Revelation chapter 16 in your Bibles. If you've been with us through most of this study, you're impressed with the fact that it is an unrelenting emphasis on sin and judgment. The sinfulness of mankind and the wrath of God being poured out on mankind for His sin. As we study the Scripture together in a broader perspective, I think that you can't help but be impressed again that much of the Scripture is taken up with the subject of sin and judgment. If you study the prophets, it too brings to your attention what? Unrelenting sin and judgment. Much of the Bible is taken up with the study of sin and resultant judgment. That being the case, it's remarkable to me that the study of the sinfulness of man and the wrath of God is becoming more and more a neglected topic in the church today. I can understand it from one side because we all have subjects we like to study more and subjects we like to study less. That's one of the reasons I prefer to study the Bible starting at the beginning of a book and working through to the end. If I didn't do it that way, I would ignore certain subjects and topics that I find less enjoyable or less pleasant. But God has not called me to determine what in His Word is important and what is not, but to preach the whole counsel of God. And as you and I as believers join together in the study of the whole counsel of God, the purposes of God will be accomplished in our lives. What we see happening today, and I'm talking particularly in the church, and the church that professes to be a Bible-believing church. We see that since people want to hear positive and happy things when they go to church, there's an adjustment taking place in the message that's being proclaimed. And we can identify with the feelings of people in this area. You know, life is difficult enough. I have struggles with my job. I have struggles in my family. I have personal health problems. When I go to church on Sunday morning, I want to sit down and be lifted up. I want to feel good when I go away. What happens? I go and hear a message on sin and judgment. Oh, that really gets me up for Monday morning. We live in a day where we talk about consumer mentality and we begin to equate the church with a business. If you have a business and you're selling a product, you have to present that product in a way that people will want to buy it. You do what's necessary. All you have to do is watch television. How many new improved detergents can there be in a year? It has to be new and improved. And you know, it deteriorates to the best of this kind of product and that kind of product, and it's always getting better. And pretty soon the church is thinking, if we're going to have people who are going to want to come to our church, and if they do come, they're going to want to come back and stay, then we're going to have to give them something of what they want. They're going to have to feel this is practical. This is helpful. This makes them feel better. There are several steps involved. We don't corrupt the message initially. We simply do not preach the message in its entirety. But that is a form of corruption. If I only pick out of the Word of God that which I know you will enjoy hearing, I have become a corrupter of the Word of God, because I am not preaching it in its entirety. But you don't notice that so easily, because what I am preaching is true. I am simply not preaching the truth in its fullness. The next step after that is to add something to the Word. Mix in other things with the Word and we soon have a corrupted message without much truth. Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and told Timothy to preach the Word. And he told him to preach the Word because the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers having itching ears. They will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths." That's 2 Timothy 4, verses 3 and 4. We've looked at this verse many times, these verses. You'll note this is addressed to Timothy and he's talking about professing believers. Unbelievers have never been interested in sound doctrine. They have never paid attention to truth. But he's talking about a condition that will characterize the professing people of God who no longer want to have sound teaching. But they want to hear what they want to hear, and they turn aside from the truth. Now, that's not a new condition, but it's one that keeps cycling around and around and around. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel constantly struggled with this condition. They wanted to hear a message that made them feel good. They wanted to preach things that would make them happy. The prophets were supposed to come. and declare them a message that would encourage them about the way they were. Back in Jeremiah's day, why don't you turn back there? I want to read a few verses from Jeremiah. Beginning in Jeremiah chapter 5. It's just a reminder that people have never wanted to hear messages about sin and judgment. Verse 30. Note how similar this is to what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4. Jeremiah chapter 5, verse 30. An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely. The priests rule on their own authority. Note this next verse. And my people love it so. Same thing that Paul was warning Timothy about in 2 Timothy chapter 4. They will not endure sound doctrine. But they will accumulate teachers who will tickle their ears, prophesy falsely, rule on their own authority. But my people, Israel, my chosen nation loved to have it that way. You think the people of Israel got disturbed about the false prophets? That's not so. They flocked to hear the false prophets. They loved that message. Do you know what was missing in the message of the false prophets? Sin and judgment. Look over in chapter 6, still in Jeremiah, verse 13. From the least of them, even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain. I mean, this is the bottom line. We think this consumer mentality is new. No, the prophets prophesied falsely because they were greedy for gain, financial gain, personal popularity, having people come and hear them. This is not new. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. How so? They have healed the wound of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace. But there is no peace. One thing the false prophets did not preach about was sin, about judgment, because the people didn't want to hear that. There was nothing to be gained in that message. You wouldn't be popular. People wouldn't come. If they came once, they wouldn't come back. You would not be viewed as successful. You would not get ahead. Preach peace, peace. Tell me something that when I go away, I'll feel good about myself. Chapter 8, Jeremiah, verse 10, context of God talking about what the judgment will be. I will give their wives to others their field to new owners. Why? Because, verse 10, from the least even to the greatest, everyone is greedy for gain, from prophet even to priest. Everyone practices deceit, and they heal the brokenness of the daughter of my people superficially. What are they saying? By saying, all is well, all is well, but there is no peace. You see the consistency in the message of the false prophets? Those teachers that are condemned by God, they're saying everything is good, be happy, be relaxed. But they're not dealing with the issue. The issue is sin and the end of this chapter is that well-known verse that's been put into the psalm. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? God Himself is the physician, but His remedy was not being preached. Chapter 14 of Jeremiah, one more passage. Verse 13, Jeremiah says, But, ah, Lord God, I said, look, the prophets are telling them, you will not see the sword, nor will you have famine. See what their message is? Don't be worried. Don't be burdened down by those messages about sin. I mean, look on the bright side of things. Learn to see things positively. Learn to build yourself up. I will give you lasting peace in this place. That's what they were saying God's message is. Don't worry about these negative things. Don't worry about judgment. God's going to give you peace. Then the Lord said to me, the prophets are prophesying falsehood in my name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, the deception of their own minds. Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the prophets." And he goes on to prophesy judgment on the prophets. The study of sin and judgment is absolutely essential to understanding the character and work of God. We love to hear about God's grace and God's mercy and God's love. And God is a God of mercy and love and grace. The problem is that those attributes and characteristics of God have absolutely no significance and no meaning if they are not viewed in the context of the holy, righteous character of God and the sinful, depraved condition of man. God's grace has significance in the context of what? Man is wretchedly sinful and God is absolutely righteous. And His undeserved favor is bestowed upon man in dealing with man's sin and the penalty for his sin, providing God's own righteousness for sinful man. You don't understand God's grace. You don't understand why you need mercy, infinite mercy from an infinite God. If you do not understand that God is absolutely, perfectly holy and righteous, and you are just as completely and totally, wretchedly sinful and depraved, mercy is meaningless. It becomes trite, as does the love of God. What is the love of God? How do you comprehend the love of God? You don't comprehend it. Why? Because God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us because love only is really meaningful if it's in the context of who He is and who I am. That's why I believe that the Bible is unrelenting from Genesis to Revelation on the message of sin, on the message of judgment. And then within that context, we have portrayed the righteousness of God. The condition of man is sinful, and God is our Redeemer and Savior. All of this to lead us into Revelation chapter 16. Revelation chapter 16 presents to us the culmination of the wrath of God on a world that has rejected Him. We've seen in our previous studies in this section of Revelation that the world is ripening for judgment. Just like grain in the field or grapes on the vine, the world is ripening for judgment. When we come to Revelation chapter 16, we come to the ripest time yet. In fact, by the time we come to the end of Revelation 16, we have come to the very hour of the earth's ripeness. Because the end of chapter 16 will bring us to the personal return of Jesus Christ and Armageddon. And the judgment of God on a sinful world. The only thing worse than the wrath of God contained in Revelation 16 is hell itself. Where all the wicked will spend eternity. Revelation 16 contains the prophetic record of the most awful, horrible