The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath which are poured out on the earth remind us very much of the Plagues of the Exodus. In both lists of plagues we find painful sores, water being turned to blood, darkness, frogs (although Revelation’s are spirits that look like frogs), and hail.
The angel in charge of the waters and the altar (those under the altar from Rev. 6:9-11?) declare that this is just punishment on those who have persecuted and shed the blood of God’s servants. While it is hard to think of God punishing people because of their sin, God is just and He brings justice upon the world. This is a stark warning.
For us as Christians, what we need to grab here is that these plagues are what we deserved in our sin as well, and this is a vivid description of the wrath of God that was poured out on Jesus when he hung on the cross.
What is sad in all of this is that, just like Pharaoh in Exodus, as people experience the consequences of their sins, Revelation reports, they do not repent. Indeed, they curse God for their suffering. Like little children who will blame everyone for their problems except themselves, people know that they are in pain but they continue to blame God or whomever they can for their problems. If they would turn they would be healed, and receive forgiveness, but they refuse.
What about us? Are we experiencing consequences in our lives because we are harboring sins that we refuse to let go of? Are we experiencing the effects of sins that we refuse to let go of? Jesus has paid for all of them, but we jeopardize our salvation when we hard heartedly refuse to repent.
A word about Armageddon: “Armageddon” comes from the Hebrew, “Har Meggido” which means “the mountain of Meggido.” Meggido was an important battlefield, and it is symbolic of the great and final battle between God and the forces of evil. Under the leadership of the three frog spirits (the anti-trinity for Rev. 12-14) God’s enemies unite to fight His people.
There have been many frightening things said about Armageddon, but we must always remember that Armageddon is a battle that is being waged from the time of Jesus’ ascension to his Second Coming. That being the case, Armageddon is fought in the aftermath of another battle fought on a hill just outside of Jerusalem; a hill called Golgotha or Calvary. Jesus’ victory there assures us of victory in the current battle we face. He has already won.
This chapter makes me think of Romans 5:8-10, “. . . God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” God takes his enemies and rescues them. We are here to bring that message of reconciliation to the world and to save them from the fate described here in Revelation 16.
Father, your mercies are new every day and they are for all people. I have sometimes ignored your mercy for your enemies, and not shared your forgiveness with those who make life difficult. Strengthen me to love my enemies and share your salvation with them, so that they too can know your forgiveness, and, by the power of your Spirit, be transformed into brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.
The angel in charge of the waters and the altar (those under the altar from Rev. 6:9-11?) declare that this is just punishment on those who have persecuted and shed the blood of God’s servants. While it is hard to think of God punishing people because of their sin, God is just and He brings justice upon the world. This is a stark warning.
For us as Christians, what we need to grab here is that these plagues are what we deserved in our sin as well, and this is a vivid description of the wrath of God that was poured out on Jesus when he hung on the cross.
What is sad in all of this is that, just like Pharaoh in Exodus, as people experience the consequences of their sins, Revelation reports, they do not repent. Indeed, they curse God for their suffering. Like little children who will blame everyone for their problems except themselves, people know that they are in pain but they continue to blame God or whomever they can for their problems. If they would turn they would be healed, and receive forgiveness, but they refuse.
What about us? Are we experiencing consequences in our lives because we are harboring sins that we refuse to let go of? Are we experiencing the effects of sins that we refuse to let go of? Jesus has paid for all of them, but we jeopardize our salvation when we hard heartedly refuse to repent.
A word about Armageddon: “Armageddon” comes from the Hebrew, “Har Meggido” which means “the mountain of Meggido.” Meggido was an important battlefield, and it is symbolic of the great and final battle between God and the forces of evil. Under the leadership of the three frog spirits (the anti-trinity for Rev. 12-14) God’s enemies unite to fight His people.
There have been many frightening things said about Armageddon, but we must always remember that Armageddon is a battle that is being waged from the time of Jesus’ ascension to his Second Coming. That being the case, Armageddon is fought in the aftermath of another battle fought on a hill just outside of Jerusalem; a hill called Golgotha or Calvary. Jesus’ victory there assures us of victory in the current battle we face. He has already won.
This chapter makes me think of Romans 5:8-10, “. . . God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” God takes his enemies and rescues them. We are here to bring that message of reconciliation to the world and to save them from the fate described here in Revelation 16.
Father, your mercies are new every day and they are for all people. I have sometimes ignored your mercy for your enemies, and not shared your forgiveness with those who make life difficult. Strengthen me to love my enemies and share your salvation with them, so that they too can know your forgiveness, and, by the power of your Spirit, be transformed into brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.
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