The last time we opened the book of Revelation we saw the angels with their sleeves rolled up, rubber gloves and waders on, and pails full of ammonia and Clorox, finally ready to disinfect creation before the Holy One takes up permanent residence on site. “Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever; and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.” [Rev 15:7-8] That’s how chapter 15 ends. In this chapter we see the angels actually at work. It’s pretty spectacular. The images are vivid and frightening.
You may remember that in previous chapters we saw a variety of woes and plagues, sent as warnings, to remind people to turn away from their wicked ways and consider the just claims of God on their lives. In each one of those instances only part of the earth and sea, only part of the plants and animals, only one third of the sun and the moon and the people were destroyed. There was still room to
maneuver, still time to decide, still places to hide from the awful reality, still time to pretend that the DANGER signs posted all over the facility were really meant for someone else..
But now the time has run out. The sirens have gone off, the evacuation teams have abandoned the site. The demolition angels are ready to move in.
There is, of course, widespread disagreement as to what part of these visions should be taken literally, and which parts should be taken symbolically or allegorically or metaphorically, and which parts should be taken literally. I know that this is a confusing book, and so I want to make it clear that the answer to the question “Is this part literal or symbolic?” is “Yes.” Not much help, is it? What I mean by that is I think that these images are a combination of the two.
The bowls, of course, are symbolic. They show us that God’s wrath is contained, controlled, confined until the proper time. It doesn’t just slop around the universe creating a randomly toxic environment; Their contents are also symbolic. Nor is God’s wrath a sort of cosmic Mr. Clean or PineSol, although I’ve added my own
metaphorical twist which suggests as much, because that’s the effect it has. God’s wrath is not, in fact, either a thing or an emotion. It is a force, a power, an energy which by its very nature burns and destroys all things that are hostile to God.
What is not symbolic or metaphorical is the fact that every single part of creation will be subject to the cleansing action of God’s angels. What is not metaphorical is the fact that once everything that is hostile to God has been burned away, God’s power will never more be experienced as wrath, but only as life and love and wholeness and joy.
What does it tell us is that every single piece of creation will have to be transformed before it is restored to the complete goodness God’s of original creative intention.
Paul tells us that “creation waits with eager longing ... in hope [it] will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” [Romans 8:19,21] Nowadays it’s fashionable in some circles nearly to worship the earth, calling it Gaia, mother earth, and maintaining against all evidence that anything that is natural is good. But we know that is not so. “Nature
red in tooth and claw” as the English poet Tennyson put it, is as full of flaws and dangers, disappointments and death as any human institution. Isaiah tells us that God’s original intention was, and the final state of creation will be, peace between all species, that
“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” [Is 11:6-9]
You may remember that both Hebrew and Greek used numbers symbolically. Well, the number four usually refers to refers to the created order. And that’s true here as well. The first four bowls the angels pour out are for the cleansing - the remaking - of creation.
“The first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and... on those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image. The second angel poured his bowl into the sea, and ... every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And the fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch them with fire. [Rev 16:2-8]
This time the effects are universal and complete. There is no escaping them. The seals affected a fourth, the trumpets destroyed a third. But the bowls are final. Nothing survives. Everyone left on the earth, all those who have chosen to follow the enemies of God, are destroyed along with the rest of creation. Notice that the remaining people aren’t actually targeted. They’re just collateral damage in the
sterilization process.
We’re dependent on creation for everything... it’s how God feeds us, sustains us, nourishes us, gives us joy and purpose. But remember last week’s theme, that our labor has become difficult and frustrating because of sin? In order for God’s people to be restored to the intended joy of laboring in the fields of the Lord, creation has to be transformed.
There are several different ways to understand creation. The first, as I already said, is to worship it. The second is to shun it, to think of it as evil or unreal. Buddhists and Christian Scientists alike teach a different version of that philosophy... And so did some of the Greek philosophers at the time John was writing down his visions. That’s where the mistaken notion came from that took root in some branches of Christianity that holiness could be achieved by giving up
food or sex or bathing or laughter. But although neither of those extremes is correct, and creation is good and to be celebrated, it is not completely good, and we have to be ready to abandon created things when God calls us to higher purposes. Because no part of creation will be remain untouched. The plagues show us that when God withdraws his protection, stops shielding us from the fierce and consuming energy that radiates from him when he isn’t holding back
out of mercy, the earth will no longer sustain us. Crops won’t nourish us, herbs won’t heal us, water won’t cleanse us. The only hiding place will be the Rock of Ages.
