Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. - Isaiah 13:6
Last Sunday we began a 2-part discussion of the 7 bowls or plagues. These are God’s final judgments upon the earth. While they will impact the entire world, their primary target will be the beast, his kingdom, and his followers. As we learned in the first message, bowls 1-5 will severely cripple the Antichrist and weaken his authoritarian rule.
This morning we will cover bowls 6 & 7. With his monarchy quickly unraveling, the desperate and unhinged Antichrist will turn his attention away from merely persecuting the people of God. Instead, he will endeavor to fight with God directly in an attempt to save his throne. Inspired by Satan, who has a long and documented history of losing to the LORD, the beast will muster every resource at his disposal and will rally all of his forces together for this great and epic battle.
I. THE 6TH BOWL (Revelation 16:12)
John saw the 6th angel pour out his bowl on the Euphrates River, which at this point would have presumably already been turned to blood. When he did so, its “waters” dried up making passage over the river quite easy, especially for large numbers of people. Thus, the way was prepared for the kings of the east and their armies.
Earlier in Revelation, at the blast of the 6th trumpet, John described the release of 4 angels who were bound at the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:13-19). The river was not dried up at this time. Apparently, these angels led an army of 200,000,000 soldiers or “horsemen”. These troops had strange features and lethal abilities that enabled them to kill ⅓ of the earth’s population during the years of the Great Tribulation. As stated earlier in this series, I believe that this huge army was that of the Antichrist, that these 4 angels were his generals or commanders, and that the millions of soldiers were militant demons (although some humans may have joined as well).
II. THE KINGS GATHER (Revelation 16:13-16)
John then saw 3 unclean spirits, like frogs, coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. He depicted them as frogs because they were unclean and loathsome. This powerful trio of demonic spirits went out to the kings of the entire world, intent on convincing them to join the Antichrist in a massive and direct assault against God. As a result of their manipulative persuasion, several kings agreed and dispatched their armies to Israel. Some of them crossed the dried up Euphrates riverbed as they came. This massive alliance of human soldiers gathered together with the evil and demonic forces of the Antichrist at a place called Armageddon. There they all prepared to wage war with God.
The word Armageddon appears only once in the Bible. In Hebrew, it means “Mount Megiddo”. Because the Scriptures never mention a mountain by this name, most commentators believe it refers to the rolling hills surrounding the plain of Meggido some 60 miles north of Jerusalem. This valley was the site of several historic battles including Barak’s victory over the Canaanites and Gideon’s victory of the Midianites during the era of the judges. It is also where King Saul and his sons were slain by the Philistines and King Josiah was killed by the Egyptians.
John inserts a quotation in this passage that should not be overlooked. It is taken from Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39. Jesus told his disciples, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.” A thief does not typically give an advanced warning of when he plans to break into your house, but Jesus has given us notice of His return and has instructed us to be ready for it. Those who are caught unaware will be put to shame.
The 6th Bowl essentially sets up the Battle of Armageddon. It provides an unobstructed path for those kings of the earth who’ve aligned themselves with the Antichrist to assemble together at Armageddon. It removes any obstacles and puts the necessary pieces in place. The 6th bowl should not be thought of as the Battle of Armageddon, but rather a precursor that makes the battle possible. Obviously, the timing of these events is very near to, likely in the final days of, the Great Tribulation.
III. THE 7TH BOWL (Revelation 16:17-21)
Finally, John watched as the 7th angel poured out his bowl upon the air. He heard a voice from the throne coming out of the temple that said, “It is done!”. There was lightning, thunder, and a great earthquake more powerful than any other that had ever come before it. The great city, likely Jerusalem, was split into 3 parts and many other cities around the world collapsed. God poured his wrath upon Babylon, and even the mountains and islands were shaken and displaced. In addition to this mighty earthquake, huge hailstones fell from the sky weighing about 80-100 lbs each. The embittered people blasphemed the name of God.
Earlier in the tribulation there was another smaller earthquake that hit Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13). In my opinion, it took place at the midpoint of the tribulation following the resurrection of the 2 witnesses. A tenth of the city fell and 7,000 people were killed. Though it was devastating, the massive earthquake associated with the 7th bowl will be much worse and will have a more far-reaching, global impact.
