The Worst is Yet to Come

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If you thought the worst was over, take a deep breath. The worst is yet to come. The seven seals are now opened, the seventh trumpet has blasted, and now comes the seven bowls of wrath to pour out on the wicked earth.

In a brief interlude before the angels pour out the bowls of God’s wrath, now finished, John ushers us to heaven where we see another sign, a dress rehearsal of the last act of man’s day on earth. These extra details John began giving us in Revelation 12 retrace events with added detail.

God’s wrath is now at its zenith. He has been slow to anger, but here ends His longsuffering. God brings earth’s sordid tragedy of sin to its conclusion.

And watching it all from a heavenly perspective are those who gave their lives in the Tribulation yet did not lose their song. They’re standing on “a sea of glass mingled with fire,” a picture of the Beast’s persecution, singing “the song of Moses” that celebrates God’s deliverance, salvation, and faithfulness and the song of the Lamb.

From this worship service, the temple of the tabernacle opens in heaven so seven angels with seven golden bowls can come forward. They’re dressed for priestly service. In Israel, a priest would carry a gold bowl of blood into the Holy Place every year as a symbol of redemption for sin. But with that gift rejected, now sin must be judged. God acts in justice, and the wrath of the Lamb will startle the world.

“Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth” (16:1), directed the voice from the temple. Yes, that’s the Lord Jesus Christ in full charge. The order is given, and the seven angels now execute His command.

Pouring out the first bowl: “A foul and loathsome sore” on everyone with the mark of the beast. These putrefying sores are worse than leprosy or cancer. God reveals physically what man is morally: utterly corrupt. This plague reminds us of the sixth plague in Egypt (see Exodus 9:8-12; Moses predicted this judgment in Deuteronomy 28:15, 27, 35).

Pouring out the second bowl: The sea becomes blood and everything in it dies. The sea becomes a grave of death instead of a womb of life. Like in the first plague of Egypt, carcasses float to the surface and line the shore.

Pouring out the third bowl: Rivers and streams become blood. Now the total water supply of the earth is cut off and destroys life across the planet.

Pouring out the fourth bowl: The sun scorches those who blaspheme God, yet they still don’t repent. Jesus predicted this sign (Luke 21:25) and so did Moses (Deuteronomy 32:24), Isaiah (Isaiah 24:6, 42:25), and Malachi (Malachi 4:1).

The first three bowl judgments had personal implications; the final three all have political consequences.

Pouring out the fifth bowl: The Beast’s kingdom is darkened. This strange darkness might be called black light. As the sun’s wattage increases, the heat will be greater, but the light will be less. Egypt experienced this during the ninth plague (see Exodus 10:21-22). Old Testament prophets all foretold this day.

Pouring out the sixth bowl: The river Euphrates dries up, connected to the sixth Egyptian plague. Once the cradle of man’s civilization, now it will be its grave.

In an interlude between the sixth and seventh bowls of wrath, John reports that Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet force the world to march against Israel.

But God made some promises to Abraham and Israel He’s going to keep. He’s the only One who can stop this campaign from crushing them.

The War of Armageddon, which has been going on for half the Tribulation, extends the entire length of Israel. But God “gathered them together” on the plain of Esdraelon in central Israel. Satan may think he’s commanding the armies, but he’s really fulfilling the Word of God.

Pouring out the seventh bowl: A mighty earthquake shakes the world, and a hailstorm pummels the earth. A great voice from the throne, says, “It is done!” Jesus offers us a finished redemption; but if you won’t accept it, there will be a judgment. Those who have refused God’s salvation won’t escape His judgment.

Next: God turns His attention to Satan’s capital city, Babylon.

1. Does hearing of the terrible judgments of Revelation motivate you to tell others about Christ? If so, why aren’t you doing it more?

2. God’s attitude toward sin is on full display in the culmination of human history. How does our attitude towards sin differ when you look at how we think and act? How do we go about better reflecting God’s demeanor towards sin?

3. The connection between the finality of “it is done” at the last bowl of judgment and the “it is finished” of Jesus on the cross is hard to miss. How do those two statements compare, and what is the difference in what they mean for you?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teaching on Revelation 16:9-17, Revelation 15:8—16:8, Revelation 15:2-7.