It is almost beyond our mental capabilities to picture the events that Revelation chapter sixteen describes. The world, in all its horrors, has never witnessed such misery, war and destruction which are catalogued in this section of Holy Writ!
The final set of judgments which are poured forth from “bowls of judgments” will deluge the inhabitants of the earth. These judgments will devastate both the physical bodies of man and his ecology. It is these judgments from God that will pave the road to the final great battle of Armageddon.
Five bowls of judgment will be poured out in a terrifying sequence. The first bowl, when poured out on men, will produce horrendous boils on all that received the mark of the beast. This will be followed by the destruction of all life which inhabit the seas, followed by the poisoning of all waters. The next bowl, the fourth, will cause a scorching heat from the sun that will torment men and when men will cry out in their torments then the sun is blotted out plunging the world into absolute, impenetrable darkness!
Do men repent under such torments? Will there be arenas filled with kneeling humans calling out for forgiveness? The fact that they do not is horrifying in itself! Rather, they “blasphemed the Name of God (Jesus) Who has power over these plaques; and did not repent and give Him glory” (Rev. 16:9). In the midst of the darkness and pain of judgment they again, “blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16:11).
Rather than repent they will blaspheme. Their utter hatred of God will propel mankind into actually thinking they can wage war with God! Demonic spirits will “go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Rev. 16:14-16).
When the seventh bowl is poured out the destruction will be beyond imagination! An earthquake of such enormity that it will shake the whole earth changing and marring the earth’s geography and destroying Babylon. A hailstorm, such as never known, will follow dropping 100 pound stones, obliterating masses of people, animals and structures. Again, what will be men’s response? “Men blasphemed God because of the hail, since the plaque was exceedingly great” (Rev. 16:21).
These events are not hypotheticals, nor are they described in figurative language, these are actual events which will happen to actual people. Actual people who have become so hardened and brainwashed that they refuse to repent, yea rather, they are haters of God, so much, that they rush into to battle believing they can war against the Almighty!
One thing becomes apparent through all these events – man is not moved to repentance so much by judgments – no, repentance is the work of the gospel. It was the gospel that caused men to call out, “men and brethren what must we do?” And it was the gospel which caused their hearts to be pricked. It is seeing the work of Calvary and the Supreme Sacrifice which bends the knees of those who believe and the follow up of “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost..” (Acts 2:38) which brings salvation to every repentant and obedient heart!
“Men shall be…” is what men are now becoming! “Today is the day of salvation IF you will hear His Voice (The Word of God).”
–jlg–