I was re-reading chapter 16 from Revelation – the chapter that Pastor Bruce focused his message a couple of weeks ago. In that message Pastor Bruce focused on God’s final judgments via the 7 bowls of God’s wrath.
As I read about the 7 bowls , a couple things come to mind:
1. The utter destruction and the horrific suffering inflicted on those who still remained on the earth.
2. The words of the angel in Rev. 16: 5 – “You are just in these judgments O Holy One”
First, all that destruction, all that suffering, and then reading the words of the angel – “Yes Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” How can this be? Can this truly be the one true Loving God, Holy God, the one true righteous God.
How do I respond as a believing Christian to the horrific events like Orlando, that seem to be happening daily? How do I respond to the world’s answers to that evil – “love wins”? The world’s answers to the evils of Orlando are to eliminate guns, stop hating, just love one another. How do I respond when I do believe as the angel proclaimed in Revelation 16: 5, “ Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments”? How do I respond when I do believe that the destruction and suffering spoken of Revelation 16 is true and just? Do I believe that the evil portrayed in events like Orlando are part of God’s judgment? No I do not, however, I do believe that the evil portrayed is an example of the growing power of Satan on this earth. I do believe as we get closer to the time of Christ’s return the evil power of the enemy will increase. I am, however, confident that Satan will ultimately be defeated, as described in Revelation 16.
We can’t downplay the power of Satan, by simply saying that the problem is with guns, with hate speech. Those explanations fail miserably in recognizing the true source of that evil, Satan. And, those explanations also fail to recognize that only God can defeat the power of Satan. Love does win in the end, but only by God’s Love, and only by the power of an Almighty and Holy God. Man made slogans and efforts can not even begin to stand against the power of Satan.
The apostle John describes the reactions of the people still remaining on the earth as the wrath of God’s judgments are unleashed there in Revelation 16. There in verses 9, 11, and 21 the people “cursed the name of God, they refused to repent and glorify Him” Even after witnessing all that destruction and suffering it was God that they were cursing. They were blaming God as a source of that evil, rather than the conqueror of that evil.
As we look around today, we see so much of Satan’s power being unleashed. Yet, as scripture warns us we haven’t seen anything yet. As the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8: 38 and 39 – the real battle is not flesh vs. flesh; the real battle is between powers and principalities, the power of God vs. the power of Satan. Love does win in the end, but only God’s love and God’s power.
Lord, help us to recognize our helplessness against the power of the enemy and put all our faith and trust in You.
Again, Pastor Bruce, thanks again for opening the book of Revelation to us. Thanks for sharing the warnings and the promises; thanks for helping us better understand all that is happening in the world around us.