We are going to start tonight with a little review to bring us up to date. The number seven continues to pop up throughout this book. There were the seven churches. Then we studied the seven seals. Then the seven trumpet judgments. But when the seventh trumpet blasted, an amazing thing happened. There was no blast of judgment, not immediately. Instead an over-all picture of the end time was blown forth.
- There was a picture of Israel being chosen as the nation through which God would send His Son into the world, the picture of Jesus Christ coming to the earth as the Savior of the world. (REV. 12:10-12)
- There was the picture of the dragon, that ancient serpent, who we call the devil or Satan. He is working to get men to be ungodly and evil all because he wants to cut and hurt the heart of God. ( First part of REV. 13)
- There was the picture of the antichrist and of his right hand man coming on the earth, the picture of how they will gain power over the whole earth and launch the worst holocaust the world has ever seen. (Latter part of Rev. 13)
- There was the glorious picture of the very end of the world when Jesus Christ triumphs over all the ungodly and evil of this world, the picture of Jesus harvesting the earth, of His taking believers to heaven with Him and judging unbelievers. (REV. 14)
So now the 7th trumpet blasts forth its judgments. And the judgments come fast and furious. Why? Because they are the very last judgments. God has decided to end human history.
Jesus Christ will destroy all the ungodly and evil of this world and do it quickly. Remember, the whole tribulation period will last seven years. It will be divided into two periods: the first period will be three and ½ years and is called the beginning of birth pains or the beginning of sorrows. The last period will also be 3 ½ years and is called the great tribulation.
- When the tribulation begins, during the first 3 ½ years, there will be 7 seal judgments that will take place upon earth.
- When the great tribulation itself begins, the final 3 ½ years, there will be 7 trumpet judgments that will take place upon earth.
- Then, at the very end of the tribulation period, there will be 7 more judgments, the 7 bowl judgments. The bowl judgments will end human history as we know it.
So tonight’s passage deals with the heavenly preparation for judgment. This is the preparation that will be made for the launch of the judgments that will end all the ungodliness and evil of man upon earth. PRAYER
Read verse 1. We see the sign of God’s judgment in heaven. This sign is said to be great and awesome, a sign of 7 mighty angels prepared to go forth for God, a sign of 7 plagues that are said to be the last plagues, a sign of God’s wrath.
This sign is intended to stir people to bow before God who is just. God is ready to clean up the earth so man must prepare, repent and get ready before it’s too late. READ 2-4.
In these verses we see the reason for the judgment. Believers will be slaughtered by the beast or antichrist. This explains why the wrath of God is going to fall upon the earth in the last days. The antichrist launches the worst holocaust the world has ever seen. Millions of believers will be slaughtered during his rule on earth. These verses show these believers in heaven. Note four things about them:
1. The martyred believers will be on the sea of glass that stretches out before the throne of God itself. You might remember talking about this glassy sea in Rev. 4:6. The glass is mingled with fire. This symbolizes
- the fire of persecution these believers went through.
- The first judgment that is about to fall on the ungodly and evil of the earth.
2. The martyred believers will be victorious over the antichrist. They
- Won’t worship his image
- Won’t receive his mark.
- Won’t receive the number of his name, the number of 666.
True believers in the end time will not follow the antichrist. They will refuse to worship the state and its leader. So the leader and his government will prosecute and kill the believers. Remember, too, that this holocaust will not be localized. It will be world-wide.
3. The martyred believers will have harps. The harps are symbols of being soothed and given rest and of praising and worshiping God. God will soothe the hurt and pain of the martyred believers and give them rest, and they will praise and worship Him.
4. The martyred believers will sing two great songs of victory.
a. The song of the Lamb and,
b. The song of Moses that was sung by the children of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea. And here is what they sing in verses 3-4.
I. They sing to the Almighty God, praising His works.
II. They sing to the King of the ages, to the justice and truth of His ways.
III. They sing to the Lord, to the fear and glory of His name.
IV. They sing to the holy and just God, because all nations will come and worship Him because He is going to judge the earth.
The lesson in this for us is that the persons who stand up for Jesus Christ against the temptations and trials of this life are the persons who will be in heaven. But to be in heaven we must stand up for Christ. We must never accept the marks of this world or be identified among the number of unbelievers. We should always be diligent and bear only the marks of Christ. Does your facebook posting bear the mark of Christ?
Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
READ verses 5-8. Here we see the judgment of God being sent forth. Let’s note four things here and that’s as far as we’ll go tonight.
1. It says that the door to the “tabernacle of the Testimony” is opened up. The “tabernacle of the Testimony” refers to the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle in the Old Testament. That is, it refers to the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place. So the picture is this: the judgment of God will come from the Most Holy Place from the very presence and heart of God Himself.
His presence and heart will have been violated and polluted enough by sin and evil. So His presence and heart will be vindicated. God Himself will send forth His final judgment upon the antichrist and his ungodly followers.
2. The seven angels come out from the Most Holy Place, again, out from God’s own presence, and they are awesome creatures. The scene is kind of terrifying.
- They hold the 7 plagues in their hands.
- They are dressed in pure white—clean and shining linen—the symbol of the holiness of heaven. God’s holiness, His righteousness, and His justice are now to be exercised and brought to this world, to rule and reign throughout the whole earth. The sin and evil of the world have gone as far as God is going to let it go.
- They have gold belts, the symbol of royalty and authority and power. God has the right and the power as the Sovereign King of the universe to execute justice.
3. The seven angels are given seven gold bowls that are filled with the wrath of God. The idea of the bowls is that there is no lid or covering on the bowls. They will be poured upon the earth quickly and efficiently.
And every effort to stop the judgment and wrath of God will only result in their being splashed or spilt upon the antagonist. Nothing will be able to stop the bowl judgments of God. God will be ready to stop the ungodly and evil of this world. And He has the right to judge the world. He is the One who lives forever and ever. He and He alone is God. So His wrath is going to fall upon all who have refused to drink the cup of His salvation.
You see, there is the cup of salvation and the cup of wrath and judgment. In Psalm 116:3 it says, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” (The cup of salvation)
In Psalms 75:8 it says, “In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” (The cup of wrath and judgment)
4. Lastly, we need to note the door to the temple of God, to heaven and salvation, will be closed. No one will be able to enter heaven any longer, not until the 7 judgments are completed.
This is kind of a terrifying thought. When the final judgments begin to fall in the last days, the grace of God will be withdrawn and prayer for mercy will do no good. The door to heaven and salvation will be closed.
The judgment of God will be falling upon the antichrist and his ungodly and evil followers. Note how descriptive the scene is:
The glory and power of God, which shines brighter than the sun itself, becomes so furious and hot that smoke begins to arise from their energy.(v.8) The glory and power of God are energized to consume the evil of this earth. And no man will be able to enter the temple of God’s presence and stop it. It will be too late.
So the seven bowl judgments are about to begin. Now it’s too late to change your mind. For those who have refused to accept God up to this point, it’s too late.
This is yet another warning to all who choose not to believe. But this is not the first time we have been given warning.
John 3:36 – “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Romans 2:8 – “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
Eph. 5:6 - “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”
Jeremiah warned of God’s wrath. His warning will still stand true in the end time.
Lam. 3: 43-44 - “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.”
Next time we will see if we can get through all 7 bowl judgments in chapter 16.
