Scripture Revelation
11:19 – 16:21
ACT 5
Rev 11:19-15:4
STAGE
SETTING 11:19
Act 5 is in contrast to
Act 3. In Act 3 we saw the church in the end-times great tribulation. Now we
see the secular world under the same conditions. Not a later time - in the same time - so
these are overlapping acts looking at the same events from a different
perspective. (Two eyewitnesses to a
crime - one is looking into the sun the other has their back to the sun - they
describe the same events very differently. OR Christians and unbelievers view
what God is doing very differently) Comparing
the acts – we not only see different attitudes toward the same events but
different figures acting on God’s behalf.
In Act 3 Seven angels of the presence, symbols of God’s saving power - NOW,
Seven angels of the last plagues, dressed as priests through whom the wrath of
God is poured out.
Lev. 26:21 (“If
you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your
afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.”) Warning of God’s wrath toward Israel–7fold
plagues to sin ratio. How appropriate to Revelation (7 plagues)
In Acts 3 & 4 the
temple/sanctuary/ark was visible and public – here it is pushed to the
background. Ex 40:34 (Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory
of the Lord
filled the tabernacle. took it out of view)
` TODAY’S TEXT: Revelation 15:5-16:1
After this I
looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was
opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They
were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their
chests. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven
golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the
temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no
one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were
completed. 16:1 Then I heard a loud
voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."
If we struggle to
approach God in his glory, imagine how difficult to approach him/stand against
him in his wrath.
The first
angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores
broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
The second
angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead
person, and every living thing in the sea died.
Scene 3 The Plague to
the Rivers and Streams (Blood) 17:4-7
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,
and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge
of the waters say: “You are just in these
judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood
of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink
as they deserve.” 7 And I
heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.” (The people who complain about
God’s unfairness are those not living in his Grace. Those who know Him
recognize He is always fair and just.)
Scene 4 The Plague to
the sun (Burning
Heat) 16:8-9
The fourth
angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people
with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they
cursed the name of God, who had
control over these plagues, but
they refused to repent and glorify him.
Scene 5 The plague to
the Beast’s Throne (Darkness) 16:10-11
The fifth
angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into
darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of
what they had done. Even the one they worshipped
was devastated by God - and STILL people refused to turn to God. People will hold to their unbelief in God and
their belief in the world culture of anything goes as long as it feels right to
you, even though it means they are condemning themselves to hell for eternity -
“condemning themselves”
The sixth
angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried
up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three
impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon,
out of the mouth of the beast and out of the
mouth of the false prophet. They are demonic
spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to
gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. “Look, I come
like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not
to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in
Hebrew is
called Armageddon. 10 virgins-5 were
prepared / stay awake in the garden of Gethsemane. / I will come like thief in
the night - we will come back to that.
The seventh
angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne,
saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes
of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No
earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so
tremendous was the quake. The great city split into
three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon
the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his
wrath. Every
island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From
the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred
pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail,
because the plague was so terrible.
The curtain comes down on act 5 - no one moves to go to intermission
because of the devastation - but remember - these are the last plagues from the
perspective of the unrepentant, unmovable, unbeliever.
Jump back to what scene six was teaching us about Jesus coming like a
thief in the night - See it from the perspective of someone who believes - has
faith in Jesus:
A THIEF IN THE NIGHT:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Now, brothers,
about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are
saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly,
as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you,
brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a
thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to
the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are
asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at
night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the
day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love
as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation
as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we
are awake or asleep (alive or dead),
we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each
other up, just as in fact you are doing.
No comments:
Post a Comment