Book of Revelation: Chapter 16 Bowls of Wrath— Judgment Complete

Book of Revelation:Chapter 16

Bowls of Wrath—

Judgment Complete

Revelation 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.’”

The Commission

• No partial judgment.

• The wrath/plagues find their background in the plagues God sent upon Egypt.

• Climax of the Apocalypse

• God is about to reveal His final judgment against a wicked agent of Satan.

• Not the final judgment of all the world…

• A loud “voice from the temple”—it must be God, since no one else is in there.

• Spoken to the seven angels.

• “Go and pour out —into all the earth.”

• Warning is gone.

• The fury of God.

• His patience is over.

The Commission

Revelation 16:2

“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.”

The First Bowl Poured Out

• This would not affect the Christians.

• Incurable disease (like the sixth plague in Egypt—Exodus 9:10ff)

• Affected those who “worshipped the beast” and those who had the “mark of the beast”

• Poured out on the same objects of nature as the four trumpets

• Three underlying reasons for Rome’s downfall:– Natural disasters– Social decay– External invasions

• Three objects affected by the trumpets and now repeated by the bowls

• Symbolism reminds those persecuted that Rome would fall in time—according to God’s timetable..

The First Bowl Poured Out

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.”

• Into the sea• Became blood (Exodus 7:17-21)• Here, it is literally, “blood like that of a dead

man,” (not fresh) and NOT the blood of a dead man.

• Water is one of man’s basic requirements.• Polluted water is dangerous.• Second trumpet (8:8,9)--maritime disaster warning.

The Second Bowl Poured Out

Revelation 16:4

“Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,

and they became blood.”

Revelation 16:5

“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.”

Revelation 16:6

“For they have shed the blood of saints and

prophets, and You have given them blood

to drink. For it is their just due."

Revelation 16:7

“And I heard another from the altar saying, ‘Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your

judgments.’"

• “Into rivers and springs of water”• Fresh, as well as salt, water stank with death as it

turned to blood.• Men on earth were reaping what they had sown.• Blood—judgment declared to be righteous.• Confirmed by the angel.• Righteous because of the blood of martyrs shed at

the hands of Rome.• Made their blood run as water (17:6), and now all they

have to drink is blood!

The Third Bowl Poured Out

• Deserve God’s wrath because they rejected the truth and shed the blood of its bearers.

• Earlier, the martyrs under the altar had asked for vindication.

• The “altar” represented as replying to praise the event.

• The punishment fits the crime.• Because of her conduct, Rome is worthy of torment.

The Third Bowl Poured Out

Revelation 16:8

“Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with

fire."

Revelation 16:9

“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."

• A horrible effect on the sun.• Intensified for the non-Christians.• Frightening picture of sinners being tormented.• Fiery trial now for the non-Christians.• Blasphemy and impenitence—fiery trial had

hardened their hearts.• First four bowls happened quickly—did not move

them to repent.• They’re so far into sin, they can’t repent. (Hebrews

6:6)

The Fourth Bowl Poured Out

“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."

Revelation 16:10

“They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and

did not repent of their deeds."

Revelation 16:11

• The first four bowls affected the earth in general, the fifth affects only the beast’s throne and kingdom.

• The beast’s kingdom is darkened.• The very seat of authority—the “throne”— is

attacked.• In darkness and pain—things are getting pretty

rough.• Again, there is impenitence and blasphemy—

hearts are becoming harder.

The Fifth Bowl Poured Out

• Center of the Roman empire.

• A weakening and diminishing of Rome’s stranglehold on the world.

• Difficulties of this magnitude have caused humbler nations to recognize their errors and repent.

• These compound their sinfulness.

• Unfortunately, sinful pleasures had led to internal rottenness.

The Fifth Bowl Poured Out

“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."

Revelation 16:12

• The River Euphrates is no longer an obstacle to invading armies (capture of ancient Babylon by Cyrus).

• Rome’s greatest fears are about to materialize.

• God’s army will bring pagan Rome to her knees.

• Unable to protect herself from outside invaders, such as Parthians from the east.

The Sixth Bowl Poured Out

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon,

out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth

of the false prophet."

Revelation 16:13

“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."

Revelation 16:14

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his

shame."

Revelation 16:15

Interlude Between Sixth and Seventh Bowls

• The enemies gather together for war.

• Satan will not go down without a fight!

• Unclean spirits like “frogs” come out:– Mouth of the dragon (Satan)– Mouth of the beast (civil persecution)– Mouth of the false prophet (false religion)– Spirits of the devils– Satan leads his army into battle with God’s army.