judgments that the wrath of God will ever bring upon a sin-cursed world. And in that sense, it is the most awful chapter in all the Bible, except for those sections that deal with the awfulness of hell itself. It's a dreadful chapter. It's an awful chapter. The subject is depressing. in the sense of its overwhelming seriousness. I was impressed as I worked through this chapter that the factors which stand out are not particularly the seven judgments, which are more terrible and awful than anything we've ever seen in the world. But what really holds this all together and looms above everything else are two basic facts that I want you to have fixed in your mind. Number one, the absolute righteousness of God in judgment. So, we see the character of God more fully displayed. Look at verse 5. I heard the angel of the water saying, Righteous art thou who art and who wast, O holy one, because thou didst judge these things. Verse 7. And I heard the altar saying, Yes, O Lord God, The Almighty, True and righteous are your judgments. These seven judgments portrayed here are not just to satisfy our curiosity about the coming terrible events that face this world. But they are to bring before us the absolute perfect righteousness of a holy, almighty God. That was the subject of the song. of Moses and of the Lamb that was sung by the martyrs in chapter 15, verses 3 and 4, which is an introduction to these judgments. Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God the Almighty. Righteous and true are thy ways. You alone are holy. Now, let's keep before us that what we're seeing in these judgments is the display of the absolute righteousness of the God who is sovereign over all. The second thing that comes out in the context of these judgments is the complete corruption of fallen humanity in rejecting God. I tell you, that just is almost overwhelming. This chapter, as clearly as any chapter in the Bible, shows how absolutely and completely depraved man really is. In fact, I read this chapter and I said, I'm amazed that God could provide a salvation that could redeem men and women who are so totally, completely depraved to the core of their being. Here we are in the context of the most awful judgments that God has ever brought on the world. the fullest and most clear display of God's wrath against sin that the world has ever seen, apart from perhaps the crucifixion of the Son of God. And you know what the response is? Men blaspheme God and refuse to repent. Look at verse 9. They wore scorched with fear, see, and they blasphemed the name of God. They did not repent. so as to give him glory." Look at verse 11, "...and they blasphemed the God of heaven. They did not repent of their deeds." Down in verse 21, middle of the verse, "...and men blasphemed God because of the plague." That's awesome. And a reminder that men who reject the love of God and refuse His mercy and grace, will not repent of their sin as they are confronted with the full brunt of His wrath. What should a holy and righteous God do with such people who have spurned His grace and mercy, who stand with unbowed shoulders arrogantly blaspheming Him as He pours out His wrath on their sin? Just forget it. and go on, there would be no moral order in the universe if God functioned in such a way. So those two things loom large in the sections on judgment and sin. The plagues of chapter 16 are the bold judgments, you remember. They are very similar in content to a number of the trumpet judgments that we saw in chapters 8 and 9 of Revelation that happened earlier. These judgments are very similar to the plagues that God brought on the land of Egypt in the early part of the book of Exodus. In fact, it's amazing to see how the Scripture all ties together. You go back to the beginning in Israel's history as a nation. And God is working in a very similar way that He is going to be working at the end of His program with Israel in preparing for the Kingdom. In the plagues in Egypt, God was doing at least three major things. Number one, He was displaying His power. Number two, He was destroying His enemies. Number three, He was delivering His people. displaying his power, he was destroying his enemies, and he was delivering his people. Those factors are woven through the plagues on Egypt. Turn back there to the book of Exodus. I want to read you a few passages. I think it's important that we remember how closely connected what is going on in Revelation, particularly chapter 16, is to what took place at the beginning of Israel's history as a nation. What God was doing in the plagues on Egypt was he was punishing his enemies and the enemies of his people as he delivered his people from Egypt to establish them in Palestine. And in all of this, he was displaying his greatness. Now, when we come to the judgments of the seven-year tribulation, and particularly the bold judgments that will bring it to a completion, God is punishing his enemies and the enemies of his people, Israel, He is delivering Israel to bring them into Palestine and establish them in the kingdom of His Son. And through all of this, He is displaying His greatness as the Almighty God. In Exodus chapter 5, verse 2, But Pharaoh said in response to the word of God, Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? Now, you know, that makes me go weak in the knees. When I read man stand and declare with such arrogance his defiance of God. Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? Don't you understand? I'm Pharaoh. I'm religious. Who is God that I should obey Him? So we're going to see in the plagues in chapter 16 as men blaspheme God and refuse to repent. They will not bow and acknowledge Him as God. I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go. Chapter 6, the first nine verses, and we don't have time to read these, but just note the emphasis as God prepares to develop this confrontation with Egypt and Pharaoh on Himself and what I will do, God says. Verse 1, now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. Verse 2, God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham. Jump down to verse 6. Say to the sons of Israel, I am the Lord. I will bring you out from the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you. I will redeem you. Verse 7, I will take you for my people. I will be your God. You shall know that I am the Lord. Verse 8, I will bring you to the land. I will give it to you. I am the Lord. You see, the confrontation with Egypt that is about to unfold is not a confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. This is a confrontation between Almighty God and His enemies. And as that, it is a preview of the ultimate, final confrontation between Almighty God and the world that is in rebellion against Him. And the plagues we see in Egypt are a little microcosm of what is going to envelop the whole world by the time the 70th week of Daniel draws to a conclusion. Chapter 7 of Exodus, verse 3, I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply my signs and my wonders. Verse 5, the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. It's all said and done. Even the Egyptians will say, this is the hand of God. They don't repent. Pharaoh will remain unbound, but Egypt is destroyed. When we get to the end of the 70th week of Daniel, Jesus said if he didn't intervene, there wouldn't be anybody left alive on the face of the earth. The Egyptians would declare as the plagues drew to a close, Egypt is destroyed. By the time you get down to the 70th week of Daniel, you will be able to declare the world is destroyed. Verse 13 of chapter 7 of Exodus. This is repeated. We can't trace all the statements down. Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Chapter eight, verse 15. He hardened his heart. Verse 19, but Pharaoh hardened his heart. Verse 32, but Pharaoh hardened his heart. Chapter nine, verse seven. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. Note verse 14 of chapter 9. This time I will send all my plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know there is no one like me in all the earth. You see what's going on? God is displaying His power while He destroys His enemies and delivers His people. The contest is going on. The hardened heart of Pharaoh ultimately realized in a broader way When we get to chapter 16 of Revelation, people blasphemed God. They did not repent. The only thing that's left after chapter 16 of Revelation is hell itself. And we will leave chapter 16 of Romans with what? They blasphemed God. This last plague has been poured out. Men will go to hell blaspheming God. They will be forced to bow the knee to be sure, but with unrepentant hearts. Back to Revelation. And you might take time to read the account of the plagues. Pick up with chapter 7 of Exodus and read through chapter 14. The ultimate destruction. The armies of Pharaoh. So God would display His power for all the world. We wonder, why didn't God just wipe out Pharaoh? He's like a speck. He could have one breath and Pharaoh would be gone. But 3,500 years later, we are what? We're still learning something of the awesome majesty and power of our God by reading how He progressively destroyed Egypt in the conflict with Pharaoh. Well, chapter 16 of Revelation then connects back, all the way back to the opening chapters of Exodus as we'll see the final work of God in delivering Israel and preparing them for the Kingdom. These are the six bowls of God's judgment. They begin in verse 1. Chapter 15, remember, was an introduction to this chapter. Chapter 16, verse 1, And I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, Go, pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God upon the earth. Awesome scene about to unfold. A loud voice from the temple. We are told in verse 8 of chapter 15 that the glory of God filled the temple. The smoke filled the temple. No one was allowed in until the seven bowl judgments were completed. Evidently, this is the voice of God coming out from the altar in the Holy of Holies, giving instructions now for the final judgments to take place. The seven angels each come forward with seven bowls to dump out on the earth. They will dump them out. And the record is very brief and concise. Verse 2, the first angel. Verse 3, the second angel. Verse 4, the third angel. It's hard for us to grasp. How serious this is going to be. That people will endure a suffering that you have never, ever seen anything like it at any time in the world. These judgments evidently will be spread over the last half of the 70th week of Daniel. They happen one after another, but they build on one another. And we'll see this as we get down further into the judgments, that the first judgment will continue to plague the people as you have other judgments coming on. So one judgment doesn't come and then stop and then another. In Egypt you had a plague and then it