Day 254, Revelation 16
Now we see the seven plagues, in majestic, terrifying detail. Remember, this whole book is a prophetic revelation; symbolic not literal. Its purpose is to reveal fundamental principles and cause us to see Jesus more clearly.
So, this seven is no more a sequence of literal events than the previous sequences of sevens we have read (seven churches, seven trumpets, seven seals, and so on).
Many facets of these seven last plagues remind us of the pre-Exodus plagues. There is sickness and suffering designed to bring humanity to their senses (like the younger son in the pigpen). God’s judgment is first expressed in allowing wrong choices to bring painful consequences. That is mercy as well as judgment because it exposes the truth about the choices (and the deceptive powers behind them).
But these seven plagues go beyond the scope of the earlier judgments. These are the last plagues, and so the consequences are total. The second phase of God’s judgment is to remove the evils, in similar fashion to a surgeon excising a tumor or amputating a gangrenous limb.
As you read, note the patience of God (allowing consequences to do their work if possible) as well as the passion for redemption (a firm determination to fully implement the victory of Jesus over evil, the dragon, and the beasts of imperial and religious power).
This world is a mess. Evil abounds, demons deceive powerful people into rejecting God in word and deed.
And God is still more powerful than all evil. Just as light is more powerful than darkness, and heat is more powerful than cold, so God wins!
In the midst of all these final and total battles, Jesus inserts a wake-up call (in verse 15): don’t let familiarity with all this evil cause you to neglect being watchful and clothed in me!
The final victory is close, the strength of sin and evil means that the final battle will be monumental, but those clothed in Jesus and awake to His presence will experience God’s blessing despite terrible plagues.
Have a great day!
Mark.