• “Spirits of demons”• “Unclean spirits”• God “deceives the kings of the whole world” into

going out to battle!• Uses false propaganda to enlist others to fight with

them.– 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12; 1 Timothy 4:1,2

• Caesar worship is a vain attempt to make the cause appear “righteous.”

Interlude Between Sixth and Seventh Bowls

• Satan’s army appears to be powerful and invincible.

• The saints are exhorted to avoid being misled by appearances. (John 7:24)

• God warns the saints that His coming will not be announced.

• They need to be ready, so they will not to be caught unprepared.

• Garments—represent the types of lives they need to be living.

Interlude Between Sixth and Seventh Bowls

“And they gathered them together to the

place called in Hebrew, Armageddon."

Revelation 16:16

Battle of Armageddon

• Armageddon literally means “hill of Megiddo.”

• Derived from an actual place in the Valley of Jezreel.

• There’s no literal “hill” or “mount” of Megiddo.– Towns of Megiddo—Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27– Waters of Megiddo—Judges 5:19– Valley of Megiddo—2 Chronicles 35:22; Zechariah

12:11

• Mount Megiddo is a plain located between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea.

• Hint: Since it isn’t an actual, literal place, you’d think it isn’t an actual, literal battle.

• Megiddo has been a strategic place in the history of God’s people.

• A number of ancient battles were fought there.• Typically, it is the battleground for the forces of

good and evil.

Battle of Armageddon

• Here, Barak and Deborah overthrew the kings of Canaan.– Judges 5:19

• Here, Gideon defeated the Midianites.– Judges 6:33

• Here, Saul defeated the Philistines.– 1 Samuel 31:8

• Here, Ahaziah died of Jehu’s arrows.– 2 Kings 9:27

• Here, Pharaoh-Necho overthrew Josiah.– 2 Kings 23:29,30

Battle of Armageddon

• Remember, Revelation is filled with symbolic language.

• If this scene is literal rather than figurative, the result is confusion:– Unclean spirits appeared as frogs (16:13)– It’s physically impossible to have an army of 200

million horseman, one mile wide and 85 miles long, to march in formation!

– A great river of blood 200 miles long would not fit in the valley!

Battle of Armageddon

• The warfare is between the spiritual forces of righteousness and evil--God and Satan.

• The Lord fought the battle and won by completely destroying the Roman Empire.

• In this drama, He emerged as the victor.– 19:19-21– Assures the saints of ultimate victory!

Battle of Armageddon

• Modern-day prophets frequently preach that this battle is…– Between Russia, Israel, and the United States– Between other parties that figure into a world event– The ending of a great world war that leads to the final

return of God’s Son– To signal establishment of an earthly kingdom– The beginning of a 1000-year reign from Jerusalem

• It is not ahead of us in future history—it is behind us!

Battle of Armageddon

“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 16:16

• The air is smitten.

• “It is done—it is finished!”

• The judgment has been completed.

• The final bowl of divine wrath is emptied.

• Final judgment is coming toRome.

• A voice came from heaven, from the throne—a divine pronouncement!

The Seventh Bowl Poured Out

“And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings;

and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty

and great earthquake as had not occurred since men

were on the earth!"

Revelation 16:18

“Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of

the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before

God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His

wrath."

Revelation 16:19

“Then every island fled away, and the mountains

were not found."

Revelation 16:20

“And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each

hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague

of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great."

Revelation 16:21

• After that announcement there were:– Lightnings– Thunderings– A great earthquake like none other that had ever

appeared on the earth…• The epitome of horror• Like Judah at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar

(Ezekiel 5:8,9)• Like prophesied for Jews at Rome (Matthew 24:21)• The destruction of a mighty nation!

The Seventh Bowl—God’s Exclamation Point!!!

• The division of the great city into three parts points to completeness of the destruction.

• All nations fell who were in the league with Rome and who opposed God.

• Weakened and divided—they were easily conquered!

• No place of refuge—even islands and remote mountains were removed.

• Cup of wrath and its fierceness—great power magnified!

The Seventh Bowl—God’s Exclamation Point!!!

• Great hail fell from heaven.• The scene was utter chaos.• A crescendo of wrath comes against Rome; earth

trembles; the imperial city splits into thirds; men run frantically to escape the pummeling hail falling on their heads!

• What could they do? REPENT—too late• What did they do? Blaspheme God!• Even 100-pound hail did not produce change—

continued to have confidence in the strength of men!

The Seventh Bowl—God’s Exclamation Point!!!