God’s Wrath is Said and Done

Transcript

GR 1556
02/14/10
God's Wrath Is Said and Done
Revelation 16:17-21
Gil Rugh

One of the attacks against dispensationalism has been in the past and continues to be that it is pessimistic and it keeps people from getting involved in social things and political things and things like that. And they are correct. I am absolutely totally pessimistic on the future of this present world and all that's in it. And if you take a literal interpretation of the book of Revelation you are a pessimist, too. When all is said and done God is going to destroy it all and then His Son is going to come back and establish a kingdom over an earth that has been done according to what God would have it be. Again, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take care of things or be thoughtful. The church is not called here to try to clean up the environment, to try to improve the social conditions. We know this world system is under the authority of the devil and it is literally going to hell. That will be the ultimate conclusion. God is going to destroy it with a judgment that is immeasurable. People don't want to hear that, that's pessimistic. Well it doesn't have to be because Jesus Christ is the Savior. Now personally am I pessimistic? No because I'm not looking forward to the improvement of this world, I'm looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ. That's the hope of the church, the blessed hope, the coming in glory of our Lord and Savior to gather us to Himself, to spare us from judgment to come.

Look at Revelation 3. Promise give to the church at Philadelphia which we talked about when we were looking at the message of that church. Look at verse 10, because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. One of the passages that promises deliverance to the church from the coming time of wrath, the period we call the Great Tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel, which is the subject of Revelation 6-19. So indeed we are pessimistic, but we are optimistic. Pessimistic about the future of this world until Christ returns, optimistic in that we don't have our hopes focused in this world. We do anticipate a coming kingdom but not because man has worked hard to improve the world and make it better, bring about better social conditions, keep global warming from overwhelming us. I'm not afraid of that. Before these awful judgments come, the Lord will have gathered us into the glory of His presence. When the church is removed from the earth then God will begin to unfold His program to complete what He has promised to Israel.

You must go back to Daniel 9:24, seventy weeks, or literally 70 sevens, 70 seven-year periods, 490 years totally, have been decreed for your people. And note this, it's for your people and your holy city. That's why the church is removed. The church came into existence after the 69th week, it will be removed before the 70th week because the seventy weeks are focused on Israel. Six things to be accomplished by the time you get to the end of this 490-year period. And the 7-year period we are looking at is the final piece of it. To finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, to anoint the most holy place. We will have the Messiah on earth again, establishing the kingdom promised to Israel.

You come back to Revelation 16. During this seven-year period, this final seven years in the 490-year program God has for Israel to prepare them for the establishing of the kingdom that He has promised through the prophets, three things are taking place. God is displaying His power, God is destroying His enemies and God is delivering His people Israel. So He is displaying His power, He is destroying His enemies, He is delivering His people. We don't want to lost sight of that. These judgments are destroying the world and the people in it. But there is a salvation purpose in this and that is the salvation of the nation because the end result of this as we'll see as we move toward the end here is that the nation Israel will turn in mass to Christ, believing that indeed He is their Messiah Savior. And He will intervene to deliver the believing nation.

Revelation 16 is laying out the final series of judgment—seven bowls. We're moving toward Armageddon, that climactic battle which involves the return of the Lord from heaven and the assembled armies of the world for that final conflict that has become somewhat proverbial. And the word Armageddon used in our everyday language to talk about some great final conflict. Comes from the final conflict that the Bible prophesies concerning.

The sixth bowl prepared for the events of this coming final battle. Verse 12, the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. The river was dried up so that the way was prepared for the coming of the kings of the east, to facilitate the coming together of the world's armies at Armageddon. Then we are told that we saw out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, verse 13, came three unclean spirits like frogs. They are spirits of demons. These demonic spirits are going out now to draw the kings of the world together for the great day of God the Almighty, the final conflict here in connection with the return of Christ to earth and the establishing of His kingdom.

