REVELATION Lesson 37

REVELATION

Lesson 37

Are we living in the end times?

Revelation 16:6   ⁶ For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

This is referring to those who will be murdered by the antichrist during the time of the great tribulation because of their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. The bloody waters will be Gods response to the shedding of the blood of the tribulation saints and the old testament prophets.

The old testament plainly says you shall not murder. Jesus also said all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Matthew 26:52   ⁵² Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

This may be a hard truth but these unbelievers will get what they have coming to them. It is bad enough to ignore the bible, but its even worse to turn ones back on the mercy of God at the same time.

Those who shed the blood will be forced to drink it. This proclaims the fact that the beast worshippers are getting their justice. We can only hope to grasp the full extent of this judgment when we consider the reason for it.

If the voice of the blood of one single person who was murdered (Able) cries out to the Lord, how much louder must the blood of all the murdered people cry out to heaven.

Revelation 16:7   ⁷ And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

This is referring to those who will be murdered by the antichrist and are asking vengeance. The antichrist and his followers will shed the blood of saints all over the world. God will eventually respond by turning their drinking water into blood, even so, Lord God almighty true and righteous are your judgements proclaims those at the alter who cry for vengeance and are about to have their cries answered.

Revelation 16:8   ⁸ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

The forth bowl of judgment will cause the sun to scorch people with fire. This will add to the boils and their problem of a water shortage. Evidently the sun at that time will pour out more heat on the earth than ever before.

Malachi 4:1    4 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

It seems this plague will also be confined to the area of the antichrist. If that is the case the Lord will have to stop the heat from effecting other parts of the globe.

Multitudes will want to take a cold shower and wash their painful sores but they will only be able to shower in blood. Those involved in the blood bath of Christians will experience the wrath of God by bathing in blood or not bathing at all. Two options, neither good.

Revelation 16:9   ⁹ And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The strong heat of the sun will bear down on them with a vengeance they will thirst but will have nothing to drink but blood. They will get sunburned on top of the painful sores caused by the first bowl judgment. Still they refuse to repent.

Blisters sunstroke and extreme thirst will be Gods punishment to the unbelievers. These people know beyond a doubt that God is light and Satan is darkness. Nevertheless, men will love the darkness rather than light because their acts and deeds are evil.

These afflictions will cause them to finally admit that God exists and that he controls these plagues. Even with that in mind, they will still not fall on their sunburned face and sore knees to ask for mercy. Instead, they will curse his Holy Name.

Revelation 16:10   ¹⁰ And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

This tells us that its coverage area is the seat of the beast. This could refer to Jerusalem which at this time is the religious headquarters of the antichrist. This is the fifth bowl judgment and will mark a turning point. God will begin to focus his attention on one of the biggest adversaries on earth, the antichrist.

This beast will love spiritual darkness, so he will get physical darkness. It will cover the planet. People will not be able to see the stars, moon or sun. it will be similar to the darkness of Egypt when Moses was trying to free the Hebrew children of God.

The last time darkness covered the earth is when Jesus hung on the cross.

Matthew 27:45   ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

The next time it will happen will be to fulfill many old testament prophecies. People will become anxious, they will begin to think about their future. Some will have mixed feelings about taking the mark of the beast and following the antichrist, others may be tormented by insanity and chew their tongues in agony.

When Jesus who is the light of the world died God plunged the world into darkness for three hours. The world cannot survive without light. This means that the world cannot survive without Jesus.

The prophet Joel says the tribulation period darkness will be unlike anything the world has ever experienced. The agony and fear will be indescribable. 

Joel 2:2   ² A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Until our next lesson,

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy