wrath Archives - Christ Church

Grace & Peace: Revelation 93

Douglas Wilson on April 3, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments (Rev. 16:4-7).

Now comes the time for third bowl of wrath to be poured out upon Jerusalem. The previous judgment was upon the ocean; with this plague the sentence falls upon the fresh water. Again, with the trumpet judgments, the affliction was partial. Now comes the end, when the sentence is final. So in this segment, the third angel empties his bowl of wrath. Far from objecting, another angel, the angel of the waters, declares that the judgment is righteous. The Lord is righteous, and He is the one who was, is, and is to be. *He* is the one who has determined this calamity. The next statement by the angel of the waters helps to confirm the place where this sentence must fall. As a city, the murder of prophets was characteristically Jerusalems signature item (2 Chron. 36:15-16; Luke 13:33-34; Acts 7:52). When it came to prophets and saints, this was a bloodthirsty city, and so it was fitting that God turned all their fresh water to blood.

Jerusalem richly deserved to have this happen to them. Jesus had predicted this would happen, and He said that the murder of prophets over generations is *why* it would happen.

“Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation” (Matt. 23:31-36).

Earlier the martyrs had cried out from under the altar, seeking Gods vengeance on their behalf (Rev. 6:9). The tribulation of the trumpets began to answer their cry for justice, and now the finalization of justice is imminent. And so it is that another voice comes from the altar, echoing the sentiments of the angel of the waters*. Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.*

Grace & Peace: Revelation 92

Douglas Wilson on March 27, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea” (Rev. 16:3).

As numerous commenters have pointed out, the second bowl of wrath is similar to the judgment that was delivered through the second trumpet. The difference has to do with the extent of the judgment. With the trumpet judgment, when the great mountain was pitched into the sea, a third of the sea became blood (Rev. 8:8). The judgment was partial. Here the judgment is complete. Not only did the sea in its entirety become blood, but it was like the blood of a dead man—putrefying, coagulated, and clotted.

This is still the final horror falling upon the Jews in revolt, and it is reminiscent of the plague that helped destroy Egypt—with Judea now being the new Egypt. In the first plague to afflict Egypt, the Nile turned to blood (Ex. 7:17-21).

A part of the fulfillment of this prediction by John may have happened at the Sea of Galilee, where Josephus recalls one encounter. Remember that this Sea was where Jesus often taught, and where many of His disciples had made their living.

“They were killed by the darts on the lake; and the Romans leaped out of their vessels, and destroyed a great many more upon the land: one might then see the lake all bloody, and full of dead bodies, for not one of them escaped. And a terrible stink, and a very sad sight there was on the following days over that country; for as for the shores, they were full of shipwrecks, and of dead bodies all swelled; and as the dead bodies were inflamed by the sun, and putrefied, they corrupted the air . . . (Wars, III.10.9, emphasis mine).

Grace & Peace: Revelation 89

Douglas Wilson on March 6, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Rev. 15:1–4).

Seven angels are introduced here, and we are given sort of a prelude to the next round of judgments. Their approach is said to be another “sign in heaven,” and it was a sign that was “great and marvelous.” These are described as the seven last plagues, meaning that we are now talking about the final and complete destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They bring with them the fullness of the wrath of God. This is it.

We will see in v. 6 that these angels come out of the heavenly temple, and so it is not surprising that we also see various aspects of temple worship described, which would include the crystal or glass sea. This is not a lake or an ocean out in front of the temple, but is rather the laver that in the Old Testament was made of bronze, in which the priests would wash themselves. The word here is thalassa, which is the same word used in the Septuagint for the bronze laver (1 Kings 7:23). As the laver was used for purification of the worshipers, the fact that the glass here was mingled with fire probably indicates cleansing in Heaven, as opposed to mass destruction on earth. The original laver for the tabernacle was small, in which the priests would wash their hands and feet (Ex. 30:17-21; 40:30-32). Solomon’s version was huge, resting on the backs of bulls. It probably represented the Red Sea, and the great victory that God had won for Israel there. The heavenly version was greater still, and represented a greater victory still.

Those who had gained the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name—meaning the believers who had stood firm in the Neronian persecution—were given the harps of God and they all stood on the sea of glass in order to be able to sing. They were purified at the laver, and then presented their praise.

We are told that these faithful ones sang two songs. The first was the song of Moses, indicating that Jerusalem was identified with the old Egypt that had fallen under judgment. Just as Egypt had been left a smoldering ruin, so also Jerusalem was going to be left the same way. The second song was the song of the Lamb, and we are given the content of that song.

This chapter began with the sign in Heaven being described as “great and marvelous,” and here that phrase is repeated. They sang that the works of the Lord God Almighty were great and marvelous. He is the King of saints, and His ways are just and true. His name shall be glorified, and they sing that no one will fail to fear Him. And why? Because He alone is the Holy One, and all nations will come and worship before Him. They will do so because His judgments, in all their severity, will be made manifest now.

Just as Miriam and the women with her danced on the shores of the Red Sea, so the faithful ones who stood against Nero will sing as they stand on the Crystal Sea. The thing they share in common is the fact that they know that the songs of the saints in Heaven provide the soundtrack for judgments on earth. The ferocity of God’s judgments when they finally fall upon the insolence of rebellious man is not “a problem” to be apologized for. The ferocity of God’s judgments are here celebrated, and we see that they are the basis for all the nations of men coming to their senses and streaming to the Lord of the nations, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why will the nations come and worship? Because the wrath of God has been made manifest.

Grace & Peace: Revelation 88

Douglas Wilson on February 27, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (Rev. 14:13-20).

The martyrs earlier had been gathered under the altar (Rev. 6:9), and their prayers were on the golden altar (Rev. 8:3). They were blessed, but not exactly at rest—they were given white robes so they could rest “for a little season.” They cried out in a loud voice for God to show His righteous vengeance. But now the times of vengeance have come, the time was complete. Jerusalem was now to be destroyed, and this means that all the saints who die from this point on are blessed. There are seven benedictions pronounced in Revelation, and this is the second of the seven (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). The saints who will die from this point on have the privilege of resting from their labors (v. 13), and their works follow them to their rest. A voice from Heaven declared this benediction, and the Spirit reinforced it.

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Grace & Peace: Revelation 94

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea” (Rev. 16:3).