Simple Faith

Bill Henry: As we look around the world today we need to ask a question: what happened to justice? Our culture in much of the world today does not care about justice anymore. A lot of your what we call progressives or liberals, they call justice revenge. They don’t call it justice, they don’t call it a recompense.

But you see, God doesn’t mess around. God is not politically correct. God is not woke. He is not subject to our judgments, no matter how many people like to try to change that.

Guest (Male): Today on Simple Faith, Pastor Bill Henry continues his study through the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 16 records the final judgment that will take place at the end of the age. It is a horrific time. In fact, so horrific most don’t even want to think about it or talk about it. But if we don’t, will we be ready or will we be equipped to help others be ready?

God, because of his mercy, faithfully gives warning after warning to all in the world to turn to him while there is still time to do so. Here is Pastor Bill Henry in Revelation chapter 16.

Bill Henry: Revelation chapter 16, verses 1 through 11. It says there as John the apostle is speaking, he said, "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.'" So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, O Lord, the one who is and who was and who is to be, because you have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."

And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments." Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun and the power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and did not repent of their deeds. Pretty gnarly.

So the last few chapters have been quite something to behold. Back in chapter 13, if you remember, we saw the Antichrist and his beast. All the world worshipping Satan and the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast and able to make war with him?" We also saw the mark of the beast come on the scene, a one-world monetary system where everyone must receive this mark on their right hand or on their forehead to be able to buy and sell. A one-world worship system where everybody is being forced to worship the beast and the image of the beast.

Then in chapter 14, we saw the 144,000 Jewish men, 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, worshipping the Lamb with a new song that only they could sing. We also saw there in chapter 14 that an angel would fly around the world to all the peoples, all the tribes, all the tongues, and give the everlasting Gospel, telling people to fear God, to give him glory for the hour of judgment has come and worship him who made the heaven and earth, the seas and springs of the water.

And then there we saw another angel was announcing the fall of Babylon that was to come, and a third angel warning the people not to worship the beast, not to take the mark of the beast. For if they do, they were told this: that they shall also drink of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength in the cup of his indignation. We then saw the saints that had come to faith in Jesus Christ during the 70th week of Daniel or during this seven-year tribulation, come before the throne of God and worship the Lord. It’s such a beautiful thing. They were encouraged by the Lord and just a wonderful thing.

We also saw the Lord himself getting ready to reap the harvest of the earth and two angels come forth with sickles and they would gather the cluster of the vine of the earth and throw them into the winepress of the wrath of God. And this was speaking of the bowl judgments that we are coming into this morning.

Now then in chapter 15, we saw seven angels given the last seven plagues, and that in these plagues, the wrath of God would be complete upon the earth. This would be it. And then we saw a number of the saints again that had come through the tribulation, standing on the sea that looked like glass mingled with fire, singing worship to the Lord, the Song of Moses and they sang the Song of the Lamb. And again, then those seven angels that had the seven plagues were given seven bowls, seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God.

And so now we come to these judgments, the final steps of the wrath of God. We need to understand that we are coming into the last part of the Great Tribulation, the last part of the 70th week of Daniel, as we come here to verse 1. Now look at verse 1. It says, "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the bowls of wrath of God on the earth.'"

So it is now time to finish the wrath of God once and for all. It’s a beautiful thing in one way as far as this will be it. It will be completed. No more wrath to be poured out upon a world that has rejected God continually, rejected Jesus Christ and his shed blood for us. It reminds us of Psalm 69:24. It says, "Pour out your indignation upon them and let your wrathful anger take hold of them." Or Isaiah 66:6 where it says, "Hear that uproar from the city. Hear that noise from the temple. It is the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies all they deserve."

As we're looking at these last days, we hear it says that there is a loud voice here. It says that it comes from the temple. It’s time again to repay his enemies, as we just read, all that they deserve. It’s an interesting thing today. Our culture and in much of the world today does not care about justice anymore. A lot of your what we call progressives or liberals, they call justice revenge. They don’t call it justice, they don’t call it a recompense.

But you see, God doesn’t mess around. God is not politically correct. God is not woke. He is not subject to our judgments, no matter how many people like to try to change that. I saw yesterday a fellow was talking about a Bible that they came out with. It was called the Queen James Bible. And they actually just took the whole King James Bible but changed every verse that dealt with homosexuality and changed it because they wanted to change what God said just about their specific sin.

Sadly they forgot, what about all the drunkards or the liars or the fornicators and adulterers, all the other sinners out there? We don’t like being called out on our sins either. But God does that because he loves us and wants to call us to repentance. God speaks truth. And even here as he's pouring out the remainder of his wrath, repaying all his enemies what they deserve, we need to understand that God will not be mocked. Whatever a man shall reap, that shall he sow.

And so we need to understand that if we break the laws of God—and all of us have done this. I like Ray Comfort and his way, the way he goes. He just kind of goes through the Ten Commandments. Have you ever stolen anything? "Well, I stole a pencil when I was in grade school," or, "I stole a candy bar at the grocery store." Yeah, I’ve stolen stuff. Have you ever looked at someone with lust? "Well, of course I’ve looked at someone with lust."

Okay, so first of all you’ve stolen some, so what do we call that? Well, you’re a thief, right? Okay, I’m a thief. And then Jesus said when you look at somebody with lust, what does that make us? Well, that makes you an adulterer. So now you’re a thieving adulterer. Have you ever hated someone? Anybody here? Amen, I mean. Well, now Jesus said that that’s just as good as murder. So now you’re a thieving, adulterous murderer.

And so again, when you stand in light of God, not in light of each other because we can always find other people that’s like, "Oh, I’m better than you are," or, "I do better than she," or him. But we are held to a righteousness of God. And the Bible says that none is righteous, only God. Only God is good. No one is good but God. And so when we are held to that standard, the Bible also says then that the payment that we receive for being a thieving, adulterous murderer, the payment that we get for that is death, eternal separation from God because God is completely just.

God is completely pure and God is completely holy. So what will happen if we are not in Jesus Christ, then we will have to pay that debt ourselves. And we will have to go to hell, separated from God, and then hell eventually will be thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. They don’t cease to exist as some falsely teach today. And that’s the wages of our sin.

But the free gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord is salvation, is forgiveness, is mercy, is grace. In other words, Jesus died and he didn’t have to die. He was sinless. So he wasn’t owed death because again, when we have sinned, we fall short of the glory of God and the wages of our sin is death. Jesus didn’t deserve to die but he died for our sin. And in dying for our sin, he made it possible for our penalty to be laid upon him, the propitiation, the Bible says.

And so as we turn away from our sin and turn to Jesus Christ and believe that he paid the debt, our debt, my debt for my sin, and I turn away and I believe in him for that, I receive his forgiveness, I receive his death. I believe in him that God let him be crucified, that he rose from the dead on the third day. I believe in him to be the Lord and Savior of my life. I am then born again of the Spirit of God, born into the kingdom of God for all eternity.

It’s radical. So all of a sudden all those sins that are against us, they have now been paid. Remember at the cross, what was one of the things that Jesus cried? Do you remember? Tetelestai. That was an accounting term back in the Greek. It literally means the debt is paid in full. So when we come and we believe in Jesus and we're born again of the Spirit of God and we enter into this, we're sealed by his Holy Spirit. We now have the deposit of his Spirit living within us. And guess what? We now, all of this, we're no longer enemies of God.

His wrath no longer abides on us because Jesus bore our wrath at the cross. But those who haven’t repented, those who still are heading down that road to hell, God’s wrath abides on them. And so again, now we see here during the Tribulation towards the end, now these seven bowls of God’s judgment are being poured out. Look at verse 2. It says, "So the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image."

Now first notice the end of the verse, if you will, with me. Notice how it says that this sore will come upon those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. So the church will have been raptured before this all happens. We’ll be taken up by Jesus to be where he is with him during this time. But the believers that come to faith during this time, they will not have these sores come upon them. This will only be those who take the mark of the beast and those who worship his image.

Now notice what they will receive. Notice in the New King James what I’m teaching from here. It says "a foul and loathsome sore." Now listen to all these other versions. Almost every version has it a little bit different. Check it out, ready? King James Version: "a noisome and grievous sore." ESV: "harmful and painful sores." NIV 84: "ugly and painful sores." NASB: "loathsome and malignant sore." NLT: "horrible and malignant sores." Amplified: "foul and painful ulcers." And a paraphrase says, "loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all."

I remember going over a friend of ours' house years ago and they turned on videos on YouTube and had all their kids there and they turned on Dr. Pimple Popper or whatever thing it was. It was gross. I couldn't even watch it. I’m like, "No," and they’re like, "Oh, look at that! Whoa!" No, back away. What’s going to happen here is so far beyond this. These are going to be horrible, malignant sores, foul and painful ulcers, loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all.

You know, it’s interesting as we read that. It reminds me today of what we see of many of the drug addicts that are living on the streets. In Britain, they call the homeless camps—we call them homeless camps here—they call them drug camps in Britain. And to be honest, it’s a lot more honest, isn’t it? Because most of the people that are there, a very small minority, probably less than 5% are actually homeless and because they don’t want to be. And there are some, don’t get me wrong. But the vast majority are there because they want to do drugs.

