Revelation – the end…or the beginning… Rev 16 – Bowls 1-5

I hate to bring up the topic of sleeping at church! But who can sleep when it’s light outside? Who needs total darkness for sleeping? The opening question this morning is if you prefer darkness or light. And it’s an interesting question because on the one hand I would immediately say light-there’s nothing like a bright sunny day out there to invigorate you. And this time of year sunny days are really good! But a love of the light always hits me when the time change comes because I hate it when its dark by 5pm-I love it when it stays light until 9pm. And right now it’s staying lighter longer which is great! But there’s also lots of times I prefer the darkness instead of light. Like when I am trying to sleep in on a Saturday morning and the sun is shining through the curtains. Or who’s been to a hotel with really good blackout blinds-you’re in there and it could be noon and you have no idea because it’s so dark! It really messes with your internal clock. But when you’re home settling in to Netflix or a movie you’re always turning down the lights to make it darker. At the beach or even recently with all the snow you’re putting on sunglasses to make it darker and lessen the glare. Or back when we used to fly places-what a novel concept-who wasn’t trying to sleep and the person next to you had their reading light on! Or at the movie theater-another novel concept-the person next to you or in front of you keeps looking at their phone which is super bright! Or maybe you’re someone that every time you download a new app on your phone you’re instantly looking for night mode or dark mode because you find it more calming. And that’s true-lower lights, darker modes can be more calming. Who hasn’t enjoyed the calmness of a dark, gray rainy afternoon to read a book or take a nap? There are a lot of times when we do prefer darkness instead of light. They’re 2 completely opposite realities. Two completely different experiences-and God’s Word highlights that distinction very clearly.

Before we dive back into Revelation this morning I want us to see what it says in John 1:5 NIV. And if we’re literally thinking about the wavelengths of light and the visible spectrum that makes sense-darkness can’t really understand light-they don’t go together. Sort of like how cats and dogs don’t go together or understand each other-which we see in our house often with our cat and dog. Cats are smart and aloof-dogs are lovable and not the smartest! Our cat is the cool kid and our dog is desperate for friends! 2 very opposite animals-just as light and darkness are two opposite realities. But we know that in God’s Word light and darkness are more than physical realities-they’re 2 opposite spiritual realities we face. Intellectually light refers to truth while darkness refers to error and what’s false. Morally, light refers to holiness and purity while darkness refers to sin and wrongdoing. Even from an identity perspective, light refers to the person of Jesus and His mission while darkness refers to the devil and his schemes and trickery. And so what I love about this verse is how the darkness can’t understand, it can’t erase or overcome or wipe out the light. That just as the light from a single candle can illuminate and overcome a whole room filled with darkness, so the powers of darkness are overcome by the light of Jesus. Listen to how John continues-John 1:6-9 NIV. So John the writer is talking about John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. To prepare people for the light that was coming into the darkness of our world. And this is really important because it sets the stage for Jesus’ arrival and what He says 30 years later to a guy named Nicodemus-at night when it’s dark outside. Take a look at John 3:19. Jesus is speaking about Himself. He’s the fulfillment of what John said two chapters before, He’s the light that’s come into the world. The spiritual darkness has been illuminated by the light of our Savior-but notice the preference. People loved the darkness rather than the light. And we’re not talking about something as trivial as having it dark when you sleep or dark mode on your phone or keeping the lights off on movie night. People loved the darkness because of their sinfulness. They would rather stay in the dark than turn to the light. And this is exactly what we’re going to see as we return to the book of Revelation. We all know that what Jesus says is true-but we’re going to see again just how true His words are when this world is plunged into darkness.

So turn to Revelation 16 and we left off with a cliffhanger last time with Rev 16:1. These bowls aren’t cereal bowls but the last of the series of judgements on the earth-the final 7 of 21. And these bowls were prepared by the harvest of the earth in Rev 14:18-19. This is symbolic language of God preparing the wine of His wrath. One of our favorite vacations was when Monica and I traveled to Provence in S. France years ago. We stayed in a picturesque French village with cobblestone streets and lots of bakeries and cafes-but what struck us upon driving into the village was the smell of red wine everywhere. This was vineyard country and we had arrived in September just as the grape harvest was taking place. And so all week we saw trucks overflowing with grapes that would eventually go into the winepress making rich, bold wine for people to drink. In this case, the harvest of the earth is taking place and it will produce wine that people will drink-but it won’t be rich or bold-but painful and destructive. And God had clearly promised this-Rev 14:9-10. For all who reject God and embrace the Beast there’s some wine tasting coming up-and it’s anything but pleasant! But notice how this warning wasn’t given after the fact or until it was too late and people had already taken the mark. This warning is given now. We’re reading it this morning. This warning has been around for the past 2,000 years and will continue to be around when the mark of the beast arrives. So people will have ample opportunity to hear the truth-and if they still reject it-then they’ll drink the wine of God’s wrath.

