The Day of the Lord Series: Revelation 15-The Seven Bowl Judgments and Their Preparation

Following the trumpet judgments are the bowl judgments, which are recorded in Revelation 16 and like the seven seal judgments and seven trumpet judgments will take place during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

Chronologically, these seven bowl judgments follow the seven trumpet judgments that are recorded in Revelation 8:1-9:21 and 11:15-19 and which will follow the seven seal judgments that we noted last month in Revelation 6:1-17 and 8:1-5.

These seven bowl judgments complete the third and final portion of God’s program to exercise His wrath, i.e., righteous indignation during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth, which is also called by students of prophecy as the “Great Tribulation.”

The Scriptures plainly teach that the wrath poured out during the Great Tribulation period originates with God and is therefore a time of God’s wrath upon a Christ rejecting a world that is deceived by the devil (See Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel 1:15; Obadiah 15; Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1; Revelation 19:11-21).

The trumpet judgments are very similar to the bowl judgments.

For example, in both, the first series deals with the earth (cf. 8:7 with 16:2), the second series deals with the sea (cf. 8:8-9 with 16:3) while the third series deals with the rivers and fountains of water (cf. 8:10-11 with 16:4) and the fourth deals with the sun (cf. 8:12 with 16:8) while the fifth deals with darkness (cf. 8:12 with 16:10).

The sixth series deals with the Euphrates (cf. 9:13-14 with 16:12), and the seventh series deals with lightnings, thunders, and earthquakes (cf. 11:19b with 16:17-21).

However, there are major differences between the two.

For example, the first four trumpets deal with only one-third of the earth while the bowl judgments are universal in scope.

Secondly, the bowl judgments are also much greater in intensity as well as in degree of coverage and effect and they fall quickly as a liquid poured out of a bowl and in rapid succession just like trip hammer blows.

It is best, therefore, to see the bowls as different from the trumpets judgments.

The seven bowl judgments cause the further hardening of the hearts of men instead of humbling them and they have the same result on the world as the plagues of Egypt had on Pharaoh.

These plagues will reveal the total rebellion and independence of the creature to his Creator.

These judgments will result in anger and blasphemy from the heart and mouths of unregenerate men rather than respect, reverence and trust in Christ as Savior and they are hardening plagues which God uses to His own glory (See Revelation 16:9, 11, 21).

However, they will crush man’s rebellion and remove the rebellious from the earth.

The completion of this will be accomplished by the return of Christ with His armies (Ezek. 20:38; Joel 3:2-17; Matt. 13:40-43; Rev. 19:11-21).

The seven bowl judgments will perfectly accomplish God’s righteous purposes for the Seventieth Week of Daniel.

The seven bowl judgments like the seven sealed judgments and seven trumpet judgments are designed to vindicate the holiness of God and are by no means vindictive, rather they are vindictive.

They demonstrate the wrath of God or in other words, His righteous indignation towards sin and rebellion.

Now, Revelation chapter 15 is introductory or a prelude, preparing the reader for the execution of the seven bowl judgments described in chapter 16 and it is similar to Revelation 8:1 in that it prepares the reader for the next set of judgments, the seven bowls.

It prepares for the resumption of the chronological progression of events on earth that ended temporarily in Revelation 11:19 with the seventh trumpet judgment.

In chapter 15, the seven bowl judgments are first described as the seven last plagues and then as seven bowls full of the wrath of God (Revelation 15:7; 16:1).

These seven plagues will chronologically bring to an end the ordered events of the judgments during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week in a dramatic crescendo.

Remember, the seven plagues and seven bowls used in Revelation 15 refer to the same judgments and the use of different terms is designed to display the different aspects and character of these last judgments.

They are plague-like calamities, and each is poured out suddenly, all at once as the contents of a bowl when it is turned over.

Now, chronologically speaking, John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives a graphic description of six seals (6:1-17), but the seventh (8:1) is never described.

We are only told that when it is broken, there is silence in heaven (8:1) and the implication is that the seven trumpets come out of the seventh seal and actually express the content of the seventh seal (8:1-9:21; 11:15-19).

This seventh trumpet takes us up to the return of Christ and includes within its judgments the events of the seven last plagues or bowls of chapters 15 and 16, which occur rapidly at the end and the final great event is the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory (Revelation 19:11-21).

Also, we must remember that Revelation 10:1-11:4; 13-14; and 17:1-19:10 are interludes or parenthetical in that they do not advance the Tribulation events chronologically and they simply fill in the picture of the Tribulation giving important details about key personages, events and concepts.

Revelation 15:1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God. 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” 5 After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. (NIV84)

Again as was the case with the seven trumpet judgments, elect angels are used to execute the seven bowl judgments.

Now, in Revelation 16, the apostle John employs the adjective megas, “great” eleven times (1, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18 twice, 19 twice, 21 twice).

In verse 1, it is used to describe the voice from the temple that issues the orders to the elect angels to execute the seven bowl judgments as “great” or “loud.”

In verse 9, it is used to describe heat proceeding from the sun after the fourth bowl judgment.

In verse 12, it is used in relation to the sixth bowl judgment and to describe the Euphrates River.

The word appears in verse 14 in relation to the sixth bowl judgment and to describe the day of God Almighty and the battle of Armageddon.

It is used in relation to the seventh bowl judgment in verse 17 and describes the voice again coming from the temple of God in heaven.

The word appears twice in verse 18 to describe the earthquake that will be the result of the seventh bowl judgment.

It again appears twice in verse 19 to describe the city of Babylon and is also used in relation to the seventh bowl.

Lastly, the word appears twice in verse 21 to describe the hail that will fall upon the earth as a result of the seventh bowl judgment.

The frequent use of megas in Revelation 16 in connection with the seven bowl judgments indicates the unusual severity and intensity of these judgments.

Revelation 16:1 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.” (NIV84)

The “loud voice from the temple” is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself since no one else will be allowed to enter the temple until the bowl judgments have all been executed.

Also, the word order emphasizes the power and authority of the voice.

Furthermore, if you recall, in Revelation 5, we saw that the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ was the only one in heaven and on earth who was worthy to open the seven sealed scroll, which is the title deed to planet earth.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the only one in heaven and earth who was worthy to break the seven sealed scroll, which resulted in the execution of judgments upon the unsaved inhabitants of planet earth.

Now, the seventh seal introduces the seven trumpet judgments and they are followed by the seven bowl judgments.

Thus, since these three categories of divine judgment are interconnected with each other and since Christ began the execution of these judgments by breaking the seven sealed scroll, we can infer that Christ’s voice is the one speaking to the seven elect angels in Revelation 16:1.

Furthermore, Revelation 15 records the preparation of the seven bowl judgments and the elect angels singing the praises of the Lamb, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, we can see that the voice from heaven in Revelation 16:1 speaking to the elect angels and instructing them to execute the seven bowl judgment is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.