Revelation 16:10-11 – November 16

God, please give us a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ as we study the book of Revelation!

We’ll be studying Revelation through the end of November and then starting an Advent study for the whole family on December 1. Please feel free to read and journal with us as often as you can, with the goal of getting to daily time at the feet of Jesus.

You can read the NIV version of today’s reading below or your favorite Bible version then spend some time meditating and journaling on the reading, letting God speak to you through it. We encourage use of the SOAP method of Bible study. Check out the What’s SOAP tab above for more info. Also, below today’s reading is a SOAP journal entry from our team to help dive into God’s Word. And we encourage you to share your SOAP journal entry, prayer requests, or questions in the Comments section on our website.

The Discover One Thing main website continues to follow the Life Journal Reading Plan which covers the whole Bible in one year. Click HERE to check out today’s Discover One Thing post.

Revelation 16:10-11 – The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

¹⁰ 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 agony ¹¹ and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

 

Blinded with Science | Becky Newman

Scripture

Revelation 16:11

Observation

Who came up with this reading plan, keeping us plagued in God’s wrath for a whole week here in Chapter 16! Oh, that would be me. My apologies to all! Revelation 15:8 said no one could enter God’s temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. So, just keep reading; it gets better eventually. We’ll get back to that throne room soon! Reading through verses 16:2-11 with my environmental scientist glasses on, I can give a perfectly scientific explanation for all of the events described. And I’m sure that’s exactly what the people who are left on earth will be doing too–well, you see we discovered a microorganism that is invading our streams and rivers due to global warming and is metabolizing the mineral iron so that its poop is turning the river water red and blah blah blah; shut down the coal plants, it’s all their fault! See, there’s a scientific explanation, so that means that there’s no God punishing us! Verse 11 says they cursed God because of their suffering but they still refused to repent. Satan uses our fascination with knowledge and science against us all of the time. Here, they’re cursing a God they don’t even believe in. “…None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.” (Daniel 12:10)

Application

My scientific mind likes to creep up on me, and I need to keep it in constant check, eyes focused on You the Creator. “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:66)

Prayer

I am so thankful that You saved me when You did! I was headed into an atheistic wormhole of the knowledge god, and I would have been one of the people mentioned here in verse 11. I see my former classmates stuck there, two that are teaching science in public school and even one that now works with me. Thank You for saving me! Help me to keep seeking Your good judgment and knowledge. It’s likely I’ll be back in the workplace environment again some day; please continue to prepare me for that time that I may show Your glory in how You have changed me. Please, Lord, soften the hearts of my former classmates that they would let Your light shine in.