December 14, 2022

A Heart that Yields

Revelation 15–16

Meredith Ratliff
Wednesday's Devo

December 14, 2022

Wednesday's Devo

December 14, 2022

Central Truth

"As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."
—C.S. Lewis

 

Key Verse | Revelation 16:9

They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

Revelation 15–16

The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations! 1 15:3 Some manuscripts the ages
Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent 2 15:5 Or tabernacle of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters 3 16:5 Greek angel of the waters say,

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
    for you brought these judgments.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
    and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!”

And I heard the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
    true and just are your judgments!”

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed 4 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21 the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

The Seventh Bowl

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, 5 16:18 Or voices, or sounds peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds 6 16:21 Greek a talent in weight each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

Footnotes

[1] 15:3 Some manuscripts the ages
[2] 15:5 Or tabernacle
[3] 16:5 Greek angel of the waters
[4] 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21
[5] 16:18 Or voices, or sounds
[6] 16:21 Greek a talent in weight

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Dive Deeper | Revelation 15–16

If you are like me, I cringe at the picture that we are given by John in these chapters. This is the last of the judgments, called the bowl judgments. These judgments mirror the plagues in Egypt. This is the outpouring of God's wrath on the beast and those loyal to him. It's hard to comprehend the level of human suffering that is described. What's even more incredible is the response to the suffering! Revelation 16:9—they did not repent, Revelation16:11—they cursed God for their pain and sores, Revelation 16:21—they cursed God because the plague was so severe.

How could these people not turn to God in the midst of their pain and suffering and seek mercy and repentance? Why are their hearts so hard? This response reminded me of Satan's response in John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. Satan, after rebelling against God, was driven out of heaven and finds himself for the very first time in hell. It's described as "torture without end." Satan is miserable! However Satan says,

All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield.
(Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1, ll. 106-08, emphasis added)

The unwillingness to yield is the sin of PRIDE, and it's something that I struggle with every day. Pride is what makes it difficult for me to admit I'm wrong, confess sin to God, and seek forgiveness from those I've hurt. Matthew 7:3 says, "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Pride also whispers in my ear, "At least your sin is not as bad as theirs!" This section of Scripture warns me to examine my own heart (Psalm 139:23-24) and be quick to confess sins that can lead to a hard heart.

Discussion Questions

It's difficult to deal with our own sin. It's easy to minimize, make excuses, or convince yourself that your sin isn't that bad. When I'm faced with my own sin, I have to continually remind myself of the gospel (preach the gospel to myself!). God loves me so much that He sent His only son Jesus to die for ME. It's grace and mercy that I do not deserve. Romans 5:8 tells me: "[W]hile we were still sinners, Christ died for us"(not when I cleaned up my life and stopped doing XYZ terrible, awful sins).

1. What are some daily habits that will prevent you from developing a hard heart? Some Scripture to consider: John 15, Matthew 13.

2. Are you confessing sin on a regular basis? James 5:16a says, "[C]onfess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

3. Do you have difficulty viewing God as a God of wrath and a perfect Judge? While it can be difficult to read sections of Scripture where we see harsh judgment and punishment, a right view of God includes all aspects of His character.