Monday in the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

Revelation 16:17-21

The Seventh Bowl

The last words of our Lord on the cross were, “It is finished” (John 19:30).  He was speaking of the end of his mission to reconcile us to the Father through his blood.  The time after his resurrection is the time to be about Christian witness.  This is what his parables concerning the virgins and talents were all about (Matthew 25:1-30).

Now upon the pouring of the seventh bowl, a voice from the temple says, “It is done.”  But this time, there is no time afterwards.  The time for sowing is over; the harvest is come.  And it is welcomed with flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake.  We have seen this before as God sought to call people to repentance.  This time, there is no call.  And men are so hardened in heart and stubborn that they will not repent anyway.  The end has come and we shall soon see our Lord coming in power to rule the nations with a rod of iron (19:11-16).

But God can’t end it all without remembering “the great city,” also known as “Babylon the Great.”  John would have seen Rome as filling the role of “Babylon” in his day.  What city fills that role today?  I’m sure there are plenty, even in America.  And I have said throughout these devotions that Babylon is any city—any political entity—that calls men to worship idols, to be sexually immoral, to care more for the things of this world than the next, and above all, to persecute his chosen ones.  And so God “remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.”  God forgets the sins of His people (Psalm 103:12) and treasures up their tears (Psalm 56:8).  But the sins of the inhabitants of “Babylon,” God remembers so that He may judge them on that day.  And though God’s people should never glory over God judgments of the wicked—knowing but for the grace of God go themselves—they may rejoice that they worship a holy and righteous God who vindicates His people and His great Name.

We read more of islands fleeing, mountains disappearing, and seventy pound hailstones bombarding the earth.  Some might call this “apocalyptic language,” but I feel very certain that when that day arrives we shall see earth itself begin its transformation.  After all, it must be made ready for the rule of our Lord. 

“It is finished,” he said from the cross.  “It is done,” he says from heaven’s temple.  And soon, it will be.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor

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