Day 195: The worst is yet to come – Revelation 16 vs 1 – 11

1-2 Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

3-4 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5-6 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.” 7 And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”

8-9 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. 10-11 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. Revelation 16:1-11 New Living Translation (English Standard Version link)

Long before these visions of Revelation were given to John, the prophet Nahum declared that “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2) God will protect His glory, and His people. What we see in Revelation is God's holy and righteous wrath coming upon His enemies. Christians differ over whether these are literal events that take place over a short period of time just before Jesus returns, or whether they are symbolic of His judgements through the ages. I'd say that the 'what' and 'why' of them is more important than the 'when'. For example, what happened with the first bowl, and why and on whom was it poured? (vs1-2)

Boils and sores seem a fitting response for those who had accepted the 'mark' of the beast and thereby served Satan in this world. So too with the second and third bowls. Who were they specifically aimed at and why? (vs 3-6)

God brings a judgement of blood upon those who had shed the blood of His people through the ages. He is jealous over His people and will take revenge on those who treated them so cruelly in the world. And we see too that His wrath eventually affects everyone who despised His glory and built their own worldly kingdoms of sin. (vs 8-11)

What would readers in John's day have thought about these things? I think it would've been a huge encouragement to them to know that God was well aware of the suffering they were going through, and that He would repay His enemies (and theirs) as they deserved. Earlier in Revelation we read of the souls of those who'd been slaughtered for the word of God, and for the witness they had borne, crying out to God: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10) They were told to “rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers was complete, who were yet to be killed as they themselves had been.”(Revelation 6:11)

Many people hate the idea of God judging the world, and especially in the ways described in Revelation. Yet what does all of heaven say about God's judgements? (vs 7)

The amazing and tragic part of the above is how people who don't want God in their lives respond to any judgements He sends upon the world. (vs 8-11) They curse Him even more and still won't repent of sin. Even though the worst is still to come.