Lecture on the Book of Revelation

May 29, 2024

Lecture on the Book of Revelation

Overview

  • Continuing the sermon series on the Book of Revelation
  • John’s vision of hope
  • 4 weeks left in the series
  • Intense content in the last chapters
  • Reminder: Previous sermons available on the podcast

Key Themes in Recent Sermons

  • Main adversaries in John’s vision: dragon, Sea Beast, land Beast, Babylon
  • Symbols and illustrations convey profound realities
  • Assurance of God's ultimate victory in Christ
  • Encouragement to press on with endurance and peace

Revelation 15: Prelude to the Seven Bowls of Wrath

  • Full outpouring of God's wrath
  • Angels with the seven last plagues
  • Vision of a sea of glass and those victorious over the Beast
  • The Song of Moses and the Lamb praising God’s deeds and holiness
  • Scene with the temple and seven angels receiving bowls of wrath

Summary of Revelation 16: The Seven Bowls of Wrath

  • First Bowl: Terrible sores on those with the Beast’s mark
  • Second Bowl: Sea turns to blood, killing all sea life
  • Third Bowl: Rivers and springs turn to blood
  • Fourth Bowl: Mankind scorched with heat from the sun
  • Fifth Bowl: Beast’s throne struck, kingdom cursed with darkness
  • Sixth Bowl: Euphrates River dries up, preparing for Armageddon
  • Seventh Bowl: Earth's complete destruction

Reflection on God's Wrath

Familiarity with Neighbors and Content

  • Repeated theme of seven events marking God’s redemptive plan
  • Retelling from different perspectives: Church, sinful humanity, and Jesus' throne
  • Past sermons emphasized a triumphant end, leading to renewed chaos
  • Reinforcement of God’s plan to reach humanity through these events

Three Perspectives in Retellings

  • Seven seals: perspective of the suffering Church
  • Seven trumpets: perspective of sinful humanity
  • Seven bowls: perspective of Jesus’ throne in heaven

Theological Insights

God’s Wrath is Real and Present

  • Wrath is a biblical reality, not a concept to be avoided
  • Wrath mentioned throughout both Old and New Testament
  • Wrath serves as warning and demonstration of God’s justice

Righteousness of God's Wrath

  • God's wrath is justified and righteous
  • Aim to understand wrath within the full biblical context
  • Illustration of past harsh sermons like Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
  • Contemporary views on wrath: Mixed responses from atheists, deists, Christians
  • Wrath and love are not mutually exclusive in God

Responses to God's Wrath

  • John Piper’s teachings: Wrath is terrible and eternal, already started, coming in final judgment, due to sin, righteous, and God’s prerogative
  • Distinction of God's wrath from human wrath: calculated, directed at evil

Human Interaction with Wrath

  • Experiencing wrath is a choice
  • Wrath reserved for those who refuse to repent
  • Christians live under mercy, not wrath
  • Challenges in dealing with difficult life circumstances

Final Judgment and Wrath

  • Understanding of God's plan for ultimate justice and restoration
  • Invitation to repentance and relationship with God to avoid wrath and enjoy mercy

Applications and Takeaways

Believers Live Under Mercy

  • Recognize God’s mercy in daily life
  • Relate to God through a covenant of grace
  • Avoid misconceptions of God’s intentions in hardships

Non-Believers: Opportunity for Repentance

  • Embrace the nudge from God as an invitation to be saved
  • Comprehensive life change through accepting Christ
  • Importance of not suppressing the truth any longer

Conclusion

  • Call to stand firm in understanding God’s righteous wrath and mercy
  • Desire for a renewed, restored world
  • Prayer for clarity, comfort, and conversion