Introduction: Do you love God? Are you grateful for what He has done
for you and those you love? Our study this week reveals the opposite
side of the spectrum. We see in great detail what happens to those
who hate God and who harm His saints. It is a terrible thing to fall
into the hands of a God who meets out justice! Let’s dive into
Revelation and learn more!
- Seven Angels
- Read Revelation 15:1. Where have we seen seven angels in
the past? (We learned that seven angels “stand before God”
at His throne in heaven. Revelation 8:2. We saw seven
angels repeatedly in our studies: for the seven churches
( Revelation 1:20), the seven trumpets ( Revelation 8:6),
and now the seven last plagues.) - Why are they “last plagues?” (“With them God’s wrath
is completed.”) - Does it seem odd to you that God is pouring
down His wrath on people? Isn’t He a loving
God? - Read Revelation 15:2. Who is this group? Are they the
target of the plagues of wrath? (Remember that when we
studied Revelation 7 we learned that God’s people had been
sealed, and among that group is the 144,000. In Revelation
14 we see another reference to those who are sealed, but
this time just the 144,000. Revelation 4:6 tells us that
there is a “sea of glass” before God’s throne in heaven.
From this we learn that those who have been faithful to
God are pictured in heaven. They will not have to deal
with the plagues!) - Read Revelation 15:3-4. What are the saved doing in
heaven? Is this where they get the idea that we have
harps in heaven? - What do you think is their main message?
- I’m particularly interested in the language “Just and
true are your ways.” We are about to study some
terrible punishment being handed down. What do God’s
people think about the justice of this? (They agree
with God.) - Introduction to the Seven Plagues
- Read Revelation 15:5-6. On who do these plagues fall?
(Since these plagues complete God’s wrath (Revelation
15:1) they would logically fall only on the wicked. If
John is giving us a chronology, then the righteous are
already in heaven. Whether this is a chronology or not is
something we considered last week. Sometimes John just
gives us a glimpse into heaven and it not intended to be a
chronology.) - Why are the seven angels so dressed up? Why does John
describe their appearance? (Imagine that you have
been dealing with sin all this time. Imagine that you
witnessed the suffering of Jesus and His followers –
the suffering that the wicked have created. Finishing
this controversy might cause you to dress up for the
final counter strike.) - Read Revelation 15:7-8. Aside from the smoke, can you
think of a reason why no one could enter the temple in
heaven? (One suggestion is that the mediation of Jesus,
our High Priest, described in Hebrews has come to an end.
All decisions have been made.) - Read Exodus 19:18. What alternative explanation does
this suggest? (The smoke represents God’s glory and
power in a very dangerous way. The residents of
heaven know better than to visit right now as God is
staging the seven last plagues.) - Seven Plagues
- Read Revelation 16:1-2. Does this remind you of anything
you have previously seen in the Bible? (Read Exodus 9:8-9.
A very similar plague was sent to Egypt. Notice that it is
confined to the earth and does not affect animals.) - Who suffers from this plague? (Those who have the
mark of the beast.) - Read Revelation 16:3. Is there a parallel in the Egyptian
plagues? (Read Exodus 7:19 for the parallel.) - What is the target here? (The sea. Remember the first
plague targeted the earth.) - What specific kind of blood is involved? (The blood
of a dead person. The result is that everything in
the sea dies.) - Contemplate the extent of that disaster. How would
that affect daily life? - Read Revelation 16:4-6. What is targeted here? (The rest
of the water: the rivers and springs.) - What is the specific practical problem brought by
this plague? (No drinking water. This targets fresh
water.) - Unlike the earlier plagues, the justice of it is
specifically explained. Read Leviticus 7:26-27,
Leviticus 17:11, and Acts 21:25. Can you explain
God’s reason for this plague? What is the justice of
it? (Ingesting blood is specifically prohibited in
both the Old and New Testaments because life is in
the blood, and blood saves us from sin. These people
are the opposite of Jesus. Jesus shed His blood to
give us life. They have been taking life. Therefore
they are blood drinkers. They are beyond saving.) - Read Revelation 16:7. How did the altar enter this
picture? Nothing in this chapter previously referred to
it. (The sacrificial blood was poured out at the base of
the altar in the temple. Leviticus 4:7. Thus,
symbolically, the altar has a special interest in the
blood. It approves of this otherwise unapproved use of
blood. It confirms the justice of this.) - Read Revelation 16:8-9. Will there be global warming?
(Yes! Whatever the merits of the current debate, the sun
will “sear” humans.) - Why are we told that God has “control over these
plagues?” (This is judgment. Those who deny that our
loving God is also a God of judgment ignore the plain
text of the Bible.) - How do the wicked react to this judgment?
- Read Revelation 16:10-11. Does the beast have a throne?
(When we discussed the dragon, the Ten Horn beast, and the
Earth Beast in Revelation 13, we decided that there is
good evidence that the Ten Horn is Pagan and Papal Rome.
That is the conclusion of many of the old commentaries.) - Read Revelation 2:13. What clue does this give us to
the question of the location of the throne of the
beast? (This tells us that Satan’s throne (the
dragon, not the beast) is in Pergamum. Pergamum was
the first city in Asia which had a temple for the
worship of a Roman Emperor. This provides evidence
that we are, in fact, looking at a specific city on
earth.) - Look again at Revelation 16:10-11. What does the plague of
darkness mean to a modern city? (No electricity.) - Would people chew on their tongues in agony if they
were deprived of their electronic devices? (Their
attention is not diverted by their electronic
devices. It is dark and they are focused on their
agony.) - Notice the repeated statement that they still refuse
to repent and give glory to God. How determined are
these people to continue in sin? (We can see why they
are such strong rebels against God.) - Read Revelation 16:12. Of what does this remind you? (It
reminds me of the transfer of power mentioned in Daniel
5:30 from Babylon to Medo-Persia. The background is that
Cyrus diverted the Euphrates river and marched into
Babylon on the riverbed and conquered the city. This is
referenced in Isaiah 44:27-28.) - Who are the “kings from the east?” (Read Matthew
24:27 and Ezekiel 43:2. I think this means Jesus
coming out of heaven with His angels.) - Read Revelation 16:13-15. How are the forces of good and
evil lining up? (Jesus is coming, and those who are evil
are preparing for battle against God.) - Read Revelation 16:16-20. As this great army assembles,
what happens as a result of the plague brought by the
seventh angel? (A world-wide earthquake.) - Why does God defeat an army through what appear to be
natural disasters? (I don’t think the wicked are
confused by this. Instead, it shows the great power
of God that controls the forces of nature. God is not
limited to the power of humans.) - Read Revelation 16:21. What pounds what is left of the
evil army after the horrible earthquake? (Hailstones as
big as people!) - Friend, choose wisely! Which side seems to be the better
choice? Why not side with Jesus today, and right now? - Next week: Judgment on Babylon.
