The Seven Bowl Judgments
Rev 16: 1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth."
First
Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2
So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul
and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast
and those who worshiped his image.
NB: The question has been raised as to whether the bowls of the wrath of God are chronologically subsequent to or identical with the seven trumpets of the angels. There is clearly much similarity between the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments. They both deal with (a) the earth (8:7) or the land (16:2), (b) the sea (8:8; 16:3), (c) the rivers and springs of water (8:10; 16:4), and (d) the sun, moon, and stars (8:12) with only the sun mentioned in the bowl judgments (16:8-9).
Similarities, however, do not prove identity, and a comparison of the trumpets with the bowls of God's wrath reveals striking differences even though the order of the judgments is the same. In the trumpet judgments, generally speaking, a third of the earth or heaven is afflicted, whereas in the bowl judgments the effects of the judgments are on the entire earth and are much more severe and final in character. Accordingly it seems best to follow the interpretation which has long been held in the church that the seven bowls are an expansion of the seventh trumpet, just as the seven trumpets are an expansion of the breaking of the seventh seal. The order is climactic and the judgments become more intensive and extensive as the time of the second coming of Christ approaches. All indications are that the bowl judgments fall with trip-hammer rapidity on a world that is reeling under previous judgments and a gigantic world war. Some bowl judgments are selective and extend only to the wicked, and several affect parts of nature (sea, rivers, sun, etc.).
Revelation 16:2 (see verse above) vial judgment reminds us of the sixth plague in Egypt.
Revelation 16:10-11 (5th Bowl Judgment) suggests that these sores do not disappear, for by the time of the fifth vial, people are still in pain from the first judgment. Yet their pain will not cause them to repent (see Rev 9:20-21).
William R. Newell used to say, "If men are not won by grace, they will never be won."
It is an awesome thought to consider almost the entire population of the world suffering from a painful malady that nothing can cure. Constant pain affects a person's disposition so that he finds it difficult to get along with other people. Human relations during that period will certainly be at their worst.
Second
Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood.
Revelation 16:3
"Then
the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood
as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died."
The second and third bowls parallel the first plague in Egypt (Ex 7:14-25).
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
Rev
16:4-7
4 Then the
third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,
and they became blood.
5
And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous,
O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because
You have judged these things.
6
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have
given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."
7
And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God
Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
The
second vial will center on the sea, and the third will turn the Land
waters (rivers and fountains) into blood. When the second trumpet
judgment occurred, a third part of the sea became blood; but with
this judgment, the entire system of seas and oceans will be polluted.
The third trumpet made a third part of the inland waters bitter as
wormwood; but the third vial will turn all of those bitter waters
into blood.
Heaven
gives justification for this terrible judgment: the earth-dwellers
have shed the blood of God's people, so it is only right that they
should drink blood. In God's government, the punishment fits the
crime.
Pharaoh tried to drown the Jewish boy babies, but it was his own army that eventually drowned in the Red Sea.
Haman planned to hang Mordecai on the gallows and to exterminate the Jews; but he himself was hanged on the gallows, and his family was exterminated (Est 7:10; 9:10).
King Saul refused to obey God and slay the Amalekites, so he was slain by an Amalekite (2 Sam 1:1-1)”
The Bible Exposition Commentary.
Fourth
Bowl: Men Are Scorched
Rev
16:8 "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power
was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name
of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and
give Him glory."
The
Prophet Malachi predicted in the 5th century BC, (about 500 years
before the Book of Revelation), the following which matches the 4th
Bowl of God's Judgment on mankind.
Mal
4:1-2
The
Great Day of God
4
"For behold, the day is coming, Burning
like an oven, And all the proud,
yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming
shall burn them up," Says the Lord of hosts, "That will
leave them neither root nor branch."
Blessed
will those people be who do not live to see this day.
Fifth
Bowl: Darkness and Pain.
Rev
16:10-11
10 "Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the
throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and
they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.
11 They
blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores,
and did not repent of their deeds."
Here we have a repetition of the 9th Egyptian plague, that of darkness.
