Final Judgments Bring No Repentance

Transcript

GR 1555
02/07/10
Final Judgments bring no Repentance
Revelation 16:8-16
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 16 in your Bibles. The Bible presents an unfolding of the conflict between the devil and his fallen angels and his human followers and God and the unfallen angels and the people of God. That's recorded back in Isaiah 14 with the rebellion of Satan in heaven. And in Isaiah 14:12 we read, how have you fallen from heaven oh star of the morning, son of the dawn. You have been cut down to the earth, you who weakened the nations. But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God. And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High. Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. This is the attempt by Satan to replace God and to assume the throne of the universe, which resulted in his losing his glorious, exalted position in heaven. The rebellion of Satan entered the human race in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve joined Satan in his rebellion against God. And since that time it has been an ongoing conflict between Satan and God, between the followers of Satan and the followers of God.

In the gospel of John in the New Testament, John 8, and John was also the human instrument to write the Revelation that we are studying together. John 8, Jesus said during His earthly ministry, verse 41, as He addresses the religious leaders of His day. You are doing the deeds of our father, and they claim they have one father, God. Jesus said to them, verse 42, if God were your father you would love Me because I came from My Father. Verse 43, why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My words. You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father. You see that rebellious character permeates the human race. And so they are willing, desirous followers of the devil. They partake of his character as sinful beings. And that's true of the human race apart from God's redemption. Over in John 15 Jesus said that those who hate Him will hate His followers. Again, this is an ongoing unfolding of the conflict, the tension, the battle that exists going on today.

Now as we move toward the climax of the ages, if you will, with the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom, that conflict becomes more openly evident. There was a glimpse of that when Christ came to earth the first time, the more open manifestation of demonic opposition to Him, the opposition to Him from the people of the land of Israel particularly, and His ultimate crucifixion. Now as we near the Second Coming it is being unfolded in the book of Revelation. We have more open display of that conflict as God pours out His wrath in a greater way than ever before on an unbelieving world, and Satan makes an attempt to again usurp the place of God and establish a kingdom on this earth over which he will rule.

Back in Revelation 16. This records the final judgments that lead up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth. You might say the Second Coming of Christ to earth, and when I talk about that Second Coming, that's what we're referring to in Revelation. He has come for the church earlier, before this seven-year period began. But now in Revelation 16 we are at the last part of that 70th week of Daniel and we are nearing the return of Christ. That will be recorded in Revelation 19. Some of the events that are going to be taking place in chapters 17-19 are prepared for in chapter 16.

These judgments are being poured out, and these are the worst of the worst of the worst we've seen: the seals, the trumpets and the bowls, three series of seven judgments, each getting progressively worse. And now we have the wrath of God poured out on the earth in a greater way than has ever been done before. And it will bring intense suffering and widespread death on the earth. It's a display of God's righteous character. We were talking about that in our study of Romans, His wrath is part of His righteous character as He reacts to sin.

Look in Revelation 16:5, the angel of the waters was saying, righteous are you who are and who were, oh Holy One, because you judge these things. So the awful wrath and judgment being poured out on the earth, and the angel of heaven says, you are righteous, Holy One, because you are doing this. Verse 7, yes oh Lord God the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. As we noted the judgment of God, the wrath of God is just as much a fit manifestation of His character, His righteous character as is His love, which displays his mercy and grace.

The opposition is clear. Being the objects of the intense wrath of God being poured out on sinful men, and yet their response as we have already noted, verse 9, they blasphemed the name of God. They did not repent so as to give Him glory. Verse 11, they blasphemed the God of heaven; they did not repent of their deeds. Verse 21, they blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail. God is displaying His righteous wrath against sinful man, but man will fight against God to the end. He not only rejects the love of God as displayed in Christ, he is not bowed by the display of the wrath of God during this terrible time of judgment. Those who reject the grace of God and His kindness and mercy during this day of grace, their character hasn't changed. They are not softened by the wrath either.

As I mentioned these seven bowl judgments will carry us through the return of Christ, the establishing of His kingdom and so on. These judgments, many of them, are similar in character to the judgments that were poured out on the land of Egypt as God delivered His people from bondage in Egypt. There is a parallel on a miniature scope, compared to what we have in the tribulation, where Egypt is being judged and God's people, Israel, are being delivered. And in Revelation 6-19 you have God's judgment poured out on the world and you have that part of God's plan to bring salvation to the nation Israel.

