The Seven Bowls of Wrath
Notes
Transcript
Handout
May we never forget that everyone deserves the wrath of God.
How will we respond to the wrath of God coming?
We are to respond in receiving God’s free gift, but sadly many will freely choose to refuse it.
Revelation 16:1.
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
The OT background for the pouring out of God’s wrath comes from Leviticus 8:15; Psalm 79:6.
15 And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.
“Just as the pouring out of sacrificial blood represented the cleansing of the tabernacle from defilement of sin, so the pouring out of the bowls cleanses the earth from the defilement of sin through judgment.”
Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999.
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.
Psalm 79 is an imprecatory psalm against the nations for the bloodshed of Israel. God is the one that brings the judgement. May we not forget that vengeance is the Lord’s and he will repay.
In the bowls of wrath we do not see God acting through human agents or through demonic spirits. In the bowls of wrath, he is acting through seven angels, and each bowl brings a supernatural result on the earth.
Revelation 16:2.
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
The OT background for the plague of boils is Exodus 9:8-11; Deuteronomy 28:35.
8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.
9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”
10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.
11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.
35 The Lord will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
In the first bowl, the boils are on all who worship the image of the beast and received the mark. This is the consequence of not worshiping Yahweh, who is true and just.
Revelation 16:3.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
This bowl is like the second trumpet in Revelation 8:8, but it only affected a third of the sea. This bowl affects the whole sea becoming like blood, and all living creatures in the sea die.
The sea represents a place of chaos in the Bible. It is the home of Leviathan, the seven-headed beast, which comes from the sea in Revelation 13:1. So God is judging the domain of Leviathan, as well as the sea where the world trade takes place.
Revelation 16:4-6.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”
The OT background for the third bowl is Exodus 7:17. The OT background for God’ s character and his just vengeance is Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 79:10; Isaiah 49:26.
17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes!
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
In the third bowl God is also answering the prayers of the saints under the alter, as seen in the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9-10.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Those who dwell on the earth are getting what they deserve. Here John uses the same Greek word to describe how the Lamb is worthy. Beale says -
Revelation (2) The First Five Bowls of Wrath (16:1–11)
Just as the Lamb is p 308 worthy of adoration, so are the enemies of God entirely worthy of the justice they receive
“Just as the Lamb is worthy of adoration, so are the enemies of God entirely worthy of the justice they receive.”
Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999.
We all deserve the wrath of God, yet God has given us the gift of salvation. He calls us to repentance. Will we respond to his gift and calling and receive his gift, or will we refuse him and receive what we deserve?
Revelation 16:8-9.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.
9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.
The OT background for the fourth bowl would be Deuteronomy 4:24; 32:22 Zephaniah 1:18.
24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
22 For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
The author of Hebrews takes the reality of God being a consuming fire and calls us to action in Hebrews 12:18-19.
18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest
19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.
20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”
21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
May we receive Jesus and give God all the glory.
Revelation 16:10-11.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish
11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.
The OT background for the fifth bowl is Exodus 10:22; Zephaniah 1:17.
22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
This darkness is just a foreshadowing of the darkness that is coming against those who refuse God’s free gift. Matthew 8:12 speaks of their true end.
12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
They did not repent. Today is the day of salvation. Will you repent?
Revelation 16:12-14.
12 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.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
The metaphorical interpretation sees this as a continued judgement against chaos waters, and a picture of how the multitudes of Babylon’s religious adherents throughout the world become disloyal to Babylon, which is seen in Revelation 17:16-18.
16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire,
17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
The immediate context lends itself better to the river being dried up to allow the kings of the East to join in the campaign against Yahweh.
Where do these frog demons come from?
They come from the mouth. I have never heard anyone speak without a mouth. These frog demons proclaim falsehood with signs and wonders to deceive the whole world into battle against Yahweh.
The OT context for this would be Deuteronomy 13:1-3.
1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Do not listen just because there are signs and wonders. We must follow John’s advice in 1 John 4:1 and test the spirits.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Exodus 8:2-4.
Why are the demons like frogs? The plagues of Egypt will shine some light on the imagery of frogs in Exodus 8:2-4.
3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.
4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.” ’ ”
“The frog plague in Egypt was partly a polemic against Heqt, the goddess of resurrection, represented by a frog. The deceptive activity is appropriately portrayed as frog like, since the evil triumvirate are attempting to deceive people about the purported fact of the beast’s resurrection.”
Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999.
The deception of the enemy should not catch us off guard, for Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.
9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
God has offered us all a free gift of salvation. Will we receive it and live in relationship with him, or will we refuse him and perish?
Revelation 16:15.
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
Here we have Jesus interrupting the narrative with a message of encouragement to believers. It calls the reader back to Revelation 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Ephesians 4:22-24.
3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Here we are reminded of Christ’s work which has prepared us for the Day of the Lord so it is not something to feared, but anticipated, for it is the final step in the redemption of all things.
Those who believe won’t be caught off guard for we have put on Christ and rest in his work on the cross. We are blessed, receive the blessing of Jesus.
Revelation 16:16.
16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The gathering place is Armageddon. This breaks into two words in Hebrew “har megiddo”. Har in Hebrew means mount or hill county. Megiddo is the name for a city and a plain at the south end of the Jezreel Valley. The city sits up on a hill, protecting the route to the Mediterranean Sea. There is no record of mountains or hill country named Megiddo, so the location is not 100% certain, but many scholars think that Armageddon is the city of Megiddo, and the armies of the world are gathering here in the Jezreel Valley to attack Jerusalem.
Revelation 16:17-21.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
The seventh and final bowl is poured out on the air as a judgement against the spiritual forces of evil. Paul reminds us of these forces being represented by the air in Ephesians 2:1-3.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
In Revelation 16:18-20 we see a great earthquake judges Babylon and all the cities of the world. It is so severe that it rearranges the earths topography. It reminds me of God’s first judgement of the world, Noah’s flood, which made the earth look like it is today.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The metaphorical interpretation is that the whole world system is destroyed in the last judgement.
Revelation 16:18-19.
18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
Revelation 16:20.
20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
Revelation 16:21 is the last event of the seventh bowl. It is describing hail stones of about one hundred pounds, falling on the people. The OT background for this kind of judgement comes from Exodus 9:24 and Ezekiel 13:13.
21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
Exodus 9:24.
24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Ezekiel 13:9-13.
9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God.
10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,
11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out.
12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’
13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end.
The response of the people is not repentance, but to double down. They chose to curse God for his just judgement.
Everyone has a choice to receive or to refuse God’s free gift.
In Revelation 16:17 we have a loud voice from the throne saying “It is done!” This brings us back to Revelation 15:1, “With them the wrath of God is finished,” which then draws our attention to John 19:30 with Jesus on the cross declaring, “It is finished.” He took all of God’s wrath so that we might have the opportunity to be children of God rather than children of wrath.
Today is the day of salvation! Will we receive or refuse his gift of salvation? If you know the Lord, will you let the Gospel touch every part of your life, willing and ready to share the hope of Jesus?