This is the "day" spoken of by the prophet Joel, years before Christ was born. Joel 2:2
"A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,.."
Christ speaks of this same day in Mark 13:24, as the time when..(The Coming of the Son of Man) "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;.."
This plague follows immediately after the "scorching heat" of the 4th Bowl, such that they were not over their first suffering before they were hit by the next plague.
Blessed are those who would not have to go through this latter part of the Tribulation but will be safe in heaven.
The 6th Bowl Judgment
Rev
16:12-14: Sixth
Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 "Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river
Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings
from the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan),
out of the mouth of the beast (antichrist), and
out of the mouth of the false prophet
(3rd
member of the satanic trio).
14
For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the
kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty."
The
unclean spirits above are "frog-like" in that they come
forth out of the "pestiferous quagmires of darkness, do their
devilish work in the evening shadows, and creep, and croak, and
defile, and fill the ears of the nations with their noisy
demonstrations, until they set the kings (in
modern times read Presidents or Prime Ministers) and
armies of the nations in enthusiastic commotion and movement toward
the Holy Land to crush out the effort to establish the Kingdom of
Christ on earth." (The
Battle of Armageddon.)
The
apostle Paul in 1 Timothy states:
1 Tim 4:1- :Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"
Rev
16:16
16 "And they gathered them together to the place called in
Hebrew, Armageddon.” (Megiddo)
Megiddo Valley taken from Mount Carmel
The Vast Megiddo Valley
"You'll recall that the 6th Trumpet revealed the vast hordes of the Orient mustered to prepare to march into the Middle East under cover of what appeared to be a limited nuclear strike.
This great army is designated as "kings of the East." This tells us that there will likely be a coalition of powers from the Eastern countries and it will probably be led by China." H. Lindsey written in 1984!
The above seems more of a possibility today than in 1984; as we know the nuclear capabilities of Iran and Pakistan, and the might of China and North Korea.
One author analyses the 'Wars' during the Tribulation leading up to the final Battle of Armageddon as occurring in five stages.
The
first stage begins when the
Arab-African Confederacy (called 'king of the South in Daniel 11:40)
launches a massive attack against Israel.
The
second stage is an immediate
full-scale invasion against Israel and the middle East by Russia
(called the "king of the North, again in Dan 11:40) and her
satellites. Daniel the Prophet quoted:
Dan
11:40-41
"At the time of the end the king of the
South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall
come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with
many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and
pass through.
41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land
(Israel), and many countries shall be overthrown; but these
shall escape from his hand: Edom (land
south of Israel),
Moab (Arabia),
and the prominent people of Ammon (Jordan).
Also quoted earlier by Ezekiel the Prophet
Ezek 38:14-16
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog (Russian Head), 'Thus says the Lord GOD:"On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it?
15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."
The interpretations by Hal Lindsey, seems to be the most accurate to date and fits in very well with the sequence of events in Revelation and matches with the other Prophetic books of the Bible. There are others too, but for consistency I quote Lindsey.
"The first two
stages of the War of Armageddon commence with the
opening of the 2nd Seal, when the Red apocalyptic horseman goes forth
and takes peace from the earth.
According to the prophet Daniel,
the Russians will sweep down to join the
Arabs in an attack on Israel and will
then continue right through to Egypt and take it over. Apparently
they come into conflict originally as allies of the Arabs but end up
double crossing them." Hal Lindsey
Dan
11:42-43
42 He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will
not escape.
43 He will gain control over the gold, silver, and
treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be his
servants. NLT
Today we know that Russia is attempting to take over the Crimea. (Update: we now know that this is already history in 2016)
"The
3rd stage of the war begins
when the Russians quickly return from Egypt to regroup their
forces in Israel. Their command post will be set up in the Jerusalem
area."
Dan
11:44-45
44 "But then news from the east and the north will
alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy many as he
goes.
45 He will halt between the glorious holy mountain
and the sea and will pitch his royal tents there, but while he is
there, his time will suddenly run out, and there will be no one to
help him." NLT
They do this because of rumours that forces from the North (Revived Roman Empire) and East (the Oriental army) being mobilized, as decreed by the 6th Trumpet judgment.
