Reviews and Views

Book of Revelation – Chapter 16

What follows now are the seven bowl judgments in this chapter. The vials are shallow bowls used in temple worship, filled with God’s wrath. These swallow bowls pour out swiftly upon the earth. The judgments are daunting and terrifying to consider as they fall on sinful men. We should regard much of what follows as literal.  

The First Bowl (verses 1 & 2)

God gives the command to go and pour out the bowls. Each bowl pours out one after another in quick succession. With the first bowl poured, an ulcerated and foul-smelling sore appears upon those with the beast’s mark and who worship his image. These sores bring physical torment to those rejecting Jesus Christ. They cannot find a way to relieve the pain and suffering. The following calamities hit far too rapidly for any explanation other than they come from God Himself. 

The Second Bowl (verse 3)

The second angel poured out his bowl upon the sea. The sea became “as the blood of a dead man,” and every living thing died in the world’s oceans. This is not a red tide of algae growth but something entirely different. Consider that oceans cover about 70% of the earth’s surface. Now all living things in the seas and oceans are dead. We can imagine that this judgment ends the beast’s shipping and fishing industries. Remember that such a massive change in oceanic waters could drastically affect weather patterns and rainfall. A primary worldwide food source is gone, and a reduction in oxygen from aquatic plants as the sea completely turns to blood. We can now see how this alone would start a countdown to the extinction of all life on earth.

The Third Bowl (verse 4)

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and fountains of water, and they became blood. Freshwater is in critically short supply, causing unthinkable hardship and suffering to man and animals. But why would a compassionate and loving God cause this to happen? Look at verses 5 thru 7 for the answer.

A pause in the bowls judgment occurs as the “angel of the waters” speaks, praising God for these judgments. It is fitting (appropriate) that the water becomes blood since so much innocent blood has been spilled by those guilty of doing so. The altar speaks, representing the prayers of Tribulation saints. “They deserve it.” God is holy and just. 

The Fourth Bowl (verses 8 & 9)

The fourth angel pours out his bowl on the sun to scorch men with fire from the fierce (intense) heat. The most incredible heatwave in all history takes place. This is not global warming and is nothing that man can control. Many people will perish, and electrical use and costs sky-rockets. Systems fail because they cannot keep up with demand to keep the air-conditioner units operating. No one can work outside as the air becomes hard to breathe, and everyone’s strength wanes or fades. In reality, all the polar ice caps melt. Transportation by sea will become nearly impossible. Yet people will still not repent.

The Fifth Bowl (verses 10 & 11)

The fifth angel pours his bowl on the throne of the Beast. A judgment of darkness covers his kingdom, which is worldwide. This darkness looks pretty similar to the darkness that covered Egypt (Exodus 10:15). No amount of artificial light can chase the dark away. The dark surprises and terrifies the unrepentant. The plague of darkness will be intentional. The Jews have a historical story that the darkness was so dense that everyone stayed home with only a few courageous souls that went from the chair to the bed and back again. Terrified by the unknown, some believed that evil spirits appeared or made dreadful sounds and murmurs or experienced horrors of their consciences. Still, “they did not repent of their deeds.” This passage is the last reference to their unwillingness to repent. God made his final call to repentance in the first five plagues, with the unrepentant confirming their unbelief. The final two bowls to be poured out will include the severest of all the judgments. 

The Sixth Bowl (verses 12 thru 16)

The sixth angel poured his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates, resulting in a dry river bed. Why? The drying up of the water prepares the kings of the east to cross into the Middle East. The time for the final war is about to take place. The Holy Land is the stage chosen by God. John tells us that he saw three unclean spirits “like frogs” come out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan), the beast (Antichrist), and the false prophet. These spirits of demons work miracles, which go forth to the kings and rulers of the earth to gather them to battle, to their doom at Armageddon. Many come to show their support for the Antichrist, while others desire to wrestle control of the world from him. Men are fooled by these spirits and incited to war. Kings and rulers believe that a stunning victory is theirs. But the evil spirits sow seeds of hate. Passions are inflamed while stirring up the world to gather together – East against West, West against East, all against God and His King, the Lord Jesus Christ. In reality, the battle of Armageddon is a fight against the Lord Jesus Christ and His hosts. We will see more of this in chapter 19. A few things to point out:

• The symbolism of frogs speaks of uncleanness. 
• A pause or lull appears in verse 15 before the storm. God says He will come as a thief.
• The Tribulation saints receive instructions to watch for His coming and to continue walking in the pathways of holiness. The command here is to be prepared and remains valid for believers today. 

The Seventh Seal (verses 17 thru 21)

The seventh angel pours out his bowl into the air. God declares, “It is done!” The atmosphere is dramatically affected by violent flashes of lightning, thunder sounds and peals, and a great earthquake. The effects of this calamity carry to the establishment of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

No one has seen or experienced such an extreme earthquake as this one, even in the historical record. 

• This great earthquake is so strong as none has been like it since man has been upon the earth. The major cities of the nations fall from this great earthquake; cities such as Paris, Berlin, London, Beijing, St. Petersburg, Washington D.C., Los Angels, Dallas, and Atlanta, to name a few. Jerusalem (the great city) splits into three parts. Elevated, the city of Jerusalem stands above the surrounding region, flattened into a plain. A series of geophysical alterations to Jerusalem and its surrounding area will conclude when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. When He steps onto the Mount of Olives, the mount will split in two, and a new valley running east and west will be created. A spring of water will flow year-round from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean and Dead Seas, causing the desert to bloom like a rose. The final effect of this great earthquake is to prepare the earth for the millennial rule of Christ. Please refer to Zechariah chapter 14 for more details. 
• This earthquake is so massive that the topography of the entire earth is changed. Where mountains existed before now, only flat plains mark the landscape. Every island on the planet disappears. This is due to extreme tectonic plate movement. Will the earth’s landmasses look like they did pre-Flood in Noah’s time? Some scholars think so, creating one continent so travel during the millennium kingdom period could be made without ships or planes. Yet, the Scripture remains silent about modes of travel during the period of the Millennial Kingdom.

Those who survive this devastation caused by the earthquake face bombardment with giant hailstones, about 100-pounds each. The damage is unimaginable. John MacArthur stated, “The Greek term translated ‘about one hundred pounds’ described the most weight a normal man could carry, anywhere from 90 to 135 pounds.” Refer to his book Because the Time is Near, page 259.

The seventh bowl is the 21st judgment upon the earth and the planet’s inhabitants. It is the final judgment. You should note that this final bowl judgment does not bring about the world’s end. Instead, the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth at this time, establishes His earthly kingdom, and rules for one thousand years (chapter 20). Yet, still, it is the end of civilization as we have known it. 

Next, the Religion of Babylon – Chapter 17

March 13, 2024 - Posted by Bill Wyler | Bible, Last Days, Revelation | Bible, Future, GOD, Truth