Judgments Parallel the Plagues

Transcript

GR 1530
05-17-09
Judgments Parallel the Plagues
Revelation 8:8-13
Gil Rugh

Revelation 8 in your Bibles. We have two things going on as we move through scripture and as we come to the climax of things, those things become even more sharply contrasted. The manifestation of God's character as holy, just, the righteous God who rules over all and calls all His creation into account. And then you have the condition of man which is sinful and living in constant rebellion against God. And we have the conflict and the clash going on from the fall in Genesis 3 down until the establishing of the new heaven and the new earth, really in Revelation 21. God's character and man's condition. God is holy, we are sinful. And the scripture is the record of God dealing with sin and providing His righteousness in mercy and grace for sinful human beings.

An issue we have to understand in judgment, come back to Genesis 15, we could pick up in different places but we'll do Genesis 15 since this is in the context of God establishing His covenant with Abraham and Abraham's descendants. Called Abram here as we start, then he becomes Abraham because he is going to become the father of a multitude and so on. God establishes the covenant in Genesis 15 with the animals divided. We've looked at this before and Abram is put into a deep sleep and God confirms the covenant, passes through with a visible symbol between the animals, obligating Himself alone to the fulfillment of all the conditions of the covenant that He has established with Abram. And that guarantees that it will be fulfilled. Part of what happens here, verse 13, God said to Abram, know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years. I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, of course that is being in Egypt, then the judgment on the Egyptians. We'll be looking into some of that in our study in Revelation as we go back and forth to the Old Testament.

Part of what is going on, God will put Israel in Egypt. Remember they go down as a family of 70, Jacob's family and they'll come out a mighty nation. So during those 400 years God will mold them into a nation. Also what is going on during that time, the nations in Canaan where God is going to take Israel and give them the land are in the process of ripening for judgment. And so the twofold reason for them going down into Egypt, Abram's descendants, is that they'll come out as a mighty people with many possessions and then they'll be ready to go in ultimately and take possession of the land. Now there will be a delay there because of the wilderness wanderings as punishment for their sin, but you'll note what verse 16 says. Then in the fourth generation they will return here for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. Your descendants are going to leave this land, be out of it for 400 years and then He says the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. The Canaanite people are a sinful people but it's not yet time for their judgment. Their sin hasn't come to its completeness. So they are in effect ripening for judgment. Important we keep this in mind. It seems God delays and with the delay of judgment as we look at it, and nothing happens as people sin and people sin. The danger is, and this is what God says, you made a mistake. You thought I was like you. And God never changes in character. He is always holy and just. So sin never becomes acceptable to Him. So while judgment seems to be delayed, it is never canceled in that sense. It has to be meted out.

Come over to Romans 1, a passage we come to often. We need to keep in mind that we are in a present condition of the world ripening for judgment. We could have looked back in Genesis 6 as God gave His evaluation of the peoples of the world at that time and every thought of their heart was only evil continually. So He gave them 120 years during which time Noah would build the ark and would be a preacher of righteousness, as Peter writes in his letter. And then He brings judgment on the world. We are living in a time now when the world is ripening for judgment. God's judgment is seen as we note and you probably have marked in your Bibles verse 24. God gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity; verse 26, God gave them over to degrading passions; verse 28, God gave them over to a depraved mind. All of this because they determined not to acknowledge God, not see fit to acknowledge Him, to bow before Him, to turn to Him for forgiveness, for cleansing. So a real aspect of judgment is God turns sinners over to their own desires. But what is happening as they pursue their desires and the more they pursue their desires, the more corrupt they become. And that process of ripening for judgment, if you will, is going on.

And where we are when are in Revelation in our study of the seven years that will lead up to the Second Coming of Christ to earth is we are coming to the time when God pours out His wrath and judgment on an unbelieving world with the destruction and wrath that has not been seen. That is the future coming wrath, that is not the final statement.

Turn to Revelation 14 and we see the wrath as we are in the judgments of the tribulation being poured out. But that is not the complete, the final act of God's wrath. In Revelation 14:10 we get a picture. Verse 10, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. We see there how strongly it is put—the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. This is God's wrath unmixed with mercy. It's mixed in full strength, it's undiluted wrath. The God of infinite love is the God of infinite wrath. And the result will be you will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, whoever receives the mark of his name.