4th
Stage.
The forth stage of the campaign finds the Russian
army completely annihilated in Israel and its environs by the Euro
forces of the Antichrist (recall that the Antichrist has signed a
Peace treaty with Israel). This seems to be utterly preposterous to
imagine today, but this is what is prophesied and Prophecy is never
false, except that interpretation can be totally
inaccurate. These are the Bible prophesies to mark this event.”
We are in 2014 seeing the hand of Russia in dictating to the nations even to the extent of taking over the Crimea. (At the time I wrote this it has become a fact: to indicate how prophecy is taking shape)
Ezek
39:1-6
'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against
you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (Turkey!);
2
and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the
far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.
3
Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows
to fall out of your right hand.
4 You shall fall upon the
mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are
with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the
beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 You shall fall on
the open field; for I have spoken," says the Lord God.
6
"And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security
in the coastlands (term
used for the great gentile nations in Ezekiels' time).
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
Zech 14:12-13
And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
13 It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbour, And raise his hand against his neighbour's hand;
“Predicted 2,600 years ago, Zechariah is surely describing a nuclear event.
Ezekiel also predicts martial exchange between Russia and the Revived Roman Empire - fire and brimstone!
Israel too will suffer greatly from the bombings.”
The 5th Stage
“The
5th stage of the war is when 200 million man army from the
Orient reaches the Euphrates and prepares to attack the Antichrist,
who will be in Israel at that time” (Rev
16:12- "Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great
Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east
could march their
armies toward the west without hindrance.")
“The
Kings of the East & North will fight with Antichrist, and war
will be waged between them during the last 3.5 years of Tribulation
until Antichrist becomes conqueror. Then he will lead them against
Christ at Armageddon.
The Euphrates is dried up to facilitate
kings of the East to cross over and join Antichrist in the final
battle.”
7th Bowl/ Vial Judgment
Rev
16:17-21
17 "Then the seventh angel poured out his
bowl into the air; and a mighty shout came from the throne of
the temple in heaven, saying, "It is finished!"
18
Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed; and there
was a great earthquake of a magnitude unprecedented in human
history.
19 The great city of "Babylon" split
into three sections, and cities around the world fell in heaps of
rubble; and so all of "Babylon's" sins were remembered in
God's thoughts, and she was punished to the last drop of anger in the
cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (This
will be touched on later)
20 And islands vanished,
and mountains flattened out,
21 and there was an incredible
hailstorm from heaven; hailstones weighing a hundred pounds fell from
the sky onto the people below, and they cursed God because of the
terrible hail."
TLB
While
the great battle is taking place after the 6th Bowl has been
poured, every city in the world
is going to be levelled with the pouring out of the 7th and final
Bowl! This will take place by
what is called an "earthquake". In Greek, 'seimos'.
"Many
people have wondered what the United States will be doing during the
conflict. We've already seen that the US is destined to lose its role
as leader of the West. This leadership will instead fall to the
European (Union)
which the Antichrist will rule."
Rev
17:10-11
10 "There are also seven kings. Five have
fallen (Assyria, Egypt,
Babylonian Empire, Medo-Persia, Greece),
one is (ie
Rome during the time John wrote this),
and the other has not yet come (revived
Roman Empire or EU).
And when he comes, he must continue a short time.
11 The beast
that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the
seven, and is going to perdition."
"It must not be forgotten that the '7th Bowl' covers the whole period from the time the 7th Angel pours out its contents until Christ returns to the Mount of Olives. For the earthquake that splits the Mount of Olives, up-heaves the land of Israel, levels mountains, submerges islands, and destroys cities of the nations, along with the City of Babylon, is caused by the touch of Christ's feet on the Mount Olives.
(Zechariah 14:4 "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.")
This will be at the Revelation stage of His Second coming and the "great hail" in all probability will not fall until the time comes in the crisis of the Battle of Armageddon for the destruction of the Allied armies of the Antichrist. Hailstones will be the missiles used by the Armies of Heaven." - Clarence Larkin