And it’s still sad. It’s still tragic. They need Jesus just like everybody else. But it’s so sad what you see what drugs do to them. If you’ve ever seen the pictures of somebody, "This is when they were first arrested when they were 16 and then 18 and then 20 and then 25." And by 25, they look like they’re 50. And they have sores all over their face. And it’s something like this here in our text, but it's even worse than this.

Now it’s interesting, so this is the first bowl judgment. And again, God is pouring out his wrath upon the earth. And one of the commentators, John Walvoord, said this about all the bowl judgments. He said this: "All indications are that the bowl judgments fall rapidly on a world that is reeling under previous judgments and a gigantic world war. Some bowl judgments are selective and extend only to the wicked and several affect parts of nature."

So basically most of the commentators believe that when these judgments come, they’re going to be one after another after another. And this will be at the end of the Tribulation, the seven years. Now does this mean it’s going to be three and a half years and there’s just one after another? Does this mean it’s going to happen within a year, the last six months, the last few months or the last two years? We don’t know. The Lord hasn't told us. But they are going to come one after another after another. Look at the second one, verse 3.

"Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died." Now you might remember back in chapter 8, when we had the trumpet judgments during the beginning part of the Tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel, in verses 8 and 9, something similar happened. It says this: Revelation 8, verse 8. "Then the second angel sounded and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships were destroyed."

Yet this time the entire sea will turn into blood. And yes, I believe it’s going to be human blood because notice it says, "blood as of a dead man." Now the Amplified says it this way: "and it turned into blood like that of a corpse, thick, corrupt, ill-smelling, and disgusting." So imagine all the oceans turning into blood. And imagine the ships trying to sail in the thickness of that blood. And remember what does blood do once it is out? It starts to coagulate. It starts to thicken even more so and get harder and harder.

Imagine these ships, how many ships around the world. I remember when we were in chapter 8, you can go to a website and you can actually see how many ships are on the ocean at any one time and there’s thousands upon thousands upon thousands of ships in the seas right now. So those will all be stuck. They’ll be stuck in this blood. They won’t be able to get out. Imagine all the people who live along the coastline of these oceans, all the oceans of the world.

And I do believe, yes, this is literally going to happen. I couldn't imagine that because again, look at the end here. It says "every living creature in the sea died." Every living creature. And again, since all the oceans of the world will now be turned into blood, literally every living creature, every whale, every dolphin, every seal, tuna, shark, lobster and shrimp. How many birds even? Birds that eat from the oceans will die because of this.

If you’ve ever seen back in the '80s, we used to see a lot of oil slicks and the pictures of the oil leaks and different things and these poor birds just covered in oil. Imagine the whole ocean in something as thick as that. Again, let’s look even deeper. So imagine no more seawater that they won’t be able to turn into drinking water, which Israel does and other countries, or turn it into water to use for their crops. There'll be no more food from the seas. Imagine the stench as blood sits there for hours and days and weeks and months in the heat of the sun. I’d be like, "Okay, I'm moving in, I'm going to Barstow, California, getting away from this."

Now what’s interesting to think about though—and we have to think about this—is that all these birds, all these animals, even the people that will die, they are all the result of the sin of men and women. It’s all a result of the sin of men and women, their rebellion against God. Remember when we were recapping the last few chapters and that the Lord sent angels out and told the whole world the Gospel. The Lord even sent another angel out, "Don’t take the mark of the beast, don’t worship the beast." But in their rebellion to God, they didn’t care.

And so God’s wrath pours forth. Again, this is their fault. It’s not God’s fault. Don’t look at God here and say, "Oh, Lord, how can you kill all the whales?" I like whales. I like dolphins. I don’t like sharks. As a surfer, that was you don't want to see a shark. And I love the ocean. I love water. I love being around bodies of water, whether it’s a lake, river, or stream.

But this is not God’s fault. This is what mankind has earned. It’s what they deserve. And those animals are being killed because of sin. And it’s a terrible thing. But again, that’s not where it stops. Look at verse 4. "Then a third angel," so the third bowl comes, "poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water and they became blood."

So again back to chapter 8, the trumpet judgments, the same sort of thing happened but it was only a third of the earth’s water that were made bitter. Yet here all the rivers and all the springs will be turned into blood. Turned into blood. Now think about this, as all the rivers in the world, all the springs will become blood, how will they drink? How will a lot of people get their food? Perhaps many will have bottled water, maybe they’ll have stored water in another way.

Perhaps when it rains, because it doesn't say anything about the rain, maybe when it rains it’ll actually rain water that they can collect and drink because we do know that the whole world isn’t going to be wiped out here, that many will survive. We are going to see that later on. But obviously many will perish through thirst.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill’s series in Revelation. It’s our sincere hope and prayer that you’ve been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today.

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