All of the sources of power that human beings have worshiped at one time or another in our history will be touched. The seas, the rivers and springs, the sun... all those things which we in our folly imagine that we can harness and exploit turn out not to be under our control at all. How many people imagine that through technology we can create a world without hunger or disease? How many people imagine that solar or wind power will be the magical provider of non-toxic prosperity for the world? How many people believe that our use of God’s creation has no ethical dimensions, that we do not have to beware of misusing the dominion God has given us?
Those delusions, dare I say, are part of the Antichrist’s toolbox of tricks to tempt us from depending on God rather than on ourselves. And one of the themes of Revelation is that those who follow God will not, in fact, have the economic power and advantage of those who for power or wealth allow themselves to be identified as belonging to the beast. For where the antichrist rules, ”no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” [Rev 13:7] The tables are turned when God takes over. That is why the third angel says, as he pours out the bowl on the rivers, "You are just, O Holy One, who are and were, for you have judged these things; because they shed the blood of saints and prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is what they
deserve!" [Rev 16:5-6]
Now, the effect of this four-fold de-lousing operation is that the kingdom of the antichrist falls apart. Since it is based on material wealth and power, once those things no longer function, the power and promises the enemies of God have relied upon to keep everybody in line turns out to be empty. And that leads to Armageddon. What is Armageddon?
Well, literally speaking, most people think the word comes from “Har Megiddo”, which is the mountain or hill of Megiddo, in the north central portion of Israel where Egyptian and Assyrian, Persian and Babylonian armies had marched against one another for millennia, tromping down the Israelites who got in the way of the conquering armies. But symbolically speaking?
Well, did you notice how the people left on earth reacted when their comfortable, prosperous, godless world fell apart? They cursed God, and then fell to quarreling among themselves. And this tells us that people who are not rightly related to God cannot maintain a civil society once the bread and circuses dry up.
The fault, as Shakespeare tells us, is not in the stars - or the circumstances - but in our selves. I’m sure you’ve noticed that people who know God are less likely to blame other people when things go wrong, to seek scapegoats, or demonize a targeted minority. Why does adversity cause some people to cling more closely to God, and others to deny God and seek their own way?
It is those who cannot acknowledge their need for repentance and salvation who turn away from God and against their neighbor when things go badly. It is because those who are left when the demolition crew moves in, the ones with the mark of the beast rather than the seal of the saints, cannot imagine that there isn’t someone to blame other than themselves. It’s the history of the world summed up in one object lesson. Hitler’s death camps, Pol Pot’s killing fields, Ruanda’s
massacres, and the present terrorist threat are the natural human response to frustrated ambition taken to the nth degree. My poverty, my illness, my sense of grievance has to be someone else’s fault. They hurt me, they are evil, therefore they deserve to be killed. It is more comfortable to blame, dehumanize, and strike out than to acknowledge our own sin.
These strikingly evil examples taken from our own history - in this century alone - shows us that the terrible events pictured in Revelation are not particularly far-fetched at all. Do you realize that even during these times of brutality and suffering God’s grace still springs up in brief, glorious moments of courage and compassion?
When the end of time comes, and God’s grace is removed altogether, the horror will be unrelieved. When will that time come? We don’t know. It may be another
millennium or two. But that’s why verse 15 is in this chapter. John quotes Jesus: "See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame." We could play the odds, of course - but even if the world doesn’t end before we do, we’re not off the hook.
Because taking the high ground keeps us safe in the present age as well. I’m not saying that following Jesus will guarantee you a trouble-free life. Remember that the followers of the beast tend to be more prosperous, and as Jesus said, "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you.” [Jn 15:18] But God has given us rules to live by because he knows how things work. Listen to him! Read Proverbs! Imitate Jesus! Tell the truth, forgive one another, love your neighbor, and trust in God and his word, not in your own understanding or power.
And then we will be safe in our consciences, safe in our hearts, and safe in our destiny.