And that brings us to bowl #1-Rev 16:2. Just as it said-and talk about a distinction! And I would think one that’s hard to miss. Everyone who took the mark of the Beast, everyone who tried to save themselves and their families by taking the mark-are now paying the consequences! Just a short time ago-people were thinking and rationalizing in their minds-I ought to get this mark because if I don’t I can’t buy anything, I’ll be shunned from society, I’ll lose all my friends and have to hunt and search and even beg for food-not to mention my kids and what that means for their future. I better get this mark and offer my allegiance to the Beast so that my life will be better. Why willingly suffer and struggle and starve? And maybe so-but it sure didn’t last long-harmful and painful sores. For those who tried to make their lives better by taking the mark, now they’ve just become a whole lot worse! So I want us to begin with a running list-Pt1:God’s Judgement: Disgusting sores. Think of the last time you had even one painful sore. How was that? I remember the last time I got poison ivy-and all those itchy, scratchy sores. And the worst is when you’re trying to sleep because you’re laying there not doing anything else-but thinking about how much you itch and want to scratch those sores-which only makes it worse. You try thinking about something else-Where do I want to go this summer? What’s a new hobby I should try? What do I want to eat for breakfast? Itch, itch, itch! It’s all consuming-and that’s just poison ivy! I’m sure this makes poison ivy feel like a minor irritation! Now this is similar to the plagues God brought on Pharaoh and the Egyptians-Ex 9:8-9. This is like history repeating itself. But listen to how much worse this is from this chilling description in Zech 14:12. That’s horrible-your tongue just rots and falls out! Or maybe you can’t talk anymore-or see anymore-because your mouth and eyes are covered in sores. And yet none of that on God’s people. No sores-not a one on those who refused the mark and faced persecution. Coincidence? Hardly! I imagine those people covered in sores are thinking-What did this mark do to me? What did I agree to? But one author said it well-People took the mark of the beast so they could get for themselves-food, money, supplies-what only God provides for those who trust Him. And that’s exactly what’s unfolded here. People didn’t trust God-and even those who maybe wavered on the fence but in the end took the mark-didn’t trust God either. They didn’t somehow think-is this is the moment to turn to God, is this is the moment to trust Him and see His faithful provision-who else do I have? Instead, all who took the mark of the beast and tried to make their lives better are now way worse off covered from head to toe in painful, oozing, itchy sores.

And if that doesn’t sound bad enough-look how these bowls come in rapid fire succession-Rev 16:3. So everyone who sold their soul to the Beast in order to obtain food to eat, has now just realized that the food supply has gotten a lot more scarce. Everything that swims in the ocean is dead. We were at the American Museum of Natural History last week and I love the ocean room. The big whale is overhead, all the sharks, seals, walrus and fish displays to see-but all those creatures have just become extinct as they’re floating dead on the ocean. Vast schools of fish and turtles washed up on shore in this slimy bloody saltwater. We’ve all seen a dead fish along the beach-now the beaches are covered in them making it the most horrendous smelling place imaginable! It’s probably a worldwide stench! And while 1/3 of the ocean life was destroyed in the trumpet judgements, this is now everything, all of it! So Pt1:God’s Judgement: Disgusting sores, Dead oceans. No more sea bass or spicy tuna rolls. And while you may still be glad to have salmon or shrimp-since they can come from freshwater-look out-Rev 16:4.

Now the freshwater supply has been affected and drinking water is scarce! You can’t go to the rivers or ponds for water anymore-you better hope it rains so you can set out some jugs to collect water. And this is like the 1st plague God brought on the Egyptians-Ex 7:17-18. But unlike how this only lasted 7 days and the Nile returned back to normal, there’s no indication that the rivers and ponds ever return back to normal. So Pt1:God’s Judgement: Disgusting sores, Dead oceans, Devastated water supply. Forget shrimp scampi or smoked salmon, forget a lot of things-just trying to obtain water becomes one of the biggest daily chores. I continue the quote from earlier-Sadly people had long refused to turn their hearts toward heaven to quench their dry, barren souls; now they’re praying for rain to quench their parched lips. But this is the reality that’s descended upon the world-and maybe for the first time people are truly realizing how dependent upon God we are for even our most basic needs. In our advanced society we think we have it all figured out-until of course a big storm hits and we lose power or can’t go anywhere-that was Texas. But eventually things get back to normal, life resumes and we fool ourselves into thinking that we’re in control again. But these 1st 3 bowls clearly say that we’re not in control-whether it’s our bodies when sores emerge, or that we can’t control the environment when the ocean’s destroyed, or that we can’t even quench our thirst when the water supply is ruined. Just like it was in Pharaoh’s day where the Egyptians needed to realize that God was in control, so the world needs to realize it at the end. Look at Isa 40:21-26a. And that’s the question-that’s always been the question since the dawn of time. Look up at the sky-who made all those stars? Because that’s the One who’s in charge, that’s the One we’re called to bow and surrender to! But what’s been the world’s answer? Not you, God. You didn’t make those stars. They’re the result of this explosion that came out of nowhere, that all the chaos of this big bang eventually turned into these ordered constellations, and then our atmosphere and environment that’s perfectly aligned for human life came into being-it was all randomness, this primordial soup that made us who we are today. That’s what science says-I watched the movie in the planetarium at the museum. So we’ve rejected God and not humbled ourselves before Him in worship. We’ve not obeyed Him or followed His commands-so at the end the world is receiving it’s just judgement.

And that’s what the angel says who finishes pouring out his 3rd bowl. He speaks up to set the record straight-Rev 16:5-7. This is not God being mean, this is not God acting like a big bully and pushing His weight around. Without a doubt these bowls of wrath are painful and harsh, they’re terrible for anyone to endure-but they’re the just result of a life lived rejecting God. The just result of a world who’s continually rejecting God. And we see it all the time. When do you turn on the news and hear about scores of people turning to the Lord as their source of hope and strength? With all that we’ve gone through in 2020 and 2021, when have you heard our world recognizing now’s the time to look to God and acknowledge our need for Him to fix this mess we’re in? Never! We turn to politics and policies and people, we look to our technology and ingenuity to try and heal the world and fix the environment and solve all our problems. We look sideways at ourselves. But we rarely look up to God-and so now at the world’s end God’s judgements have come down to us-and they are just. That’s the point you can’t miss this morning. I interrupt Pt1 on God’s judgement to add in Pt2:God’s Justice: Never distorted or unfair. How many times as a kid did you do something to get in trouble-maybe you punched your brother or you mouthed off to your parents-and then after you were punished and sent to your room did you make the comment-that’s not fair? Haven’t we all said that? Or as parents or teachers-how often have you heard from your children or students-that’s not fair? Probably a lot! Now of course it is fair-they’re receiving the proper punishment for what they’ve done-and yet our default mode whenever we’re punished or have to face the consequences is to cry unfair. You don’t know what really happened-I didn’t mean to, you should see what they did first, it’s not my fault, not fair! We say that all the time. Rarely do we receive our punishment or accept the consequences-and say that’s fair, I deserve that. We’ll cry unfair the whole time and try hard to argue why it’s the other person’s fault, not ours. And let’s be honest, a lot of times in our world justice is unfair and distorted-the person who does what’s right gets punished and the one who does what’s wrong seems to get away with it. We get angry at injustice. But the angel in Revelation is reminding us that God’s justice will happen and it’s never unfair-but always just and true. You may be wondering this morning-what kind of a God would inflict the world with such terrible things like this? Do people really deserve it? And the answer is yes. It’s not distorted or unfair. Remember Jesus’ words from earlier? John 3:19. The world loves darkness instead of light-and now at the world’s end this point is being proved over and over again!

