It Is Done!

Revelation 16:17-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (ESV) Big Idea: John is emboldening Christians of every age to live in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ who will conquer all evil spirits, decimate every evil system, and provide eternal satisfaction for his followers.  Spirits (vv. 17, 21) The seventh bowl of judgment promises the utter defeat of all demonic powers. We have already understood from 16:13 that the devil (“dragon”) carries out his mischief through “demonic spirits” who empower leaders (“kings throughout the world”) to disseminate an anti-Christian worldview (“beast”). These demonic spirits can enable people to do amazing things, even “perform signs” which can influence fence straddlers to follow them. If Christians take their eyes off of Christ and look at these apparently “successful” leaders, they can be intimidated or grow despondent to the point that they compromise their loyalty to Jesus. The most important thing to remember is that the devil’s final defeat is assured. You must never be cowed, intimidated or overwhelmed by his terroristic threats or activities. He fights as he does because he is a desperate loser. His outlashes can be unpleasant and painful, but they are ultimately no match for the Greater One that lives within you as a Christian. And God’s promise remains that if you “resist him, he will flee” (Ja. 4:4). Resist him in prayer. Resist him by reading the Word. Resist him by asking others to help you in the fight. Resist him by commanding him to flee.  Consider/Discuss:  What are some practical ways you can live “defiantly” against the devil’s attacks by resisting him? Systems (vv. 16, 19) The second encouraging promise from King Jesus is that he will destroy all sinful systems. “Babylon” represents all the world’s systems that attempt to defy the Lordship of Christ (11:8 and 14:8). As Americans, we are accustomed to thinking of sin individually; that each person commits individual sins. However, we do not tend to think of sinful systems; that there are economic, governmental, and societal systems that generate sin—whether intentionally or simply by nature of being corrupted by sin.  Consider/Discuss:  What are some results of systemic sin that you can perceive here in Memphis? As a practical first step, how can you incorporate praying for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” into your prayer life, that these systems might be eradicated? Satisfaction (vv. 17-18) Finally, we can be encouraged in knowing that the final Judgment will bring Christians everywhere a sense of deep satisfaction due to the fact that, once and for all, God’s righteousness will be vindicated, we will be free from all sin—both our own sin and the sin of others that afflicts us and other image-bearers of God.  Consider/Discuss: How do you see “inbreakings” of God's final victory in the present day?