The fact that the voice came from the throne, yet also out of the temple suggests a close proximity between the 2 (or perhaps even a oneness). Surely this was the voice of God. His words, “It is done!” were the same as Jesus’ cry from the cross, “It is finished!” This was a shout of victory, indicating that the mission had been accomplished. Thus, I believe that these things will take place immediately after the Battle of Armageddon, when Satan and the Antichrist have already been defeated.
There are several notable parallels between the 7th bowl judgment and the 6th and 7th seal judgments. At the breaking of the 6th seal there was a great earthquake, the sky was split apart, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Furthermore, stars fell from the sky like hail and people hid themselves in caves. At the breaking of the 7th seal fire from God’s altar was hurled upon the earth (similar to a hailstorm), there was lighting and thunder, and a great earthquake. Personally, I believe that all 3 of these judgments refer to the same occurrence - the Day of the Lord. This will take place immediately before Jesus’ return to the earth.
CONCLUSION
Some words have multiple meanings. For example, sometimes “Passover” refers specifically to the night that the death angel passed over the Hebrew children. Other times it refers to the annual 24-hour day held in commemoration of that night. On occasion it even refers to the entire week-long Jewish festival, which also included the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits.
In the same way, sometimes the phrase “the Day of the Lord” refers to a single calendar day while other times it refers to a season of several days or even weeks. After much build up and anticipation, I think that the tribulation will come to an abrupt end with an outbreak of several cosmic signs and natural disasters, the Battle of Armageddon (which will be the culmination of Babylon’s fall - more on this later), and the Second Coming of Christ all occurring on the same 24-day. Afterwards there will be an extended period of mourning over Babylon followed by the Harvest or Sheep-Goat Judgment. These things will occur in the days/weeks following Jesus’ return, yet are typically thought of as integral parts of “the Day of the Lord”.
The upcoming chapters delve more deeply into the mystery of Babylon, her impending doom, and the grief that will be shown for her. There are many varied interpretations on this topic. Anyway, we’ll get into it starting next Sunday. God bless you.
Last Sunday we began a 2-part discussion of the 7 bowls or plagues. These are God’s final judgments upon the earth. While they will impact the entire world, their primary target will be the beast, his kingdom, and his followers. As we learned in the first message, bowls 1-5 will severely cripple the Antichrist and weaken his authoritarian rule.
This morning we will cover bowls 6 & 7. With his monarchy quickly unraveling, the desperate and unhinged Antichrist will turn his attention away from merely persecuting the people of God. Instead, he will endeavor to fight with God directly in an attempt to save his throne. Inspired by Satan, who has a long and documented history of losing to the LORD, the beast will muster every resource at his disposal and will rally all of his forces together for this great and epic battle.
I. THE 6TH BOWL (Revelation 16:12)
John saw the 6th angel pour out his bowl on the Euphrates River, which at this point would have presumably already been turned to blood. When he did so, its “waters” dried up making passage over the river quite easy, especially for large numbers of people. Thus, the way was prepared for the kings of the east and their armies.
Earlier in Revelation, at the blast of the 6th trumpet, John described the release of 4 angels who were bound at the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:13-19). The river was not dried up at this time. Apparently, these angels led an army of 200,000,000 soldiers or “horsemen”. These troops had strange features and lethal abilities that enabled them to kill ⅓ of the earth’s population during the years of the Great Tribulation. As stated earlier in this series, I believe that this huge army was that of the Antichrist, that these 4 angels were his generals or commanders, and that the millions of soldiers were militant demons (although some humans may have joined as well).
II. THE KINGS GATHER (Revelation 16:13-16)
John then saw 3 unclean spirits, like frogs, coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. He depicted them as frogs because they were unclean and loathsome. This powerful trio of demonic spirits went out to the kings of the entire world, intent on convincing them to join the Antichrist in a massive and direct assault against God. As a result of their manipulative persuasion, several kings agreed and dispatched their armies to Israel. Some of them crossed the dried up Euphrates riverbed as they came. This massive alliance of human soldiers gathered together with the evil and demonic forces of the Antichrist at a place called Armageddon. There they all prepared to wage war with God.
