Simple Faith

Bill Henry: Knowing the Bible and believing the Bible are two completely different things. I've met a lot of people who grew up in Christian homes, and because they've heard the Word of God so much, they get inoculated from it. They say, "Oh yeah, I know that scripture." But do you believe it? Does it change you when you're looking at your wife when you love her so much?

I look at my wife and I still get googly eyes because I love her. She looks at me and goes, "Eh," but the rest of it's okay. Because we love the Lord and we hear His Word, even though I might hear a million times, "For God so loved the world," it still gives me googly eyes. Does it to you? Or is your heart hardened?

Guest (Male): On behalf of Simple Faith Calvary Chapel, it’s great to have you along for today's edition of Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry. In Revelation 16, we find the final bowl judgment that is poured out at the end of the age. Jesus Himself described it as a time of incredible turmoil and terror, such as the world has never seen.

As we read through it together, it may sound like the latest science fiction thriller, but make no mistake about it, these are real events that will indeed take place. With more from Revelation 16, here's Pastor Bill.

Bill Henry: 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, I don't want to see a shark. I love the ocean. I love 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. Those animals are being killed because of sin. It’s a terrible thing, but again, that's not where it stops. Look at verse four: "Then the third angel," so the third bowl comes, "poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood."

Again, back to chapter eight, 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. 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? Again, 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. Many will survive. We're going to see that later on. Obviously, many will perish through thirst. The average human can go about three days without water.

What's interesting to me is, why is God telling us these things? We're not going to be here during this time. I think one of the main reasons that God is telling us these things is because remember that during the tribulation, many will come to faith in Jesus Christ. As they come to faith in Jesus Christ, they're going to say, "The Antichrist. We see that the Bible says the Antichrist." All of a sudden they're going to start saying, "Check, this happened. Check, this happened. What's coming in the future?"

Then they can be like Joseph in Egypt. "Pharaoh, we're going to have seven good years and then seven really bad years. Let's save up food." Even if I was a believer during the tribulation, I would read this and say, "There's coming a time when the water is going to turn to blood. Let's get as much bottled water as we can. Let's get some cisterns going." I think that's one of the reasons that God tells them, so that they would know partially how to prepare for certain things.

I think the main reason is as they're going through this and they see each thing happen, they're going to have more and more trust in the Word of God. Oh, this happened just like God said it would. This happened just like God said it would. By the way, as we're going through this, there are people that hold what's called the Preterist view, that all this happened around AD 70. Does anybody remember any reports of the whole world, all the seas turning to blood? Anybody?

How about the rivers? No. These things haven't happened yet. We can spiritualize them away, but I don't believe that. I think these things are literally going to happen because God says it. Look at verse five: "I heard the angel of the water," so the one who just turned the waters to blood, "saying, 'You are righteous, O Lord, the one who is and who was and 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.'"

Now we're told why the seas are turned to blood. Why the waters? Because they have shed the blood of saints and prophets. God does not wink His eye when people are killed in His name, even today. God doesn't wink His eye to say, "Oh, that's all right. It's no big deal." It's a huge deal. One day, He will pay the whole world back and give them blood to drink for the blood of the prophets and the blood of the saints that they have shed.

Remember, there will be countless saints killed during this time. So this is what they're earning. They're getting their just due. As God is pouring out His wrath upon the world, our tendency can be, "Man, Lord, this seems kind of rugged. This seems kind of tough. Even the whales and the sweet dolphins are going to pay for us and the people of the world because they've done these things. I thought you were a loving God. I thought you were a merciful God and a graceful God."

Here's the thing, guys and gals. God is loving. God is merciful. And God is graceful. But He's also just. He is pure and He is holy. Because of His holiness, He is also righteous. So for us today, it drives me nuts when the world today doesn't even understand what justice is. They call justice vengeance or revenge. No, there's a thing called justice.

If you take somebody's life, your life should be forfeit. The Bible teaches these things. If you do certain things, you rape someone, even just talking on Friday night at our prophecy update, do you know in California that it's not even a felony to approach a minor and offer them money to have sex with you? It's not a felony. Even the progressives, some of them are trying to change it. We've gone so far to this side.

In Germany, they just changed it from a felony to not even a real crime. You can get two to three months or something like that. It's so wicked the way the world is going. When you read things like this and you see things, you start to understand these are wicked people. They deserve the wrath of God. By the way, so did I before I got saved. Please hear that.

But man, this world is going even further down that wicked train, going further down that unrighteous train. Notice in the midst of this, we might say, "God, you're unjust to pour out your wrath upon the world." Many in the church do say, "Oh, God would never do this." Of course He would. Because He is just, He is pure, He is holy, and He is righteous.

