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If we are not vigilant, we can be lured into thinking we can live in a world of comfort, luxury, and ease apart from Christ. But the reality is this dream world will not last. God in His kindness lets believers know what to expect regarding the difficulties and trials ahead, but also the key to overcoming—holding fast to Him as we fight against sin and the lies of the world.
As we dive into Revelation 15-18, let's discuss three takeaways.
First, when God brings final judgment, it will bring Him glory.
And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. (Revelation 15:8)
As we have read through Revelation, we have seen partial judgment from God (ex. one-third of people killed), but now we see He will no longer hold back. The final judgment is poured out and it will be complete. No one will escape but believers will be spared because of the blood of the Lamb. However, even in this judgment, God will receive glory because He is just and true. What we see unfold in these chapters is God bringing justice and eradicating all evil. This is the day all believers wait for because all the pain, suffering, and evil will be extinguished and our salvation will be completed.
Second, the seven bowls of judgment remind us of the Exodus story of judgment and salvation.
The final judgment is unleashed and the wrath of God is no longer diluted. We see the full-force, concentrated wrath of God here. It reflects the story of Exodus when the Egyptians suffer from the plagues because Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go. Shockingly, we see despite seeing this judgment, people do not repent but harden their hearts more—just like Pharaoh. In fact, some will even attempt to make war on the Lamb (17:14).
We also know from the story of Exodus that when the Egyptians try to pursue the Israelites all are drowned in the Red Sea while the Isralites walked across on dry ground. The Israelites salvation that day pointed to this final judgment day when God would fulfill believers' salvation.
Throughout Scripture we see the themes of judgment and salvation woven together. God saves His people and judges their enemies—the garden of Eden when God promises to crush Satan, when David defeats Goliath, throughout the book of Judges, and here in Revelation.
Third, sin will never prevail.
The lures of the evil one to chase after wealth, immorality, success, and self-exaltation will not last. The prostitute and beast represent different sinful paths of worldliness, but with the same end game: destruction. Sin may allure us, but it will only lead to death and judgment. If we do not actively fight against following the evil desires of our heart, then we must expect to be judged by God's full wrath.
When Babylon (which represents worldliness) is destroyed in a single day, no one is upset about her, but the idols of their heart which can no longer be pursued. And yet these very idols are what led to her annihilation. Our hearts can be deceived by sin and hardened. We must repent and take the fight against sin in our lives seriously. We must cry out to God for His grace to hold fast to Him.
Lord God Almight, forgive us for chasing after the idols of our own hearts. Please purify our hearts and incline them to You alone. Help us to fight against sin and not believe the lies of the evil one. Hold fast to us Lord and help us to cling to You and delight in Your Word. Amen.