Seven bowls. When each one is turned over and its contents are dumped out, you have a terrible judgment on the world of the unbeliever. The first bowl in verse 2 brought loathsome, malignant sores on people. You'll note, this is on people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. And just as in the land of Egypt the Jews were spared the judgments being poured out on Egypt, it seems that here the judgments of God are limited to the unbelieving world, and His people will be spared. And then God's righteousness in bringing this judgment is going to be manifested following the second and third bowl judgments. You see verse 3, he poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like a dead man. Then verse 4, the bowl poured out and the springs of water and the fresh water became blood. Then the declaration of His righteousness in verses 5-7. He has turned the waters to blood, the salt water and the fresh water. And there is direct justice in that because they have shed the blood of God's people as they were martyred for their faith. How fitting it is that those who shed the blood now have nothing but blood to drink.

We come to verse 8 and the fourth bowl. And the fourth bowl results in the sun scorching the earth with intense heat. And you get not only in some of these judgments a reference back to the judgments in Egypt, but in some of these judgments you also get an anticipation of the coming display of the wrath of God. And that's true here. Verse 8, the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat. And you back up to Revelation 14, there we were given a glimpse of hell, and that final sentencing to hell will take place at the end of Revelation 20. But Revelation 14 gave us a preview. Verse 8, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength, in the cup of His anger he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And here now is intense heat scorching men. And what is it? It is a reminder and a foreboding of the final display of the wrath of God, which will condemn them to an eternal hell which burns with fire and brimstone. So this is a fitting judgment and an awful warning.

Back in Revelation 16. Men were scorched, verse 9, with fierce heat. We noted the use of the word great through much of this chapter. And you have that in verse 9, fierce, literally is great. They were scorched with a great scorching. In effect God turns up the temperature of the sun and now you see the follow-up here. Men have been afflicted with loathsome sores, running and open sores on their bodies. Now the water is turned to blood, and now the temperature goes through the roof. What do you want most when it's hot? A cold drink. What has happened? They have blood to drink, they are afflicted. You see the awful condition the world is in. I mean, malignant and running sores covering their bodies, water that is blood, and not just blood but like the blood of a dead man, it's coagulating, thickening and so on. And now you have the heat, intense and scorching heat.

We're told the men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God who had power over the plagues. What about believers? I think that, again, throughout all these plagues, since verse 2 said, the sores were on those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image, it would seem that's an indication that these plagues are selective.

Come back to Exodus 8. God is talking about the plagues and the plagues of insects particularly in this context, but we just want to pick up with verse 22. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen where My people are living, so that no swarms of insects will be there, in order that you may know that I the Lord am in the midst of the land, and I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow at this time it will occur. You see God is able to blanket Egypt with insects, but the land of Goshen is spared so that the people of God will be spared.

Look over in Exodus 9:4, when the cattle are going to be afflicted in a plague. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Egypt. Down in verse 6, the Lord did this on the next day and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the sons of Israel not one died. In verse 26 you have the plague of hail. And hail is severe and there is fire flashing, verse 24. The crops are all destroyed. Verse 26, only in the land of Goshen where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail. In Exodus 11, as you get to the last plague, verses 6-7. It will afflict everyone in Egypt but verse 7, against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may know that God makes a distinction. So somehow in the plan of God we know He is going to make a refuge for His people. The land of Edom, perhaps there will be protection there. Perhaps He will just select them out wherever they are to spare them from the suffering.

Go to Daniel 3, and the familiar account of Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-Nego. Verse 16, Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-Nego tell Nebuchadnezzar they will not bow down in worship to the image that he makes. So verse 22, for this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace has been extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-Nego. The Babylonian soldiers given the responsibility to throw these three Hebrews into the fire died from the intense heat. Verse 23, but these three men, Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-Nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. And then down in verse 27, the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them. The men holding on to them died from the intense heat; these men, their clothes haven't even been singed and you can't even smell fire. Like we say, their hair smells like fire; at least you know they were in there. It hasn't affected them at all.

So you just see the sovereign power of God and how He chooses to act. I don't know how that will all be carried out at this time, but the judgments are poured out on the unbelieving world and the worshipers of the beast. And God will preserve and protect His people. That's part of the intention for the nation Israel in particular, to bring them through this, refine them by fire, so to speak. This is a time of suffering. So they will be ready to cry out to the Messiah.