Even at this late stage, note verse 15, behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame. A word of encouragement and promised blessing for faithfulness here. This is not new. This was promised back and it's a reminder to us as the church. We looked at the blessings promised, going back to the promises to the churches in the early part of Revelation and the warnings there, other scriptures that give such an exhortation. So even if we study this and we study these awesome times, we are encouraged and reminded to be faithful and for believers during this time it is also a reminder to them. To walk about naked, men see their shame, we looked back at Laodicea in Revelation 3, that warning. Without the garments of salvation you are naked, you need to receive garments from Him that you might be clothed. Revelation 3:18, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may clothe yourselves, that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed, eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. You see, it says buy, like Isaiah said, come buy without money, acquire for yourself without cost to you the salvation that God has provided. But a word of warning and a word of promise here for faithfulness.

Revelation 3:16 told us, they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Mageddon. Now in English we just call it Armageddon. Har means a hill or a mountain and the area we are talking about is the region with the hills or the mountains of Megiddo. That's what Har-Mageddon is, or Armageddon as we commonly refer to it. The region of the hills or mountain of Megiddo where you have the plain of Megiddo. Let me just say something about Megiddo. The battle that we are talking about, Armageddon, takes place in the last part of Revelation 19, so we are told what is contained in these judgments but then they will have to be unfolded. We'll see more of that in a moment.

Gathered them to the place which in Hebrew is Har-Mageddon. It's a well-known battleground in Israel's Old Testament history. I just noted several battles that took place here. In Judges 4, Barak and Siserah. Remember Deborah the prophetess and Barak leads the armies of Israel in battle against Siserah in Judges 4. That was at Armageddon or the Plain of Jezreel. It's also called the Valley of Esdraelon, the Plain of Megiddo, called also the Plain of Jezreel because Jezreel and Megiddo are not far apart. If you just keep on going straight north from Jerusalem basically, south of the Sea of Galilee. Then you move over west and you'd hit Jezreel. And if you just keep going west and a little north of Jezreel you'd hit Megiddo. You can look on a Bible map. So it's the same place because Jezreel is right there. So that's where Barak and Siserah fought. Judges 5:19 in the song of Deborah and Barak they refer to the fact that this is where this battle took place. In Judges 7 Gideon fought the Midianites at this same place. In I Samuel 31 Saul died on Mt. Gilboa which is right here as well. And the last significant king in Israel, the southern kingdom, King Josiah in II Kings 23:29 died here.

So a number of battles and conflicts occurred here. I believe it was Napoleon who said he considered this the greatest battlefield in the world. And there were many battles fought here down through history. It's a valley, the Valley of Esdraelon, 14 miles by 20 miles, 14 miles wide and 20 miles long. Some of you have been to Israel, have been to Megiddo. You stand there and look out over this vast plain and contemplate when the armies of the world will be gathered here. And obviously they will be more than just in this location because as vast as that valley is the armies of the world will spill over. But this becomes the focal point, even though the battle is not limited to here. And we'll say more about this battle when we get to Revelation 19:11ff that unfold the actual battle of Armageddon. But that's what is being prepared. This judgment includes that battle. So the preparation for it all part of that.

We come to Revelation 16:17, then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, it is done. This seventh bowl is poured out on the air and that evidently points to this judgment as the most complete, most pervasive of all the judgments because this is the climactic judgment. And you pour it out on the air, that encompasses everything everyplace. And so there is a completeness to this. Maybe even a connection to Ephesians 2:2 where we are told Satan is the prince of the power of the air. Now his entire realm and fear of authority comes under the judgment of God.

With this a loud voice or a great voice. Remember the repeated use of the word great sometimes translated loud through Revelation 16. Here you have this loud voice, this great voice. It's the same voice as we had in verse 1 of chapter 16, then I heard a loud voice, a great voice from the temple. That means it is God speaking because we are told in chapter 15 verse 8, the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues were finished. So God speaks now with finality. It is done. Perfect tense, denotes that we have now come to the conclusion, the climax. All the judgments will be brought to completion with this final one.

