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The Holy Judgment of God: Revelation 15-16 (Thomas Schreiner)

By Thomas Schreiner–

 

When terrible things happen, most people wonder what the purpose of life is. And many ask, “Is God speaking to me?” They might wonder if God is punishing them. Even people who don’t have a strong faith in God often wonder if God is punishing them when disaster strikes. We know from the Bible, of course, that it is wrong to think that all misfortunes in life are the result of personal sin. Jesus tells us in John 9 that the blind man wasn’t blind because of his sin. And we know from the book of Job that the tragedies that struck him weren’t due to his sin. We must beware, then, of being simplistic. On the other hand, some disasters are due to sin. Even many Christians today have forgotten about this strand of biblical teaching. The only biblical text they know about suffering is the book of Job. But remember that Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead because of their sin. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that some believers in Corinth were sick and had died because they sinned in the way they took the Lord’s Supper.

Most remember vividly Sept. 11, 2001 when 3000 people were murdered by terrorists in the U.S. Some wondered if this was the beginning of the end for the U.S. Some wondered if this was the judgment of God upon us. Many saw the civil war in the USA, I think rightly, as a judgment upon the U.S. for slavery. Abraham Lincoln expressed this sentiment in his second inaugural address.

If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

The same kind of gravity will seize our nation if the swine flu sweeps through our country, or if the terrorists strike again.

Revelation 15-16 look at the final judgments in history, as the angels pour out the 7 bowls of God’s wrath upon unbelievers. The bowl judgments are more intense than the judgment of the seals and trumpets, and so this supports the first truth I see here.

(1) These judgments occur near and at the end of history.

Note that 15:1 says with these 7 plagues “are the last,” and that “with them the wrath of God is finished.” God’s anger at sin is completed with these judgments. Verse 7 says that the bowls are “full of the wrath of God.” 16:1 says that they are “the 7 bowls of the wrath of God.” The final judgments, then, are the expression of the personal wrath of God.

Many people think the God of the OT is full of wrath and the God of the NT is full of mercy, but of course this is completely wrong. There is mercy and wrath in both the NT and the OT. Sometimes we avoid talking about God’s wrath when we share the gospel with unbelievers. How many are deceived about this truth! How many believe that virtually all are going to heaven! How many are shocked when we tell them otherwise! How many are deceived by Satan into thinking that God’s wrath is evil!

Notice as well that the comprehensive nature of the judgments points to the end of history.

The first trumpet: All unbelievers are struck with painful sores. We are reminded of the boils on the Egyptians when the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt—except for this time all unbelievers w/o exception have sores on them.

The second trumpet: The sea becomes like “blood,” and “every living thing died that was in the sea” (16:3).

The third trumpet: The rivers and springs of water become blood, and unbelievers are forced to drink it. Both the 2nd and 3rd trumpet remind us of the plague in Egypt where the Nile became blood, but again the plague this time is worldwide, and even the sea turns to blood (not just the rivers).

The fourth trumpet: The sun scorches unbelievers with its heat.

The fifth trumpet: The kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness and unbelievers gnaw their tongues in pain. Again, this plague reminds us of one of the plagues during the Exodus. But again this plague is worldwide and not limited to Egypt.

The sixth trumpet: It is clear in the sixth trumpet that the judgment relates to the end as well, for the demonic spirits deceive, as v. 14 says, “the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.” Notice that the whole unbelieving world is in battle against God, and this is the battle of Armageddon. This is clearly the last battle and the last war.

The seventh trumpet: And it is clear that the end has arrived in the 7th trumpet, for a loud voice proclaims (16:17), “It is done.” And the earthquake, lightning, and thunder indicate that the end has come. Often in Revelation the end of history is signified by an earthquake. In v. 20 we read that “every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.”

We saw earlier that the sixth seal signified the end as well, and we read in 6:14 that “every mountain and island was removed from its place.” The massive hailstones represent the culmination of God’s judgments, and recall as well the judgments on  Egypt.

(2) The language used for the final judgment has symbolic dimensions.

In other words, we don’t necessarily have a literal transcript here of what will happen. John is clearly telling us that the judgment will affect the whole world. And the judgment will have physical and cosmological dimensions. But we must beware of being too specific in tracing out exactly what the judgment will look like.

For instance, we are told that the last battle will take place at Armageddon. Now the word Har-Megiddo means Mt. Megiddo, but Megiddo is a plain, not a mountain. Furthermore, other passages in the Bible tell us that the last battle will be in Jerusalem (see Zech. 14:2-4). But here it takes place at Megiddo. We should recognize here that John is using biblical symbolism to depict the last battle, and we should not press the details too far. Important battles took place in the plain of Megiddo, so John uses such symbolism for the last battle.

(3) The judgments of God should bring unbelievers to repentance.

We read in v. 9 about the fourth trumpet. “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.” And again with the fifth trumpet, “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 anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.”