Come back to Revelation 16. You know we're talking about sin in connection with our study in Romans and it comes up in Revelation. Sometimes it's hard for us to appreciate the hardness of sin. When we've experienced the grace of God and have lived as the recipients of that grace over a period of time, it's easy to become soft regarding sin and look at people as they are superficially. We say, most of the people here are good people, they're decent, they're not doing anything horribly wrong. And we fail to keep in mind the condition of a heart and mind that has not been touched by God's redeeming grace.

So you see what happens in verse 9, men were scorched with great scorching. And they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They are not driven to their knees and saying, oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I realize that you are pouring out your wrath. They realize God is behind it, He is the One who has brought this on them. And they blaspheme His name because He has done it. You understand they are planted in their position, they are just angered themselves that God would do this to them. They did not repent so as to give Him glory. Remember we read this morning Romans 2:4-5, do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? This is a day of grace; God is withholding a full display of His wrath. We saw His wrath being displayed in Romans 1, but that's a restrained display, if you will. Much of the restraint will be taken off in Revelation 16 and the events recorded there. Men have rejected the kindness of God, the patience of God, the grace of God in offering them salvation. Now He pours out His wrath. They wouldn't repent in the face of His grace; they will not repent in the face of His wrath. Understand it's not just a minor thing that man is set in his rebellion against God and his refusal to bow before God. And the fullest display of His wrath apart from His Son being on the cross; but the fullest display of wrath that the world has ever experienced and they blaspheme Him. They will not repent; you will not make be bow is the attitude. And they curse Him for making them suffer to such a degree.

They did not repent so as to give Him glory. You know there is still opportunity. I mean, they are still breathing. Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. You would think in the display of God's wrath and the intense scorching heat and the suffering they are going through, that they would say, I yield, I give up. I turn from my sin and give God glory, which is another way of saying that they'll believe the gospel.

Back up to Revelation 14:7, where the angel having the eternal gospel to preach to those on the earth and every nation, tribe and tongue and people, verse 6. And he said with a loud voice, fear God and give Him glory, for the hour of His judgment is come. Worship Him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, the springs of water. But they won't repent and give Him glory; they won't respond to the message of the eternal gospel. You see them hardened in their sin and antagonized by the judgment of God. Think of the nice unbelievers you know. What happens when you start to present the gospel to them and you press the gospel on them with openness and clarity? All of a sudden that nice veneer begins to crumble; now they are irritated and angry that you would do that. You have family members that love you as a family member, but you can generate some heat in your family if you get too open with the gospel and you press the issue of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then you see the rebellion that is there, the anger they can display for you. Here we see man as he is in his fallen state. Not a pretty picture.

Back in Revelation 16. We move to the fifth angel. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and on his kingdom. And his kingdom became darkened. And they gnawed their tongues because of pain. This is similar to the ninth plague in Egypt, darkness over the whole kingdom. Back in Exodus 10:21, the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand toward the sky that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt; note this, even a darkness which may be felt. When God sends a darkness, it is so intense you can feel it. I mean, we talk about it's so dark you can't see the hand in front of your face. When God shuts out the light there will be absolute, complete darkness. That's what happened in Egypt. He says, I'll send a darkness that is so intense you can feel it. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and there was thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days. This is a limited display of God's power in bringing darkness. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. I mean, you can't see a thing, what are you going to do? Don't move. But note this, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. How did God do that? I wonder how long He had to say, how am I going to work this out, how will I shut out all the light in Egypt but still let Israel in Goshen have light. I don't think it was much of a problem for the God who has created all things. You see His power here. Darkness is a fitting punishment for people who love the darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil, a people who are destined to eternal darkness.

Turn over to John 3. In the context, verse 15, whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light. And now we near the Second Coming of Christ to earth. Those who love the darkness rather than the light--God gives them darkness. As a manifestation of their true spiritual condition they live in darkness. And they are destined to darkness.

Back up to Matthew 8:12, but the sons of the kingdom, this is referring to unbelieving Israel. In the context when the kingdom is established, verse 11, many will come from the east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom, referring to Jews who didn't believe, they will be cast into the outer darkness. You see that's the destiny of the unbeliever. He lives in spiritual darkness, and he is destined to eternal darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Look in Matthew 22:13, here the wedding feast and so on. Then the king said to the servants, bind him, the one without the wedding garment which is provided by God in Christ. Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30, throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You know people joke about hell and a place where their friends will be and all of that. You understand it will be a place of outer darkness, a place of burning. I read years ago an account by a fireman who was in an asbestos suit and they put him in a fire, He said, the thing that amazed me, you think with fire everything would be light. But when I got in the midst of that fire surrounding me, it was darkness, it was like blackness around me. Not light, darkness. And there will be a hell of burning, but Jesus said it would be outer darkness because it will be separated, total separation, final separation from the God who is light. And so how fitting it is that God envelopes the world at this stage in judgment and darkness, reflecting their true spiritual condition. Another solemn warning of His wrath that will soon come upon them in its fullness and they will experience the darkness of the suffering of hell.

