END OF TIME PROPHECIES 180

The fourth vial.                                  Revelation16v8-9. 

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.   And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."


As with the fourth trumpet, the fourth vial affects the sun; the difference is as follows; in the trumpets the intensity of the sun was reduced by one third, and this situation has existed since then, however long it has been.   In the fourth vial the opposite happens; God increases the intensity of the sun so as to scorch a particular group of men.  There are a number of things to observe here:

• The sovereignty of God over nature.     -     God can vary the temperature of the sun at will!  Scripture records various strange happenings to the sun in its history.   In the days of Joshua, when he was involved in a great battle with his enemies, he requested that the Lord extend the daylight until the battle was done.  Joshua 10v12-13 record "that the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day."   Chapter 10v14  records  "there was no day like that before it or after it."   The prophet Habakkuk records in chapter 3v11   "the sun and the moon stood still in their habitation."   In the days of Hezekiah king of Judea it is recorded that the sun went in reverse!  (Isaiah 38v8)  "behold I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward."   (refer also 2nd Kings 20v9-11; 2nd Chronicles 32v31).   In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke it is recorded that at midday (the time when the sun in Israel was at its height) the sun was darkened over the whole land for three hours.   God cast a veil of sheer darkness upon the spectacle of the suffering of His Son at Calvary.   In summary God suspends the sun in the sky for a day, He moves it backward a few degrees, He causes it to refrain from shining at the height of its strength and in the book of Revelation He can decrease or increase its intensity at will.   All readers should immediately bow in the presence of an awesome God.  
• God will bring severe judgment on rebellious people.     -     There is an indication in these verses by the use of the definite article in connection with the word "men" (twice over) that this severe punishment affected only a certain group of people, namely those who had followed the beast.   It says  "power was given to the angel to scorch men with fire."   This is a supernatural occurrence.   The power of God is amazing; we must not miss the implication of this; who would want to defy a God like this?   The prediction of (Isaiah 30v26)  appears to be fulfilled here  " the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun; the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of His people and healeth the stroke of their wound."   The force of this is awesome, God's people have been subjected to gross abuse and God now takes dealings with the abusers.   Just as in the past, in the narrative of Exodus, when only the Egyptians were affected by such judgments, so God will separate His people from this judgment, bringing it only upon His enemies. Can  anyone imagine the sun at seven times intensity? 
• The incurable hardness of the human heart.     -     These severe judgments will have the opposite effect to what we might expect.   There are many who believe today that if only God were to show Himself in all His power, then all men would immediately repent and give Him glory.   What we have here is a picture of the awful hardness of the human heart against the God of heaven.   There is no argument here as to who is bringing the judgment; there is no doubt as to the severity of the judgments but in the face of all that it says they blasphemed God's name, they repented not, they refused to give God the glory.   This surely is one of the most solemn examples of the hardness of the human heart.   These people have gone beyond redemption point.   Some might question that, but the evidence is here.   It is recorded in the bible that people are saved only by God drawing them to Himself, and they in turn responding to that divine invitation(John6v44 with v37).   The phrase has been coined  "the same sun which melts ice, hardens clay."   The apostle Paul recorded in (Romans 2v5) concerning those who refuse the gospel  "after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."   The issue of the hardening of the heart is very solemn.   In the book of Exodus it is recorded that Pharaoh hardened his heart five times over.   It is also recorded that the Lord hardened his heart five times over.   God accepts men decisions, He does not force Himself on anyone, simply reveals the dread consequences. When men harden their own hearts, judicial hardening makes it worse.

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