Today we move on to Chapter 16 and begin our look at the seven bowl judgments. Seven angels have just come out of the temple in heaven holding seven bowls. One by one these angels will pour out the contents of these bowls.
"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.'" (Revelation 16:1) Some scholars believe this is God's voice since the temple is filled with the smoke of His glory at this time, according to Chapter 15. We were told that no one could enter the temple while it was filled with smoke. This may be His voice, although if it is, He speaks of Himself in the third person. Other scholars believe that, though no one can enter the temple at this time, there may be angels who are still inside the temple and that one of them gives the order to pour out the bowls.
"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." (Revelation 16:2) The Lord afflicted the Egyptians with boils in the book of Exodus, but none of the Hebrew people living among them were affected. The same thing happens in Revelation. None of the people who serve the living God are affected by the sores. Those who have given their allegiance to the Antichrist are the ones who suffer with the sores, but this doesn't cause them to repent, so the second bowl is poured out.
"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." (Revelation 16:2) In Chapter 8 we saw a portion of the sea turned to blood and a portion of the sea creatures dying. Here in verse 2 the entire sea turns red and everything in it dies. The contents of the first bowl affected the health of the wicked people of the earth. The contents of the second bowl affects their finances and their comfort. A great deal of trade is still conducted by sea. The saltwater fishing industry will come to an end, plus it will become very difficult to do much trading by sea with the bodies of sea creatures rising to the surface and rotting in the sun. Imagine the stench! Imagine the health hazards that will result.
"The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood." (Revelation 16:4) This will put an end to freshwater fishing. It will put an end to all river trade. We don't know whether the waters literally become blood or whether they just turn red like blood. John may be witnessing a worldwide red algae bloom. If you'd like more information about that, you can Google "red tide".
"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.'" (Revelation 16:5-6) I think that, since the creation of man, the angels have observed the actions of man on the earth with a growing horror. They find it difficult to fathom the depths of wickedness to which man is capable of sinking. I think they may find it incomprehensible to imagine why the Lord Jesus loved fallen human beings enough to die for them. But since He thought man was worth dying for, the angels praise Him for His sacrifice. The angels approve of those who give their hearts to Christ and they minister to those who belong to Him. The angels feel righteous indignation against anyone who scorns the precious blood of the Son of God. The Lord didn't have to offer man a means of salvation, but since He did, the angels wonder how anyone dares to reject it. The angels long for the day when God condemns those who turned their noses up at the blood of Christ, and they long for the day when God will punish everyone who persecutes His faithful people. The angel in charge of the waters declares God righteous in His judgment of the wicked.
A voice seconds the angel's declaration. "And I heard the altar respond: 'Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.'" (Revelation 16:7) When John says "the altar" spoke, I think this could be the combined voices of the martyred believers who were under the altar in Revelation 6. Or it could be the voice of the angel in charge of the fire on the altar, since we've encountered him a couple of times already in our study.
A third theory is that this voice is the blood on the altar---either the blood of all the martyrs of all ages or the very blood of Christ that was shed for mankind. I think there is some evidence that the blood of Christ on the altar could be making the statement of verse 7. The book of Hebrews repeatedly reminds us that Christ took His blood into the temple of heaven and poured it out on the mercy seat (or altar) there. The author of Hebrews, when talking about the blood of Christ, warns his readers not to refuse Him who calls them to repent, saying that the blood of Christ speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24-25a) What does he mean by this? In Genesis, when Cain wickedly slew his brother Abel, the Lord told him that the blood of his brother Abel cried out to Him from the ground. (Genesis 4:10) Abel's blood cried out to God for vengeance. Cain denied having any knowledge of Abel's whereabouts, but Abel's blood testified against him. If Abel's blood cried out to God, and if Abel's blood testified against his murderer, how much more will the blood of Christ testify against those who reject Him and who scorn the sacrifice He made for them? How much more will the blood of Christ testify against those who persecute the people who have accepted Him?
God will never do a single unrighteous thing. It's impossible because there is nothing unrighteous in Him. Any sentence He passes on any human being will be specifically tailored to that person's actions and attitudes. What about the person who was basically an okay human being but who never wanted anything to do with God? In their case, perhaps eternity will simply mean being separated from the God they never wanted to know. This means an eternity without His light and His love, but they lived their lives on the earth without any desire for His light and His love. What about those who actually hate God and hate the people who serve God? What about murderers and abusers? We want to see them judged, don't we? What about the leaders of Nazi Germany, for example? We want to see God's wrath fall on them for their persecution of the Jewish people, don't we? What about the millions of people over the centuries who've been slaughtered for proclaiming the name of God and of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? We want to see a sentence handed down to them, don't we? Well, that day is coming. Here in Revelation 16 we see that day coming. We see voices in heaven praising God because that day is coming. Someday we will add our own voices to the praise of the God whose judgment is perfect and righteous.
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