In the lesson on Revelation 15 I wrote about the legality of
the battle between satan and God’s people. The judgment on satan will affect
all his people, and is retribution for satan’s persecution and oppression of
God’s people. Of these times, Daniel wrote that there will come one who “will
speak against the Most High and oppress His saints and try to change the set
times, and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times
and half a time.” (Dan 7:25) Satan’s emissary will be “waging war against the
saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced
judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they
possessed the kingdom.” (Dan 7:21-22).
The Kingdom of our Lord on this earth will not be fully His to reign in with His saints until judgment is pronounced for us. There is a great trial of testing before us all, and it is the outcome of our trials that determine God’s judgment for or against us. Therefore we read in Daniel’s later prophecy “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days,” (Dan 12:12) which is the 3 ½ years of war between satan and the saints. We will be blessed, and reign with our Lord, after the 3 ½ year trial is over.
The first 3 bowls of wrath pour out literal judgments on the land (people break out in sores), the sea (blood like dead men, killing every living creature in the seas), and on the rivers and springs (blood to drink). When the angels praise God, saying He is just and true to give men blood to drink, they make a reference to the martyred saints and prophets, whose blood men have shed. Once again there is a reference to God’s justice. He sees the lives and the blood of His saints as precious, and is giving blood to the inhabitants of the earth to drink in retribution for the death of His saints.
The fourth bowl causes men to be scorched, which brings cursings from them instead of repentance. The firth bowl brings darkness to their hearts, for their works, thoughts and companions are void of the Light of Life which lives in God’s people. It is the fourth and fifth bowls, therefore, which give men a taste of what it would be like to live eternity outside of God’s presence: in scorching heat and darkness. Yet this taste of hell brings cursings instead of repentance, for men have already chosen this world and the image of men perfected in their flesh (the number of the Beast), and they have forsaken the image of God in His Holy Son.
We find that God’s people are separated from those who have the mark of the Beast. This is the doing of the Beast, for all those who would not take his mark on their right hand or in their foreheads were persecuted (Rev 13:16-17). So those who gained victory over his number are separated out from those who worshipped the Beast. As in the times of Moses, God’s people will not partake of all the judgments sent to those who rejected God.
The Great River Euphrates is the Life-giving Holy Spirit. In order for men to be tested by satan’s deceiving spirits, the Holy Spirit is dried up to prepare their way. Instead of seeing greater revivals in our churches, we will see a time of dryness, and of testing the motivation behind the works of God’s people. Deceiving spirits will cause men’s works to come from themselves, or to be inspired by the evil spirits who are influencing them. Eventually, satan will turn all who are not with the Lord against Him. The purpose of the bowls of wrath is to position men according to the side they have chosen. There is no longer a straddling of the fence; those who curse God because of His wrath will side with the Beast. Those who praise God for His justice will stand with Jesus. The time for repentance is over; the time for the last stand has come.
These are the “times” Daniel spoke of when he said that satan’s emissary would try to change the “set times”. Those who are deceived will think it is a time of great blessing being poured out on God’s people. The leaders will not prepare the saints to stand in times of trial. Prayer meetings will focus on bringing revival, when in reality, people need to be ministered to for strengthening in the inner man. Spiritual warfare will not be a style of prayer anymore in the churches, for men who are deceived will teach that we already have the kingdom, and all the power is ours, if we just believe. Satan’s lies employ scripture, so the simple-minded will follow him. But those who have known Jesus as the Word of God will have discernment, and will overcome. Though the Holy Spirit be dried up in the churches, God’s true people will have His Spirit within, ruling and reigning on the thrones of their hearts.
The evil spirits that come from the Beast, the Dragon, and the False Prophet will work miracles and deceive those who are not grounded in the Word of God. All who rule in the churches without Jesus will be gathered to stand with those who love their flesh, for they will be offended at the requirement of holiness brought by Jesus’ Holy Spirit. This is the battle of Armegedon and is described in Revelation 19:17-21. Jesus warned men that He would come as a thief. “Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Rev 16:15). It is not the worldly men who need their clothes, for indeed, they do not have the robes of righteousness that come by faith in God. It is the people of God whom the Lord is addressing, admonishing us to live a life that proceeds from our faith in God.
