Or creation. It is a violent deal. Um The blood of Abel crying out. Meaning God does not ignore. Injustice.
He does not ignore the suffering and the pain. Sin must be addressed. and ultimately put in its place. And if you die in Christ, let's go back to that thief on the cross. When that outlaw died, sin was put in its place.
because of Christ. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the last book of the Bible, Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
And now here's Pastor Rick as he continues teaching through Revelation chapter 16 on this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Water covers. What, seventy per cent of the surface of the earth? Containing 371 million trillion gallons of water. The quintillion Now how could anybody figure that out?
I mean, you could just say that and you go, wow. I mean, maybe he had. I think that's lowballing it. But you got all of these You know, crevices and underwater caves. You've got the Mariana Trench and trenches all over the ocean.
How can anybody calculate how many gallons of water? This is going to impact The fishing industry And uh it's going to impact. And anything. out on the deep. and it became blood as of a dead man.
Well, I think it's going to be miraculous and not a natural phenomenon. I think nature holds all the ingredients. for countless scenarios to bring these things about.
Now you say, well, what about red tide? And another one would say, what is that?
Well, this laundry detergent that comes in red. Yeah.
So this red tide algae thing, it's it's If it can cover the sea, it doesn't cover the sea, it's usually contained to a relatively short area and in warm waters. I think this will just be another miraculous event. You say, why? What is the point? of God doing these things while He's still reaching souls.
That's the part you got to focus on in the act of judging. The sinners God is saving souls.
Well, where has that happened before? I think on the cross. You had two outlaws crucified next to Christ, hearing the same sermon. Seeing the same person. One of them hardened his heart.
was adamant bristled up against anything Christ was saying. The other one did the same thing for a little while. And then he repented, he realized He he He decided to be honest with himself. And that one went to heaven that day.
So these are not just random events. It's not just, you know what, now I'm just going to unleash on you, and that's that. This is no, I'm gonna unleash on you. It's not random. But in the process, I am going to use these symbols.
to draw people to heaven. Because God is long-suffering, willing that none should perish, but that all should come to eternal life. And but all are not. Too many will opt out. And don't advocate for them, don't blame God for their going to hell.
That would become make you their advocate. You're going to, you're not loyal to God, you're loyal to some misguided concept of human mercy. Which is not mercy at all because You do not want any of these souls that are subject to the wrath of God. to be in your neighborhood in heaven. Because of a simple thing called free will.
God is not going to force anybody to love him. And if you don't come to him and choose him in this life, you most certainly won't in the next life. And if that's the case, you won't behave in the next life. And God is saying, I won't have this again. I'm going to end this nonsense.
And I'm gonna extract From a fallen world in the face of a very active Satan. Those who love me with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Meaning, They can't be shaken away from him no matter what happens to them. It's very easy to get bitter with God. when something happens to you.
And you have to fight that. It it is possible, it is possible. to suffer some catastrophe and cling to the Lord. Without The mood, the desire, well, you know, not gleefully, which is a story of Job. Which is the story of Jeremiah?
These men were victimized by Accursing this world. And yet they held to God somehow. They held to God. And they have been given to us as examples So don't crack under the pressure of a confused and cursed world and the things that go on it. Cling to the Lord.
This life won't be forever, but the next one will be. We'll move on here, having covered this, and it will become blood as of dead men. Will it be actual blood? I don't think there's that much blood it can do the C. I think it is as a dead man, meaning it's going to be red.
and it's going to be harmful. and every living creature in the sea died. There's the fact that it is harmful. Is this global? I mean, in my imagination, I can't see how, but I'm not.
preaching from my imagination. I'm preaching from the influence of the Scripture. I don't know. Again, let's pause for a moment here. Is this boring to you?
Because if it is. At the end of service, when we say the pastors are here, come up with prayer requests. Your prayer request should be, Lord, excite me to what you have to say. no matter what it is you say. Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Well The Creatures in these waters, whether they're global or regional, They die. And uh In addition to the one-third and the corner that perished in earlier judgments. We go to, and the duration of these, however, is not stated. Is this permanent? Or is it just um a a short-lived phenomenon or judgment I should say.
which includes phenomenon. Verse 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of the water, and they became blood.
So now he's moved inland with the judgment. And the fresh waters are targeted, the drinking water, I would think this is going to affect hydroelectric power plants where they won't be able to function in the right way. And that's going to have a rippling effect, especially if it's in the summertime. You know, since air conditioning, we've developed a lot more places, we have communities in places we would not have otherwise had them. Who would live in a community in Phoenix if you didn't have air conditioning?
Now some were courageous enough or Tilted enough to do it before air conditioning, but overall. These sorts of things have have changed. Uh our lifestyle.
Well, these things happening in Revelation are going to change whoever's living during this time, and this is why Jesus encouraged people not to be around. During the Great Tribulation, the lakes, the rivers, the reservoirs, the streams, the underground springs, the ice melt, and its runoff. are all going to suffer. Blood is the life of the animal. And it is What the world has spilled of the saints, and not only the saints, just each other.