The same fate is for all unregenerate people as you come over to Revelation 20. Here you have the Great White Throne judgment recorded in verses 11-15 and verse 15 we're told, if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The end of verse 14 tells us this is the second death, the lake of fire. That's the ultimate finality of God's wrath, eternal torment in the presence of God and the holy angels. So this whole context of God's holiness, God's justice, man's sinfulness. And we go through times where it seems God is doing nothing. And we wonder what is wrong. But we as God's people ought to have clarity of understanding. God's view on things has not change, His attitude toward sin has not changed. He is patient, offering salvation which is the only escape from wrath to come, the salvation that He offers on His terms.

So when we come to Revelation 6-19 we're talking about the coming seven-year wrath that will be poured out on the earth. So come to Revelation 6. You know for many people, they find it hard to understand that God could be a God of wrath and anger, but when you come to trust Him and know something of His holiness, something of the awfulness of sin as our eyes have been opened, the amazing thing is that He hasn't destroyed everyone already, isn't it? You're not so amazed that He's going to judge sin and sinners, you're amazed that He is so patient and tolerant as He, if you will humanly speaking, postpones sin. He is patient, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth.

When we do come to judgment we are told in chapter 8 this is a response to the prayers of God's people. In chapter 8 verses 3ff there in that heavenly scene we saw the prayers of God's people ascending as they looked for God to intervene on their behalf and vindicate them. We're in the trumpet judgments. We've had six seal judgments, then the seventh seal that is broken really gives the seven trumpet judgments, because when the seventh seal is opened, out come the seven trumpets. And the trumpets pick up in verse 7. We noted there is a parallel with a number of these judgments with the judgments that God poured out on Egypt when He was delivering His people from bondage in Egypt. In this first trumpet, the first sounded, there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth and a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. And we looked at this in our previous study. You'll note the third. This will be consistent with these first four trumpets. They encompass a third of the earth or the waters, the fresh water, sea water, or a third of the heavenly bodies. So it is not complete destruction here but it is a building destruction as God deals with sin. The hail and fire mixed with blood.

Come back to Exodus 9. We looked at this but I want to look further at some matters in Exodus. In verses 23ff Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky and the Lord sent thunder and hail and fire down to the earth. There was hail and fire, verse 24, very severe, there had never been anything like it in Egypt's history. God spared His people, destroyed the Egyptians that were caught out in the open, people and livestock. Verse 25, but the sons of Israel were spared. So God's judgment, yet His work in preserving His people.

Now two things are being accomplished here, the two things I just mentioned. 1. God was displaying His greatness in dealing with those who were His enemies. 2. And secondly He was delivering His people so that they might serve Him in the land that they had promised them. He is displaying His greatness in dealing in judgment with those who were in rebellion against Him. Look at Exodus 7:5, and we just want to concentrate on a statement here. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. You see what the Lord is doing with the judgments on the Egyptians. He is displaying His greatness so that even the Egyptians will have to acknowledge that it is God doing this. He is more powerful than we are, more powerful than our gods are. Look down in verse 17, thus says the Lord, by this you shall know that I am the Lord. In the context He's talking about the judgments He is going to bring on them. What will they do? They'll make you know that I am the Lord. Chapter 8 verse 19, then the magicians said to Pharaoh, this is the finger of God. You see now a recognition and these judgments that have come, even the magicians of Egypt are saying this is the finger of God. We would say this is the hand of God, God is doing this. You see God is causing them to recognize His greatness. The God of Israel is God. Chapter 9 verse 14, for this time I will send all my plagues on you and your servants and your people. Why? So that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. Verse 16, but indeed for this reason I have allowed you to remain in order to show you my power, in order to proclaim my name through all the earth. And indeed as Israel moves out and comes into the land what God had done to the Egyptians has spread and the knowledge of the Lord and His power and His greatness was displayed.

