I think my chiggers were nothing in comparison to what these people will experience all over their bodies.  One of the only things that would relieve my discomfort from the chiggers was to be in the water and be able to wash my sores.  It seemed that the soaking helped to relieve the pain.  However the second and third plagues turn all of the water in the world into rancid blood that smells like decaying flesh.  All of the creatures that live in the water will die.  Just imagine the smell of rotten flesh being accompanied by the smell of rotting fish.  Then remember the boils on their bodies that are full of oozing infections.  Picture these images in your mind, imagine the smells and let your stomach churn at the putrid reality that sin brings to the earth.

BURNS AND BLACKNESS: The fourth bowl is an experience of being scorched by the sun.  As if the pain of boils were not enough, now their skin is inflamed from the scorching rays of the sun.  The only relief that we find from burns is once again by submerging ourselves in water.  I had a severe burn on my hand one time and the pain was so intense I thought I would die.  The only way I could stand the pain was when I had my hand in a bowl of ice water.  The problem with this in the tribulation will be that all of the water has been turned to putrid and festering blood.  There will be no relief.  Just as there is no relief from sin apart from Christ, there will be no relief from the consequences of sin for those who have rejected Christ.  The fifth bowl judgment is blackness.  I would think that this would somehow bring about some relief from the scorching heat but it seems that the agony continues because their tongues are swollen in their mouths to the point that they are biting their own tongues because of the intensity of their pain.  The remarkable truth that is stated after both of these plagues is that God is inflicting this torture on these men in hopes that they will turn from their allegiance to Satan, recognize God’s power, repent from their sin that they might be saved.  However, these men are so entangled in their sin that they refuse to repent and prefer to continue to languish in their pain and suffering.

BEACH AND BATTLES: The sixth bowl is a call to the final battle of Armageddon.  The River Euphrates becomes one big beach which facilitates the access of the armies that are gathering to make war on Israel.  But this judgment is more than just a river drying up, deceiving demons are sent forth from the Anti-Christ and false prophet to convince the kings of the earth to declare war and come to try to overthrow Christ.  Satan knows Scripture and he is aware that Christ has promised to return to the Mt. of Olives and establish His kingdom on this world.  Satan is determined to gather all the armies of this world in a last ditch effort to prevent the coming kingdom of God and Satan’s own demise.  What is interesting is that what Satan is trying to accomplish in order to overthrow God is exactly what God is using to gather all these people for judgment.  God has an amazing way of taking Satan’s schemes and then revealing that they were all a part of God’s plan all along.  This will be true in the tribulation and we have seen it to be true through our study of history.  What we must do is remember that this is true in the midst of all of our circumstances today.

BUILDINGS AND BOULDERS: The seventh bowl judgment is the final one and results in the largest earthquake this world has ever seen.  Buildings will fall and mountains and islands will disappear.  Jerusalem will be split into three parts as the foundations of the earth are shaken under the amazing wrath of God.  If that were not enough, boulders of hail that weigh about 100 pounds pummel the surface of the earth.  One time I witnessed a brief hail storm where golf ball sized hail fell from the sky.  It was amazing to see how much damage these hail stones had on homes, cars and businesses.  Imagine the damage that stones 200 times larger will cause to the earth and its inhabitants.  Especially when you consider that almost all shelter has been destroyed by the earthquake, these hail stones will most certainly kill many sinful men.  Despite this display of God’s judgment, men’s reactions will not be to repent and submit to God, but will be to blaspheme God.  It is amazing to me how they can continue to live without fearing God who is judging them so severely.