Now this seventh bowl is expansive. We'll have more to say about this as we move along. But you remember the seventh seal when it was broken. That's an expansive judgment because out of the seventh seal come the seven trumpets. Then when the seventh trumpet sounded it is expansive because the seven bowls come out of the seventh trumpet. And here this seventh bowl is the final in the series. But it is an expansive judgment. This will really carry us all the way over as we mentioned in our last study, I believe, over to Revelation 22:6 with all that's included. Because remember the seven-sealed scroll, we'll see this as we get further along, that we saw in Revelation 5 contains everything. It is based upon the finished redemptive work of Christ. So that scroll, He's the only one worthy to open it because He's the Lamb that was slain to provide redemption. So we're not done with these judgments, these judgments serve a purpose—to destroy the enemies of God, the enemies of Christ and also to prepare the way for the establishing of the kingdom. So that is part of this. So this last scroll, we'll see that angels associated with judgment reappear in unfolding what is going on. And we looked at that, we'll see it again as we come along.

This seventh bowl is poured out. Verse 18, there were flashes of lightning, sounds and peals of thunder. I mean, the preparation for this series of seven bowls was awesome, as we saw in chapter 15. But now we are ready for unfolding of some of the specifics. Flashes of lightning, sounds and peals of thunder. This is preparing the way for a great earthquake. There was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth. So great an earthquake was it and so mighty.

Back in Revelation 11:19, and the temple of God which is in heaven was open and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. There were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. So you see associated with that earthquake, which is not the same one we are talking about but a previous one, there were the flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and a great hailstorm. They are all going to be present here. But now they are magnified because here is an earthquake beyond any earthquake that has ever occurred in history. We are told there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth. So great an earthquake, so mighty. I mean, when God speaks this way, can you imagine?

We've seen a little bit of devastation from what has to be considered a minor earthquake recently. What can you do when you talk about an earthquake that will be beyond anything the world has ever experienced? This will impact the world. Sometimes you watch a science program and they'll show you the plates of the earth and how they run, where they are, the major areas. Can you imagine if they all went in a huge massive way what the world would be like? The devastation? We have a hard time helping one little part of an island get back to normal with the resources from the world that wasn't touched dealing with it. What do you do when the whole world ..........? This is where we are.

This earthquake is part of prophecy. Come back to Haggai 2:6, for thus says the Lord of hosts, once more in a little while I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. That's tremendous earthquake. I mean, it's going to shake everything. You know what a little bit of thunder is like and it seems like everything vibrates and shakes. Never have been in an earthquake that amounted to anything, I've been in southern California and you feel a little tremor. But an earthquake that creates terror in people. I will shake all the nations. And this is the purpose of it all, as we would say this is where we are going ultimately. They will come with the wealth of all the nations, I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord. The silver is mine, the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, declares the Lord of hosts. This place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. You see this action is in the context of fulfilling His promises of the restoration to Israel. They get a condensed portrayal here. This great earthquake prophesied. Then we are told what is the ultimate goal in all this is. So we don't want to lose sight of the fact that God is destroying His enemies, but He is also delivering His people Israel to fulfill His promises.

This passage in Haggai is quoted over in Hebrews 12:26, and His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised saying, yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. And this is in the context of verse 28, therefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be destroyed. That's where we are in the plan of God and we near the ending of this seven-year period. We see these passages which this great earthquake is anticipatory of a kingdom to be established. There are other events that go on here, but we've been told about Armageddon which is coming, then this great earthquake taking place.

Come back to Isaiah 2, and Isaiah 2 starts out with that great prophecy of the coming kingdom where in verse 4, they'll hammer their swords into plowshares and so on. The Messiah will be ruling, the power of the Lord displayed. Verse 10, enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord, the splendor of His majesty. The proud look of man will be abased, the loftiness of man will be humbled. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day. And the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning and so on. Again we're reminded, verse 17, the pride of men will be humbled, the loftiness of man abased. The Lord alone will be exalted. You come to verse 19, men will go into caves and rocks, the holes of the ground before the terror of the Lord. The splendor of His majesty when He arises to make the earth tremble. In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats their idols of silver, their idols of gold which they made for themselves to worship in order to go into the caverns and the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs before the terror of the Lord, the splendor of His majesty when He arises to make the earth tremble. And that ought to have an impact on us. Stop regarding man whose breath of life is in his nostrils. For why should he be esteemed? Puts things in proper perspective.

