“The Super Bowls” – Revelation Ch. 16
INTRODUCTION: For those of you who don’t know it … TODAY is “Super Bowl Sunday”! To some, it doesn’t mean much. To others, it’s what you’ve been waiting for all year.
TODAY, I thought I would preach a message on “The Super Bowls”. BUT … I’m going to be talking about the REAL “Super Bowls” … the ones in the Book of Revelation.
God is a God of “love” (1 John 4:16). It’s important to know this ASPECT of God.
o LOVE sent Him to earth in the form of a man.
o LOVE sent Him to the cross of Calvary to die for you.
o LOVE is what held Him to the cross.
BUT … there is another ASPECT of God that we are going to take a look at this morning. God is ALSO a God of wrath and judgment. ONE DAY, in the Tribulation Period, God will pour out His wrath upon this wicked earth. He is going to cleanse it, to make it ready for His Millennial reign. If you are a born-again believer, you will be raptured out BEFORE this terrible day of wrath begins.
Revelation 16:1 – all turn. “vials” = “bowls”.
o Before this, there will be 7 Seals of Judgment … including: war, famine, death & disaster.
o Before this, there will be 7 Trumpets of Judgment … including: hail & fire, blood, awful creatures, earthquakes. Over 58% of those on earth will be killed … 2/3 of the Jews were killed.
o Before this, the image of the Anti-Christ will be set up in the Temple in Jerusalem. People will be commanded to worship it. The “Mark of the Beast” will be necessary before you could buy or sell anything. The False Prophet will make people fall down and worship the Beast.
NOW, we see 7 Bowl Judgments … to get the earth ready for the Battle of Armageddon … the coming of the Lord in His glory.
1.- BOWL #1 – 16:2
This Bowl of God’s judgment is poured out upon the followers of the Anti-Christ … those who received the “Mark of the Beast” – 666. See 14:9-10, 13:16-18.
16:2 – “sores” = ‘running & painful ulcers … bad odor’.
It’s not always best to follow the crowd. They might be going AWAY from God … and turn YOU away from God. Judgment is sure to follow.
2.- BOWL #2 – 16:3
The sea will become like “blood” … and everything in the sea will die … like “dead man’s blood”. Have you ever been around the “red tide”? When I lived in Clearwater, we used to experience it every year. The fish die, and are washed ashore. The beach became a stinking, filthy mess. This is just a small “taste” of what will happen during God’s judgment upon the earth.
BECAUSE they rejected the blood that brings forth LIFE (Jesus) … this blood brings forth DEATH. LESSON: Reject what the blood of Jesus gave to SAVE you … and you will PERISH for eternity.
3.- BOWL #3 – 16:4-7
There will be no fresh water to drink on the earth. We think of the value of OIL in the earth. Nations fight over it … wars are waged because of it. ONE DAY, fresh water to drink will be more valuable than OIL!
We take water for granted. BUT … in Hell, as hot as it is, there will be no water. Luke 16:23-24 – “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
o ONE DAY, they will try to drink from a water fountain … and out will come BLOOD.
o ONE DAY, they will go into their refrigerator, thinking it’s a pitcher of tomato juice … but it will be water turned to blood.
o ONE DAY, they will think their ice cubes are red because of rust in the pipes of the ice machine … but it will be frozen blood.
WHY this awful judgment? BECAUSE, they spurned the “water of life”. John 4:14 – “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
They rejected those who preached, and offered them the “water of life”. They killed them … shed their blood – 16:5-6. NOW, God is going to judge them for it.
#4 – BOWL #4 – 16:8-9
The sun becomes very hot. We’ve seen some hot Summer days, here in Florida. BUT … nothing like this! Even a few minutes in the sun will get you sun-burned and blistered. BLISTERS … on top of your SORES (16:2). AND … no fresh water to drink to give you relief from the heat!
They rejected the S-O-N … NOW, God has sent the S-U-N to judge them.
#5 – BOWL #5 – 16:10-11
From a scorching sun … to DARKNESS! They will be groping around in pitch black … running into things … hitting and bumping their sores & blisters … PAIN!
This is just a preview of the Hell that is to come. Matthew 8:12 – “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:42 – “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
There was ANOTHER TIME when there was DARKNESS on the earth. Matthew 27:45 – “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” Jesus endured 3 hours of darkness on the cross to take away our sin. God couldn’t look upon the face of His dear Son, as every despicable sin known to mankind was placed upon Jesus.
God hid the face of Jesus in darkness … so we could have the “light of life”. They rejected the LIGHT … so God gave them DARKNESS. John 1:4-5,9 – “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” NOTICE how they react – 16:11.
#6 – BOWL #6 – 16:12-16
The Euphrates River dries up … in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon … so the armies can cross over. Where is the Euphrates River? Right in the center of IRAQ! Here, God is gathering the armies of the world together, to the “Mount of Slaughter” … “Armageddon”.
This is where the “Battle of Armageddon” will be fought. God will use demon spirits (like frogs) to summon the armies together. The “Unholy Trinity” is mentioned in 16:13:
o The DRAGON – Satan – a counterfeit of God the Father.
o The BEAST – the Anti-Christ – a counterfeit of God the Son, Jesus.
o The FALSE PROPHET – who causes the world to worship the Beast – a counterfeit of God the Holy Spirit.