Notice again, even the angels here, they're not saying, "Lord, this seems a little harsh there, big guy. Maybe you should mellow it out just a little bit so the world thinks you're loving and graceful." Which He is loving and graceful, too. But what do they do? Notice they're worshipping Him in the midst. "Lord, you are righteous," in verse five, "O Lord, the one who is and was and is to be, because you have judged these things." He is righteous. He must judge these things.

For they have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood, for it is their just due. Look at verse seven: "And I heard another from the altar saying, 'Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.'" Can I encourage us in something else this morning? Stop being ashamed of God, please. When people bring up to you, "How could God condone all those people in the Old Testament being killed? How can a God of love do these things?"

And people attack the church, even people within the church if you believe in the Bible, they attack these things. Who are we to judge God? Were they there when God judged them? They have no clue what those people did. But I do know this, again, that God is completely just, holy, pure, lovely, and righteous. He will never sin. So even in this, notice again another voice from the altar: "Even so, God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."

Now, if this was Bill Henry up there judging, I'd say, "Yeah, you have every right to criticize me." Isn't it weird how we all like to judge, by the way? Like some of us have the gift of judging. "This is my gift and I can judge. Let me tell you, Pastor Bill, all the things we can judge here." Judging isn't a gift. Now, again, we can hold people to the Word of God and judge their fruits, Jesus said. But be careful with this.

God's judgments are pure. That's why we always say, "This is what the Bible says. This is what God's Word says." If you don't like it, that's too bad. Did you ever hear a pastor tell you that? You don't like it, too bad. It's okay, if you don't like it, don't leave here. No, there's the doors. You're welcome both ways. But you're going to hear the Word of God. This is the truth.

True and righteous are the judgments of God, not of Simple Faith Calvary Chapel or Calvary Chapel or the church, but of God Almighty as revealed to us in His Word. What is sin? I don't want to make up any more sins that are in the Bible. What are sins? I don't want to even take away any of the sins that are in the Bible. That's not for us to do. We're messengers. True and righteous are your judgments, O Lord.

Look at the fourth bowl in verse eight: "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire." Anybody here ever have a sunburn? You know you get one of those that you actually get the water blisters on you that bad? This is going to be far worse. Nothing like you can imagine. The Amplified says to burn, to scorch humanity with fierce, glowing heat or fire.

Remember something you may have forgotten. This comes right on the heels of the oceans being turned to blood, all the water. The rivers turned to blood. The other things turned to blood. And here we go right on the heels of this. You think, "Well, maybe the people of the world have had enough. This is it. They're ready to repent. They're going to call out to God." Look at verse nine: "And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory."

Instead of repenting, instead of turning away, they didn't just double down, they're tripling and quadrupling down. Notice something here. They blasphemed God. Notice it even says here, "Who has the power over these plagues." They're pointing this out. This is the God who can stop this whole thing right now. This is the God who has the power. I don't know about you, but if I knew somebody had power over me to hurt me, I might, let's say my heart's hardened and I'm not going to repent, but I think I'd think twice before I blasphemed His name.

And they did not repent and give glory to God. Now, it's interesting, at this point as they're blaspheming the Lord, they finally must understand. Remember when they cried out back in chapter 13, "Who is able to make war with the beast?" Guess who? God Almighty. The beast isn't protecting them, is he? No. So notice something at the end here of this verse nine. They did not repent and give Him glory.

Please hear this this morning. You have to hear this. That even in the midst of the Lord pouring out their deserved punishment, their deserved wrath that is great and mighty that is being poured out, the world continues to hate Him and blaspheme Him. Yet still, in His deep grace and mercy, He is looking for people to repent and give Him glory, even in the midst of this. This is the Lord.

2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." Look at verse 10: "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."

Now, notice the fifth angel is pouring out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became full of darkness. Now, most of your Bible scholars believe that the throne of the beast will be Babylon, the city rebuilt. They do know where Babylon was located and they've actually had projects to start to rebuild it already. That's what most of your scholars believe, so this will be where the throne of the beast will be in Babylon and his kingdom will be full of darkness.

Most think that this will just be the kingdom around Babylon the city. It may be the entire world, we don't know for sure. But this kingdom will become full of darkness. It's interesting that this kingdom will be full of physical darkness. They will not be able to see. The word there in the Greek for darkness is *skoto* and it literally means to obscure, to blind, to be full of darkness. This is a physical darkness.

I find it interesting that the Lord is turning physically dark that city which has been giving out spiritual darkness upon the world. Even today we see spiritual darkness all around the world continuing to grow. Be careful, beloved. Now, what's interesting about this darkness? Notice here that this darkness, for we don't know why, but it's going to cause great pain. In such great pain that they will gnaw their tongues.

