Scripture reading: Revelation 15.

Sermon text: Revelation 16.

“It is finished.” This single verb in Greek, the last uttered by Jesus on the cross, declared His victory over sin and predicted His victory over death. In the first verse of chapter 15, St. John heard the same word He had heard from Jesus’ lips, a word that signaled the end of sin’s domination and the beginning of salvation for the earth. In this case, St. John heard the word in relation to God’s wrath. Death’s wrath ended when Jesus said, “It is finished;” God’s wrath will end with 7 final plagues.

Most people today recoil from thinking of God’s wrath. We like to think of God as a God of love, and justifiably so, for He is love. However, God’s love for humanity includes His hatred of sin. The period of the beasts’ rule will culminate sin’s reign over earth, for Satan himself will rule the world through his minions. These plagues will signal the end of this rule and the beginning of the end for those who reject God’s offers of salvation and deliverance from the results of their sins.

St. John begins his description of the plagues with a joyous description of worship before the throne of God. The believers who “conquered the beast” sing 2 songs that depict God’s deliverance of His people and His reign over all creation.

The first song St. John mentions is the “song of Moses.” In Exodus 15, Moses and the Hebrews sang a song to celebrate God’s deliverance from the Egyptian army. When we read this song, we see several of God’s characteristics, but the primary characteristic we see is God’s work on behalf of His people. We see this again in the “song of the Lamb” beginning in verse 3. The redeemed sing of the “great and amazing” works of God, using words that come directly from the Song of Moses (Exodus 15:11).

The redeemed recognize God as the “Almighty” and the “King of the nations.” In spite of Satan’s rule on the earth, the believers sing of God’s rule over all nations. In spite of Satan’s best efforts, God remains in control of humanity. The redeemed prophesy of a time when “all nations will come and worship” God for His “righteous acts.”

Following this worship, the angels emerge from the temple in heaven, and receive the “bowls” with God’s wrath. The end of God’s wrath will bring the end of Satan’s rule, but it will seem like the end of the world to those unfortunate enough to experience it. These plagues will dwarf anything the world has seen to this point, and given what we’ve read earlier in the book, that’s really saying something.

Chapter 16 describes the plagues in graphic detail; you can read them in the sermon text. For now, we should realize several points about this plagues and their results.

First, notice that although the beasts claim the worship of humanity, they prove themselves powerless to stop the plagues or to allay their effects. Anyone who worshiped the beast would find their “god” impotent before the power of Almighty God.

Secondly, notice a repetitive phrase in these plagues: “They did not repent...” Each plague results in an opportunity for people to realize their need to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. God’s offer of repentance will stand until the very end, but those who suffer for their sins at the end will refuse to accept this offer and the forgiveness that comes with it.

Also, notice how many of these plagues resemble the plagues of Egypt. We see boils and sores; water turned to blood; darkness; and hail. The earth has seen this before, although many people today dismiss Moses’ records of the plagues on Egypt as fairy tales. The truthfulness of Moses’ words will become vividly clear to anyone who reads them during this time of tribulation.

Lastly, notice that the plagues will set the stage for the final battle between the beasts and Jesus. The cities of the earth will fall under the weight of the hail; the city known as “Babylon” will experience its utter devastation; and the Euphrates River itself, the northern boundary of the land promised to Jacob’s descendants, will dry in its bed to make way for the eastern armies to gather at Armaggedon. The stage will be set for the return of earth’s true King and the overthrow of the false ruler.

What do we see here that speaks to us today?

First, we see that although God is a God of love, He is still a God of justice. We tend to focus on His grace in our lives, but we cannot forget that He extends grace to us out of mercy. Our sins still required atonement, but Jesus Christ Himself provided atonement on the cross. We come before God as His children not because we are innocent, but because He has declared us justified before Him when we confess His Son as Lord of our lives.

Secondly, we see that God’s omnipotence overcomes everything that Satan can muster against it. When we see temptation threatening us, we know we can call on God for help and receive help from a God who can deliver us.

We also see that God’s offer of repentance stands for anyone who will accept it. Even when the Church has left the earth to escape the tribulation of chapter 16, the “everlasting gospel” of which we read in chapter 14 continues to resonate around the earth. Everyone will have an opportunity to receive this gospel and believe it in faith; anyone who accepts this offer will still find forgiveness.

We know the end will come. We know it’s closer than when St. John first saw it in the first century A.D. If you have never accepted the everlasting gospel, call on Jesus today and escape the wrath to come. If you have already confessed Jesus as Lord, rejoice with the redeemed as God prepares the earth for the return of her rightful King.