But always speaks of violence. First, to God's will. God did not want violence committed to His will in the Garden of Eden. Then, of course. violence towards each other and throughout nature.
or creation. This is a violent deal. Um the blood of Abel crying out. Meaning, God does not ignore Injustice, he does not ignore the suffering and the pain. Sin must be addressed.
And ultimately, put in its place. And if you die in Christ, that does go back to that thief on the cross. When that outlaw died, sin was put in its place. because of Christ. and no one else.
Uh you know Confucius and Muhammad didn't show up and help. They didn't die for sinners. Only one has died for sinners. Only one is worthy to die for sinners. and rose again.
And you say, well, that sounds like a shot at other religions.
Well, the shoe fits. You gotta wear it. That that's what truth does. Uh truth singles out What is false? and pushes it away.
and leaves you with the facts. And by faith we believe these things. And those who don't believe them, And this period of time in the Bible make up the population that is being judged. They have all their arguments lined up. We don't believe it.
Men wrote the Bible. You know, well, you've heard all the excuses. Or they'll blame the church. They blame Christians. Anything to get out of coming to Christ and saying, I am a sinner.
Please forgive me. Please fill my heart with your Spirit. Verse 5, and I heard the angel of the water saying, You are righteous, O Lord. The one who is And who was And who is to be? because you have judged these things.
So in the voice of this created angelic being is gratitude. along with justification. It's almost like saying, thank you, Lord, that somebody's dealing with this. And that's what's going on. And so even the angelic beings are satisfied with the Lord's execution of wrath upon An extremely rebellious world.
And it's also saying, in the days of John, it's not the Roman gods of this or that. It's not Poseidon showing up, the god of the sea, who's doing any of this. It's not Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and whatever else these made-up things are about. It's not them. It's the God of the Jews.
It's the God of the Christians, it's the God of the Bible, it's the God of creation. One God with his servants acting on his command, without resistance. They're not seeing this, the angels are saying, oh, this is just too much. I can't do this. They're acting, they're in unity.
They're loyal to the Lord. Not disloyal. Paul said this after he went on about how he suffered for Christ in this life. He does a little bit in 2 Timothy, but he does most of it in Corinthians, that 11th. Or maybe it's the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, where he talks about how much he suffered for Christ.
Anyway. Um Don't don't be sidetracked if I If it's not, I'm telling you it is, be more impressed by what he says when you finally find it. Anyway, he says the Lord, the righteous, judge. That's a fundamental of our faith. And if you don't have that...
You're likely not born again. Or you you might be, but you're not filled with the Spirit. If you don't understand that God does not do wrong, That when he judges, regardless of how Fierce, that judgment is, it is sound, it is proper, it is flawless, and he is blameless every single time. These are fundamentals of the faith. And if you listen to the voice of the devil, you will have doubt.
And the one that has doubt is the one that gets the sorrow. And that's it. This is the message. Verse 6. For they have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink for it is their just due.
So the angels are allowed to ring in. John sees this. The symbolism is very powerful. It is very clear. Incidentally, the word shed used in the New King James Version, they have shed the blood of the saints, is the same word that is also used for poor.
Pour out.
So they have poured out the blood of the saints. that wicked generation will now shed Uh no more blood when this is all done. But they have shed a lot of blood, and they will until they are. dealt with at no other time in human history There's never been a generation. as armed for war as right now.
You take Switzerland. Why hasn't Switzerland been invaded?
Well One of the big reasons, it's too hard to get to. It's got the Alps and all the mountains. It's just hard to get to. Not anymore. Not with the invention of intercontinental ballistic missiles and all the other things, satellites that can shoot lasers.
Not anymore. Now is this is a proof that God's Word is sure, that in the end times, the the populations of people, the generation living in these days, will have the resources To do the things that God is saying is going to happen. unlike ever before. And he says here, and you shall give them blood to drink.
Well, what's happening is the killers. are killed. The destroyers are destroyed.
Now we go back to chapter 11 when. The seventh trumpet was introduced. I hope you can see the value of evangelical evangelicalism in all of this. To take a person that doesn't know what's coming and say this is what's coming and this isn't the worst of it. The seven trumpets are not the worst thing that can happen to a human being.
The great white throne of judgment is So coming back to this, I pointed back to chapter 11. We're talking about killing the killers. Here we read when that seventh trumpet was first introduced, the nations were angry. and your wrath has come. And the time of The dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints.
And those who fear your name, small and great. and should destroy those who destroy the earth. That's what we're reading about with the outpouring of this trumpets. the bowls of wrath. It is just that.
Wrath. And the Bible, again, has this thing for understatement. Then comes the end. is just as logical and necessary as in the beginning. God is telling you where we've come from and where this is all going, and nobody else has got this.
in any of their religious writings. And no one can back it up with already Proven prophecies. He says, For it is their just due. Sadly, it was avoidable. But they insisted And uh blasphemy will continue Throughout this chapter to the end.
