They Deserve It!

“Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The second poured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like a dead man’s, and all life in the sea died. The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. I heard the angel of the waters say: You are righteous, who is and who was, the Holy One, for You have decided these things. Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, You also gave them blood to drink; they deserve it! Then I heard someone from the altar say: Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments. The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun. He was given the power to burn people with fire, and people were burned by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God, who had the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory.” (Revelation‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

I’m a fan of true crime stories, TV shows, and podcasts. One of the things that often comes out in these stories are the methods used by police investigators to elicit confessions from suspects. Some confessions are true while others are simply false. One question that often arises is: why would someone confess to something they didn’t do? The general understanding by the victim’s family and the police is that if someone confesses they MUST be guilty. In fact, I watched one television episode in which the victim’s son is considered by police to be the perpetrator. After hours of police interviews and accusations, the son finally confessed. The most shocking turn of events occurred when the supposed victim of the crime, the missing and presumed dead father, walked into the police station unharmed and very much alive. The son obviously confessed to a crime which he could not have committed because his father was alive.

While I am convinced that false confessions likely occur much more often than either the police will ever admit or most people realize, there are those who are guilty but swear to and stand by their innocence? While there are some false confessions, there are many, many more false claims of innocence. As many investigative reporters will tell you, I’ve never met a guilty man in prison. They all claim to be innocent.

In many ways, that is the very issue we face in this week’s focal passage. Last week, John prepared us to face the truth regarding God’s wrath. We heard the song of Moses and the Lamb being sung by the victorious standing on the sea of glass mixed with fire before the throne of God. They were victorious because they refused to submit to the authority of the dragon, they refused to bow before the beast, and they refused to take his mark upon their lives. They declared, “great and awe-inspiring are Your works… righteous and true are your ways… who will not fear and glorify Your name? For you alone are holy.” God’s wrath on those who refuse His authority, who deny His righteousness, and who do not fear and glorify His name is coming. It is coming and there’s no stopping it. 

This week, we look at the first four “bowls of God’s wrath” that will be poured out upon the earth. Unlike the previous judgments we’ve seen, these bowls are “filled” with the anger of God’s wrath. They’re not partial judgments; they are filled up with it. The problem is that man makes claims of innocence even as we face God’s just and righteous wrath upon our sin and rebellion. We besmirch God’s goodness and character in order to assert our own. In our minds, we’re absolutely right and God’s obviously wrong. Like so many prisoners, we stand here clothed in our guilt even as we look up at the heavens and proclaim our innocence.

In John’s vision, he hears a loud voice coming from the sanctuary or Holy of Holies (Gr: naos): “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” It would seem, based on the location from which it comes, this is God’s voice. The first angel obeys and pours out his bowl of God’s righteous wrath upon the earth. The results are painful sores that break out on all those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. If you look back on the previous seal and trumpet judgments, you’ll find that they were all partial judgments. Here we see this judgment affecting all who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. In other words, God’s judgment falls upon those who deny His authority, who live in rebellion to His will, and who reject His gift of grace through faith in Jesus.

The second and third angels pour out their bowls and they affect the sea and all the fresh water sources. The effects of the second bowl are specific, the water turns to blood like a dead man’s, but the effects of the third bowl are less specific, the fresh water became blood. In my opinion, I don’t think there’s any difference in the effects of the second and third bowls. I think you could easily read the effects of the third bowl as “they became blood, too.” The primary point of these bowls is the impact upon all the water sources, the life within them, and then the lives of all those who depend on them.

Immediately after those bowls are poured out upon the waters, John hears the “angel of the waters” respond. While we’ve not encountered this specific angel before, we have encountered the angels over the wind and the fire in our previous studies. Pay attention to his response: “You are righteous, who is and who was, the Holy One, for You have decided these things. Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, You also gave them blood to drink; they deserve it!” 

This angel, who has been charged with care over the waters of the earth, is not upset over God’s wrath being poured out upon the waters. The intent in the angel’s response seems to be that God’s judgment is entirely within His right and is completely righteous, fair, and just – and, most especially, consistent with man’s guilt. One more thing to note, the angel of the waters calls God the one “who is and who was” and not the “the one who is to come.” God’s willful and righteous reign over this planet and everything in and on it is no longer future tense, it is just past and present. He HAS come!

Then John hears someone from the altar say: “Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” While the speaker is not identified, the location from which he speaks is – the altar. While it is possible this could be referencing the angel who took coals from the altar and put them in the incense burner and offered it up to God along with the prayers of the saints, I believe it is more likely coming from the saints under the altar. They have been crying out for God to avenge their deaths and this particular bowl full of God’s wrath is specifically being poured out in response to that prayer request. Notice, God decided these things (water judgements) because they had poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets. God is giving back to them what they took, the blood of those they killed.

Now, John sees the fourth angel pour his bowl out on the sun. He was given the power to burn people with fire, and people were burned by the intense heat. It is unclear whether “he” is the fourth angel or the sun itself but, either way, the sun is used to inflict intense heat upon the people. The most important thing to notice is their response, “So they blasphemed the name of God, who had the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory.”

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭45‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

We often overlook the general blessings of God on our lives. In the passage quoted above, we are called to love not just our neighbors, but also our enemies. If we only love those who love us back, we fall short of the standard God has given and personally demonstrated to us. We’re told to love our enemies so that we may be sons of our Father in heaven. Why? Because He has demonstrated that kind of love to us, in a general way but also in a very specific way – He sent His Son to show us the way to the Father (see Rom. 5:8, Jn. 3:16, Jn. 14:1-11). 

The last sentence of that quote is often cited as an example of general revelation and common grace. General revelation is how God has revealed Himself to all of mankind in general ways. For example, everything that exists must have a source or creator. We live in a world that is perfectly tuned for all of life to exist and flourish. When we view it as a cosmic accident, we blaspheme the very name of God. Common grace is where we experience the blessings of God when we’ve done nothing to deserve them. As Jesus says, “God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Each of us has experienced the grace of God. Every beat of our hearts and every breath that fills our lungs is a gift from Almighty God. We should live with a heart full of eternal thanks and gratitude.

Gratitude flows out of the realization that life is a gift, not a right. The right to life is not yours to take, it is God’s to give. Gratitude is recognizing that and offering the gift of that life back to Him to use as He sees fit. If you take your life and do with it as you see fit, you’ve denied your Creator and blasphemed His name. When you give your life back to God, He is Lord and has every right to direct, guide, and use you in whatever manner He chooses. Let me say this very simply, to live for God in whatever manner He has chosen is the highest calling any man or woman can have. I would much rather be blessed for all eternity by being obedient to God and faithful to His calling for the few short years I have on this planet than to live my life my own way now and miss Him, His heaven and His blessings for all eternity.

The evidence of God’s blessings is not the things you expect and don’t come in the ways you imagine. This is what His blessings look like:

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Finally, I want you to pay close attention to the last words of our focal passage: “So they blasphemed the name of God, who had the power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory.” The entire purpose of these plagues was to draw those who suffered under them into repentance and praise. The purpose of every struggle in your life is to draw you into a place of gratitude where you realize everything you have is a gift from God and intended to lead you into repentance and praise. The struggles either forge you into a man or woman of righteous character who kneels before the Creator and worships Him, or it will break you into pieces as God pours out His righteous wrath on your sin against Him.

Let the words from the angel of the waters ring in your ears: “You are righteous, who is and who was, the Holy One, for You have decided these things… they deserve it!”