SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 16
MEMORY VERSE:
“Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
THE SEVEN BOWLS OF GOD’S WRATH (vs. 1-21)
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth”
The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments. you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
And I heard the altar respond: “Yes. Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs, they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
“Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
THOUGHTS: (From Life Application Study Bible)
The bowl judgments are God’s final and complete judgments on the earth.
Three differences between bowl judgment and trumpet judgment:
- The trumpet judgments are partial while the bowl judgment is complete.
- The trumpet judgment gives unbelievers the opportunity to repent, but the bowl judgment does not.
- People are indirectly affected by several of the trumpet judgments but the bowl judgments directly attacked the people.
The significance of the altar itself responding is that everyone and everything will be praising God, acknowledging his righteousness and perfect justice.
Despite the continuous judgment, the people still refuse to recognize God’s authority and repent of their sins. Unbelievers are hostile and their hearts are too hard to repent.
The Euphrates River was a natural protective boundary against the empires to the east (Babylon, Assyria, Persia). These armies from the east symbolize unhindered judgment.
These evil spirits performed miraculous signs who come out of the mouths of the unholy trinity, uniting the rulers of the world for battle against God. The imagery of the demons coming out of the mouths of the three evil rulers signifies the verbal enticements and propaganda that will draw many people to their evil cause.
As Christ will return unexpectedly, we must prepare ourselves by standing firm in temptations and by being committed to God’s moral standards. Are you ready for Christ’s return?
The battlefield called Armageddon is near the city of Megiddo (southeast of the modern port of Haifa), which guarded a large plain in northern Israel. It is a strategic location near a prominent international highway leading north from Egypt through Israel along the coast and on to Babylon. Megiddo overlooked the entire plain southward toward Galilee and westward toward the mountains of Gilboa.
Sinful people will unite to fight against God in a final display of rebellion. Many are already united against Christ and his people. Be strong and courageous as you battle against sin and evil because God will meet evil and destroy it.