At the same time He is delivering His people. Back in Exodus 3:17, as God prepares Moses He tells him, so I said, I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hitties, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. That's what He is going to do in this, deliver His people and bring them into the land He promised. You see a parallel in what is going on in the judgments of the tribulation. God is pouring out His wrath on the people of this earth who are in rebellion against Him and at the same time He is taking His people Israel and preparing them for the deliverance into the kingdom which He has promised them, into the land which is theirs by covenant.

Chapter 7 verse 17, you'll note this is back into the context of some things we looked at because both are going on. The command to the Egyptians, verse 16, the Lord the God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying, Let My people go that they may serve Me in the wilderness. That's where we're going, My people have to be set free to serve Me. Chapter 8 verse 20, let My people go that they may serve Me; chapter 9 verse 1, let My people go that they may serve Me; verse 13, let My people go that they may serve Me. And we could go on and look through more of these kinds of statements in these judgments. But you see the point. Two things going on, God displaying His greatness in His wrath and judgment being poured out on the unbelieving Egyptians. At the same time, second purpose, God delivering His people. So it is in these judgments.

Come back to Revelation 8. By the time we get done with these judgments the world will be destroyed, the peoples of the world. Much like Egypt. What was the testimony of the people? Egypt is destroyed as a result of the judgments of God, and God's people delivered. And what will happen at the end of the seven years, Israel will say, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord and Christ will come and stand on the Mount of Olives bringing ultimate deliverance to His people and we'll be ready to go into the kingdom.

All right we saw the first trumpet. It burned up a third of the earth, the trees, the green grass. The second angel sounds his trumpet, something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died. And a third of the ships were destroyed. The second judgment is directed against the oceans, the seas, the creatures in the seas, the ships that sail the seas. Something like a burning mountain, he doesn't say it's a burning mountain but it has that appearance, like a burning mountain is cast into the ocean, into the sea. We're not told what it is but its impact is devastating. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the creatures in the sea died, a third of the ships are destroyed in this judgment. So it is a devastating judgment.

This is a similar plague to the first plague in Egypt when waters were turned to blood. And in that plague it was the fresh waters, we're going to see the fresh waters judged here in a moment, but here the sea is turned to blood. Since the fresh waters in Egypt were turned to blood, that's in Exodus 7:17-21, that may be good reason here to accept that the seas here are turned to blood. How God does this, I don't know, I don't know how He did it in Egypt. But it is a similar phenomena that they are turned to blood, not blood-like, but it just says blood, just like it did in Exodus 7 under the first judgment on Egypt with Moses. The result is devastating. A third of the creatures die and a third of the ships are destroyed.

One commentator noted, and this was as of 1981, there were 24,800 ocean going merchant vessels registered. So if one-third of them were destroyed, you'd have over 8,000 potentially destroyed. However the figures come out, it is a devastating judgment with the impact on the world of one-third of the sea and of the creatures in it and the ships on it. Suffer destruction.

But it's not complete destruction. You see how God deals. There is mercy thus far. We saw when we get to hell there will be no mercy. But there is mercy in judgment now, as we have noted and saw in chapter 8 there are people being saved during this time. God's salvation is still being offered during this time. Here we see a third of the earth being burned up, a third of the sea being destroyed. But there is not complete destruction yet. Men and women are being given opportunity to repent of their sin and turn to the Lord and be saved. So each of these judgments it would seem with the trumpets, they are more serious than the seals. Sort of like we do with our children in our discipline. You discipline them, if that doesn't accomplish or bring about the necessary change in their conduct, the discipline becomes more severe. If that doesn't get the correction done, the discipline gets more severe, it builds. That's what God is doing here. And so there is mercy in judgment.

Look at the third trumpet, verse 10, the third angel sounded and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch. And it fell on a third of the rivers, and on the springs of water. The name of the star is called Wormwood and a third of the waters became wormwood and many men died from the waters because they were made bitter. Now the second trumpet judgment affected the sea, the saltwater, if you will. Now we have the fresh water impacted—the rivers, the springs of water. This star called Wormwood strikes, it looks like a burning torch. Maybe it's a meteorite. What happens we don't know. It's supernatural obviously because its impact on the fresh waters is devastating. To destroy one-third of the fresh water on the earth, what kind of impact. I mean, how long can you live without drinkable water. The numbers of people that are going to die as a result of this judgment will be tremendous. The star is called Wormwood because that's what it does to the waters, it turns them to wormwood, bitterness, poison, makes them undrinkable. The name wormwood comes from a plant that had a strong, bitter taste. And it's even used as a representation of bitterness and sorrow. It poisons the waters.