Come back to Revelation 16. This is where we are. The great earthquake, such as the world has never seen. Verse 19, the great city was split into three parts. And the great city here is Jerusalem. Some have tried to identify it as Babylon because it is called great also. But in the context here, verse 19, the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations, or Gentiles, fell. So the great city is apart from the Gentile cities, which Babylon of course would be, a Gentile city. So the great city, the city Jerusalem.

Come back to Revelation 11:8, here the death of the two witnesses. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city where also their Lord was crucified. Where was He crucified? Jerusalem. So the great city here now that is divided into three parts by this great earthquake. We're not told all the significance of this. Zechariah 14:1-5 talk about the Mount of Olives being split in connection with the return of Christ, but we're not given any additional information here, why the city is split into three parts. But that's one of the consequences of the earthquake.

Second the cities of the nations fell, the cities of the Gentiles fell. Now you can see the breadth. We read where when God shakes the earth at this final time, it's going to affect everything. The heavens are going to be shaken, the earth is shaken. I mean, the cities of the nations. Imagine that. Think of the great cities where millions of people are congregated and they are devastated. We turn on the news and look at the pictures of that one little earthquake and you multiply that out with cities like New York, Tokyo, and around the world. God is shaking the world and bringing judgment on the cities of the world. Some of you have asked, it's hard to conceive that there is anything left that can survive in the piling up of these judgments. I don't have any answer to that. I can't conceive of all this either. It seems like the devastation is so complete and total, where is anybody still breathing? But God is doing it, it will be clear when it is done. The devastation, remember we're talking about billions of people losing their lives in these judgments. These judgments that we started out in the seals, I mean, we're talking about billions of people dying. It is overwhelming the world. Remember I keep reminding you that Jesus said if He didn't intervene at the end of seven years there wouldn't be anybody left alive on the face of the earth. That's how devastating the judgments of God are. But it is His hand sparing some, sparing His people and also sparing some of the unbelievers who then will appear to be judged and executed in connection with the Second Coming of Christ to earth, which we will talk about in a coming study as well.

Third in verse 19, Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Babylon the great. The actual destruction of Babylon is recorded in chapters 17-18. So we're being told what happens under this judgment but the details of the actual unfolding of it like Armageddon won't be until the end of chapter 19. And the destruction of Babylon the Great will be in chapters 17-18. So we're getting an overview of what happens in this seventh bowl. But then we will go along and see how it actually takes place and unfolds. I take it Babylon the Great is literal Babylon rebuilt. Some take it as code name referring to Rome. But I take it that it is referring to Babylon. One specific passage, we'll have more to say about this when we get to chapters 17-18.

Come back to Zechariah 5:5, we're just concerned about what is said here. Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, lift up your eyes and see what is going forth. I said, what is it? He said, this is the ephah going forth, ephah like a bushel, it was a measure like our bushel. And he said, this is their appearance in all the land and behold a lead cover was lifted up. So here you have this bushel and it has a lead cover on it. So they lift the cover up and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah. So our bushel, you lift up the lead cover and there is a woman sitting in it. Verse 8, then he said, this is wickedness and he threw her down in the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening. So she's contained there. Then I lifted up my eyes and looked and there were two women coming out with the wind in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. They picked this up into the sky. I said to the angel who was speaking to me, where are they taking the ephah? He said to me, to build a temple or a house for her in the land of Shinar. Do you know what the land of Shinar is? Babylon. And when it is prepared she will be set there on her own pedestal. Evil will be focused in the last days in Babylon.

