GOD'S WRATH ENDS IN GLORY

Aug 02, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Wrath Culminates in Christ’s Triumph

The final bowls of judgment in Revelation 16 are not random acts of destruction but precise displays of God’s justice. Every plague targets rebellion, echoing His holiness. Yet these judgments climax not in despair but in Christ’s return as King of Kings. His robe dipped in blood signifies both wrath and redemption, proving evil’s defeat is certain. The same God who permits suffering now will reign unopposed. [32:14]

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11–14, ESV)

Reflection: When chaos feels overwhelming, how does Christ’s ultimate victory reshape your perspective? What rebellion in your own heart needs surrendering to His kingship today?

Day 2: Fleeing When the Temple is Defiled

The abomination of desolation—a moment of ultimate sacrilege—triggers urgent flight. Jesus’ warning to “run to the mountains” mirrors God’s pattern of making escape routes for His people. Just as early Christians heeded Christ’s words to flee Jerusalem’s siege, future believers must discern when to abandon comfort for survival. Obedience often requires leaving what’s familiar to embrace God’s protection. [07:52]

So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15–16, ESV)

Reflection: What “holy place” in your life (routine, relationship, or role) might God ask you to abandon if it became compromised? How do you cultivate sensitivity to His warnings?

Day 3: The Sealed Remnant Proclaiming in Crisis

Amid global collapse, 144,000 Israelites are marked not for safety but service. Their sealing parallels the blood on doorposts in Exodus—protection for a mission. These evangelists preach while creation unravels, proving God’s priority isn’t sparing people from pain but appointing them to purpose. Suffering becomes a megaphone for the gospel when the redeemed embrace their calling. [02:16]

Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. (Revelation 7:3–4, ESV)

Reflection: If crisis revealed your true calling, would it align with how you’re living now? Who needs to hear hope from you precisely because their world is crumbling?

Day 4: Hailstones and Hardened Hearts

The seventh bowl brings 100-pound hailstones—a physical assault so severe it mirrors Pharaoh’s plagues. Yet even this fails to soften hearts. Suffering alone never produces repentance; it only exposes what’s already inside. God’s wrath is less about punishment than revealing humanity’s defiant choice to curse Him rather than bend the knee. [30:53]

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. (Revelation 16:21, ESV)

Reflection: When have you seen hardship make someone (including yourself) more bitter instead of better? How can you intercede for those interpreting pain as God’s cruelty rather than correction?

Day 5: Mercy’s Daily Invitation to Turn

God’s kindness is not passive approval but active patience, delaying wrath to allow repentance. Each morning’s mercy is a fresh summons to align with His heart. Yet presuming on this grace—judging others while excusing our own sin—stores up wrath. Daily repentance isn’t groveling but agreeing with God about what He’s already eager to forgive. [40:36]

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4, ESV)

Reflection: What subtle sin have you normalized because “God hasn’t struck me down yet”? How might His kindness today be inviting you to tear down an idol you’ve protected?

Sermon Summary

God's wrath ends in glory, and Revelation will not let that glory be separated from the judgment that comes before it. The times of the Gentiles still run their course while Israel remains hardened in part, but God has set aside a specific period when Jewish eyes will be opened to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Daniel’s seventieth week frames that final seven year period, beginning with a covenant made by the lawless one, the Antichrist, with many, including Israel.

Jesus names the turning point as the abomination of desolation. The Antichrist breaks the covenant, stops sacrifice in the rebuilt temple, takes his seat there, and proclaims himself to be God. Matthew 24 does not point to Jerusalem surrounded by armies like Luke 21 and AD 70. Matthew points to that future desecration and tells Israel to run for the mountains, not to go back for a coat, not to waste a moment.

Revelation shows that the last forty two months are not God losing control. The beast is allowed authority for a set time, while God prepares a place in the wilderness for the remnant of Israel and nourishes them for 1,260 days. Satanic activity reaches its height, persecution becomes intense, and divine wrath falls in measured judgment on an unrepentant world.

The seven trumpets begin to ruin the earth as people know it. Land food sources are struck, the sea is struck, fresh water is poisoned, heavenly lights are darkened, tormenting creatures are released, and demonic armies kill a third of mankind. The seventh trumpet opens the way for the seven bowls, where wrath is poured out even more fully.

The bowls fall on those who took the mark of the beast, not by accident but as worship of the beast. Sores cover them, the sea dies, rivers become blood, the sun scorches, darkness falls on the beast’s kingdom, the Euphrates dries up for Armageddon, and the final bowl brings the cry, “It is done.” The earth shakes like never before, islands vanish, mountains are not found, and hundred pound hailstones fall while people still curse God and will not repent.

