Nice Try, Tolkien
Nailed for some teenage boy rule infraction, our younger son found himself miserably connected to good ol’ Mom and Dad for longer than he ever dreamed he could survive. Towards the end of his house arrest, we informed him that we were going to the movies and – lucky boy! – he was getting to come along!
This wasn’t just any old 90-minute movie. No siree, Bob! It was the first installation of “The Lord of the Rings” series – a whopping two hours and 58 minutes. We actually bought the kid popcorn and a soda and settled in for a great afternoon. I glanced his direction multiple times during the movie. How many words can describe “sullen” or “sulking?” If you’ve ever been the parent of a teenage boy in a very bad mood, you completely get the picture.
The parents left the theater exhilarated and exhausted from the amazing storytelling of J.R.R. Tolkien bought to life by Peter Jackson. The kid? Still pretty much in “sullen” mode. So it came as a big surprise when I walked past his bedroom later that afternoon and overheard a phone conversation he was having with a friend. He went on and on about how great that movie was! He had been just as swept away in the story as we had been – just way too cool to show it in front of us!
Granted, every movie in that series is l-o-n-g, but the epic story of good versus evil is a story that resonates with every honest heart out there. We all long for the good guys to win, to be reassured that evil doesn’t prevail, that there’s a hero coming that makes all the bad stuff come undone.
Reality is that the epic story is a true story, and the details are spelled out in the book of Revelation in the Bible. I studied Revelation 16 last week, and I’ll walk you through what the Lord taught me…
Revelation 16 is a hard chapter full of important truth. Seven angels one by one pour out seven bowls of God’s wrath on the remaining unrighteous people still alive on the earth. There’s finality in these verses that’s challenging and difficult to swallow, but God has been patient. He’s allowed centuries to pass and has given every opportunity for individuals to repent and turn to His Son Jesus for salvation from the consequences of their sin.
In this chapter of the story, God releases His full wrath in judgment on those who’ve consistently rejected Him and His just, right ways. They’ve chosen the ways of the prince of darkness and rejected God’s light and life. Now judgment falls. Whereas the trumpet judgments mentioned earlier in Revelation affected one-third of the earth and its population, the bowl judgments affect the entire earth and all those who carry the mark of the beast and worship him.
The terrible contents of one bowl after another fall onto the earth and its ungodly inhabitants. Even in their immense suffering, they refuse to turn to God and instead curse Him. Evil spirits draw the kings of the world together to prepare for battle against God Himself.
As the final judgment is poured from the seventh bowl, a loud voice from the throne of God says, “It is done!” An earthquake unlike anything man has ever seen shakes the world and splits it open. Islands and mountains disappear. Giant 100-pound hailstones pelt the earth as the enemies of God curse Him.
Hard stuff to read, right? But there are important truths that believers need to pay attention to. So here we go.
This passage of Scripture clearly describes preparation for the epic battle between Satan’s evil forces and God’s army. God will avenge the wrongs done to His people. Every personal battle believers face today is a foreshadowing of the great battle to come. Good news – God wins!
God sets the standards for justice and holiness. He created the world and everything in it, and He created the rules by which mankind is to live and society is to properly function. He must ultimately judge lawbreakers – which is all of us. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). More good news – Jesus has taken the punishment we rightly deserve if we’ll only trust Him to save us.
God doesn’t tolerate evil forever. An end is coming to the brokenness and violence of this world. More good news – He’s patiently waiting for the repentant to enter the ark of His salvation before drawing history to a close. But the end of the darkness is coming.
God’s people are to be on the lookout – to be vigilant and ready for these final chapters as shadows close in over the earth. More good news – Jesus will return to intervene, and those who’ve been patient, faithful, and on the lookout for Him will be blessed.
God shares His calendar with no one. The graphic events described in Revelation 16 are coming, and His heart’s desire is that all would be found under the protection of His mercy. The best news yet – that mercy is available today. God’s Son Jesus bled mercy on the cross, and He invites us to take shelter there. That lifeblood poured out to cover our rebellion against a holy, just, loving God will save us from the outpouring of His wrath in the last days. The time to turn to God is now. For believers, the time to share this saving news is now.
Revelation 16 is a sobering chapter in Scripture. Evil is alive in this world, but take heart – it is not well. God’s wrath and vengeance are being stored up for the Day when the prince of darkness, his allies, and his work are soundly defeated and destroyed. Jesus says in Revelation 16:15, “Behold, I come like a thief!” May He find us confidently trusting in Him and boldly sharing His message of hope while there’s still time. For my friends who are on the fence, I plead with you to turn to Him today.
