Seven bowls

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A Study in Revelation

The Seven Bowls

As we continue from the previous chapter of John's vision of the harvest and the wrath, he records the scene in heaven as the seven angels prepare to pour out the seven bowls.

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Revelation 15:1-2

John sees another sign in heaven. The seven angels have the seven last plagues, where God's wrath is filled up. They are standing on the sea of glass with harps of God. And the sea of glass is mixed with fire with those who had victory over the beast and his mark and his image. These are the martyred saints who are purified resisted the Anti-christ.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 15: 3- 4

And these martyred saints sang the song of Moses and of the Lamb proclaiming the marvelous works of God, His ways are just, proclaimed Him King of saints, and proclaimed He is holy and who can fear Him. And because of His holiness, all nations will worship before Him because His judgments are made known.

And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Revelation 15: 5-8

After the martyred saints of the Great Tribulation worshiped God, The temple of the tabernacle opened, and the seven angels with the seven plagues came out. And the four beasts gave the angels seven vials full of God's wrath. The temple filled with smoke of God's glory and from His power. No man was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues were finished.

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Revelation 16:1

As the Great Tribulation draws close to the end, John hears a voice from the temple commanding the angels to pour out the vials of wrath upon the earth.

The First Bowl

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image.

Revelation 16: 2

The first angel pours out his vial on the earth which causes severe sores upon those who had the mark of the beast and upon those who worshiped his image. Throughout the vials, the plagues affect those who have the mark. God's saints are not affected.

The Second Bowl

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

Revelation 16: 3

The second angel pours out his vial on the sea which turns to blood of a dead man which kills every living soul in the sea.

The Third Bowl

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Revelation 16: 4

The third Angel pours out his vial over the fountains and river and they turned into blood.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Revelation 16: 5-7

The angels of the waters proclaim God's righteousness and his judgments. Because the ones who ally themselves with the Anti-christ shed the blood of the saints. And they were given blood to drink through the streams and fountains,

The Fourth Bowl

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Revelation 16: 8- 9

The fourth angel pours out his vile on the sun, which gives power to the angel to scorch men with fire. as they were scorched with fire, they blasphemed God and they did not repent to give Him glory.

It's a sad condition for men who are given over to a deluding influence to believe the lie to worship the Anti-christ.¹ Instead of repenting and asking for mercy, they blaspheme God while they suffer in plagues.

The Fifth Bowl

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Revelation 16: 10-11

As the fifth angel pours out his vile on the beast's seat, his kingdom is filled with darkness, and they gnawed their tongues in pain. And they blasphemed God because of their pain and sores, And they did not repent of their deeds.

As we examine these scenes, men do not repent nor receive Jesus as their Savior. Men are so deluded because they rejected God, they believe the lie of the Anti-christ. And they are deluded so much, delight in their wickedness.²

The Sixth Bowl

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 16: 12-16

The sixth angel poured ours out his vial upon the Euphrates River. And the river dries up. And the Kings of the earth become prepared to do battle. The three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon (satan) and the beast (Anti-christ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet. These unclean spirits of devils work miracles which goes out to the Kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them to battle on the day of the Lord at Armageddon.

The Lord Jesus will come "as a thief" at Armageddon and He will bless those who keep watch and keep their garments unless they walk naked and see their shame. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus always referred to His coming "as a thief as post-tribulational.⁶

The Seventh Bowl

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Revelation 16: 17-21

As the seventh angel pours out his vial unto the air, a voice from the temple proclaims "it is done." And voices, thunder and lightning and a great earthquake follows. There was no other earthquake which was as great as this one. And the great city (Babylon) was divided into three parts, and all the cities of all nations fell. At this time the Great city of Babylon was remembered before, to face the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains could not be found. And every stone which weighed a talent came from the plague of the hail.

As we studied in previous chapters, a great earthquake occurs at the sixth seal and the mountains and islands moved out of their places.³ And at the same hour the two witnesses rise from the dead and are told to come up to heaven, a great earthquake occurred. ⁴ And in the previous chapter, the second angel proclaims "Babylon is fallen, is fallen."⁵ These events will happen at the same time Jesus returns from heaven. John's vision of Babylon carries further into the next chapter in Revelation.

As the plague of hail is thrown down to earth, men blasphemed God because the plague was exceedingly great. Throughout the vials, men do not repent, nor ask for mercy, nor do they give God the glory. They blaspheme Him instead.

Footnotes

1-2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.

2-2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

3-Revelation 6:12.

4-Revelation 11:11-13.

5-Revelation14-8.

6-Please read Like A Thief (http://www.tribulationcentral.com/thief.html) and Imminence (http://www.tribulationcentral.com/imminence.html).

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The Description And Destruction of Babylon

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