Come back to Jeremiah 9:13, the Lord said, because they have forsaken My law which I set before them and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals as their fathers taught them, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. You see the connection, the wormwood, poisoned waters, undrinkable waters.

Come over to Jeremiah 23:15, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, behold I am going to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisonous waters. Why? For from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone forth into all the land. So they had spewed out pollution with their false teaching, I'm going to give them pollution to drink, wormwood, poisoned waters, undrinkable waters.

So you come back to Revelation 8, we're told in verse 11, many men died from the waters because they were made bitter. One-third of the fresh water is destroyed, a tremendous number of people are going to die. We already have debates and discussions about water here in our state and how it is used, and will it be depleted. Do you think if all of a sudden there is no fresh water available........... You can go longer without food than you can go without water. And here you have one-third. Where are you going to go to get it, what's going to happen. The devastation will be amazing.

Let's go to the fourth trumpet. Verse 12, the fourth angel sounded and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck. So that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, the night in the same way. So we've dealt with the earth in the first trumpet. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, the green grass was burned up. Then under the second trumpet a third of the sea became blood, a third of the creatures in the sea died, a third of the ships were destroyed. Then in the third trumpet you had a third of the fresh water destroyed. So you see in these trumpet judgments you have a third, each one of these first four dealing with a third, a third, a third.

Now a third of the heavenly bodies are struck with darkness. Day and night— during the day the sun, one-third darkened; at night one-third of the moon and the stars darkened. Again, we're not told how this is spread out, where this takes place, whether it is in a portion of the earth, whether it is spread out, how God accomplishes each of these judgments in detail we're not told. We're given a summary statement that makes clear to us the overwhelming impact of God's judgment on the earth. We're going to have darkness. I mean, you're going to reduce the sun's light by a third. At night when it's dark, you know what it's like on a dark night when you have a heavy cloud how dark it can be. Well you have this kind of darkness.

Back in Exodus 10. This parallels as you remember a judgment on Egypt, a darkness that was so dark it could be felt, we're told. Verse 21, then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand toward the sky that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and there was thick darkness and all the land of Egypt for three days, they did not see one another nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But the sons of Israel had light in their dwelling. So here you see God's ability to bring darkness on portions of the earth and not on others. So when he says a third we think, how could you do that to a third of the earth and not ................... Well, not a problem for God. How could you have light shining in Goshen and the rest of Egypt in darkness? Well, I don't know, but I don't have to do it. But God did it. So we come to these judgments we may try to figure out how could you do that, how could that work? I can't figure it out. God is doing something that only He can do here. Because remember one of the things He is doing in these judgments is displaying His greatness, overwhelming man. There is no other explanation, but God is doing this.

Remember we saw in connection with the seal judgments, at the end of those in chapter 6, what did people cry out? They want to hide in the caves and under the rocks from the wrath of the One who sits on the throne. They recognize the great power of God and what is taking place.

Often in the Old Testament darkness is associated with the day of the Lord. Come over to Isaiah 13. The day of the Lord, ultimate day of the Lord is the period of time we're talking about with the tribulation period. Verse 6, wail, for the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in labor, they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame. Behold the day of the Lord is coming, cruel with fury and burning anger to make the land a desolation. And He will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash their light, the sun will be dark when it rises, the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the Lord of hosts in the day of His burning anger.

We talk about the love of God, and we should, but we ought to talk about the anger of God as well. I mean, God is angry with the wicked. It's a frightening position to be in. Is it any wonder men are called to flee to God? Cast yourself on His mercy. What a terrible position to be in. And you'll note here the emphasis on the darkness in verse 10. The stars of heaven, their constellations will not flash their light, the sun will be dark, the moon will not shed its light. All part of God's judgment and the terror, absolute terror He is bringing on the world in His judgment.

