The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;
for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” Revelation 16 4-7
RIVERS & SPRINGS OF WATER POLLUTED
THE CONTEXT & THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TRUMPET & BOWL JUDGMENTS:
If you read Revelation 8 and compare it to Revelation 16 you'll see a lot of connections between the Trumpet Judgments and the Bowl Judgments-
the third trumpet shows a start burning like a torch falling from the sky, and polluting the rivers and springs of water. Bowl Three is poured out on the rivers and springs of water which are turned to blood.
we can see many parallels in what's happening today, what many scientists call the 6th Great Extinction which we seem to be causing. They say it may be related to the greatest of the 5 previous extinctions-the Great Dying.
During "The Great Dying," up to 90 percent of the world's species perished.(for more info see: http://www.livescience.com/25253-bacteria-permian-extinction.html)
“Possible causes supported by strong evidence appear to describe a sequence of catastrophes, each one worse than the previous: the Siberian Traps eruptions were bad enough in their own right, but because they occurred near coal beds and the continental shelf, they also triggered very large releases of carbon dioxide and methane. The resultant global warming may have caused perhaps the most severe anoxic event in the oceans' history: according to this theory, the oceans became so anoxic, anaerobic sulfur-reducing organisms dominated the chemistry of the oceans and caused massive emissions of toxic hydrogen sulfide”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian–Triassic_extinction_event#Combination_of_causes
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula H 2S. It is a colorless gas with the characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs; it is heavier than air, very poisonous, corrosive, flammable and explosive
-Red Tide-when I was a teenager in High School, we lived close to the beach. Almost every year, for a few weeks we could not swim in the ocean because of a dangerous “red tide”
“Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algal bloom (large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and the bloom takes on a red or brown color. Red tides are events in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column, resulting in coloration of the surface water. It is usually found in coastal areas. These algae, known as phytoplankton, are single-celled protists, plant-like organisms that can form dense, visible patches near the water's surface.. . .
Some red tides are associated with the production of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or other harmful effects, and are generally described as harmful algal blooms. The most conspicuous effects of these kinds of red tides are the associated wildlife mortalities [death] of marine and coastal species of fish, birds, marine mammals, and other organisms.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide
What is interesting to me is that the evidence is mounting that human behavior has begun to bring about very similar ecological conditions as the disasters which will come about as a result of God’s final judgment on the earth. I can’t help but feel that
1. God is giving the world a warning as scientists begin to understand the impact of changes in atmospheric chemistry, and that their predictions are very similar (or almost the same as) the predictions of the Bible.
2. We, as believers, have a responsibility to get the word out and show people what the Bible says about the last days-we have a beautiful opportunity to bring people to Christ through the amazing truths revealed in the Bible concerning our day.
THE ANGEL’S PERSPECTIVE
The angel has an interesting perspective. He sees the horrors of God’s judgment and the destruction of the planet and the humans who occupy it. Yet he is not astounded and shocked and appalled. He, instead affirms the rightness of this action by God, the justice of it. He praises God for destruction and death. I think we need this perspective. We are not really capable of seeing such things objectively, and if we did, there may be something wrong with us. A psychopath may be able to calculate the balance of evil and the pouring out of wrath, like blindfolded Lady Justice, but a healthy human being should desire to shun and avoid such human suffering. The angel shows no empathy. He evaluates impartially. He sees with non-human eyes how good God’s choices and judgments truly are.
This is the perspective from Heaven-one which is difficult for us to relate to, but which we one day will understand.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12
THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS
In order to begin to gain an understanding of the heavenly perspective we may gain something by looking at just a few examples of the persecutions of the saints:
-Polycarp-Polycarp was a disciple of John, the Gospel writer. He was a leader with him at the church in Ephesus. Late in his life he was living in a cave, in exile. He was slated to be killed for his faith, and soldiers came to arrest and execute him. They offered to free him if he denied Christ. Polycarp refused. He requested time to finish praying, and was granted permission. He prayed for two hours, and finished his prayers by asking for God’s blessings on the soldiers who had come to arrest him. The Centurion who was in charge of the soldiers sent to execute him threatened to unleash wild animals to eat Polycarp, “I love animals! Bring them in!” When it was clear he would not deny Christ, the soldiers tied him to a stake and lit a fire beneath him. According to Church tradition, the fire had no effect on him. In fact, he continued to preach, and to sing praise songs as the flames licked at his legs. The soldier felt this would result in more faith in Jesus and had one of his soldiers kill Polycarp with a spear. His blood extinguished the flames. At the age of roughly 86 Polycarp died for his faith and faithfulness Jesus.
THE JAPANESE PERSECUTIONS
[in the early 17th Century] the Shogun [made Christianity the object of official government censure]. [A group of prisoners were questioned by the governor] about whether they were Christians, where they were born and when they were baptized. He instructed them to renounce Christianity, and that the Emperor had given him a promise that if they did so, their lives would be spared. They repeatedly refused to renounce the faith. Therefore, the governor ordered the captain [of a boat on which some Christians had attempted to leave the country] and two priests to be burned alive, and for ten sailors to be beheaded. The three to be burned asked for what reason they were being killed, and when upon being told they were being executed for illegally seeking to spread the Christian faith in Japan, they rejoiced for being able to die for Christ.[3]
They were executed in Nagasaki on August 19, 1622. The sailors were first beheaded, as the three were made ready for burning. Before they were burned, Joachim began preaching to the crowd that had come to watch. He was ordered to stop, but he asked what greater pain they could inflict upon him that than which they were already going to do. The fire was then set and Joachim continued to preach as he was being burned . . . .
The governor of Nagasaki then retrieved 52 prisoners from Omura, including 21 monks . . . and 30 prisoners in Nagasaki and ordered all of them to be sentenced to death by beheading. This execution order also included the prisoners' children.
On the day of execution (September 10, 1622), prisoners carried crosses in their hands, while singing hymns praising God and condemning Japanese gods, and many of the crowd that came to watch them included Christians, [were] reportedly crying and wailing by those who recognized the priests who had converted them. The priests in answer to this, told the crowd that God would give them other teachers and that they needed to keep their faith until death.
There were two groups of executions: one by burning and the other by beheading. Four Japanese lay Christians who had entertained priests in their houses, as well as twenty-five priests and monks (European and Japanese) were issued a stake where he/she was to be burned. Each priest kissed the stake he was given many times, and their example was followed by the Japanese Christians.
Several other public executions followed over the course of the following two years. Some estimate hundreds and other estimates are as high as tens of thousands of Christians were killed for their faith at that time.
When those responsible for such brutality stand before God, what will be the appropriate action? How should God respond to such violence? When we see His judgment I believe we will join the angel, saying “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