was over and then another one came. The seven bowl judgments, people will be plagued with a malignant sore. And they'll have that malignant sore. as the other judgments are added to it. So the world will be all but destroyed. Verse 1, that word loud. A loud voice. It's a Greek word for great. It's used 11 times in this chapter. Some commentators refer to chapter 16 as the great chapter of the Bible. Translated by the word severe later on. Everything that happens here is great. There will be great heat, a great river, the great day of God, a great earthquake, a great city, Babylon the Great, great hailstones, great plague. This is the climax of it. God talks great. You get an idea. We've had hailstones before, but the hailstones in this and verse 21 will be a hundred pounds or more each. Verse two, the first angel went and poured out his bowl onto the earth. So he's got this golden bowl, wide mouth bowl. He dumps it over on the earth. And it became a loathsome and malignant sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image. Let me read you Exodus chapter 9, beginning with verse 9. This is similar to the sixth plague in Egypt. Under the sixth plague, you had a plague of boils. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the same word is used which we have translated boils, is used for sore in Revelation 16. Verse 9, it will become fine dust over the land of Egypt and will become boils, breaking out with sores on man and beast. Verse 11, even the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils. For the boils were on the magicians as well as on the others. What happens is, The people of Egypt are covered with these loathsome sores or boils. I don't know exactly what they are. Some describe it as an open running sore. Turn over to Job chapter 2. Same Greek word is used in Job 2 to describe the boils that Satan brought upon Job. Verse 7, Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. So we're talking about somebody covered with these open sores or boils. And they are intensely painful. Look at verse 13 of Job 2. They sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. So we're talking about an inconvenience. We're talking about loathsome sores and boils that are covering the bodies of these people. It can be a difficult situation because remember with the Egyptians, the magicians couldn't stand before Pharaoh for they were covered with boils. They said, boy, I've got to get in to see my doctor. I'm covered with these loathsome malignant sores. I can't stand the pain. Oh, the doctor's not in today. Why? He's covered with malignant sores. Well, the nurses aren't in. I guess you're getting the answering machine. You see what's going to happen here. Where do you turn? Back in Revelation 16. These loathsome and malignant sores are upon the men who have the mark of the beast and who worship the image. We don't have time to go back. But you remember the plagues on Egypt. You go over to the land of Goshen and the Israelites were spares. Those who do not bow down and worship the beast are spared these malignant sores. But the vast majority of the world will experience them. Well, you'll find with the bold judgments in contrast to the preceding ones, all the world is now included. Portions of the world have been covered before. We'll see it in a moment. Now, all the unbelievers, all the worshipers of the beast are afflicted with these malignant, painful sores. Chapter 16 of Revelation, verse 3. That's all the Bible says about it. One verse, and we move on. But a world of suffering. Verse 3, And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man. And every living thing in the sea died. This plague is similar to the first plague in Egypt. Exodus chapter 7, verses 20 and 21. You don't have to turn there. But what the water of the Nile was turned to blood. Now, here, this plague on waters is going to be in two parts, as was the trumpet judgment back in chapter eight of Revelation. The second trumpet judgment. A burning mountain fell into the sea. In the end of verse eight of Revelation, a third of the sea became blood. See what happened under that judgment? A third of the sea became blood. A third of the creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were destroyed. Now we have all the waters in the oceans turned to blood and all the animals in the ocean dying. And we're told in chapter 16, verse 3, it became like the blood of a dead man. One commentator put it this way, the sea becomes like the blood of a dead man that is coagulated and rotting. We've seen pictures in the news and in news magazines in wars of someone who has been killed and they've laid there for a while, not a long time, but long enough for the blood to begin to coagulate. It takes on that sticky kind of form. It's awful. And that's what we have here. The blood of the oceans has turned to the blood and it's like the blood of a dead man. And everything in the ocean dies. We've seen little minor incidences where marine life has died and whales or whatever have washed up on the beach. Can you imagine what it's going to be like when every single life form in our oceans is dead? And incidentally, they won't have to be recreated because the book of Revelation tells us, in the new heavens and new earth there will be no seas. It's going to be awesome. The stench, the pollution of all over the world, rotting, putrefying animals washing up in a sea of blood. The devastation that will bring. Verse 4, the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers, and the springs of water became blood. In the first plague in Egypt, they were digging around for water to drink. In Revelation chapter 8, in the trumpet judgments, a third of the rivers and springs were afflicted as blood. Now we have the rivers and the springs of water all becoming blood. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but coming under the fourth angel, this is the third angel, coming under the fourth angel in verse 9, men were scorched with fierce heat. You see what's happened? Water supply is gone. What do you give when the heat is scorching? A nice, tall, cold glass of blood. No water. You see it happening here. The world is becoming unlivable. Indeed, what Jesus said, if He didn't intervene in chapter 19, nobody would be left alive on the face of the earth. The world is actually becoming unlivable. The Egyptians could say, Egypt is destroyed. As you come to the end of the 70th week of Daniel, you'll be able to say the world is destroyed. No usable water in the oceans, no drinkable water in the rivers and springs. It's become unfit for life. An awesome judgment and its impact we can only imagine. Always happens when we talk about the severity of God's judgment. There are people who will step back and say, oh, my God would not do that. I was reading a letter to the editor in one of the papers here in the last week or so, and somebody wrote in. Somebody had spoken about judgment and sin, about certain behavior, and he wrote in to say, my God is not like that. And I thought, he ought to have written under that Pharaoh's statement, I do not know the Lord. But what do we do? We do what Romans 1 says fallen, sinful human beings do. They reject the revelation God gives of Himself, and then they begin to create a God out of their own imagination. A God who will be like themselves, not so righteous that He's unapproachable. And I see myself as not so sinful that I'm unacceptable. So we have a God who's not absolutely righteous and we have a man who is not really so sinful. All we do is we need to do some negotiating and adjusting and I'm sure we can get together. And that's the kind of situation we create. So people are repulsed by the thought of hell. There was an article that made the news around the country because Southern Baptist made an estimate of how many millions of people are lost in the United States. How could you be so judgmental? Any concept of sin and wrath and righteousness is lost. So we're talking about judgments here that you and I can only try to picture in our mind. as it actually happens. And you see people with these malignant sores from head to toe, not even any clean water to wash themselves, gasping for just a taste of water, but say, could a loving, kind, merciful God actually do this to people? And to remove any doubt, the voices from heaven proclaim at this point in Revelation 16, that God would not be righteous if He did anything else. The righteousness of God demands that He deal with men's sin in this way. So, verse 5, I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou who art and who was, O holy one, because thou didst judge these things. Note that sentence. Righteous art thou because thou didst judge these things. The righteousness of God is at stake. That's why the eternal gospel in chapter 14, verse 7 was what? Fear God, point one. Give Him glory, point two. Worship Him, point three. We start with what? Fear God. They have no concept of God, His greatness, His majesty, His holiness, His righteousness. So they have no concept of judgment. All they have is the God that they have created in their minds. that they're comfortable with. The angel, a holy angel from glory declares, you are righteous because you judged these things. The angel of the waters. Let me just note on him. Maybe the angel here that pours out the judgment on the waters that men would drink. I think we get some interesting insight into the work of angels back in chapter 14 of Revelation. Verse 18, and another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar. Interesting, isn't it? The angel who had power over fire came out from the altar. There we noted that evidently a certain angel was given responsibility over fire. And it seems in chapter 16, a certain angel is given authority over the fresh waters. In chapter 7, we saw four angels holding back the four winds. Evidently, each angel had responsibility for the north wind, the south wind, the east wind, the west wind. We get some idea of how God has ordered and arranged His creation. The angels have assigned responsibility. We say, well, why would God need the angels? He doesn't need them, any more than He needed any of creation, any more than He needs you and I. But for His sovereign purposes, for His own glory, He has brought creation into existence and assigned responsibility to His creation, and angels are part of that creation. So here's just a window. We talk about the angel of fire in chapter 14, verse 18. He's been busy these days in our own country, parts of it. We don't like to think of all God being involved in nasty calamities, but nothing happens that God ultimately is not overseeing and working for the accomplishing of His purposes. And you see the devastation that comes in just a little space. by what we call natural catastrophes. We just haven't a taste of what is going to take