The fall of Babylon was anticipated. Come back to Revelation 14:8, another angel, a second one followed saying, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality. This becomes the center of Satan's kingdom, the center of evil in the world, if you will. Turn over to Revelation 18:2, and he cried out with a loud voice saying, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. Down in verse 10, standing at a great distance because of the fear of her torment saying, woe, woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city. For in one hour your judgment has come. Down in verse 21, then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone, threw it into the sea saying, so will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, will not be found any longer.

There are four great prophetic chapters given to Babylon in the Old Testament—Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51. Just come back to Isaiah 13, we won't have time tonight to look at anything further. We'll be into Babylon in our studies in Revelation 17-18. Look at Isaiah 13:1, the chapter opened up, the oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah saw. Down to 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. He will exterminate its sinners from it. Verse 13, 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. Just the intensity of God's wrath against Babylon, His judgment. You might read this week Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51 to prepare you for what we'll be talking about in Revelation 17-18.

Jump back to Genesis 10, we'll be looking at some of this again. In Genesis 10 we have the founding of Babylon. Verse 8, Cush became the father of Nimrod, he became a mighty one on the earth, was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel in the land of Shinar. Turn over to Genesis 11, and we're familiar with what happened at Babel, Babylon. The whole earth used the same language and they found a plain in the land of Shinar, settled there. And they said, verse 4, come let us build for ourselves a city, a tower whose top will reach the heavens. Let us make for ourselves a name lest we be scattered abroad. So you see they are going to have a unified kingdom with a center of worship whose tower at the top will reach to heaven. Doesn't mean they thought they could build a tower that would go all the way up to heaven, but at the top of that tower is where they worshiped, where they commune. So you have Satan trying at the beginning to have a unified world with his focal point. It's at Babylon.

Come back to Revelation. Strong language used here. We keep mentioning this, but you talk about the wrath of God. It is forcefully emphasized. At the end of verse 19, the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And you have two Greek words for wrath, we call it fierce wrath. But it's the wrath of His anger. I mean, you're going to use two words to pile it up, the wrath of His anger. That is a fierce wrath.

What's the impact in verse 20? Every island fled away and the mountains were not found. I mean this worldwide earthquake ............ You have an earthquake that can happen in an island, all of a sudden that island disappears. The mountains are shaken, they come down. I mean, awesome power here that accomplishes these things. We have a little bit of recognition of how that can happen. They talk about the changes that could happen with a massive earthquake or a great volcano, those kinds of ideas and the impact that that would have. Impact on us in Nebraska, for example, if they had a great earthquake and a connecting volcano in Yellowstone. That's a long way off, but the impact. You see the devastation is everywhere.

We're not done, you think the earthquake is done at all? Look at verse 21, and huge hailstones about 100 lbs. each. Interesting how God tells you the details. Now this hasn't happened yet but He knows how much each one weighs. He doesn't have to wait until after it happens and then have the angels go out and weigh them. He tells you how much they will weigh because He is going to bring this about. Huge hailstones about 100 lbs. each came down from heaven upon man. Now in the seventh plague of Egypt, and we're not going to take the time to go back there, in Exodus 9:23ff you had the hail in Egypt.

Back up to Revelation 8:7, with the first trumpet. When the first trumpet sounded there came hail and fire mixed with blood. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, a third of the grass in connection with the destruction. And hail was part of that destruction. But you see now we've moved on to much greater, I mean, how do you measure? They'll talk about they had golf ball sized hail. Well what would 100 lb. hailstones do to the city of Lincoln? I mean, what are you going to do? Hide in your house? I don't know about your roof, but 100 lb. hailstones hitting our roof, there is not going to be anything left of that house. Everything gets pulverized. I mean the world is shaking to pieces and you have 100 lb. hailstones. What are you going to do? Run outside to get away? What do most people do when earthquakes come? They want to run outside. Bring an umbrella. Why? It's hailing. Not likely. I mean, how fast is a 100 lb. hailstone traveling when it hits the earth? It's the word of God, we know it's going to happen. That's why I say am I an environmentalist? I don't mind recycling, but do I have any hope for salvaging this earth? Not one bit. And God says He is going to shake it to pieces and then pounds it to nothing. 100 lb. hailstones came down from heaven upon men. I mean, there just is no escaping God's judgment.