Revelation 19 gives the glory at the end of wrath. Heaven opens, Christ rides the white horse, faithful and true, judging and making war in righteousness. His robe bears the blood, His mouth carries the sword, and His name is King of kings and Lord of lords. Romans 2 brings that future judgment into the present, because God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance, not pride, excuse making, or judgment of others.

Key Takeaways

1. God is not losing control God’s wrath is not panic, overreaction, or heaven trying to catch up with a world gone wild. Revelation shows authority being “allowed” for a set time, which means even the lawless one operates inside boundaries God has already drawn. The believer does not need a smaller view of evil, but a larger view of God’s measured justice. [31:10]
2. Kindness is meant for repentance Romans 2 refuses to let mercy become a hiding place for a hard heart. God’s new mercies do not excuse another morning of delay, self justification, or judging someone else from a safer distance. Divine kindness presses the soul toward confession, because patience is not the same thing as permission. [40:26]
3. The mark is worshipful rebellion The mark of the beast is not taken accidentally, like someone getting tricked in a grocery line. Revelation ties the mark to worship, allegiance, and a deliberate embrace of the beast’s kingdom. That makes the warning deeper than speculation about technology, because the real issue is what the heart bows before. [19:36]
4. Wrath reveals Christ’s victory Every trumpet and every bowl moves toward the same finish line, Jesus Christ wins. The terror of Revelation does not end in chaos, but in heaven opening and the true King riding out in righteousness. God’s holiness makes wrath real, and Christ’s reign makes that wrath end in glory. [34:42]
5. No excuse stands before God Romans 2 strips away the explanations people often use to avoid repentance, painful history, bad examples, church hurt, or comparison with someone worse. God shows no partiality, so the final question is not how life was explained, but what was done with Jesus Christ. Judgment becomes personal before it becomes prophetic.

## [44:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - God’s Wrath Ends In Glory
[00:49] - The Times Of The Gentiles
[01:48] - Rapture, Witnesses, And Israel
[04:19] - The Lawless One Appears
[05:10] - Daniel’s Seventieth Week
[05:47] - Great Tribulation Begins
[07:05] - The Abomination Of Desolation
[11:54] - Forty Two Months Of Authority
[14:19] - The Seven Trumpets
[18:47] - The Seven Bowls Of Wrath
[25:01] - Euphrates, Armageddon, And Demonic Deception
[28:22] - “It Is Done”
[32:14] - Christ Returns In Glory
[35:27] - Romans 2 And No Excuses
[45:44] - Trust Christ Today

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Revelation 16:1-21 [18:47]
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’ The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing died that was in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, ‘Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!’ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!’ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. 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. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (‘Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!’) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 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.”

Observation questions

In Revelation 16, which people are specifically struck by the first bowl, and how are they described? [19:18]
What repeated response do people give to God during the bowl judgments, especially after the scorching heat, darkness, and hail? [23:48]
What happens when the sixth bowl is poured out on the Euphrates, and what gathering follows after that? [25:01]
What details show how complete and devastating the seventh bowl is, from the words “It is done” to the earthquake, disappearing islands, and massive hailstones? [28:22]

Interpretation questions

Revelation 16 ties the mark of the beast to worship of the beast. How does that shape the way a person should understand this mark—not mainly as an accident or trick, but as deliberate allegiance? [19:36]
The voices in heaven call God’s judgments “true and just,” even while those judgments are severe. What does that reveal about the connection between God’s holiness, human rebellion, and divine wrath? [22:24]
The world keeps cursing God and refusing to repent even under unmistakable judgment. What does that suggest about the hardness of the human heart when sin is fully embraced? [24:49]
God’s wrath ends with Christ returning in glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. How does that help explain why Revelation does not separate judgment from victory? [32:14]

Application questions

God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance. Where might kindness and patience from God have been treated more like permission to delay than a call to turn back to Him? [40:26]
Romans 2 says there is no excuse before God. What kinds of explanations does a person tend to lean on—pain, background, church hurt, comparison with others—and how might those things keep someone from honestly dealing with Jesus Christ? [44:44]
It is easy to judge other people while ignoring the person in the mirror. Where is the pull toward criticism strongest right now, and what would honest repentance look like there? [39:41]
The mark of the beast is worshipful rebellion, which means the deeper issue is what the heart bows to. What competes most for loyalty right now—comfort, approval, control, money, anger, or something else? [19:36]
God is not losing control, even when evil looks loud and powerful. In what area of life is there a need to trade panic for trust in God’s measured justice and rule? [31:25]
Christ’s victory is the finish line of Revelation. How could remembering that Jesus wins change the way fear, headlines, suffering, or uncertainty are handled this week? [34:42]
Since judgment is personal before it is prophetic, who needs to hear clearly what Jesus has done? What would it look like to tell that story plainly and lovingly this week? [49:37]