It is evident that God judges people for their evil, for they should have repented of “their deeds.” God’s judgments, before the end, then are a kind of mercy, for they are intended to bring people to repentance. Instead of repenting these people are enraged with God. They curse him for their pains and sores. We are reminded of Prov. 19:3, “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.”

Have you ever been around a person who is complaining and complaining about another person and another situation?  They go on and on and on. And it suddenly strikes you: They have no awareness that they are a critical, cynical, negative, and unhappy person. They don’t realize that the true problem is not with others but themselves. But you know as you are talking with them that if you point it out to them that they will get angry with you. Their problems are their own.  But they are blind.

That is how it is with these people who are going to hell. They are blind to their sin and to their evil. They curse God because they are too proud to blame themselves. Am I talking about you right now? Are you humble about the sin in your life? Do you apologize to your wife or husband? To your parents? To your sons and daughters? To your friends? Or, do we make excuses? Because we can’t stand the shame of admitting that we are wrong. One thing that makes the church different is a kind of humility we don’t see in the world. Let’s ask God to make us humble, so that we admit our sins, and so that we repent and turn to him.

(4) God’s judgments are just and display his holiness.

When we read about God’s judgments and we read about God sending people to hell, we wonder: “Is God fair?” “Do people really deserve such awful judgments?” Did the biblical writers ever think of that question? They did! Read Rev. 16:5-7.

The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”

This is the key question, isn’t it? Is hell just? God’s word tells us. God’s judgments are just and true. Those who are judged are getting what they deserve. Here is a great comfort. Will there be anyone, anyone in hell who should not be there? The answer is an emphatic no! God’s judgments are true and just. Those who are in hell will deserve to be there. They deserve to be there for they have mistreated and killed God’s people. And they have worshiped the beast (16:2). They have loved the city of man more than the city of God. They have served the creature rather than the creator. They have loved things and sex more than they have loved God.

We are told in Rev. 16:13-14 that they are demonically deceived and fight against God. The justice of God is also affirmed in Rev. 15:3-4. “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” What do God’s judgments show us? They show us that he is Almighty God! They show us that he is King of the Nations. They show us that he is the Lord. He is to be feared and his name his to be glorified. He is to be acknowledged as the holy one. He is to be worshiped as King.

Have you forgotten about God? Do you live in his presence? Is he your King? Do you depend upon his Almighty power in raising children, in your job, and at school? Are you living to glorify and honor his name? Are you practicing the presence of God whether you are washing dishes, changing diapers, or studying the scripture?

We read in 15:8, “And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” Our God is awesome and terrible. He is a consuming fire. No one can stand in his presence apart from Christ.

(5) Believers are saved from the judgment of God (15:3-4).

Look at Revelation 15:3-4.

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire–and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

The sea of glass reminds us of two passages in the OT. We read in Exod. 24:10 that “they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.” And we read in Ezekiel 1:22, “Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads.” The sea of glass, then, symbolizes the beauty and awesomeness of God’s presence. And only certain people can stand in God’s presence near the sea of glass, namely, those who are singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. The song of Moses is the song that Israel sang when they were delivered from Egypt. And the exodus from Egypt functions as a type of the new exodus: Jesus’ deliverance of his people from sin and death.

If you are an unbeliever, God is showing mercy to you, for you are hearing this word before the day of judgment. You have failed to honor and glorify God the way you should. You have sinned against him. You have lived selfishly. But God has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life. On the cross he absorbed God’s wrath and became sin for us, so that you could have new life if you put your trust in him—if you repent of your evil deeds. If you don’t repent, you will be like those described in Revelation.

If you are already a believer and it doesn’t mean much to you that you are, then ask God to restore to you the joy of your salvation. Seek his face continually. Ask him to reveal the glory of the gospel afresh to you. Remember God’s promise that all those who seek find. All those who knock have the door answer. If your heart is cold, God can warm it again with the sunshine of his love.

(6) Believers must keep awake (16:15).

We have one more word for those who are already Christians in 16:15. Jesus says,Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” As believers we must stay alert to the end. We must continue to fight sin. Sins are like weeds. If we let them grow and we don’t pull them up, they will dominate our lives. In our borders in the last few days I have had to pull up lots of tiny little weeds. Most of the weeds are less than an inch tall. But if I let the weeds grow, they will become to dominate our border. People won’t notice the beautiful plants but the weeds.

What it means to keep awake in our lives is not to be sinless. It does mean though that we keep pulling up the sins in our lives everyday. That means that we confess them as sin, and we don’t let them get a foothold in our lives. If we become relaxed about our sin and begin to let it some sins dominate our lives, then they will become like large weeds in our gardens.

Are there sins in your life that you are not pulling up regularly? Are there sins that are gaining a foothold in your life? Keep short accounts with God. Do not let them gain dominion over you, so that you will be ready when Jesus returns, so that, as John says you won’t be ashamed when he comes, but you will await his return with joy.

Thomas Schreiner is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Among his many books are RomansPaul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ, Magnifying God in Christ: A Summary of New Testament Theology, and Galatians.

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