The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

The Seventh Trumpet and the Coming Bowl Judgments

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website, morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. Now turn to Revelation chapter 11. In chapter 10, a mighty angel comes down. We don't have time to look at everything, but in chapter 10, a mighty angel comes down from heaven.

This could be Christ himself, perhaps. But this mighty angel in chapter 10 speaks a message, and John is about to write it down, and the angel tells him not to. So a secret message is proclaimed in chapter 10.

Maybe someday we'll find out what he said. But now we come to the seventh trumpet. Revelation 11, verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thanks to you, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned.

The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. In the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.

So the seventh trumpet now has sounded, and the seventh trumpet, here's the thing, the seventh trumpet includes the seven bowl judgments. So one group of judgments leads into the other, and now to the final judgments.

So we're now getting into the last days of the Great Tribulation. Now is where we get that rapid-fire succession of judgments. But let's turn to Revelation chapter 15 before we go through those. Remember, we're well past the midpoint now.

The mark of the beast has been instituted. There is a one-world government, one-world religion with the worship of the Antichrist, a one-world economic system where no one is allowed to buy or sell or take part in society unless they have the mark.

All this is taught in Revelation chapter 13. So if a person, why do I bring that up? Here's what we need to understand about the mark of the beast. If a person takes the mark of the beast, and as of now, September 2021, the mark of the beast has not been instituted.

But the day is coming when it will be. If a person takes the mark of the beast, what are they doing? They're pledging their allegiance to Satan. That's ultimately what it is. They're pledging their allegiance to the Antichrist and to Satan and to his world system, which God is about to destroy.

Look at Revelation 15, starting in verse 1. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. Skip down to verse 5.

After these things, I looked and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was open. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen and having their chest girded with golden bands.

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, from his power.

And no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. So now the judgments come, rapid fire, one after another. The earth is not going to be able to catch its breath.

And really, if there is ever a time on earth where men could kind of get a little glimpse of what hell is going to be like, this would be it. Chapter 16, starting in verse 1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.

So this is the first one. The first bowl is a judgment of loathsome sores. Verse 2. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast, those who worshipped the image.

The second bowl, the sea, turns to blood. Before it was a third of the waters, but now it's the whole thing. Verse 3. Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as a dead man.

And every living creature in the sea died. Now the third bowl, the fresh waters, are turned to blood. Verse 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.

Does this seem too harsh? Well, let's see. And I heard the angel of the waters saying,.

And you are what?

You are righteous, O Lord, the one who is and who was and who is to be, because you have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due.

Does this seem unfair? Verse 7. I heard another from the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments.

It's very clear.

Verse 4. Or the fourth bowl. In verse 8. Men are scorched. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues.

And they did not repent and give him glory. And what does this prove? It just proves that men, it's not that men don't believe in God because they don't have the evidence. That's not the problem. The problem is that they hate God.

There's a lot of people in the world.

I love God.

I love the Bible. You ever come across a, they might say, I love the Bible.

I'm a Christian.

I love the Bible.

Then you open up.

Well, here's what the Bible says. And they get mad.

What's that all about?

Well, I love God. And then you explain to them what the God of the Bible is like. They don't love God anymore. So it's not that people don't have evidence that God exists. Now they know he exists. His full power and glory is on display.

And what happens? It makes them blaspheme God that much more. Now in verse 10, we see the fifth bowl pain and darkness. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became full of darkness.

And they nod their tongues because of the pain. And they blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and did not repent of their deeds. We're seeing a theme here. In the sixth bowl, the river Euphrates is now dried up.

Verse 12, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. So whether this is China or whatever country, we don't know. But what is happening here? God is allowing a great satanic deception that will cause the nations of this world to all move against Israel and Jerusalem.

That's what's happening. They are moving against Israel and Jerusalem to the battle of that great day of God almighty. Verse 16, and they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

My friends, this is where history is headed. We don't have time to look at these chapters, but in Revelation chapter 17, again, to fill in kind of the overall story. In chapter 17, it speaks of the false church.

So, if the true church in the Bible is pictured as the bride of Christ, well, the false church is pictured as the harlot, the harlot of Babylon. Which seems to be, according to Revelation 17, 9, seems to be headquartered in Rome.

So, this false church is corrupt.

Why?

Why is this church called the harlot? Because she's in bed with the kings of the earth. And the Antichrist will use this false church in order to obtain power. He uses this church as his rise to power.

Once he has power, then he destroys it. He doesn't need it anymore, so he destroys it. God put it in his heart to destroy it, the Bible says. Then chapter 18 speaks of the fall of Babylon, which is the corrupt world system and the kingdom of Satan, the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of Antichrist.

The Babylon will fall. It has a capital city. It's going to be destroyed in one hour. It's going to happen suddenly. And it records a voice from heaven. And this really serves as a warning to all people, all men, women, and children, those who have ears to hear the voice from heaven.

It says, come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins and lest you receive of her plagues. The world system is Babylon. And God is saying to you, come out of her.

What does that say?

God's people have to be holy. God's people have to be different. We cannot be like everybody else and just go along with whatever the next thing is. If you do that, you will receive of her plagues. That's not what I said.

That's what Revelation says. So in Revelation 18, an angel from heaven declares Babylon is fallen, is fallen. And this happens at the seventh bowl. Look at verse 17. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air.

And a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying, it is done. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings. And there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.

Now the great city was divided into three parts. And the cities of the nations fell. So all of the skyscrapers, all of the things that men have built, it's all going to come crashing down. And it says, and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Then every island fled away and the mountains were not found. You know, the kingdom of God, when it's on the earth, the earth is going to look a lot different. God's going to do some renovating to this place.

He's starting now.

The Fall of Babylon and the Call to Come Out of Her

All right.

Now I'd like you to turn to Zechariah chapter 14, and this is where we will close. And we're going to end on a, on a glorious note, I believe. So remember what's happening. The nations of the world are gathering together.

They're gathered against Israel. And even right now, as we speak, there are nations and world rulers who have been talking about for a long time. We want to wipe Israel off the face of the map. We've all heard this rhetoric before.

This has always been the plan of Satan. Whether it's, you know, from Haman to Hitler, this has been the devil's plan. The devil always seeks to infiltrate and corrupt, and then ultimately he tries to destroy.

Anything that God works with, or God's trying to build up, Satan tries to corrupt and destroy. But you know what? Here's the great encouragement in this whole sermon. It's all going to backfire. It's all going to backfire.

Instead of destroying Israel, the Lord has just gathered all his enemies together in one place so he can destroy them. That's what's going to happen. He's going to wipe them off the face of the map. Now before we read from Zechariah, just one quick verse.

You remember what David wrote in the Psalms. Psalm 110, verse 1. I think that's the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament, if memory serves me correctly. David wrote in Psalm 110, verse 1, how God said to Jesus, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool.

Well that moment has come, and Jesus is about to return to earth and reign as the King of kings. Zechariah 14, verse 1. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. Verse 3. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. And in that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.

Jesus, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. This is where we will pick up next week with the second advent of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Moores Corner Church.

If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, moorescornerchurch .com. And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett.

Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.