It's found in three spots. It will continue. God's judgments are not random. Again, we move to verse 7. Imagine how much I'm skipping over.
All the Old Testament prophets ringing in on this long before John comes along. which is a testimony to the fact of predicted predictive prophecy. And I heard another from the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. That's what heaven feels about what God is doing. It's true, it is righteous.
Even so, yeah, it's got to be this way, but that does not take away from who you are. That's what's happening in this part of the Revelation, and John is seeing it.
So, this altar, of course, is associated with the Moddered. Believers back in chapter six. We move on to verse eight. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
So the fourth angel. outpouring uh is solar And it is a direct Uh affliction on people, their skin. Scenarios. Maybe it's fallout from nuclear reactors malfunctioning or being targeted. You know, Russia just hit Chernobyl again with a drone and punctured a big hole in the containment roof on that.
And now the Ukrainians are like, how are we going to patch this thing up? Because it's got to get patched. And if it doesn't, the fallout's going to continue to do damage. Actually, Chernobyl's quite an ingenious, you know, how they contained it, quite ingenious. But they didn't factor in missile strikes.
So these things are already happening. Or it could be, you know, radiation burns, solar flares could do this. Uh weaponized satellites can ha play their role. Again, you look at Earth Google maps, and you can see your house from outer space, a picture of your house and your neighborhood, in your neighbor's neighborhood. You can see how sloppy they are.
Or how neat they are, and if you're bad. Anyway, you can see these things.
Well, these same satellites that are giving you pictures that have cameras.
Well, not all of them, but some of them, they have lasers, they're armed, they're weaponized, they just haven't been used yet.
So Unlike ever before. Verse 9. And the men were scorched with great heat. And they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory. They're just doubling down.
So here you are, again, a Christian, and you got hardship in your life, and you're struggling to make it through. And here's your pastor talking about wrath upon generations away from you. You won't be here for it. How is that going to help you as a Christian? Because the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul, the spirit, the joints, and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, which means God is on top of everything.
He sees all your struggles. And he does not say to you, I see you struggling, you do not have to know any more about me. He rather says to me, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. God forces us.
To stay in the fight. or where we suffer conviction. Like I should be in the fight. And that's why Christians come up for prayer, and that's why Christians do pray, and that's why they come back to Bible teaching churches. Because they know what their assignment is in the midst of A destroyed world.
destroyed by sin. When you look at another human being, you're seeing somebody who's struggling with something. And you're also seeing somebody who is not created to be someone struggling with something. What you're looking at when you see another human being is a defect. But God has not abandoned the defect And he s he can he puts defects to work.
And that's why Paul said, I'm chief of sinners.
Well, anyway, the power plants here in verse nine with the scorchings. the blasphemy going on. Malachi says this, and Malachi writes 300. I've got to speed this up. and 300 years before these events He says, For behold, 300 years before John got them, For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven.
All the proud, yes, all who do wickedly. will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says Yahweh.
Well, if you were a victim, In Malachi's generation of people coming over the hill with their armies and slaughtering your family and enslaving you. You wouldn't find this something that was harsh. You would find this as something that was just. Finite man. Declaring war on an eternal God is the epitome of insanity, and it's everywhere.
A humanistic man wants to boast at how developed and intellectual and rational they are. And yet they pick fights with God. They factor him out. They're just a simple thing. when they talk about evolution, how something just started.
I mean, it's just magic.
Something had to come from somewhere. You just can't get away from it. Anyway, okay, God is not amused by. The Unbeliever God has identified them. And for us, 2,000 years in advance, he's telling us what's going to happen.
And our generation comes along and says, We got the tools for this. Verse 10, Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.
So the beast kingdom. is plunged into darkness now. The Profits go on with that. I'm probably going to stop at this verse and not do verse 11. We'll put verse 11 in with the next.
session Because those blasphemies lead up to Armageddon.
So we'll stop with this verse. Because everybody's got to go somewhere. They Isaiah, Joel. Jesus, you know, that talks in Mark chapter 13 speaks about the darkness that's going to hit this world, the physical darkness. And they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.
Due to the previous judgments. The sun burning them, the sores from the mark that they received. And painkillers will likely be scarce. If not non-existent? Because of the shipping industry that's going to be impacted, and all the other things that are going on.
It's not going to be a time that you want to live on the earth.
Well, it was that way in Sodom and Gomorrah. You wouldn't want to live the day the hailstones started flying. And remember, some of those hailstones were big as cars.
So don't think of these little, you know, like hail, balls of hail that we get here, or even little bigger ones in Texas. because everything's big in Texas. But everything's bigger in Alaska. Anyway, coming back to this. Damned rather defiant because they attack God.
And it shouldn't be this way. Um This has been Cross Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreference radio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings.
While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Hello.