Anybody here ever bit your tongue? Does it hurt? Anybody do it on purpose? No. They will do it on purpose because the pain is so bad. ESV says people gnawed their tongues in anguish. NIV says men gnawed their tongues in agony. NLT says his subjects ground their teeth in anguish and the Amplified says people gnawed their tongues for the torment of the excruciating distress and severe pain.

But notice, even as they're gnawing on their tongues, they're just in so much pain they're gnawing on their tongues, guess what they still do? Look at verse 11: "They blasphemed the God of heaven." Curse you, God. I mean, it's just so wicked. This is their hardened hearts. It says notice, they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains, notice, and their sores. They still have the sores from the first bowl, the first bowl of wrath.

And notice again, did not repent of their deeds. Their hearts were just becoming harder and harder. They would not repent of their deeds as they rebelled against the one true and living God. You know, it's interesting, so hardened will their hearts become. But their hearts didn't start that way. I don't believe their hearts started that way. No, they basically earlier, if you remember, well, even just in Romans chapters one and two, we know that God gives every living human being a conscience.

He reveals Himself to all who have ever lived. Romans chapter one, the beauty of creation declares His glory. But they even start there as they reject Him and worship the creation rather than the Creator. So then even though God had given them this conscience, they turned away from that. They turned away from Jesus. They step by step hardened their hearts further and further to the Lord. Remember earlier, the Lord had sent out an angel declaring the Gospel to them.

They rejected that. How many here would believe it if you saw an angel of heaven? We should believe it because it's in the Bible. As long as it lines up with the Word, I'll believe it, by the way. But the whole world will see this angel give the Gospel. Another angel comes and says, "Hey, don't take the mark of the beast. Don't worship the beast or his image." Yet what did they do? They hardened their hearts to the first angel.

They hardened their hearts even more and even as each thing comes, they're hardening their hearts more and more. Can I ask you this this morning as we're getting ready to close? Those here, those watching or listening, is this you here this morning? What a great application for us. Are we hardening our hearts to the Lord? This can even happen to Christians. Jesus said, "Because lawlessness increases, the love of many will wax cold, wax hard, grow hard."

Is your heart growing hard? I've met a lot of people who grew up in Christian homes and because they've heard the Word of God so much, you almost like to say they get inoculated from it. They say, "Oh yeah, I know that script. I know that scripture." But do you believe it? Does it change you when you hear it? Does it still give you googly eyes like when you're looking at your wife when you love her so much?

Because we love the Lord and we hear His Word, even though I might hear a million times, "For God so loved the world," it still gives me googly eyes. Does it to you? Or is your heart hardened? Is your heart hardened because you're just religious? Is your heart hardened because you've heard these things over and over again and you haven't heeded them? So but you just keep going, "Oh yeah, I'm a Christian, but I don't heed the Word of God. I don't really care. Doesn't matter." It does matter.

Notice it says in Hebrews 3:15, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." In John 16:7-8, Jesus said, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He is come, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment."

Are you still being convicted of sin in your life, beloved? Are you still being convicted of the righteousness of God and the judgment of God? I love in John 3:17, Jesus said, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." Sadly, a lot of pastors stop there. I've heard far too many stop there. He goes on, though.

He says in verse 18, "He who believes in him is not condemned. But he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." Do you love darkness rather than light here today, those watching or listening?

Jesus went on in verse 20, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." Now, I'm going to say something that might offend some of you here, but if you are offended, I pray it's in a good way. If you're not reading your Bible every day, and I venture to say most of you here aren't. I just when I talk to people, and a lot of times we fool ourselves. You don't realize it.

"Oh, I read my Bible almost every day." Well, what'd you read today? "Well, I didn't read it today, I forgot." Well, what'd you read yesterday? "Well, I was so busy I didn't read it yesterday." What about last week? "I can't believe it. I didn't even read it last week." And our flesh likes to fool us. But if this is us, hear what Jesus said: "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."

If you're not reading your Bibles every day, one of the reasons I would say is because you're loving darkness too much. You're not loving the light because Jesus Christ is the light. His Word is light. If you love Jesus, you're going to be coming to His Word every day. You don't have to remind me to eat, anybody else here? Maybe every once in a while. As you can tell, you don't have to remind me too often.

It should be the same thing spiritually, but a lot of us don't. And why? We'll say, "Well, because I'm saved and it doesn't matter." Of course it matters. Because everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light for his deeds should be exposed. You don't want your deeds to be exposed. You don't want to change. But I implore you, seek to change by the grace of God.

Seek to change by the Word of God and by the Spirit of God and be conformed more and more to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. You see, these lessons that are coming in the future, they can all affect us even here today.

Guest (Male): I hope you were blessed by today's message from Pastor Bill Henry. 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 new series in the book of Revelation. If you'd like to hear today's message again or share it with a friend, it's available at our website to either watch or listen or download in MP3 format.

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