Somewhere around 1500-1300 B.C. there was a nation of people who were undergoing great torment and suffering. They had been enslaved by a people more powerful than them and were ruthlessly made to work in hard service. They oppressed them and persecuted them. In fact, the oppression and persecution against this people grew so great that the midwives who delivered their children were instructed to kill instantly any little boy baby the second he was born into the world. Every son born to one of the women among this people was to be cast into the river so that it’s welcome into the world would be a watery grave. Needless to say, it was a terrible setting.
So, this people cried out to God to deliver them from this terrible situation of slavery and murderous oppression in which they found themselves. And the Lord raised up Moses and sent him to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. We know this story, don’t we? Along with Moses, the Lord brought plagues upon Egypt as he turned the Nile to blood, brought many frogs into the land, brought swarms of gnats and flies and locusts, killed their livestock, brought boils upon the people, sent a hailstorm, caused darkness to cover the land, and finally took the lives of the firstborn throughout the land.
This finally led the Pharaoh to release the Israelites – for a while. Eventually, he decided to pursue them with his army, and all looked lost for Israel as they were backed up to the Red Sea. But we know this wonderful aspect to the Exodus story. The Lord parted the sea so that the Israelites passed through on dry ground. And when the Egyptians tried to follow through, the Lord brought the waters back, killing every one of them.
Now, what do you think the Israelites did when they saw the Egyptians drown? What were they feeling when, as Exodus 14:30 tells us, the Egyptians’ bodies wash up on the seashore? The text tells us that they sang a son, praising the Lord, celebrating the Egyptians’ destruction, and celebrating their own salvation. They sang a song that began: “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ You blew your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters” (Exodus 15:1-10). And it keeps going on like that!
Perhaps that feels odd to us until we consider their atrocities. I mean, again, the Egyptians were drowning Hebrew male infants in the Nile River. If someone were doing that to our children today, wouldn’t we cry out for God to bring justice? Of course we would. The problem for us, however, is that we’re well acquainted with sin ourselves. Therefore, when we see sin, it doesn’t seem that atrocious to us. It’s easy to think of judgment against it as extreme. It often takes something worse than you or I have done ourselves or would do to reveal to us that sin and sinners must be judged.
But God is not blinded by familiarity with sin. He has none. And he is a just judge. That’s why the Exodus was a glorious story of salvation that was meant to be celebrated throughout Israel’s history. This was a picture of salvation for them – the destruction of God’s enemies and the enemies of his people, and the salvation of those who trust in him.
Now, the reason I mention this is because the Exodus was only a type or shadow of true judgment and true salvation to come. The substance to which this shadow pointed is found in our text this morning: Revelation 15-16. In fact, you’ll notice that this picture of the Lord’s final judgment of his enemies and final salvation of his people looks a lot like the Exodus events. The believers sing the Song of Moses in 15:3-4. There’s mention of plagues, including notes of water turning to blood, painful sores coming upon people, darkness, a river being parted so that people could pass through on dry land, and a plague of hail.
No reader of the Old Testament could miss these clear allusions to the Exodus. And I think the message from the Lord is: What I foreshadowed or typified in the act of judgment and salvation that I brought about in the Exodus, I’m going to fulfill in final judgment. And that’s what Revelation 15-16 is – a picture of final judgment.
Let me then tell you briefly what I think we’re seeing in Revelation 15-16, and then I want to note some insight I think we gain from these chapters concerning the Lord’s coming final judgment. I think that Revelation 15-16 is simply declaring to us symbols that are to teach us about the nature of the coming final judgment of the Lord. Each of these seven bowls that lay out the final judgment are showing different aspects or elements of the Lord’s final judgment, but I don’t think we’re to try to figure out exactly when this element will happen and when that element will happen. I think they’re all simply showing different aspects of final judgment, not the differing time element. Nor do I think we need to figure out what these elements might look like. That is, I don’t think we’re to consider what means the Lord might use to make the sun scorch the inhabitants of the earth, as we see with the fourth bowl in 16:8-9 because I don’t think we’re to read this as the literal way the Lord will judge his people. Therefore, this isn’t a text that should send us into all kinds of theories of global warming but a text that tells us the Lord’s judgment will be ruthless and intense. The picture that is given to us to show this is the sun scorching the inhabitants of the earth.