Turn over to Joel 1:15, alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is near. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. And then goes on to describe some of the destruction. Verse 19, to you oh Lord I cry, for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, flame has burned up all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field pant for you, the water brooks are dried up, fire has devoured the pasture of the wilderness. Blow a trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm on my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. Surely it is near. A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, so there is a great and mighty people. There has never been anything like it nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. Fire consumes before them, behind them, a flame burns. It's a time of desolation, judgment, destruction, darkness. You can imagine the impact again, one-third of the earth experiences darkness, the terror that builds. All these things building. We get a little bit with our ability to turn on the news and see people, when a devastating judgment ............. In our land we had what we thought was a major catastrophe, but when you think about it, it was minor compared to here. We had a couple of towers destroyed in terrorism. You saw pictures of people running in terror. All of a sudden their dignity and everything gets lost. All they can think about is running, they are in terror. You look at their faces and they are crying, screaming, running. What is it going to be like when you have not just a city or a portion of a city, but you have large portions of the world being destroyed? We turn on and see an earthquake and you see pictures of people running in the street. Where do you go when the earth is shaking? And now it has turned to darkness. Awesome scene in the world. And God says I'll make mankind more scarce than pure gold. He's telling the truth. There is going to be death on a level that is hard to imagine.

Come back to Revelation 8. Those first four, remember the first four seals in chapter 6, the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They sort of were joined together, the first four seals. And then you have the last three seals. Here you have have the first four trumpets, and they form a unit. They all are dealing with destroying a third portion of the earth or something associated with the earth—the green grass and that. Then the salt waters, then the fresh waters, then a third of the stellar heavens around the earth. We think, how much worse can it get? Then you have verse 13, then I looked and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. As dreadful as the first four trumpets have been, the next ones are worse. They merit a special announcement proclaimed in the heavens, woe, woe, woe because of the three angels who have yet to sound their trumpets. We're going to take a step up in the devastation and destruction.

You'll note who this is announced to—to those who dwell on the earth. This is a technical expression in the book of Revelation for unbelievers and the judgment on them. Let me go back, we've mentioned this before. Come back to Revelation 3:10, a promise to the church at Philadelphia. I take it, it has significance to us today as believers in light of the deliverance God is promising. Verse 10, because you have kept the word of My perseverance I will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, now note this, to test those who dwell on the earth. The judgments are particularly directed toward those associated with this earth. This is their home, this is where they belong. We are living here but this is not our home. This becomes an expression of those who dwell on the earth, they belong here, they live under the control of the god of this world. Look over in chapter 6 verse 10, they cried with a loud voice, this is the voice of the martyrs. How long oh Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth. The earthdwellers. Chapter 11 verse 10, and those who dwell on the earth. There is our expression. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, over the execution of the two prophets that we'll look at when we get to chapter 11. They will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. You see that repeated, to those who dwell on the earth, twice in verse 10 here. Those are the ones who rejoice over the death of God's servants here. Look in chapter 13 verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him. Again, who is going to worship the beast? All who dwell on the earth whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world and the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. The elect will not worship the beast, they'll be saved during this time but the earthdwellers, those who dwell on the earth will worship him. Down in verse 14, he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which have been given him to perform in the presence of the beast. This is the false prophet here, telling those who dwell on the earth. We see that repeated twice in this verse. He deceives those who dwell on the earth, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and who has come to life. Chapter 17 verse 2, regarding the great harlot who sits on many waters with whom, verse 2, the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality. And those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. Those who dwell on the earth. Verse 8, the beast that you saw was and is not and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Those who dwell on the earth.