Sermon Clips

57s

#GodIsInControl

“``Church, I want you to hear me. I'm I'm gonna give you the theological insight as I study through this series, the beginning of the end times. And here it is. God is not losing control. God is not losing control, and then the world is getting out of hand. Although many times, we we kinda say those words. We kinda think those thoughts that it just seems like God is is is is is is missing it. He he doesn't have control over us as humans. But here's the reality. He doesn't want to control us as humans. He's given us a free will to decide if we want to worship him as God or not. He is in control. The wrath that we read about is his measured justice against an unrepentant and rebellious world.”

59s

#PrepareForRevelation

“And yet that those who have not called upon Jesus Christ as their savior, when that happens, when God starts to pour out his wrath, instead of responding and recognizing who he is, instead, they will curse him. You see, God's wrath is real because his holiness is real. Every trumpet, every bowl has the same finish line. What is that? That Jesus Christ wins. So we exist as a church. You hear me share this that that we exist to help other families find and follow Jesus Christ. This means that we need to prepare them for whatever the future holds. We can't skip over this book of revelation.”

37s

#KindnessLeadsToRepentance

“But here's the reality. Sometimes we let the a morning and then another morning and then another morning and then another morning go by, and we forget that there is something called repentance that comes along with that mercy, that comes along with what God is giving to us. And here's what he says here in Romans chapter two. He says that God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. It's meant to remind us, hey, Ronnie. You know what? You are not better than anybody else.”

60s

#RevelationWillBeClear

“Church, I want you to hear this very clearly. What I shared with you about the trumpets and what I share about the the whole concept concept of of the the end end times times that the the Bible has. And and I know that the book of revelation, it's it's it can be a scary book. I mean, it sounds horrible when one thing happens and one third of humanity dies. I I don't know if you remember, but but in 2020, when the that topic of COVID came up, this question was asked by millions of people. Is this the end of the ages? Is this what he's talking about in revelation? And my answer for everybody that would ask me that question is no. When what God says will happen in Revelation happens, nobody's gonna wonder, is this what he's talking about? Could this be it? They'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

32s

#NoAccidentalMark

“And and we probably wonder, what's it gonna look like? And and how do I don't I don't wanna take that accidentally. And and I'm here to share this with you. Nobody will take the mark of the beast accidentally. They will know exactly what they're doing. They they won't take the mark of the beast because they needed to buy food. They'll take the mark of the beast to worship the beast, to worship the antichrist.”

39s

#ItIsDone

“You go back two thousand years ago when Jesus was on the cross, he proclaimed something similar. He said, it is finished. What was he referring to? He was referring to the work that he was going to do to secure your salvation and to secure my salvation. And now here, when this seventh bowl, when this final act happens at the end of what we know this earth age, the proclamation is it is done.”

88s

#BeAnAdvocateForTheLost

“one thing that we can do this week is thinking about revelation, thinking about the bowls of wrath that God is gonna pour out on this earth. Think about that that we can be an advocate for the lost. This afternoon, our diaper changing station is gonna pop back up. Right next to to everything else that's going on, they're gonna walk by, and they're gonna see the the title First Baptist Church. And all we're doing is just trying to offer a safe, friendly place that they can take care of their babies, take care of their children. All we're trying to do is sometimes what's the hardest for us as Christians to do, and that is be nice. Because we get stuck on Romans two, and we and we judge everyone else. Let's be an advocate for the lost. What can you and I do this week? Who are our friends, our relatives, our neighbors, our coworkers that may not know Jesus Christ? And what could we do or what could God do through us to share that message?”

61s

#Last42Months

“That seems like a very scary proposition. It seems very challenging when we think about that Jesus Christ himself gave those words. And and what did he identify? He identified what what I'll talk about, and that is the abomination of desolation. When that happens, this is not the beginning of birth pains. This is the labor. This is when the culmination is going to happen. Everything escalates. There will be maximum satanic power and activity going on on this earth. There will be unprecedented divine wrath by God himself that I'm gonna share with you. There will be intense persecution for anyone who claims salvation through Jesus Christ. So today, what I wanna do is I wanna walk through scripture, and I wanna see what scripture says about this period of time, these last forty two months before Jesus Christ returns to the earth.”

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