place. Righteous art thou. God is identified in verse 5 of Revelation 15 as the one who art and who was. New American Standard Bible hung on to King James English for God. Who art and who was. He's the one who was and who is. That is the point. Now, some of the verses in Revelation say He also is the One who is to come. But the point of Revelation now, at this point, is we are in the present, coming. And the climax of the seven bowls is the coming of Christ. So, He's viewed as the One who was and the One who is. He is the Eternal God, the Holy One, the Holy One. Interesting word for holy here. It's only used of God the Father twice in the New Testament. Here and back in chapter 15 of Revelation, verse 4. You alone are holy. And it's used in Hebrews 7, 26 of Jesus Christ. It's used of believers in the church in the New Testament, but only used on these two occasions of God the Father. It's a word often connected with righteousness. Holiness in contrast to unrighteousness. It stresses the fact that God always acts in accord with what is consistent with His character as holy. And in His judgment here, He is holy because He is the one functioning in accord with righteousness. The righteous God could do nothing else consistent with His character. So righteousness and holiness here go together as a result of Him being the eternal God who is righteous and holy. His judgments are righteous also. Particular point in view in this judgment. They are bloodthirsty, so they get blood to drink. That's the point of verse 6. We talk about people who are bloodthirsty. They have killed people. Well, the punishment fits the crime. These worshipers of the beast have joined in killing the faithful worshipers of God. They're bloodthirsty. Now all that's left for them to do is drink blood. It's an awesome punishment. Remember the law, eye for eye, tooth for tooth? Now you see the righteous God revealing His righteousness in the punishment that He meets out. Blood for blood. Blood thirsty, blood to drink. That last statement of verse 6, you ought to circle it. They deserve it. Literally, they are worthy. Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor. In Revelation 3, 4, those at the church of Sardis will walk with Him in white because they are worthy by His grace. But here the awful wrath of God poured out upon unbelievers in the tribulation, and the angel of heaven declares they are worthy of this wrath. No question here is God righteous could a loving, kind, merciful, righteous, holy, just God, do this. He can do no other. This is what they deserve. And I heard the altar saying, Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. You note that the statement of the angel in verses 5 to 7 is very similar to the song of Moses in the land sung by the martyrs in chapter 15, verses 3 and 4. And what? It's an exaltation of God and His greatness, His righteousness, His holiness, that He is almighty. It's an awesome picture. I heard the altar saying, and it's obviously a voice coming from the altar, and it may be a holy angel speaking. It may be a reference to the saints. Remember, the martyrs were under the altar in chapter 6, and their prayers were brought before the altar in chapter 8. The point being that both the angels and the redeemed recognize in the display of God's wrath in judging sin, it is true, it is righteous. There is nothing unexpected here. Here we are studying it together. The judge of all the earth has rendered his decision. He has tried us and found us guilty. He has pronounced sentence. No surprises. The redeemed will look and say, His judgments are true. They are in accord with what He said they would be and should be. They are righteous. They are in accord with His character. They are deserved by sinful men. Yes, O Lord God, The Almighty. We saw this title for God, The Almighty. Back in chapter 15, verse 3. Title for God only used in the book of Revelation except for one reference in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. I didn't write down the Corinthian reference. The emphasis of this word for Almighty is He is sovereign over all. Everything is under His domain, under His authority. He rules over all creation. So those in the altar, O Lord God, the One who rules over all. Remember in Genesis 18, verse 25, Abraham spoke with God as God prepared to go and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and the plains of the city. Abraham asked God, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? In Genesis 18, verse 25, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? He is the Pantocrator, the Almighty. He is the ruler of all the earth. Shall He not do right? Shall He not judge sin? There would be no morality in the universe if Almighty God did not judge sin. We see what happens in just a little microscopic picture of what happens when there is no judgment on sin. It spreads and corrupts everything. Heaven would be hell if a holy and righteous God did not judge sin. Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. I'll read you a statement that someone wrote in writing on this passage. All caricatures of God which ignore His intense hatred of sin reveal more about man than about God. That's true. All caricatures of God which ignore His intense hatred of sin reveal more about man than about God. Reveal that man has not come to grips with who God really is, His righteousness. Has not come to grips with His total depraved condition. You know, the amazing thing in all of this is not that sinners are going to be judged by a righteous God. They deserve it. The amazing thing is that there is any hope for anyone to avoid judgment. As I read this, I'm reminded I am no less sinful than anyone being betrayed here. But for the grace of God, I would still be blaspheming Him and refusing to repent. How could Almighty God provide salvation? that would not sacrifice His justice. In Romans 3, verse 23, we read, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is here and I am here. But he goes on, "...being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. Do you know what Almighty God has done? He has provided His Son to go to the cross and bear the full brunt of the wrath of God's righteousness on sin, so that the demand of a righteous God for justice might be satisfied, so that He could give us a free gift, forgiveness, eternal life, to those who believe in Him. That's why Romans 3.24 says we are justified, declared righteous, as a gift by His grace. That's a redundancy. Justified as a gift by His grace. A gift is free. No charge. Grace is something you didn't deserve. I want you to realize, to be justified, declared righteous by God is a gift. You can't earn it. It comes by His grace. Because God is perfectly holy and you are perfectly sinful. There is none good. No, not one. Not one righteous. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The righteous demands of a holy God must be satisfied. The point is at the end of verse 26, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in God. That he might be just. God can never be anything less than righteous. He cannot simply forget about sin. He cannot do it. And we all have that sense of justice. A man breaks into your home, sexually mutilates a little baby, and commits all kinds of horrible crimes, stands before the judge and says, look, I'm not perfect myself, you're not so bad, let's forget it. You would be appalled. You would say there is no righteousness in that. And yet people think, Almighty God who is perfectly righteous, just going to look and say, look, I'm not as righteous as you think I am and you're not as bad as you think you are. Come on, buddy, let's forget it. That happens at the bar. It doesn't happen in heaven, guys. You know, we're talking about Almighty God, the one who is holy, the one who is righteous. The amazing thing is not that he's going to deal with sin, not that his wrath will be poured out on sinful people. The amazing thing is that you and I could be spared from wrath to come. And only the God who is almighty could provide a salvation that would be consistent with His righteousness and also enable us to be declared righteous in His sight. There is only one way. That is through faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ. Until you come to see yourself as a lost sinner, see God as a holy and righteous God, And realize that your only hope is the death of Christ on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. You live under the wrath of God. And let me tell you, there will be a day coming when that wrath will be fully and completely displayed in your life. You will realize the full brunt of that wrath. There are no mediating positions. Either you hide behind and are covered by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, or you will bear the full brunt of the wrath of God for all eternity. You know, it's good for us as Christians to study the book of Revelation. I get grieved in my soul when I hear Christians say, oh, I'm tired of studying sin and judgment. Keep in mind, Revelation chapter 22 says that the book of Revelation was written for the churches. It was written for you and me. You know why? I need to constantly be reminded of the greatness of God's righteous character. I need to constantly be reminded of how wretchedly sinful I am and how totally deserving of His wrath I am. Because then I can be in full awe and amazement that His grace and His mercy and His love is of such infinite degree that it is redeemed me. And I appreciate His love and His mercy and grace, all the greater, now that I've studied Revelation again. Because I'm reminded of how great He is. How sinful I am. And reminded that but for His mercy and grace, that's what I deserve. So He must receive all the glory and all the credit. Let's pray together. Father, we bow in Your presence. It seems that we are so inadequate to express with these finite minds, with these self-centered hearts, how wonderful you are, the majesty of your person. Lord, we bow as those redeemed by grace, not redeemed by works. We cannot come with anything of our own. Our righteous deeds are like filthy, polluted rags. Lord, we come clothed in the righteousness of our Redeemer. that You provided for us. Father, we thank You for the message of sin and judgment. It helps keep before us how great our salvation in Christ really is. We give You all the praise for it. Lord, You know us as we are. Lord, You know the awful condition of some who are gathered here. Lord, we realize the hardening effect of sin and rebellion and rejection of truth. Lord, only You can work in a heart hardened by sin. I pray for those who do not know You, those who are self-deceived. Lord, by Your grace, convict their heart of sin. May they repent and turn to You as the God who is the Redeemer of those who will believe in Him. We pray in the Savior's name. Amen.