Revelation 16 Devotional

Awake When He Comes

““Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.””Revelation 16:15 (BSB)

The bowls of Revelation 16 are poured out in quick succession: sores, seas and rivers turned to blood, scorching heat, darkness over the beast's kingdom, the Euphrates dried up, and a final earthquake as a voice from the throne declares that it is done (16:2-18). These are the book's most severe judgments, and the chapter records them without softening.

Two responses stand out. The angel of the waters, and then the altar itself, declare that God's judgments are righteous, because those who shed the blood of God's saints and prophets are receiving what they gave (16:5-7). Meanwhile, the people under judgment curse God's name and still refuse to repent (16:9, 11, 21). The same plagues reveal both God's justice and the hardness of hearts set against him. Amid it all, Jesus himself speaks: he is coming like a thief, and the one who stays awake and clothed is blessed (16:15). The point is not to dread the bowls but to belong to him now, so that his coming is welcome rather than sudden.

To think about: What would it look like for you to stay spiritually awake today, ready to welcome Christ's coming?