So all these times. Come back to chapter 8. Those who dwell on the earth becomes another way of referring to unbelievers, unregenerate men. So now we're experiencing the wrath of God directed towards him. So in verse 13 in anticipation of the coming three trumpets, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels about to sound. Come down to verse 18. As a result of these trumpet judgments, these coming trumpet judgments, we're told in verse 18, a third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, just by these. Well back in chapter 6 in connection with the fourth seal, verse 8, authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill. A fourth of the earth dies there. And then we saw in verse 11 of chapter 8 in connection with the third trumpet, and the destruction of the fresh water, many men died. Then we had in the previous trumpet judgment the ships of the sea destroyed, a third of them. And how many in all the other judgments here with a third of the earth being burned up and so on. You add to the quarter that were destroyed and now you see under these coming judgments woe, woe, woe, then another third of the earth is going to be destroyed. You can appreciate what God said through the prophet Isaiah, I will make mankind more scarce than pure gold. I mean, what's the population of the earth? How many billions of people are we talking about? The worst judgments are yet to come. We haven't gotten to the bowl judgments, there are seven of those. And they are the worst of the worst. I mean, we've had billions of people die and we haven't gotten to the really, really bad judgments yet. This is something like the world has never seen. And that's why Jesus said in Matthew 24, if He didn't intervene at the end of seven years, there wouldn't be anyone left alive on the face of the earth. How can you live? Fresh water has been destroyed, much of it, the sea has been destroyed, much of the vegetation destroyed and you have judgments coming down. We get a sampling of the wrath of God.

Why is God doing it this way? He could have just wiped them all out one time and had it over with. But there is mercy in His wrath still. You know, repent. The nation Israel will by the time we get done. There will be great loss of life for all but there is going to be repentance. We've seen many Gentiles coming out of the tribulation in chapter 8. God is merciful. Even in His wrath here He has not destroyed everyone. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. Then why do people go through this? Why don't they repent now? This is the day of grace. Turn from your sin and believe in the Savior, the One who died and was raised again. You can be forgiven, you can be cleansed. Instead of being the object of God's wrath, you become the object of His special love and care and protection. Men don't, and they'll go through the tribulation. We'll see when we get to the bowl judgments that men are cursing God for bringing these judgments on them. They are not bowing at all, but they area cursing God for bringing such judgments on them. Reveals just the sinfulness of man, rejecting His mercy. Because they still can be saved. I want this to be clear, they still can be saved. They may die during this time but they can be saved, cleansed from their sin, assured eternity in God's presence. There is still mercy. The end of mercy will come with the sentencing to hell. For those who die the opportunity is over. But God continues to extend His mercy. But when it comes time for sentencing to hell there is no mercy. That's what we see in chapter 14. It's the wrath of God unmixed, undiluted and men and women are sentenced to hell.

So a preview of what is to come. God is serious about sin. You and I as believers ought to be serious about sin and our reaching out with the message of Christ to people. These are serious days. May look like good days, there is some financial trouble, there are different kinds of problems going on in the world. But you know the worst is coming. People say, that's the problem with those who take the Bible literally, they are gloom and doom. I'm not a gloom and doom person because I have read the last chapter of the last chapter. And I'm not destined for wrath to come because God's salvation is a free gift. And by His grace I have taken it. It's only gloom and doom for unrepentant sinners. So our message is one of salvation. You cannot change the course of the world, it is going to destruction. We're here to present a message of salvation for a lost and dying world.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the clarity of what you have unfolded in your Word. It is almost overwhelming to consider the judgment that is going to be poured out on this world. Lord, even as your people it is easy for us to become soft in our thinking about sin, rather casual and indifferent to the awfulness of sin. What a terrible offense sin is against you, a holy God. And every act of sin is an act of rebellion, an act of offense against you and your holiness. And Lord, the world is storing up wrath for the coming day of wrath. And we are testimonies of your grace, evidences that you are a God of mercy and love and kindness. And we are redeemed, not because we are better than the worst of sinners, but because your grace has reached down to us. And now we are privileged to be testimonies of our grace and to declare to family members, friends, co-workers and strangers that there is a grace, a salvation that can save sinners. And God offers it as a free gift. Lord, we don't delight to know that judgment is coming upon this world, but we delight to know that you will be vindicated, your glory, your greatness will be revealed. And may even our knowledge of coming judgment spur us to greater faithfulness to share the message of life in these days of opportunity. Use us in the days of the week before us as strong testimonies of the grace that we have experienced. We pray in Christ's name, amen.