One hint, I think, that tells us that these images are merely symbolic is the reference in 16:16. We’re told there that an army will gather to fight against the Lord and that they are assembled “at the place that in Hebrews is called Armageddon.” Well, literally that is the “Mount of Megiddo,” and it was a place where battles were fought. The problem is that Megiddo was a plain, not a mountain. And another problem is that many other texts picture this last battle being fought in Jerusalem, as we could see in 20:9. So, why would John write this? He knew the geography. It’s because he’s not meaning this literally. He’s using these images symbolically. And I think that’s the case with the way final judgment is pictured in the pouring out of each of these bowls.
So what then do these symbols teach us about the Lord’s coming final judgment? First:
The text begins in verse 1 with this note that final judgment is certain and coming. We read in 15:1, “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.” That is to say, this is the final outpouring of God’s wrath. This is final judgment.
Along the way this book of Revelation has reminded us that throughout this age the Lord will pour out a sort of diluted wrath against his enemies. He’ll torment them simply by them living in this sin-cursed world where death reigns. He’ll give them over to their sin so that what though they hate it and it’s destroying them, they can’t let go of it. We’ve seen this message of the Lord’s diluted wrath being poured out in this age in such images as hail, fire, and blood being poured out on the earth so that a third of the earth was burned up (8:7) or the sea becoming blood so that a third of everything in the sea died (8:8). These continual images of a third signify that this is just the Lord’s partial wrath, again, a diluted form of his wrath.
In Revelation 15-16, we see similar images, but note that no longer is a third destroyed but “everything.” There is a break after verse 1 where we see the saints praising God (something we’ll look at in a second), and then we hear in 15:5-8 the angels gather to pour out the Lord’s wrath. And, as we’ve seen before, it is over the whole earth. The first four bowls, like the first four trumpets, include the earth, sea, fresh water, and sky. That is, this is God’s judgment over the whole earth. But again, whereas before the results were partial, now they’re complete.
Look, for example, at verse 3, “The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.” It’s as if it’s the exact same imagery we’ve seen before, only now, it’s complete judgment. And this continues on so that we read in 16:17, “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’”
So, the first thing we need to see is that God’s final judgment when he’ll judge fully and not partially, pouring out his wrath full-strength and not diluting it, is certain, and that day is coming.
Second, we need to see that:
Even as the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea meant that the Israelites were finally saved, so the judgment of God’s enemies will signal and final and full salvation of his people. This is why we see the saints singing a song of celebration and victory in 15:2-4. There, we read: “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Again, the reason for this kind of praise and celebration is because the judgment of God’s enemies will mean the final salvation of his people. These two realities of judgment and salvation are consistently tied together in the Scripture. We saw it in the Exodus. We see it with David and Goliath. We see it in the garden with the promise to crush the serpent and save the Lord’s people. We see it constantly in the book of Judges. And we see it here.
One day there will be no more enemies to be feared. For all the believers who have died at the hands of their persecutors, there will be nothing more to be feared. There will be no more Satan, sin, or death as an enemy any more. All will be judged. This will be the day of our salvation. Therefore, when we read all of these images and chapters concerning judgment and wrath in the book of Revelation, we are right to think that the Lord is reminding his persecuted church of their coming and certain salvation, again and again.
Third, concerning the Lord’s final judgment, we see:
As this process of final judgment unfolds, it is terrible. In fact, it is much like the plagues in the Exodus, where they are terrible, the Egyptians hate them, but Pharaoh’s heart only grows more hardened. So, we see that in the first three bowls, the Lord’s judgment is symbolized as painful sores coming upon followers of the beast, then the sea turns to blood, and then the fresh water is contaminated so that no one has any water to drink. These are terrible pictures of judgment.
Then, with the fourth bowl, the sun scorches the people so that they are burning. And at this point, you’d think the people would say, “Enough, we’ll bow the knee.” But instead we read, “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory” (16:9). Then again, in the fourth bowl, the kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness. And we read, “People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds” (16:10-11).
Then, in the seventh bowl, when judgment is finally concluded with the lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake, that consistently shows the conclusion of the Lord’s judgment in Revelation (e.g., 8:5, 11:19) the people continue to curse God as they bear his wrath so that we read in verses 20-21, “And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, abound one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”
Do you see? At every moment, they continue in their rebellion. Just like Pharaoh in the Exodus, the Lord’s judgment only makes them more bitter in their rebellion against the Lord.