The word Armageddon appears only once in the Bible. In Hebrew, it means “Mount Megiddo”. Because the Scriptures never mention a mountain by this name, most commentators believe it refers to the rolling hills surrounding the plain of Meggido some 60 miles north of Jerusalem. This valley was the site of several historic battles including Barak’s victory over the Canaanites and Gideon’s victory of the Midianites during the era of the judges. It is also where King Saul and his sons were slain by the Philistines and King Josiah was killed by the Egyptians.
John inserts a quotation in this passage that should not be overlooked. It is taken from Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39. Jesus told his disciples, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.” A thief does not typically give an advanced warning of when he plans to break into your house, but Jesus has given us notice of His return and has instructed us to be ready for it. Those who are caught unaware will be put to shame.
The 6th Bowl essentially sets up the Battle of Armageddon. It provides an unobstructed path for those kings of the earth who’ve aligned themselves with the Antichrist to assemble together at Armageddon. It removes any obstacles and puts the necessary pieces in place. The 6th bowl should not be thought of as the Battle of Armageddon, but rather a precursor that makes the battle possible. Obviously, the timing of these events is very near to, likely in the final days of, the Great Tribulation.
III. THE 7TH BOWL (Revelation 16:17-21)
Finally, John watched as the 7th angel poured out his bowl upon the air. He heard a voice from the throne coming out of the temple that said, “It is done!”. There was lightning, thunder, and a great earthquake more powerful than any other that had ever come before it. The great city, likely Jerusalem, was split into 3 parts and many other cities around the world collapsed. God poured his wrath upon Babylon, and even the mountains and islands were shaken and displaced. In addition to this mighty earthquake, huge hailstones fell from the sky weighing about 80-100 lbs each. The embittered people blasphemed the name of God.
Earlier in the tribulation there was another smaller earthquake that hit Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13). In my opinion, it took place at the midpoint of the tribulation following the resurrection of the 2 witnesses. A tenth of the city fell and 7,000 people were killed. Though it was devastating, the massive earthquake associated with the 7th bowl will be much worse and will have a more far-reaching, global impact.
The fact that the voice came from the throne, yet also out of the temple suggests a close proximity between the 2 (or perhaps even a oneness). Surely this was the voice of God. His words, “It is done!” were the same as Jesus’ cry from the cross, “It is finished!” This was a shout of victory, indicating that the mission had been accomplished. Thus, I believe that these things will take place immediately after the Battle of Armageddon, when Satan and the Antichrist have already been defeated.
There are several notable parallels between the 7th bowl judgment and the 6th and 7th seal judgments. At the breaking of the 6th seal there was a great earthquake, the sky was split apart, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Furthermore, stars fell from the sky like hail and people hid themselves in caves. At the breaking of the 7th seal fire from God’s altar was hurled upon the earth (similar to a hailstorm), there was lighting and thunder, and a great earthquake. Personally, I believe that all 3 of these judgments refer to the same occurrence - the Day of the Lord. This will take place immediately before Jesus’ return to the earth.
CONCLUSION
Some words have multiple meanings. For example, sometimes “Passover” refers specifically to the night that the death angel passed over the Hebrew children. Other times it refers to the annual 24-hour day held in commemoration of that night. On occasion it even refers to the entire week-long Jewish festival, which also included the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits.
In the same way, sometimes the phrase “the Day of the Lord” refers to a single calendar day while other times it refers to a season of several days or even weeks. After much build up and anticipation, I think that the tribulation will come to an abrupt end with an outbreak of several cosmic signs and natural disasters, the Battle of Armageddon (which will be the culmination of Babylon’s fall - more on this later), and the Second Coming of Christ all occurring on the same 24-day. Afterwards there will be an extended period of mourning over Babylon followed by the Harvest or Sheep-Goat Judgment. These things will occur in the days/weeks following Jesus’ return, yet are typically thought of as integral parts of “the Day of the Lord”.
The upcoming chapters delve more deeply into the mystery of Babylon, her impending doom, and the grief that will be shown for her. There are many varied interpretations on this topic. Anyway, we’ll get into it starting next Sunday. God bless you.