November 27: FROM BEHIND THE VEIL

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Revelation 16:17

The voice of God the Father announces, “It is done!” This definitive statement parallels the statement of Jesus on the cross: “It is finished!” Both of these statements announce a victory, although in the moment it does not appear so. The death of Jesus was payment in full of sin’s penalty. Alone, He bore the pain, grief, and shame of sin (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). You will recall that at the beginning of the final plagues, the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed (15:8). His announcement, “It is done!” confirms the completion of the judgment that began (Daniel 8:14) when the risen Jesus, serving as our Great High Priest, entered the Most Holy Place behind the veil* of the heavenly temple fulfilling the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). When the seventh angel pour[s] out his bowl into the air cleansing of the sanctuary will be complete in heaven and on earth. Every person who has ever lived or is currently alive will be irrevocably judged: saved or lost.

With the seventh, and final, bowl poured out, the scene of the final battle of earth’s history begins. The reader encounters a detailed description of the battle of Armageddon. This description is laid out in the verses that follow, from today’s opener all the way through 19:21. The previous five verses (16:12-16) serve to summarize the process of the great gathering of rebellious humanity: religious and political powers of the earth united with the support of the masses. In this “meeting of the minds”, vast numbers have been “reassured” through massive propaganda (v.13) and the impressive show of signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Most of the world, with the exception of God’s faithful remnant, stubbornly believes that the path they have chosen is the correct one.

On earth, things have never looked worse. God’s people are vastly outnumbered and it will seem as though the Savior has forsaken His people. The angry nations make targets of those who bear the seal of God, but the faithful will remain faithful, regardless of the current scene. Christ the Savior is coming, and this hope empowers His people to remain true to the very end.

*This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil… Hebrews 6:19