The Stored Wrath of the Just, Merciful, and Gracious God of the Bible

The Wrath and Justice of Gracious God

Jason Bryant

 

Marking the last half of Tribulation is an end of the Trumpet Judgments, and this is the beginning of the end for fallen earth, and fallen humanity on earth. These judgments will be so terrible and horrendous. One must consider that this is the beginning of the just hand of God Almighty smiting mankind for rejecting His eternal goodness, mercy, sacrifice, and grace. Everything that Christ went through in His passion, God's sacrifice is thrown back in His face and man chooses to stand on his own demerits before a Holy, Holy, Holy, and just God. And this is the beginning of the “Great Tribulation” that Jesus foretold us about. This is the beginning of the “Day of the Lord” prophesied by the Old Testament Saints. The Creator is setting things back to His pristine design. This period of judgments is not arbitrary by any means. God has warned man since the day of the fall in the Garden of Eden, He's spoken through His creation, His laws, His people, His Son and His Spirit. Now God will speak in His perfect righteous judgments upon earth and man.

 "1And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.” (Revelation 16:1-2 KJV)

Pretty straight forward in the text spoken through the Apostle John that the judgments are a result of the wrath of God. The wrath of God and yet, man would not repent. It is easy to glean from the first judgment that this is directly punishing blatant idolatry against God. It is limited; however, to those whom have cast their lot with the antichrist. They have willfully chosen to commit idolatry after all that they have witnessed. And it is a plague of sores like those of the Old Testament. Truly there is

there is nothing new under the sun. Humanity since the fall of man has been a master at idolatry. And God faithfully executes justice as He has always done in the Bible.

"3 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." (Revelation 16:3 KJV) Consider reader, this plague affects three quarters of the earth's surface. The sky on earth in the day time is blue because the seas are blue. Now the seas are red. Only eight hours of day now on earth because of the Trumpet Judgments, and those eight hours will not be blue skies and pretty white clouds. Everything in the oceans and seas die because it is blood rather than water. All the creatures will rot and decay and the stench of death will encompass the earth yet, men will not repent.
 
   The next bowl to be poured out upon humanity is another judgment involving water. This judgment is a correlation to the rejection of God's Living Water of Christ Jesus and the persecution of His Saints. For the streams of blood of His Saints and His blood at Calvary:

"4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 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. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

"7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” (Revelation 16:4-7 KJV)

Now at this point on earth, all natural water in it's natural place is blood. This is a completion of a plague God started in Egypt. The life of man is sustained by essential water and now it is blood.

A brief and temporal foretaste of the second death is initiated in the Fourth Bowl Judgment. After all that has transpired before humanity at rapture and through the Great Tribulation, one would think that men would repent, swallow pride, and beseech for mercy and turn to God in faith. “8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” (Revelation 16:8-9) Imagine reader, there are no pretty blue skies, the stench of death abounds, blood is everywhere, people with sores can't bathe for a lack of water, darkness reigns for eighteen hours a day, and now the fourth bowl of God's wrath is poured out on earth and man. A heat wave of the likes never experienced by man and earth together! Remember, only two-thirds of the sun is exposed now because of the Trumpet Judgments. There is no water to cool off in, or bathe in to sooth sweaty bodies, ease the pain of sores, or quench the assured thirst of relentless heat. Still humanity for the most part will not repent. The three woes of the Trumpet Judgments is definitely warranted.  In a what would seem to be a merciful act towards humanity, to allow a moment to reconsider his plight, God paints darkness on the antichrist and his capital directly. This is another of the plagues originally enacted in the land of Egypt prior to the Exodus.

"10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11 KJV)

Even during this day of wrath God offers what appears to be an act of Divine Mercy considering the last judgment of scorching heat. Surely a logical man would consider repenting; however, he will not. Quite the opposite take place. Not only does mankind refuse to repent, he will turn and blaspheme the God of heaven. He will not repent.

  The Sixth Bowl Judgment now occurs and this is the opening of the Day of the Lord long awaited by His people and creation:

"12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:12-14 KJV)


  The Euphrates which is well noted in the Bible and the northernmost boundary of the land promised to Abraham dries up. This is significant because historically is has been a natural barrier o the peoples of the lands of Asia. The people of Gog and Magog. These are the kings of the East foretold by the prophet Ezekiel. This will herald three frog like spirits that represent demonic forces that will come from the beast and manipulate mankind into forming a Satanic alliance to come together and rally their armies to do battle against the Lord. Even after all the circumstances, all the supernatural acts of God moving the heavens and the earth they will attempt to strike back against the hand of God. Unfathomable to a point for the Christian to be able to see man be so stubborn and stiff necked yet, we Christians were none the less rebellious towards God before He showed us our need for grace. It will be by the tongue and working of miracles that these demonic spirits will be able to sway the kings of the East to their side.

It is the crossing off the dry Euphrates river bed that allows the massive armies of the East to traverse Asia into the Arabian peninsula and into the plains of Meggido for the Great Day of Battle of our Lord. This battle is most commonly known as Armageddon. The valley is tactically ideal for a battle between armies. Many battles throughout the history of man have been fought out in this valley. This will be the battle to end all wars, the battle that our Lord prevails in and allows men to beat their weapons into plow shares.

"7 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (Revelation 16:17-21 KJV)

  The last and seventh bowl to be poured out declares the end of fallen earth with a massive earthquake so powerful that it levels mountains, all cities are destroyed, and the islands sink into the seas. Hail from the heavens like the plague of hail in Egypt strikes earth and man repents not, rather, he blasphemes the God of heaven more. Yet in all this, God still is gracious, just, and merciful... just not in the human concept, but in the true Divine aspect.