And men fell on their knees crying for mercy. You'd think that might be the next line, right? And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. It was great. They recognized the hand of God in this. Remember we talked about in a previous study, this time of mercy and grace doesn't soften men's hearts. We saw in Romans 2, they just store up for themselves wrath for the coming day of wrath. Do men respond to God's mercy and grace today? There isn't this kind of judgment pouring out on the world. We see little foretastes with a small earthquake here and maybe a devastating hail here that destroys crops, and little things here. But it's a time of grace and mercy as God withholds judgment, restrains it and calls upon men everywhere to repent. They are not breaking down the doors to repent. And judgment comes and they recognize the hand of God in judgment and they blaspheme God, they curse God because He is doing this to them.

This is man's final response to God because we go from here, we have to talk about the destruction of Babylon in chapters 17-18, which have already been told about, now the details will be unfolded. But you come over to Revelation 19:11, this is the next event to occur. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and wages war. Christ is returning in glory from heaven as men blaspheme, curse God and turn to do battle with Him. Their hardened hearts are firm. Seven years of devastating judgment haven't softened them up. We don't understand how awful sin is, what a terrible condition we were in, in our sin, but for the grace of God that took hold of our hearts and turned them to faith in Christ. I mean, mercy, grace, patience, kindness doesn't soften a sinful heart. And devastating judgment doesn't soften a sinful heart. Man is set in his hatred of God, his opposition to God and he will be to the end. Is that pessimistic? It's very pessimistic. That's why we don't want to get sidetracked here in little things that the world looks at as nice and good. Oh aren't they a good church, they get involved in social things, they do good things for people. Oh they are environmentally conscious, that's a good church. The world is lost and on its way to this kind of judgment and this is not the worst. We have to get to the Great White Throne where all these people who have endured these devastating judgments or died in them are going to end up being sentenced to hell. And I want to help them plant flowers and save the planet? You can't save it, God is going to destroy it. Again, don't go out and say, Gil thinks we ought to dump our trash in the street because you don't have to be environmentally ............ But you understand what I'm saying, what the church is to be, what we are about as God's people. This is serious business. The world doesn't know it, they are out there fooling around, playing, thinking they are doing something in a world that God says He will destroy and no one will be able to stand against His destruction.

But there is hope, and that is that God is gracious today. I'm glad I've trusted the Lord. That's no credit to me, but I'm thankful for His grace, that He has saved me from the wrath He is going to pour out on this earth. He saved me from the coming wrath of final judgment. That's the greatness of my Savior. That's what we get excited to talk to people about. Why get church people all excited about social programs or an environmental program, or a political action? But excited about the gospel that will change a life and rescue someone from damnation, well, I'm not good at that. None of us are, but God is and remember He has chosen the foolish things of the world, the weak things of the world. And to be instruments that He has chosen to accomplish His work of redemption in the world by bringing the message of the gospel.

Praise God there is bright sunshine ahead for us, but that's not what's ahead for this world. That's not what's ahead for the people of this world. It is all darkness and gloom, but we bring a message of life and hope. It's not saving the world, but it's bringing God's message of redemption, the salvation of individuals who will place their faith in Christ that brings hope.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the awesome truth of your word. Lord, we talk about judgments that go beyond what our finite minds can conceive of. And you have said nothing like these judgments has ever occurred in the world. We have nothing to compare them to. We can't imagine a world under your fierce wrath, your devastating, relentless judgment. And yet in this, Lord, we know that you bring about the redemption of the nation that you have called to yourself, even as you destroy those who are in rebellion against you. How thankful we are that we have come to know the Savior, that you in grace and mercy took hold of us in our sin, opened our blind eyes and caused us to place our faith in your Son, experience the power of your salvation. May that be what drive us, motivates us, thrills us. We are privileged to give our lives in the service of the One who is our Savior. Use our lives in testimony, may we be bold for Jesus Christ in the days before us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.