God’s Final Judgment, pt. 2

Rev. 16

 

4 words to describe the judgment of God:

 

Unwilling—God never judges willingly!

II Pet. 3

The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

If you’re left behind after the rapture to suffer these horrible judgments, it will be against the will of God!

 

He has never quickly judged…He’s longsuffering, allows us time to choose / doesn’t want robots / slaves forced to serve Him / wants volunteers!

 

Noah—120 years he preached before judgment fell!

Sodom & Gomorrah—for years God’s people wondered why God allowed it to continue…

America—it’s been a long time since God was kicked out of school / Roe v. Wade initiated the holocaust of the ages / gays out of closet and into Congress…

 

God loves them, doesn’t want to judge them, is waiting, longsuffering…

But He’s holy, righteous, just, and eventually you cross the line!

 

2^nd word:

Unexpected—

Prov. 6

6:12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

6:14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

6:15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Proverbs 29

29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

 

Lulled into a false sense of security!

Lk. 12—rich farmer said, I’ll eat, drink and be merry!

        God said, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee!

Ananias and Sapphira crossed that line and were suddenly slain!

 

3^rd word:

Unspeakable—

Mt. 24

24:21

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

“Eye hath not seen…!”

Words cannot describe it…it’s unspeakable!

 

4^th word:

[unwilling, unexpected, unspeakable…also…]

 

Unnecessary—

You don’t have to be there for these judgments…Jesus died in your place to save you!

 

Ill.--Vietnam [we are so proud of those who served, they were victorious, even if our country wasn’t!]

        What a shame when our boys would die to take a hill, only to have our gov’t give it back!

 

It was unnecessary death, we could have given that hill up w/out them dying! 

 

Don’t die an unnecessary death by rejecting Christ…don’t proclaim His death to have been unnecessary!  You don’t want to be here when God’s Bowls of Wrath are poured out…and the great news is:  you don’t have to be!

 

Bowl #5—

v. 10        A plague of supernatural darkness just like in Moses’ time in Egypt…so thick you could feel it / drive to insanity!

        This won’t be worldwide…will only settle over kingdom of antichrist…perhaps where headquarters are…Jerusalem or maybe Rome?

 

This plague is God’s way of saying to the world:  you could have followed the light, but you have chosen darkness

[Bright Morning Star / prince of darkness]

 

Bowl #6—

v. 12        2 keys:

River Euphrates / kings of the east

 

Why target the River Euphrates w/ a plague?

The prominence of this river in the Bible is extraordinary:  mentioned in Genesis…and here in Revelation…and 25X’s in-between.

 

It’s the approximate location of the garden of Eden…and here the battle of Armageddon.  [the cradle and the grave!]

 

This is modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria…ancient Babylon!

 

Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.
But coming in a close 2^nd place is Iraq!  However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. The name Iraq, means country with deep roots. Indeed, Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.
 

Here's why:
Eden was in Iraq -- Genesis 2:10-14
Adam and Eve were created in Iraq--Genesis 2:7-8
Satan made his first recorded appearance in Iraq -- Genesis 3:1-6
Nimrod established Babylon and the Tower of Babel was built in Iraq --Genesis 10: 8-9 7 and 11:1-4
The confusion of the languages took place in Iraq -- Genesis 11:5-11
Abraham came from a city in Iraq -- Genesis 11:31 and Acts 7:2-4
Isaac's bride came from Iraq -- Genesis 24:3-4 and 10
Jacob Spent 20 years in Iraq -- Genesis 27:42-45 and 31:38
The first world Empire (Persian) was in Iraq -- Daniel 1:1-2 and 2:36-38
The greatest revival in history was in a city in Iraq (Nineveh, now Mosul, 3^rd largest city in Iraq)--Jonah 3
The events of the book of Esther took place in Iraq

The book of Nahum was a prophecy against a city in Iraq

 

Plague #6—the waters of the Euphrates are dried up!

1,800 miles long / over ½ mile wide many places / 30 feet deep many places! 

Dried up for specific reason:  kings of the east!

 

Almost all Bible scholars agree this is a ref. to an Asian coalition, led by none other than red China!  This is a full-scale invasion of the west, coming from the east…unprecedented in history!

[Euphrates has been like an invisible line, a barrier like a force field]

Think about this:  The Euphrates River is the far eastern border of the land God promised to Abraham.  God keeps His promises!  But here in the tribulation all bets are off!

 

Now an army of 200 million soldiers is mobilized…on the move!  And they bring w/ them the technology they have stolen from us and had “hand-delivered” BY us [traitors/spies/espionage] over the last few decades!

 

Make no mistake--those that have betrayed us should be brought to justice and should pay w/ their lives…however, the strengthening of China is prophecy being fulfilled!

 

This is an Asian coalition, though…China may lead the way, but throw in some others:

Arab/African Confederacy—Dan. 11—“Kings of the south”!

Russians—Ezek. 38-39—Gog and Magog—in Daniel called “Kings of the North”!

United States of Europe—revived Roman Empire—10 toes of Daniel’s statue!

Israelis…definitely a part of the end times and the battle of Armageddon…and conservative estimates say there will be at the very least 300 million soldiers involved…probably more!

 

No wonder the Bible says the blood will flow for 200 miles as deep as a horse’s bridle!  It will take 7 months just to bury the dead!

 

v. 13-14   “working miracles”

        Have you noticed how miracle-hungry our world has become?  We are obsessed w/ the supernatural:  healings and tongues to new age mysticism and the occult / tv shows on angels, ufo’s / area 51…the people of our world are being set up / the pump is being primed / there’s a concerted effort in the spirit world to give people an insatiable appetite for miracles so this unholy trinity will be viewed as miracle-working gods!

 

v. 15        here in the middle of all of this we have this warning! 

 

Bowl #7—

1. the atmosphere is the target of this final plague

v. 17        the air!  I like this because it destroys the very last trace of Satan’s abiding place! 

Eph. 2:2  “prince of the power of the air”

[this plague destroys every nook and cranny of Satan’s dwelling place!]

 

Air is the preferred method of war today / Iraq was pelted from seas hundreds of miles away / jdam bombs dropped from miles in the air can go thru a window!

 

This plague is tied to Armageddon, so it is reasonable to think this is a massive air exchange / full scale nuclear war perhaps…w/ most or all nations of the world emptying their biggest guns!  And the result is this huge earthquake…

 

v. 18        What else in the natural realm could cause this kind of earthquake than that?!

 

This is tectonic / cataclysmic / seismic / volcanic…all rolled into one!

 

Then every major city of the earth is leveled!  Capitals only?  Or anything w/ skyscrapers / height?

 

v. 19        Imagine the metropolitan areas leveled / judged in one fell swoop!

 

Imagine Hawaii disappearing /Philippines / the Galapagos / thousands of Micronesia / Melanesia / Polynesia / perhaps Long Island? / Other islands such as Gilligan’s?

 

All kidding aside…the mountains also disappearing, sinking into the heart of the earth:  Rockies / Swiss Alps / Himalayas/ Andes / Mt. Everest!

 

The climax includes the raining down of hailstones in weight over 100 lbs. each!

v. 21        Talent=approx. 114 lbs!

 

They blasphemed in spite of all of this!  As they will in eternity!

 

v. 17 reminds us of what Jesus said on the cross:  “it is finished”…every sin was paid for / judged…and if you get in on that it is finished…you won’t have to face this judgment!

Turn around and make an altar out of your seats, and pray by name for at least 3 lost people you know…