Come back to Revelation 16. We're not told why the darkness intensifies the pain, but it does. But we are told that there is terrible suffering going on. Verse 10, the angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became darkness. So he is ruling the world during this time, remember. The world is enveloped in this darkness, and how that all functions and how things still function, what goes on, I don't know the details of. You'd think that with any of these plagues the world would grind to a complete halt very quickly. But obviously it doesn't. So the details of how this will work out, and there is still any kind of functioning at all in the world, I don't know. Thankfully, I won't be there to see it. So we'll find out maybe after the fact.

But you'll note the last part of verse 10, how great the suffering is going on at this time. They gnawed their tongues with pain. Did you ever bite your tongue accidentally? That hurts, it really hurts. Well their pain and suffering is going to be so intense they are going to be chewing on their tongues as relief. How do you relate to that? I mean, I don't even know how to relate to that, that the suffering is so great that they bite on their tongues. You know you sometimes see in the old cowboy pictures where they are going to bite on a piece of leather or something when they are going to cut a bullet out. Well here they are going to bite on their tongues because the pain is so intense. All the details of the outworking? I don't know, but I know when God says this is the way it will be, this is the way it will be. They are in a place of overwhelming terror. They are suffering from sores, a lack of water, intense and overwhelming darkness. I was reading an account in the paper today of a young person in an accident who lost his sight, and how he experienced the terror that came over him as he was unable to see. He was afraid of everything. You just get a minor feel for what someone says it is like for that. So here that is what is going on.

They are gnawing their tongues for pain, but they are not bowed one bit. Look at this. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. And they did not repent of their deeds. I mean, you want a clear example of how sinful man is, he not only rejects the grace of God that is offered to him today, but when the wrath of God is poured out in such fullness and there is such intense suffering, man will not bow, they will not give an inch. They blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. You'll note things are building. The sores haven't gone away. Here we are and the fifth angel has poured out his bowl, and they are blaspheming him because they are still experiencing the sores. You see how the suffering of the world is multiplying. You say, why would God do this? What do you do with people like that? There is even grace in this, as we're going to see in a moment. But by and large the world will have nothing to do with it. They recognize this has to be the hand of God, He is doing this. And they curse Him for it.

They did not repent of their deeds. Look at verse 12, the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. And the water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings of the east. The Euphrates River is a very important river. It formed the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire. But more important to us for Israel's sake, in Genesis 15:18 it forms the eastern boundary of the land that God promised to Israel. We won't go back and read those references, but Genesis 15:18 and from that you could chase down and follow references into Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 1:7, 11:24, tells where the eastern boundary for Israel will be the Euphrates. Interesting in the context where we are going in chapters 17-18, it is also the location of the city of Babylon, which will be the center of the religious and political activity in the world. It will be the capital, if you will, of the Antichrist in these closing days.

The impact of this bowl is that the water of the Euphrates dries up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east--east of the Euphrates. Don't get confused, the Euphrates is the eastern border of the Roman Empire; it's the eastern border of the land that God promised to Israel. But now we're going farther east, east of the Euphrates, to prepare for the armies of the kings that will be coming from the east of that. What is the significance in judgment? They are coming together from what follows. How this is a judgment, we are preparing for Armageddon and that climactic battle and judgment that will be poured out on the earth in connection with Armageddon.

Some would connect this to Daniel 11. Verse 36 has picked up to talk about the Antichrist, the first beast of Revelation 13. In Daniel 11:36 he is called the willful king, the king who will do as he pleases. So we often refer to him as the willful king, another name for him. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, speak monstrous things against the God of gods, and so on. Verse 44, we get near the end of his reign. Rumors from the east and from the north will disturb him and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. But he will come to his end, verse 45.

Some would connect the drying up of the Euphrates for the coming of the kings of the east to the trouble that the Antichrist is having in his empire in preparation for Armageddon in Daniel 11:44. If that's the case or not, we can say the drying up of the Euphrates is part of the preparation for the armies of the world to come together in preparation for Armageddon. We know Armageddon is in view because verses 13-16 tell us that that's what is going on. So you have this bowl poured out, the Euphrates dried up to prepare the way for the coming of the kings of the east, east of Babylon and east of the Euphrates.

