Things Which Shall Be Part IV

By Pastor Tim Hitchcock

 

Introduction:

--John provided an outline for the book of Revelation in chapter one and verse nineteen.  We are looking at the last point: "Things Which Shall Be."  Thus far we have noted the seven seal judgments and the seven trumpet judgments.  Each becomes more intense as we proceed.

--By the time we get to chapter fifteen, the antichrist has been slain and brought back to life.  The devil has been kicked out of heaven with his demons and cast down to earth.  The mark of the beast has been introduced and the end is very near. 

--Unfortunately, for those on earth, all of this is just the prelude to God's wrath being poured out in the seven last plagues--the seven vials of wrath.

I.) Chapter Fifteen:

--The scene switches again to heaven (vs. 1).  John saw seven angels with the seven last plagues.  Notice the last phrase: "for in them is filled up the wrath of God."  This is the culmination of God's wrath on the nations of the world.

--John saw a sea of glass mingled with fire (vs. 2-4).  The fire speaks of judgment.  What is fueling this judgment?  John points to those who have gotten the victory over the beast, his image, and his mark.  How does this victory fuel God's wrath?  Answer: The victory was obtained at the cost of their lives. 

--In spite of that sacrifice they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb--praise to God and His Son.  They are excited and rejoicing that His judgments are being revealed.  Their enthusiasm can be summed in a word: "Finally!"

--Then John saw the temple in heaven and seven angels coming out of it (vs. 5-8).  The angels have the seven plagues or judgments.

--They are clothed in pure and white linen.  God's judgment is pure.  Gold speaks of justice. There is no unrighteousness with God (Psalm 92: 15).

--One of the seraphim who guards the holiness of God provides the golden vials full of God's wrath.  God's wrath is not like that of man.  It does not proceed from unrighteous and ungodly thoughts and desires.  Rather it stems from His holiness and intolerance of evil.  Justice demands death for sin (Romans 6: 23).  The blatant out and out hatred from ungodly men towards the loving solution offered by God through His Son brings down His righteous wrath.  (See Hebrews 10: 28-29)

 

II.) Chapter Sixteen:

--John next hears a great voice (vs. 1).  The angels are told to pour out the vials of the wrath of God on the earth.  Thank God we who know Christ will not be here for this series of closing judgments!  Pray for those you know who may be!

--The first angel poured out his vial (vs. 2).  Anyone bearing the mark of the beast breaks out into painful and foul sores.  God begins to show his wrath on these Christ-rejecters.

--The second angel touches the sea (vs. 3).  Previously, a third of the sea was turned to blood (ch. 8: 8).  This judgment turns the entire sea to blood, and every living thing in it dies.

--The third judgment touches the rivers and even ground water in wells, so that all water becomes blood (vs. 4-7).  They spilled the blood of the saints and now God gives them blood to drink.  This is pure justice--blood for blood.  The end is very near now.  We are down to the final days of the tribulation.

--The fourth angel pours out his vial (vs. 8--9).  Men want to talk about global warming and what they are going to do about it.  God makes clear that He is the one in control of the weather.  He scorches men with great heat, but just like today, there is no repentance.

--The fifth angel pours out his vial on the capital of the antichrist (vs. 10- 11).  Suddenly, his kingdom is filled with darkness.

--Much like God did to Egypt in the time of Moses, He turns out the lights.  The ungodly sit in darkness agonizing from the pain of their sores, but they do not repent of their sin.  They only blaspheme God.

--Then the sixth angel pours (vs. 12-16).  The Euphrates river dries up.  The two hundred million-man army is free to cross.  The army of the east moves toward Israel.  Three demons proceed from the devil performing various miracles to gather the armies of the earth to the place called Armageddon.  The battle is coming.  Christ will come as a thief in the night at the close of the tribulation.  The armies will gather to fight each other until Christ appears.  Then it will be too late.

--The seventh angel pours out the final judgment (vs. 17-21).  There is a great earthquake.  It divides Jerusalem into three parts.  The cities of the nations collapse in the shaking.  Islands flee and mountains disappear.  Babylon, representing the apostate world religion, comes to God's attention and His wrath is stirred.  Hailstones, each weighing about 100 pounds, fall on the earth.  Again men blaspheme God.

 

III.) Chapter Seventeen:

--Revelation 16: 19 says that great Babylon comes in remembrance before God.  Chapter 17 identifies her (vs. 1-5).  The revived Roman Empire headed by the antichrist represents the civil government, but Babylon represents the spiritual.  Remember that Constantine merged civil and spiritual and that the church was corrupted by that.  The antichrist will do the same.

--Why Babylon?  Nimrod founded ancient Babylon.  Babylonians began to worship Nimrod and his wife Semaramis.  In his book, "Two Babylon’s" Hislop demonstrated how this worship was passed down through the ages from culture to culture.  The names changed, but the worship remained the same.  Ultimately, it was incorporated into the Roman Catholic dogma, so that Catholicism is the apostate church of the end time--"Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth".

--This apostate world religion led men away from the worship of the Christ into idolatry and Mariolatry. God will judge it.

--One aspect of that judgment is murder of the saints (vs. 6).  Fox's Book of Martyrs puts the death toll at more than one hundred million martyred for their faith in Christ by the Catholic Church.  Those who have grown up in the age of ecumenism find this hard to believe, but just a few years ago Catholics were killing Baptists.

--So how do we know this is the Catholic Church? (vs. 7-9)  The seven heads are seven mountains on which Babylon sits.  There is only one city on earth known from ancient times as the seven-hilled city—Rome, which is the seat of the Vatican. 

--The seven kings represent the seven persecutors of the Jews (vs. 10-13).  These include: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the revived Rome.  Rome was in power at the time John wrote.  The revived Rome is yet to come.  The antichrist arises from within that one.  He will receive power from the ten kings of the revived Rome.

--Together they will make war on the Lamb (vs. 14-18).  They will make war, but the Lamb will overcome them.  Why?  He is Lord of lords and King of kings.  Chosen, faithful, and we, who are called, will be with Him.  We will come with Him to set Him on His rightful throne.

--Catholicism will dominate the religious affairs of the tribulation, but will be hated by the rulers of the world.  God will use them to judge this apostate world religion.  Religious Babylon will fall.

 

Conclusion:

--Things are drawing to a close at the battle of Armageddon.  The tribulation is nearly over.  Revelation 16: 15 says, "Behold, I come as a thief.  Blessed is he that watcheth...” This is true for Israel and those in the tribulation, but it is especially true for us.  We do not know when Christ will appear to rapture the church.  It could be at any moment.  The question for us is:

Is there anyone we need to tell?