In the outpouring of the seventh bowl we hear the message “It is done.” God’s final wrath is poured out on the cities of men, so severe that it changes the geography of the earth. Great hailstones fall on men, and again, they curse God. Yet God is reserving a special judgment for those who failed to be a witness to this dying earth, but who instead polluted the ungodly and did not bring them to repentance. We see these people illustrated as the Great Harlot, Babylon. In the next two chapters God will show us her sin, and her judgment.
The Kingdom of our Lord on this earth will not be fully His to reign in with His saints until judgment is pronounced for us. There is a great trial of testing before us all, and it is the outcome of our trials that determine God’s judgment for or against us. Therefore we read in Daniel’s later prophecy “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days,” (Dan 12:12) which is the 3 ½ years of war between satan and the saints. We will be blessed, and reign with our Lord, after the 3 ½ year trial is over.
The first 3 bowls of wrath pour out literal judgments on the land (people break out in sores), the sea (blood like dead men, killing every living creature in the seas), and on the rivers and springs (blood to drink). When the angels praise God, saying He is just and true to give men blood to drink, they make a reference to the martyred saints and prophets, whose blood men have shed. Once again there is a reference to God’s justice. He sees the lives and the blood of His saints as precious, and is giving blood to the inhabitants of the earth to drink in retribution for the death of His saints.
The fourth bowl causes men to be scorched, which brings cursings from them instead of repentance. The firth bowl brings darkness to their hearts, for their works, thoughts and companions are void of the Light of Life which lives in God’s people. It is the fourth and fifth bowls, therefore, which give men a taste of what it would be like to live eternity outside of God’s presence: in scorching heat and darkness. Yet this taste of hell brings cursings instead of repentance, for men have already chosen this world and the image of men perfected in their flesh (the number of the Beast), and they have forsaken the image of God in His Holy Son.
We find that God’s people are separated from those who have the mark of the Beast. This is the doing of the Beast, for all those who would not take his mark on their right hand or in their foreheads were persecuted (Rev 13:16-17). So those who gained victory over his number are separated out from those who worshipped the Beast. As in the times of Moses, God’s people will not partake of all the judgments sent to those who rejected God.
The Great River Euphrates is the Life-giving Holy Spirit. In order for men to be tested by satan’s deceiving spirits, the Holy Spirit is dried up to prepare their way. Instead of seeing greater revivals in our churches, we will see a time of dryness, and of testing the motivation behind the works of God’s people. Deceiving spirits will cause men’s works to come from themselves, or to be inspired by the evil spirits who are influencing them. Eventually, satan will turn all who are not with the Lord against Him. The purpose of the bowls of wrath is to position men according to the side they have chosen. There is no longer a straddling of the fence; those who curse God because of His wrath will side with the Beast. Those who praise God for His justice will stand with Jesus. The time for repentance is over; the time for the last stand has come.
These are the “times” Daniel spoke of when he said that satan’s emissary would try to change the “set times”. Those who are deceived will think it is a time of great blessing being poured out on God’s people. The leaders will not prepare the saints to stand in times of trial. Prayer meetings will focus on bringing revival, when in reality, people need to be ministered to for strengthening in the inner man. Spiritual warfare will not be a style of prayer anymore in the churches, for men who are deceived will teach that we already have the kingdom, and all the power is ours, if we just believe. Satan’s lies employ scripture, so the simple-minded will follow him. But those who have known Jesus as the Word of God will have discernment, and will overcome. Though the Holy Spirit be dried up in the churches, God’s true people will have His Spirit within, ruling and reigning on the thrones of their hearts.
The evil spirits that come from the Beast, the Dragon, and the False Prophet will work miracles and deceive those who are not grounded in the Word of God. All who rule in the churches without Jesus will be gathered to stand with those who love their flesh, for they will be offended at the requirement of holiness brought by Jesus’ Holy Spirit. This is the battle of Armegedon and is described in Revelation 19:17-21. Jesus warned men that He would come as a thief. “Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Rev 16:15). It is not the worldly men who need their clothes, for indeed, they do not have the robes of righteousness that come by faith in God. It is the people of God whom the Lord is addressing, admonishing us to live a life that proceeds from our faith in God.
In the outpouring of the seventh bowl we hear the message “It is done.” God’s final wrath is poured out on the cities of men, so severe that it changes the geography of the earth. Great hailstones fall on men, and again, they curse God. Yet God is reserving a special judgment for those who failed to be a witness to this dying earth, but who instead polluted the ungodly and did not bring them to repentance. We see these people illustrated as the Great Harlot, Babylon. In the next two chapters God will show us her sin, and her judgment.
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