The fifth bowl begins God’s war with Satan. This devotional reading looks at God’s attack on him.
Nuggets
- The fifth bowl attacks Satan himself.
God attacks Satan at his point of authority. - God’s judgment puts Satan’s kingdom in what it is – darkness.
- The judgments will create great suffering.
- Even with God showing His majesty over Satan, worldview people will not repent.
We’ve been looking at the bowls that carry the judgments that pour out God’s Wrath. The first four focused on redeeming the earth.
The last three turn to focus on redeeming mankind. Let’s take a look at the fifth bowl.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in The Bowl series
Throne of the Beast
“The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16: 10-11 ESV)
The fifth bowl attacks Satan himself.
God attacks Satan at his point of authority.
We’ve already talked about Satan having a throne. In Revelation 2, we said that this is more symbolic. We know Satan is the god of this world.
- “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Cor. 4: 4 ESV).
- “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (I Jn. 5: 19 ESV).
- “In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2: 2 ESV).
- “Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (Jn. 16: 11 ESV).
Instead of a literal throne somewhere here on earth, Satan dwells everywhere. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it’” (Job 1: 7 ESV).
Wow. That is a much different reception than the Antichrist got from the worldview people. He was welcomed with opened arms.
But what is usually accepted more readily than God’s Will? Anything that doesn’t point out people’s sins.
The Antichrist – at first – makes Himself appear to be the champion of the do-your-own-thing movement.
What? You didn’t think God could beat Satan?
God is not weak. He is all powerful. He will never be defeated by Satan.
Kingdom into Darkness
God’s judgment puts Satan’s kingdom in what it is – darkness.
I see this as another instance of getting what worldview people wanted. They wanted Satan and his tolerance – and got Satan’s darkness.
- “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6: 12 ESV).
- “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Ac. 26: 18 ESV).
- “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1: 13 ESV).
But this isn’t talking about hell, I don’t think. I think it is talking about earth.
- “When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood” (Rev. 6: 12 ESV).
- “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day” (Ac. 2: 20 ESV).
- “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Mt. 24: 29 ESV).
Was just a section of the sun disabled in the sixth seal, and this takes away more – if not all?
Guild explained what this really tells us. He wrote,
“The wonted glory and [luster] that the beast’s kingdom had by ignorance, error, and idolatry, is now turned to darkness; which teaches us, that all seeming good, profit, pleasure, advancement, which is got by sin, ends at last in the contrary.”
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All the gains made through sin will be lost in God’s judgments. Darkness will not be avoided.
Darkness isn’t an action or decision. It is the absence of God.
If we hook this section to the last section, we see that God will defeat Satan in his kingdom at his throne.
People in Anguish
The judgments will create great suffering.
What did the worldview people do? Gnaw their tongues. They were biting on themselves.
What’s this all about? Guild said that “… the Lord makes the guilty conscience of the wicked to be their own accuser and condemner …”
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They will be their own tormentor because it was their choice to not obey God that put them in this predicament.
Did not Repent
Even with God showing His majesty over Satan, worldview people will not repent.
What do the worldview people not do? They still didn’t repent.
Why wouldn’t they? Wouldn’t they realize that prophesy had been fulfilled?
Conway explained why this won’t be the case. He wrote, “Distress distracts the mind, drags it hither and thither, so that it cannot stay itself upon God. To trust to the hour of death to turn unto God is, indeed, to build upon the sand.”
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They won’t be focusing on God. They will be focusing on the hard circumstances.
But then, God isn’t looking for repentance now, is He? He has hardened their hearts.
The last time He brought His people out of bondage, God hardened hearts. “… So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said” (Ex. 7: 22 ESV).
Conway said the problem is those with hard hearts express resentment instead of fear.
I bet – in this case – there isn’t either type of fear. We know there is no awe. There isn’t terror, either.
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1: 7 ESV).
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (Ps. 111: 10 ESV).
- “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Prov. 8: 13 ESV).
- “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding’” (Job. 28: 28 ESV).
- “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Prov. 14: 27 ESV).
- “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm” (Prov. 19: 23 ESV).
- “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 10: 12 ESV).
The problem when the bowls are going to be poured out is that the worldview people aren’t going to believe that the Day of the Lord is coming. It will be global warming or some other thing their science can prove.
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil” (Ecc. 8: 11 ESV).
Because the seals, trumpets, and bowls are going to take ever how long God has designated, the worldview people won’t see it.
What we don’t want is to have the worldview people give a carnal repentance. Spurgeon defined that as having an outward change without having an inward transformation.
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A carnal repentance does not create a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (II Cor. 5: 17 ESV).
God is not looking for an insincere, transitory repentance. He was a genuine repentance, which includes turning away from sin.
The time for repentance will be over here. This is judgment, not salvation.
Making the Connections #1
It is hard to read all these sermons that try to put everything on the Catholic Church and try to tell us these things have already happened.
Yes, prophecy is going to be applicable to several time periods. Yes, it may – in small doses – have been fulfilled.
Don’t think that doesn’t mean that these judgments won’t happen again in a big way. The Day of the Lord is going to be a definitive statement.
Making the Connections #2
There is an effect to the cause of judgments on those who have hardened hearts. They can cause us to sin even more.
Spurgeon reminded us that we sometimes make promises to God. “You take away this illness, I’ll obey You.”
But what happens after the sickness leaves? Are we really saints?
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That would be an insincere repentance if we are just asking God to take away the illness and not submit to Him.
How Do We Apply This?
- Remember that judgments are for good.
- Don’t repent just to escape the judgment.
- Repent now.
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Father God. We know You will defeat Satan on His turf. You will devastate his throne. Lord, it pains our hearts that people will still reject you – even then. Still, we know this must occur before we can spend eternity with You. Amen.
What do you think?
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