In our exposition through the book of Revelation, we have come to the last series of judgments, which are identified by the seven bowls of wrath. These will bring history as we know it to a close, and usher in the return of Christ. The previous series of judgments, which were meant to call humanity to repentance and faith in the living God, served only to harden them in their sin and rebellion, as we read in Rev 9:20-21.
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, [21] nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
Now the stage is set for God to execute final judgment on the beast and those who worship its image.
As we go through the chapter, we will notice similarities between the bowls of wrath and the trumpets, as they both draw heavily from the Exodus plagues. One notable difference between them is the totality of destruction of the created order that will be caused by the bowls. (Every living creature in the sea will die; islands will be completely unmoored; mountains will be leveled; and all the cities of the nations will fall.). And unrepentant mankind will grow worse in their hatred of God and will curse Him because of the excruciating pain they will be suffering as a result of the plagues. Satan will also be active at this time in deceiving the kings of the nations to gather for battle against God and His people; which will in turn usher in the return of Christ, who will destroy them.
As we anticipate these judgments to come and the return of Christ, how are we to prepare? The Lord answers that question for us by giving us this exhortation in verse 15: “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” We are to be vigilant against the deceptions of Satan and the allurements of the world. As the Lord told us in Matthew 24, there are going to be false Christs and prophets who will be performing great signs and wonders to deceive many; and lawlessness will abound, which will cause the love of many to grow cold. We praise God for His word that keeps our hearts at peace, as we live in an increasingly sinful world that is destined for judgment.