Now we have a development, an elaboration in verses 13-16. I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. Here you have the satanic trinity clearly referred to—the dragon according to Revelation 12 is Satan; you have the first beast of Revelation 13, the one who will be the political ruler and the object of worship of the world during the last 3½ years before the return of Christ; and then you have the false prophet who is the second beast of Revelation 13. Remember the ministry of the second beast there, the false prophet, was to direct the worship of the world to the first beast. So we call this the satanic trinity because Satan is attempting to usurp the place of God the Father, the beast to take the place of Christ and rule the world and the world as his kingdom and be the object of the worship of the world; and the false prophet attempts to usurp the place of the Holy Spirit as he draws the attention and worship of the world to the Antichrist.

Now out of the authority of this satanic trinity come three spirit beings. So when it says these spirits like frogs come out of their mouths, it doesn't say they are frogs, they are spirits like frogs; we know they are demons because we're told in verse 14, these are the spirit of demons. But they look like frogs. Perhaps frogs are used here because in Leviticus 11:10 frogs are unclean under the Mosaic code. And interesting, other peoples of the world back in early times, also viewed frogs as unclean. Here they represent demons. That's the form that they are given here.

They come out of their mouths. So these demons come out and evidently it is through the teaching and authority exercised at this time in Satan's kingdom ruled through the Antichrist and promoted by the false prophet, that the world is influenced by these demons. So verse 14, they are the spirits of demons, performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty. So it's the time and Satan's plan as he is using the Antichrist and the false prophet that under their authority and their teaching demons now are carrying their propaganda, their message around the world. And during this time these demons are performing signs, miracles that are effective in deceiving people and causing them to believe the teaching and message of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. Performing signs, and attesting miracles, if you will.

Come back to Mark 13:22, speaking about this period of time. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders. This will all culminate in this satanic trinity in the fullest display of satanic power that the world has ever seen. Note why-- in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. These miracles are going to be so powerful, so overwhelmingly convincing that they come to the very edge of being able to deceive even the elect. I don't believe that will happen, but it emphasizes how powerful these miracles are, that now Satan is loosed to demonstrate his power. Remember we have seen earlier as we have looked at passages, and we looked back to Job where he could control the weather and other forces. He can control bodily afflictions and so on. I mean, now we see his power restrained, but there will be restraints lifted. And the deception of Satan will be powerful and he will deceive the world.

Look in II Thessalonians 2:8, then that lawless one will be revealed. That's the first beast of Revelation 13, the Antichrist as we refer to him. The lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring an end by the appearance of His coming. We know he hasn't appeared yet because Christ hasn't come. And this man will be destroyed by the Second Coming of Christ to earth. Now note, this is the one, verse 9, whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders. With all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Turn back to the Old Testament, I Kings 22. We get an interesting glimpse into demonic activity in I Kings 22. In I Kings 22 Ahab is king of Israel. Jehoshaphat is king of the southern kingdom and Jehoshaphat and Ahab are joining forces and Ahab has all his false prophets to tell him what he wants to hear. Jehoshaphat wants to hear from a prophet of the Lord so Micaiah is called. Look at verse 19, what we're interested in is what Micaiah saw as God revealed to him. Verse 19, Micaiah said, therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. That's the angelic host, fallen angels and unfallen angels, like we have in the opening chapter of Job. There came a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And Satan came among them. On those days all the angelic host evidently assemble.

The Lord said, who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? One said this, another said that, then a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. The Lord said, How? He said, I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then He said, you are to entice him and prevail. Go and do.

Now therefore behold the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all your prophets, the Lord has proclaimed disaster for you. He didn't make them do it, but it fit His plan. The fallen being, the demon, desires to do this. The false prophets are willing instruments in his hand and he goes out with his deception and is successful in luring Ahab to the battle that results in his death, in opposition to the message of Micaiah who told him what would happen.