Look at the next bowl-Rev 16:8. So with a limited water supply now the heat gets turned up as the sun is erupting in massive solar flares. People aren’t just getting bad sun burns-they’re getting scorched! If you think back to the first set of judgments-the 7 seals-we talked about how part of the sky was rolled up like a scroll-it could very well be that because of the earth’s damaged atmosphere the sun’s rays are way too hot to be deflected anymore-and there’s no where people can go to escape. Forget putting on SPF 50 sunscreen! People are frying like bacon! Rev 16:9. We are literally coming to humanity’s last stand-and instead of humbly turning to God in sheer desperation-which is what this is as people are all red and crispy-they’re still pointing the finger at God in defiance and rejecting Him. The text is clear that they know it’s from God-and yet they still refuse Him instead of repent. It culminates in round 5-Rev 16:10. If there was ever a time to turn to God it’s now! The world is literally shrouded in darkness. Maybe the sun released it’s last rays of light which burned the earth-and now it’s out of energy, out of gas, no more light to shine. So Pt1:God’s Judgement: Disgusting sores, Dead oceans, Devastated water supply, Damaging sun, Darkened world. People are on the brink at this point!

I like how Chuck Swindoll puts it-One might expect that the next verse would describe how all those sore-afflicted, starving, thirsting, burning men and women will raise their hands and cry out to God for mercy. Wouldn’t you at this point? Okay Lord-enough’s enough-I get it-I’m covered in sores and sunburned from head to toe. I’m burned to a crisp and I can’t see anything in all this darkness-so I’m done ignoring and rejecting you-I’m on my knees surrendering to you! But that isn’t what happens-Rev 16:10b-11. They didn’t use their tongues to trust God, they used their gnawed tongues to defy God one last time. And this is it! This is the last time we’re told humanity didn’t choose to repent-from here on out that option’s over, the door has closed, the day of grace is done. Once plunged into darkness it’s darkness forevermore. John 3:19-Jesus’ words from 2000 years ago haven’t changed! The world stubbornly clings to darkness at the end.

Pt3: Humanity’s Stubbornness or God’s Forgiveness: Which one wins out in my life? That’s where this all funnels down for each of us. Will you stand in your stubbornness and refuse to repent of your sins? Or will you kneel in surrender and accept God forgiveness? It’s one or the other-repent or rebel, surrender or stubbornness, light or darkness? You can gnaw your tongue in frustration or use it in confession! But don’t miss the point that humanity didn’t reject God out of ignorance-that at the world’s end they still didn’t get it or realize God was out there and got caught off guard. They knew God was out there and they still blamed Him for all the disasters. It wasn’t ignorance or uncertainty-it was stubbornness. That core defiance that sits in each of our hearts because-we loved the darkness instead of light. So where is there hope? There isn’t any hope in Rev 16-that is doom and gloom when God’s justice arrives-but there is hope back in John 3:16. This verse didn’t say-For God was so mean that He started dropping judgements from the sky right away! For God was so unfair that He started zapping people where they stood! No-God withholds His judgement and keeps it at bay because He so loved the world. Because He so loved you and me He sends His Son to save us, not destroy us-John 3:17-18. What we’re reading about in Revelation is that condemnation coming full force upon the world-that stubbornness to not believe in God’s only Son. But here’s the hope-whoever does believe in Him is not condemned-does’t have to face that judgement. And the key word is whoever. Does that include you? Are you one of the whoever’s? What I love most about the word whoever is that it means whoever. It doesn’t mean some, it doesn’t mean a select few or the best in the bunch or those who tried to do it all right or were extra spiritual. It means whoever believes in Jesus-and that’s really broad! Whoever’s made a lot of mistakes, whoever’s hit rock bottom, whoever’s past is too bad, whoever’s ashamed of what they’ve done, whoever feels like they’ve failed God, whoever’s lost all hope. Whoever believes in Jesus-meaning repents of their sin and receives God’s forgiveness-will be saved. But whoever remains stubborn won’t. That’s the difference-salvation or stubbornness. Have you ever been glad you were stubborn? We’re glad when we’re persistent-but stubbornness is something we never look back on as good. I’m so glad I was stubborn-I should be stubborn more often-the world could use it! No one says that-and yet all who reject Jesus have all of eternity to wrestle with that thought. Sinful humanity enters an eternity without God because of their stubbornness. Lewis quote. Now the door of grace is still open-John 3:16.