Tag Archives: wrath

Revelation 15

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Vs. 1, “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.”  The reference to “last” encompasses not just the seven plagues, rather all of judgment at this Revelation time.  The same believers who stood with the Lamb (144,000) are also here indicating that we now see how they are going to be victorious from our previous chapter.  The song they sing (vs. 3-4) is reminiscent of the song the Israelites sang in Exodus 15.  The seven bowls of wrath will be covered in the following chapter.  It’s important to be reminded that the smoke represents God and His authority over the wrath to come.

Regarding application…Wrath of God.  Vs. 7, “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.”  While both humans and God can express wrath, it is God’s wrath that is just.  Question: Why wrath?  It is God’s direct opposition to sin and evil (Holman’s Bible Dictionary).  This is not an easy concept to swallow and many harden their hearts to this reality.  One thing to bear in mind that if there was not wrath, there would be no need for salvation.  Jesus never would have had to come.  This is pretty humbling and we should not be so quick to misunderstand the wrath of God.  Thank the Lord Jesus for His grace upon us!

Revelation 6

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Vs. 1, “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”  For the next 13 chapters, we are now given a glimpse into the seven-year period of Tribulation.  It’s important for us to remember that God is in control of these judgments that are to follow.

First Seal

The rider on the white horse with the bow has been speculated differently.  Some believe it is Jesus, some believe it represents all of creation’s greed, but most scholars today believe this rider is none other than the Antichrist himself!  Remember, the Antichrist will not appear at first as a villain.

Second Seal

The Antichrist now exchanges his white horse for a fiery red one!  God temporarily gives the antichrist authority over the world.  He exchanges his bow for a sword and the world peace ends shortly as wars between countries escalate.

Third Seal

The black horse coincides with the famine that is to come to the whole world.  The rider hasn’t changed…it’s still the antichrist…and he comes holding scales (weight balances).  This will indicate that the government’s will have control over the food as food will grow scarce.  The quart of wheat & three quarts of barley were almost nothing and the poor would receive little…while the oil & wine were reserved for the filthy rich.

Fourth Seal

This pale (greenish) horse represents 1/4 of the earth’s population being wiped out by Death & Hades.  Death would come to many, in what would be the largest amount of people to die in all of history!

Fifth Seal

In the OT, priests would poor the blood of sacrifice under the alter…but here we see the souls of those sacrificed for Christ under the alter of God.  But it wasn’t time for God’s vengeance, for others who would yet come to know Christ during the tribulation would come and have to die for His Name’s sake.  There were still to be more martyrs…and in fact in the past century…more have died for Jesus’ name then the 1900 years preceding it.  And there are still more to come!  Are you ready to die for Jesus?

Sixth Seal

World chaos will come & a mighty earthquake will desolate much of the earth.  The people who experience this will know it is of the Mighty Hand of God.  This begins the second half of the 7 year period of tribulation.

Regarding application…Wrath of God.  Vs. 16, “They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”  Indeed, this is the same Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  But now we see the wrath of the Lamb!  But what is wrath?  Holman’s Bible Dictionary: His absolute opposition to sin and evil.  But realize that God is not vengeful and full of anger, as we would understand it.  It is not our right to shell out wrath.  Wrath is reserved for God.  Don’t get discouraged by the signs of the times, we know it’s going to get worse.  We must continue to help seek and save the lost to Christ.

Lamentations 2

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Vs. 1, “How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with the cloud of his anger…”  Indeed, this is quite a fire and brimstone message upon God’s people!  How sad that so many would not listen to the truth and turn to false prophets.  They did not want to believe that anything could happen to them.  Though they turned from God, they took him for granted.  The scenes Jeremiah shares with us are things I hope to never see.  People strung out dead in the streets, children fainting in the streets and dying.  It is a graphic scene and one that is intended to remind us as readers not to forget.

 

Regarding application…God’s Wrath.  Vs. 6, “He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden; he has destroyed his place of meeting. The Lord has made Zion forget her appointed feasts and her Sabbaths; in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest.”  Yesterday, the application was on “Sin Seperates”…and today we are reminded of God’s wrath.  The Babylonians did not prevail…it was God’s wrath that brought the consequences to his people.  If we only looked at this chapter, we would have a very distorted view of God.  That is why it is very important to step back and look at the full context of the Bible.  Even in Jeremiah’s life…he spent 40 years sharing God’s love and mercy upon the people.  But they would not listen.  There was nothing else that could be done, but bring about punishment because their hearts were so hard.  Yet, unlike and enemies punishment…God’s wrath has love and promise to it.  God does not delight in evil.  He allowed such to happen so that his people would turn in repentance.  God is faithful and always will be.

 

Think back in your own life for a moment.  There have been valley’s and mountains.  Yet, God is doing everything he can to draw you nearer to Him.  Question: Are you like the people of Jeremiah’s time?  Ever hearing, but not doing?  Don’t be so complacent and lazy that such a thing could happen to you.  Turn your heart back to God TODAY!  His love and mercy is endless.