So we get just some glimpse of demonic activity here. Come back to Revelation 16. What is going on in this deception and the propaganda machine, and here you have an orator giving a message to all the world which is enthralled. And there are miracles being done, and he has displayed himself as God sitting in the temple. And the miracles support his claim. And through the teaching propaganda they are gathering the kings of the whole world, and that would then tie back to chapter 12, one of the reasons for the drying up of the Euphrates. We are gathering the kings of the whole world together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty, the climactic battle prior to the return of Christ; in connection with the return of Christ I should say, prior to the setting up of the kingdom. Now this battle won't take place until Revelation 19, beginning with verse 11 and to the end of the chapter. There we will have the unfolding of Armageddon. But here we're being told what will happen under this bowl as it is poured out. Now we have to get through chapters 17-18 and the destruction of religious Babylon and political Babylon, then we'll get to Armageddon in chapter 19. But here is the anticipation, they are being gathered together.

Do you see the sovereignty of God in this as He rules over all? They are being gathered together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty, the all-powerful One. But it is demonic activity because Satan thinks he is ready for this battle. We think, why don't you just read Revelation? You lose. But that's not the way fallen people respond. Why don't people read the word of God, hear the gospel and believe? God has told them they can't win. But they don't, right? So it is with fallen, sinful beings.

Then you have verse 15, and we'll just mention this. We're not going to go into Armageddon here; we'll say more about that in our next study. But you have a parenthesis and a parenthetical warning for us today and for the peoples then. Behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked. Men will not see his shame. So here is a break. Promised blessing on those who are faithful to the Lord. Now I say it's for us, too. Turn back to Revelation 1:3, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near. That's for us. When you get into the message to the churches, Revelation 3, the message to Sardis, remember what you have received and heard, and keep it and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up I will come like a thief and you will not know what hour I come to you. That is a warning.

And in Revelation 3:18, to the church at Laodicea: I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may clothe yourself, so that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed, eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

You come to Revelation 22:7, behold I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. Not just to satisfy curiosity about future events but to shape the way we live. And this is for the churches. Come down to verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. Back to the churches in chapters 2-3, the churches for our church.

So when you come to Revelation 16, behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so he will not walk about naked. Men will not see his shame. Remember that message to the church at Laodicea, particularly. Called to be sure you are clothed in the garments of righteousness that He provides, and so on. And as you come through the tribulation it will be a call to them, the return of the Lord is near. Encourage blessing for faithfulness to Him and having His salvation as your garments.

Verse 16, and they gathered them together. So you go from verse 14 to verse 16. Verse 15 is a promised blessing for believers and encouragement to them. The end of verse 14, they are gathered together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty. Verse 16, and they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Mageddon. We know it more familiarly, Armageddon. And the word here is pronounced with an “h” and you have the way it is broken here. But this is Armageddon, the final, climactic battle recorded in chapter 19:11ff, where Christ returns to earth. The armies of the world have been gathered together. We had a foretaste of this where the blood will run to the horses' bridles in Revelation 14:20, for a distance of 200 miles. Because the land of Israel from top to bottom will be filled with the armies of the world that have been supernaturally gathered here for the great day of God the Almighty, the war that He has planned when His Son returns in power and great glory. And Satan and all his offices are marshaled to oppose him and we have the battle of Armageddon.

Turn to II Corinthians 2 and we are done. A point made here that I want to leave you with. The truth of God that does not soften the heart, hardens the heart. Verse 14, thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. Always in every place we are making Christ known, Paul says. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. You notice, we give off the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. That is pleasing to God, that's a fragrance like the aroma from the sacrifices that pleased Him. We are making Christ known, that is pleasing to Him. That's among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. We give off the message of Christ. Some people are just further hardened in their lost condition. Some by the grace of God are transformed by that message. You either go from death to death or life to life. Something always happens when the message of Jesus Christ has been made known. The same truth that hardens some is used by the Spirit of God to soften others.

So God in His grace has made Himself known. Some people are hardened by it. In the tribulation God will manifest Himself in His wrath, and people will be hardened by it. But in God's grace there are people saved today, and in His grace there will be people even saved there, and particularly it's a time of salvation for the nation Israel. By the time we're done, at the brink of the return of Christ, all Israel will be saved.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth. Lord, a glimpse into the awesome time yet before this unbelieving world, the horrible judgments to be poured out on the world. Lord, it's easy for us to be relatively indifferent, calm and enjoying our salvation, but we remind ourselves that these are truths for the churches. These truths are to shape the way that we live, to be a motivation for us in our faithfulness to you and a reminder that we represent Jesus Christ and make Him known in anticipation and expectation of His return to gather us into Your presence in preparation for His return to establish His kingdom on the earth. Use us in the days of the week before us to be strong, clear testimonies of your grace, your salvation, wherever we might be. We pray in Christ's name, amen.