Satan and his crew prepare to make war with Christ and His army. We see the OUTCOME in 17:14 – all turn.
The 6th Bowl of God’s wrath shows us the hatred in the hearts for all who reject the light … and live in the darkness of the 5th Bowl. John 3:18-21 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Those who love darkness rather than light, will actively seek to destroy Christ, and everything Christian. We can see this taking place, even here in America, on an ever increasing scale … CAN’T WE?
#7 – BOWL #7 – 16:17-21
Here we see the CLIMAX … “It is done” … this is the beginning of the end! REMEMBER what Jesus said on the cross? “It is finished.” The death of Jesus, dying for our sins, meant that salvation was completed through the blood sacrifice of Jesus, the Son of God. SO HERE, the judgment and wrath of God is completed. He has had enough. It’s time for this phase of history to end … and a new phase to begin … the coming Kingdom of God.
Satan’s kingdom is finally crumbling. The earthly kingdom that Satan has been given to rule and reign over, as prince & power of the air, is about to cease.
What is the FINAL RESULT? How does it finally end? 19:20-21 – all turn.
NOTICE … that there is NO REPENTANCE – 16:21
CONCLUSION:
You think the “Super Bowl” will be exciting! It doesn’t compare with the “Super Bowls” that God has in store for planet Earth.
When will all this happen? 7 years from the time of the Rapture. THINK ABOUT IT … it could happen 7 years from TODAY!
If you’re saved, you’ll be spared all of this. BUT … if you’ve never trusted Jesus to be your Savior, you will be there. You’re looking at your future … if you even survive that long!
The message today, isn’t very UPLIFTING, is it? It’s not a sermon that lifts you up in spirit … it’s rather DEPRESSING, isn’t it? BUT … this WILL HAPPEN … literally. God is a God of wrath and judgment. One day. He will say, “Enough is enough.”
NOW, let me give you some GOOD NEWS. The same God Who is a God of wrath and judgment … is ALSO a God of GRACE and MERCY. He wants to save you from all of this. He put a plan into place 2000 years ago, that is still in effect today.
BUT … it will end at the Rapture of the Church. Jesus will come, like a thief in the night, and you won’t have any advanced warning. If, when He comes, you have never trusted Him to save you … THEN … it will be too late. You will be included in the group that will go through the Great Tribulation Period. You won’t have a “2nd chance” to get saved. The only chance you have, is BEFORE He comes to rapture away His Church.
The GOOD NEWS is … you can come to Him RIGHT NOW. We don’t know WHEN the Rapture will take place. It might be tonight, tomorrow, next year. BUT … what if it’s TONIGHT? Will you be left behind? Do you know for sure that you will go with Jesus … or be left behind … with no hope … no chance … no Heaven. ONLY … Hell on earth!
HEADS BOWED … EYES CLOSED
There are dark days ahead for those who will be left behind when Jesus comes for His children. If you have never trusted Jesus as your personal Savior, there is no other hope. There is no other way to get to Heaven. There is no other way to avoid the horrors of the Tribulation Period. Your ONLY HOPE, is to come to Jesus, before it is eternally too late.
JUST, ADMIT that you are a sinner, in need of a Savior. TRUST Jesus to save you from the eternal penalty of your sin … by repenting of your sins. Realize that it was YOUR SINS that put Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Ask Him to forgive you. Trust Him to save you. AND … let Him be the Lord of your life, as you live for Him in His power and strength.
Won’t you do that … before it’s eternally too late?
STAND – PRAYER
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“The Super Bowls” – Revelation Chapter 16
INTRODUCTION: No Super Bowl can compare to the “Super Bowls” Jesus has planned for planet Earth.
- God is a God of love, but He’s also a God of wrath and judgment – Revelation 16:1
BOWL #1 – 16:2 - God’s wrath is poured out on all who receive the “mark of the Beast” – 14:9-10, 13:16-18
- Following the crowd may lead you AWAY from Christ.
BOWL #2 – 16:13 - Everything in the sea will die.
- They rejected the blood of Jesus for LIFE … blood brings DEATH!
BOWL #3 – 16:4-7
- There will be no fresh water to drink – Luke 16:23-24
- They spurned the “Water of Life” – John 4:14.
BOWL #4 – 16:8-9 - The sun becomes VERY hot.
- They rejected the S-O-N … now, the S-U-N judges them.
BOWL #5 – 16:10-11
- Darkness … and the PAIN of living in darkness – Matthew 8:12, 13:42.
- In the 3 hours of darkness, Jesus took YOUR sins upon Himself – Matthew 27:45.
- They rejected the light, so God gave them darkness – John 1:4-5,9.
BOWL #6 – 16:12-16 - God gathers the armies in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon.
- We see the “Unholy Trinity”:
o The DRAGON – Satan - a counterfeit of God the Father.
o The BEAST – the Anti-Christ – a counterfeit of God the Son.
o The FALSE PROPHET – a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.
- See the outcome of this battle – 17:14
- They hate and reject the light – John 3:18-21.
BOWL #7 – 16:17-21
- On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished”, when His death completed God’s plan of salvation.
- How does it finally end? 19:20-21
CONCLUSION:
- God is ALSO a God of GRACE & MERCY.
- There will be no “2nd Chance” after the Rapture … come to Him before it is eternally too late.
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH – Ray Scott, Pastor