Revelation 16

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The bowls of wrath contain the direct judgment of God upon the world; they are not the result of what people have done or Satan’s influence.  Once again, they are very similar to the plagues against Egypt .

1st Bowl

These sores will be worse the leprosy or cancer.  It mirrors the sixth plague.  It’s interesting to note that God is in control of all such ailments to the body.  Whether allowed or because of the result of sin.

2nd Bowl

This bowl turns the seas to blood!  Unlike the trumpet that turned 1/3 of the seas to blood, this turns it all to blood.  Of course blood signifies death.  What once was full of life now becomes full of death.

3rd Bowl

This turns to the rivers to blood & fountains to blood.  This is huge because all of the Earth’s water supply is now blood!  The evil world shed the blood of God’s people…now God will most definitely bring consequences!

4th Bowl

The sun will scorch people!  Yikes!  I remember when I was badly sun burnt at last year’s beach outing in San Clemente…It took literraly nearly a year for it to heal.  This will be quite a painful consequence to say in the least.  One biblical commentator mentions this bowl we be a preview of what Hell will be like!

5th Bowl

Now we see the opposite…this bowl will bring darkness to the land.  It is possible this darkness will only apply to where the Beast has setup his kingdom.  Satan is the prince of darkness, so it is only appropriate that darkness from God be a consequence.

6th Bowl

?  Many scholars believe it is the Asian countries that have the largest population in the world.  They will come to fight the war against Israel .  Satan & his trinity (The antichrist & the false prophet) will assemble this vast army against the Lord.  This is also the only passage that has the word Armageddon, although there are many passages that speak of it.  Armageddon: Mount of Meggido.  Har or Ar = Mountain.  Meggido = place of slaughter.  It’s location is the plain of Esdraelon.  Barak defeated the Canaanites & Gideon defeated the Midianites in this same location.  It could be an actual place where the war is done or it can a metaphor for the battles thorughout the tribulation.The Euphrates river will be dried up so that the Kings of the East may come and find passage to eventually fight in the War of all Wars: Armageddon.

7th Bowl

This is the last of the wrath before Jesus comes back!  We are near the end of the seven year tribulation.  The voice is Jesus (vs. 17)  There is a great earthquake that splits Jeursalem into three and destroys the city of Babylon .  And we end the last bowl with Hail the size of 100 plus pounds!

Regarding application…God’s Wrath.  As William Newell says, “Men who will not be won by grace will never be won at all.”  God’s wrath is final…just as Pharoh hardened his heart…the people who live with one more chance…still turn from God.  But that time has not yet come to this world.  We as God’s light are called to do our part in bringing those whose hearts are hard back to the Lord while we have a chance.

Revelation 6

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Daniel 9:27, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’  In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”  John begins to explain the first half of the beginning of the 7 year tribulation!  Jesus takes the sealed book and begins to open the seals!

First Seal

The rider on the white horse with the bow has been speculated differently.  Some believe it is Jesus, some believe it represent’s all of creation’s greed, but most scholars today believe this rider is none other than the Antichrist himself!  Remember, the Antichrist will not appear at first as a villain.

Second Seal

The Antichrist now exchanges his white horse for a fiery red one!  God temporarily gives the antichrist authority over the world.  He exchanges his bow for a sword and the world peace ends shortly as wars between countries escalate.

Third Seal

The black horse coincides with the famine that is to come to the whole world.  The rider hasn’t changed…it’s stil the antichrist…and he comes holding scales (weight balances).  This will indicate that the governement’s will have control over the food as food will grow scarce.  The quart of wheat & three quarts of barley were almost nothing and the poor would receive little…while the oil & wine were reserved for the filthy rich.

Fourth Seal

This pale (greenish) horse represents 1/4 of the earth’s population being wiped out by Death & Hades.  Death would come to many, in what would be the largest amount of people to die in all of history!

Fifth Seal

In the OT, priests would poor the blood of sacrifce under the alter…but here we see the souls of those sacrificed for Christ under the alter of God.  But it wasn’t time for God’s vengence, for others who would yet come to know Christ during the tribulation would come and have to die for His Name’s sake.  There were still to be more martyrs…and in fact in the past century…more have died for Jesus’ name then the 1900 years preceding it.  And there are still more to come!  Are you ready to die for Jesus?

Sixth Seal

World chaos will come & a mighty earthquake will desolate much of the earth.  The people who experience this will know it is of the Mighty Hand of God.  This begins the second half of the 7 year period of tribulation.

Regarding application…Wrath of God.  vs. 16, “They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”  Yes indeed…this is the same Lamb who takes away the sins of the world….the same Lamb who died for all that they know God.  But now we see the wrath of the Lamb!  But what is wrath?  Dictionary meaning: punishment for an offence.  But realize that God is not vengeful and full of anger as we would understand it.  One day soon Jesus will come back to give the biggest consequence to a sinful world.  But it is not our right to shell out wrath…that is only reserved for God.  We must continue to love & draw the lost & sinner to Christ.  But one day, sinners will have no more time.  May we do our best to show this lost world the most incredible Love of the Lamb!