The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapters 15-16
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
II. Things Which Are – The Church Age – Rev 2-3
III. Things Which Are To Come – Rev 4-22
A. The Throne Of God – Rev 4
B. The Seven Seals Book – Rev 5
C. The First Six Seals Are Opened – Rev 6
D. The Sealing Of The Saved – Rev 7
E. The Lamb Opens The Seventh Seal – The First Four Trumpets Sound – Rev 8
F. Sounding of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets – Rev 9
G. The Little Book – Rev 10
H. The Measuring Rod – The Two Witnesses – The Seventh Trumpet Sounds – Rev 11
I. The Woman and the Dragon – Rev 12
J. The Beasts – Rev 13
K. The Lamb on Mount Zion – Rev 14
L. The 7 Vials Of God’s Wrath – Rev 15-16
John Mc Arthur says that the historical outpourings of God's wrath fall into several categories.
First is what might be called "sowing and reaping" wrath. People sin and suffer the logical consequences of that sin; "Those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it"
A second kind of wrath is cataclysmic wrath, when God sends massive, destructive judgment. That judgment may engulf the entire world, as it did with the Flood, or a smaller region, as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
A third king of wrath is God’s wrath of abandonment which you can find in Romans chapter one. In that chapter – Paul three times used the phrase "God gave them over" to demonstrate God's judicial abandonment of sinners, removing restraint to the deadly consequences of their sinful choices.
Fourthly -- there is God's wrath of the tribulation period.
Fifth – there is God’s eternal wrath – the ultimate result of eternal wrath will be the sentencing of all unrepentant sinners to hell forever.
Chapters fifteen and sixteen deal with God’s wrath
Rev 15:1 (NASB) “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.”
(1) I saw – Rev. 15:1
(a) another sign in heaven – v. 1
-1 great
-2 marvelous
*seven angels
-with seven plagues
the last plagues
because in them the wrath of God is finished
Rev 15:2-4 (NASB) “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."
(b) something like a sea of glass – v. 2
-1 mixed with fire
(c) saints who had been victorious
-1 over the beast
-2 over the beast’s image
-3 over the beast’s number
*standing on the sea of glass
*holding harps of God
*singing the song of Moses – v. 3 – Ex. 15:1-18
*singing the song of the Lamb
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty
Righteous and true are Your ways,
King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? – v. 4
For You alone are holy;
For all the nations will come and worship before you,
For Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Moses songs are recorded in Ex. 15:1-21 and Deuteronomy 32:1-43. These are songs that speak of deliverance. He sang about their deliverance from Egypt. In Revelation – these folks sing about their deliverance from the Anti-Christ, the beast, and the Devil – but the focus of attention is giving praise to God.
Rev 15:5 (NASB) “After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened.”
(d) the temple – v. 5
-1 of the tabernacle
-2 of the testimony
-3 in heaven
*was opened
Rev 15:6 (NASB) “and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.”
(e) the seven angels – v. 6
-1 who had the seven plagues
-2 came out of the temple
-3 clothed in linen
*clean and bright
-4 girded around their chest with golden sashes
Rev 15:7 (NASB) “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.”
(f) the four living creatures – v. 7
-1 gave the seven angels
*seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God
Who lives forever and ever
Rev 15:8 (NASB) “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”
(g) the temple – v. 8
-1 was filled with smoke
*from the glory of God
*from God’s power
-2 no one was able to enter
*until the seven plagues
Of the seven angels was finished
Rev 16:1 (NASB) “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."
(2) I heard – Rev. 16:1
(a) a loud voice
-1 from the temple
-2 saying to the seven angels
*go to the earth
*pour out on the earth
Seven bowls of the wrath of God
These vial are “bowls or shallow saucers”. The imagery is not that of a stream being poured gradually out of a pitcher, but of the whole contents of the shallow saucers being hurled down in an instant flood of judgment.
Rev 16:2 (NASB) “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.”
I. The First Angel – Rev. 16:2
(a) went
(b) poured out his bowl
- on the earth
*It became
Loathsome sores – Ex. 9:8-9
Malignant sores
On the people
Who had the mark of the beast
Who worshiped the image of the beast
We can note here that while the pouring out of this vial results in worldwide misery the misery is restricted to those who have the mark of the beast and have worshipped his image.
Rev 16:3 (NASB) “The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.”
II. The Second Angel – Rev. 16:3
(a) poured his bowl
- into the sea
*It became
Like blood
Of a dead man
*every living thing in the sea died
This time the effects will be much more intense and widespread than ever before; since the oceans cover approximately 70 percent of the earth's surface – the effects of this judgment will be worldwide. After the angel dumped his bowl – the sea – which is vitally important to all life on earth, became blood like that of a dead man. To the amazement, horror, and despair of the world, the oceans will no longer be fluid, but will become thick, dark, and coagulated, like the pool of blood from someone who has been stabbed to death.
Rev 16:4-7 (NASB) “Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it." And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
III. The Third Angel – Rev 16:4-7
(a) poured out his bowl – v. 4
- into rivers
- into springs of water
They became blood
Angel of the waters says: - v. 5-6
"Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; or they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."
The altar says: - v. 7
"Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
Rev 16:8-9 (NASB) “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”
IV. The Fourth Angel – Rev. 16:8-9
(a) poured out his bowl – v. 8
- upon the sun
So it could scorch men with fire
Men who were scorched with fierce heat – v. 9
Blasphemed the name of God
Did not repent
Rev 16:10-11 (NASB) “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.”
V. The Fifth Angel – Rev. 16:10-11
(a) poured out his bowl – v. 10
- on the throne of the beast
The beast’s kingdom
Became dark – Ex. 10:21-22
Gnawed their tongues in pain
Blasphemed God because of their pain and sores – v. 11
Did not repent of their deeds
Rev 16:12 (NASB) “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.”
VI. The Sixth Angel – Rev. 16:12
(a) poured out his bowl – v. 12
- on the great river Euphrates
It’s water dried up
So the way was prepared for the kings of the east
God's drying up of the Euphrates is not an act of kindness toward the kings from the east but one of judgment. They and their armies will be entering a deadly trap. The evaporation of the Euphrates will lead them to their doom – just as the parting of the Red Sea led to the destruction of the Egyptian army. Why they will make the daunting journey that will take them to their doom, through the drought, scorching heat, darkness, and their painful sores, is a reminder of the stupidity of sin.
Rev 16:13-14 (NASB) “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 spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
Rev 16:16 (NASB) “And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.”
(3) I saw – Rev. 16:13
(a) coming out of the mouth of the dragon
(b) coming out of the mouth of the beast
(c) coming out of the mouth of the false prophet
-1 three unclean spirits
*like frogs
*demons – v. 14
Performing signs
Which go out the kings of the whole world
To gather them together for war
The great day of God – The Almighty
At Har-Magedon – v. 16
(Armageddon)
Rev 16:15 (NASB) ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.")
*WARNING: Rev. 16:15
Behold, I am coming like a thief.
Blessed is the one who stays awake
Blessed is the one who keeps his clothes
So that he will not walk about naked
So that men will not see his shame
– Matt. 25:1-13
Rev 16:17 (NASB) “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done."
VII. The Seventh Angel – Rev. 16:17
(a) poured out his bowl – v. 17
- into the air
A loud voice is heard
From the temple
From the throne
Saying
“It is done.” – John 19:30
Rev 16:18-21 (NASB) “And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, *came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague *was extremely severe.”
(4) There were – Rev. 16:18-21
(a) flashes of lighting
(b) sounds
(c) peals of thunder
* There was – v. 18
(a) a great earthquake
-1 such as never before seen on earth
*great
*mighty
*The great city – v. 19
Was split into three parts
And the cities of the nations fell
*Babylon the great – v. 19
Was remembered before God
To give her the cup
Of the wine of His fierce wrath
*Every island – v. 20
Fled away
*The mountains
Were not found
(b) huge hailstones – v. 21
-1 about one hundred pounds each
*came down from heaven
Upon men
Men blasphemed God
Because of the plague of hail
Because the plague was extremely server
