And So It Begins (2)
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Poured out
Poured out
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.”
We saw the introduction in chapter 15, God purposing to deliver the final judgements upon the earth and its rebellious inhabitants.
God has given man enough warning and now the final stage is set for the battle of good vs evil!
We saw the tremendous of the saints and the angles and the living creatures and those who were martyred during the tribulation period but now the Temple of God is closed to the heavens as God laments the reality of the coming days!
The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
The Greek here “Go and pour out the bowls” implies a rapid secession or continuing events possibly linking the events in some ways connected
The first Bowl
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.
If you remember that the Antichrist forced his followers to take a mark and God responded by marking those who follow Him. Now God is marking those who are the enemy!
We talked about the imagery of the book of Exodus in Chapter 15, again we see the reflection of judgement 9 on Egypt, Boils
Some people think that the wrath of God will bring people to the kingdom
While we do need to warn people, most of the already area aware of the impending judgment. It is the love of God that compels the sinner!
Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?
The good news is that in spite of all the wickedness in my life God is willing to forgive and receive me as His own!
That is the fact tah drove me to my knees!
This judgement employs a “foul” and “Loathsome” sore
The word Foul means - injurious - It refers to the area of morality - The place where guilt and fate intersect!
It appears that agin the justice of God is displayed again
This is not simply a judgement sent by God but rather a result of the activity of man!
It is described as “loathsome” - “That which causes trouble or brings sorrow”
Man’s moral sewer pipe has led to this moment - the injury is “unserviceable”
Kittle defines it as “Poor functioning of the instrument os the senses. Like the noxious smoke of coal!
It is a practice of morality that brings filth!
It is especially geared toward politicians! - Again Kittle writes “the politically useless parasite on the commonwealth or enemy of the state!
Literally morally reprehensible
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eivl is the same word here! - Speaking of the work of Christ in our life...
who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
here will be continual spiral downward as the time gets closer!
Many do not believe this judgement to be actual but rather metaphorical because of the words used. The believe it represents a flood of immortality that will overtake man once and for all
The issue at hand is the words sores. It could be that they are right that the unbridled practice of sexual promiscuity could finally manifest itself physically in the form of these blistering sores It would be as the AIDS epidemic but globally upon all that worshiped the beast! Could imply like many cult religions that sexual activity is a part of the ritual
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.
We saw before 1/3 of the sea life killed now a total devastation of the waters
We discussed already the many mechanisms of nature that might lead to this event including Red Tide, Meteor strike, Volcanic activity
Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
Now the supply of fresh waters are depleted! after years of no rain and judgements against the waters, no fresh water can be found!
The proclamation of God’s Justice again!
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.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”
And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
This whole time we have been seeing the results of man’s refusal to repent and the continual hardening of their hearts against God
Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
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.
Here is the use of an interesting word, “scorch” it is from the root word “burning” which was used to describe the cultic practices of burning offerings to idols!
Again we see the retribution of God for man’s practices! They are now consumed by the fires they used to offer sacrifices to false Gods
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Many attribute this to a nuclear event which would correspond to the sores of radiation sickness and a darkening of the sky by nuclear winter
The fifth bowl is of darkness
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.
They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
It is clear that Satan is losing this battle but the deception continues
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.
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.
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.
Again in a mocking of the trinity we see “3” demonic spirits sent out to continue the deception of the world!
Proclaiming to demonstrate the power of God and to continue to follow the Antichrist and his unholy trinity!
In verse 12 we see the river dried up and an advancement of the Chinese army
Later we will see that the Antichrist has moved his troops into Africa when he gets word of the imminent Chinese invasion and rapidly returns to the region
Interesting to note that in Gen we read that “god breathed into Man and he became a living being”
Many times in deliverance I have experienced horrible odors emanating from the mouths of the victims. It seems that the exit of the demon is “through the mouth” as much screaming and release of these odors
Again we see the imagery of the Plagues of Egypt in the “frogs”
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
“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.”
One final warning!
Now they gather for the final battle
And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Sometime will pass as the armies of the world gather to fight God so ww will pick it up again in Chapter 19
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!”
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.
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.
Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
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.
Notice that the judgement here is to the “air”
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Satan is know as “the prince of the power of the air” His time has come
Remember God went into the temple and none could enter until the judgements were finished. Now He speaks at the completeness of the task
Many propose this as the collapse of the meteor belt between Mars and Jupiter
A group of scientists at Berkly proposed the following:
If the asteroid hits on land, there would be a huge amount of dust thrown up into the atmosphere. If it hits in water, then there would be an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere. This would result in an increase in rain resulting in landslides and mudslides.
Regionally there would be earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis due to the increase in kinetic energy. If the asteroid is large enough, these could be global in impact.
The following effects from an asteroid strike
Seismic shaking - .17% of deaths 7 billion = 11 million
Cratering - total destruction of entire countries
Airborne debris blocking out the sun
Tsunami - entire islands wiped out and coastlines
Thermal Burns - Accounting for 30 percent of fatalities, thermal radiation would roast humans to death, or at least result in some pretty horrendous burns. If a human survives this one, the radiation would most likely lead to poisoning or cancer in the end.
Overpressure shock - rupture of internal organs for 1000 miles
Odds are 1-75,000 to 125,000
Powerball 195,229,054 - 1
We see clearly that the mechanisms currently exist by which these judgements could come to pass
For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.