But we do see some insight as to why. With the sixth bowl, we are told the Lord dried up the sea so that the kings of the earth might gather in battle against him, a battle in which they are destroyed. But note what we read in 16:13-14. There we see, “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 demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.”
Unbelievers are influenced by Satanic demonic oppression, and Satan is seeking to war against the Lord and his people. We’ve seen this for chapters now, haven’t we? As I’ve noted before, this is why Paul can say early in Ephesians that all unbelievers are “following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2) and ends the letter reminding us that we are not wrestling with flesh and blood but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).
Unbelievers who face the Lord’s final judgment will only, like Pharaoh, grow hardened in their rebellion against the Lord until the bitter end, being deceived by Satanic and demonic influences.
Now, this has two implications, I think, that we need to take very seriously. First, one for the believer – we must understand that the only means of someone coming to be delivered from the kingdom of Satan and his influence and find salvation in Christ is by hearing and believing the gospel. If you think that someone’s salvation is dependent on you being crafty enough in your speech or able to answer all their questions, etc., then you underestimate the state of the unbeliever’s heart. The unbeliever is in rebellion, under the tyranny of Satan and his demons. The only thing that can rescue the unbeliever from that is the gospel. Therefore, let us be faithful not to go out with our wisdom to the ends of the earth but to go forth with the gospel so that men, women, and children might hear and believe.
Second, an implication for any unbeliever here this morning – if you are able to understand this gospel of Jesus Christ and have an inkling of turning from your sin and placing your faith in Christ, the please do. You have no idea whether your rejection today might merely lead to a harder heart of rebellion against the Lord tomorrow so that you will continue in your rebellion and face his furious wrath on the day of judgment, which you’ll experience forever. So, please trust in Christ.
And there is one more truth I want us to see:
Yes, the Lord’s judgment will be eternal torment that is furiously violent, but don’t think it’s extreme. Don’t think the Lord is going overboard. He’s not any more out of line with his judgment of unbelievers in the end as he was in drowning the Egyptians who drown Hebrew boy babies. In fact, throughout these chapters we are continually reminded that the Lord’s judgments are just.
First, in 15:3, the saints declare, “Just and true are your ways.” Then, we read in 16:5-7, “And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, ‘Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for your brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given tehm blood to drink. It is what they deserve!’ And I heard the altar [which may symbolize the altar where the martyrs are gathered – 6:9-11] saying, ‘Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!’”
God’s final act of judgment will be just. As he pours out his eternal wrath on all who reject the Lamb and rebel against their Creator, God’s judgment will be exactly the perfect judgment. His enemies will be getting exactly what they deserve. And the judgment for rebelling against an infinitely glorious God is terrible eternal judgment.
Therefore, we do not have to be ashamed when speaking of the Lord’s coming judgment for unbelievers. It isn’t over the top. It isn’t unjust. It is right and good. It is what his enemies deserve. And it is why we must take the gospel to unbelievers and plead with them to be reconciled so God so that they might not face that judgment.
That night when the Lord slaughtered the firstborn of the Egyptians, showing his judgment against his people’s enemies, it wasn’t as if the Israelites were spared because they were better. They weren’t necessarily more upright than the Egyptians. In fact, the Lord could have judged them as well. Well, why didn’t he? Why didn’t their firstborn die? What made them different from the Egyptians that night?
What made them different wasn’t that they were any better. What made them set apart from the Egyptians is that they had the blood of a lamb covering their doors. And as the Lord saw the blood of a lamb over their doors, he passed over their homes, showing mercy to a sinful people.
As we consider the Lord’s wrath this morning, let us, as believers, realize that we’re not spared God’s wrath because we’re better than unbelievers. Rather, what makes us different is that the Lord has graciously opened our eyes to see that we need the covering of the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, as the Israelites continued to eat a meal remembering that night of the Passover, so we come to the table this morning, remembering that Christ’s blood has been shed so that we might never face what we have earned by our sins, namely, God’s wrath. We’ll never see it. We’ll never know it. And it’s because of what Jesus has done for us.
Therefore, let us come to the table this morning, eager to give thanks to our Lord for his mercy and eager to take the gospel to those who right now are rebelling against Christ in hopes that their eyes too might be opened, and that they might be spared God’s wrath and know eternal life. Amen.