The Judgments on Earth
The second of three studies of The Revelation of Jesus Christ by Paige Ramsey
The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath – Lesson 10
Once again, I leaned heavily upon the teachings of Dr. Dan W. Cozart in his message by the same title.
Reviewing the Ages of Time:
Eternity Past is a term given to describe eternity before time began.
The Antediluvian Age began with the Creation until the Great Flood. During this time, Adam named the animals, God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs, Satan used a serpent to beguile Adam and Eve into disobeying God, God cursed the serpent, Eve and all women, Adam and all men, and the earth. Men became so wicked that God destroyed all life from the earth with a Great Flood, saving only Noah, Noah’s wife, Noah’s three sons and their wives, seven of each clean animal, and two of each unclean animal to repopulate the earth.
From the flood of Noah until Jacob is the Patriarchal Age, following the lines of Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Eber (from where the name “Hebrew” derives), Peleg (who lived when the earth was divided), Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram (Abraham – whom God called to separate himself and chose to bring the Messiah), Isaac, Jacob (Israel – the father of the twelve tribes).
The Age of Bondage describes the time when the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrew people for 400 years. This age ended with the ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egyptian army as the Red Sea came back together.
The Age of the Law began when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and all the other commandments for the Israelites. During this time, God dealt mostly with the nation of Israel. Although some Gentiles were saved, the vast majority of God’s work involved the twelve tribes of Hebrew people who came from the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel), also known as the Jewish nation. This Age of the Law lasted until Jesus rose from the tomb and gave His disciples the Great Commission.
After Jesus was resurrected, He established the Church Age when He commanded His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature.” The Church Age has continued for the last 2,000 years and will continue until Christ calls out His Church. He will not call out the Baptist Church or the Methodist Church, or the Catholic Church, or the Church of Christ, or any other particular denomination, but He will call out every born-again Believer of the Lord Jesus Christ and take them out of this world according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
The next age to begin on this earth is the seven-year Great Tribulation. During this time, there will be three main series of judgments: Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, & Seven Bowls. The Great Tribulation period will end with the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and the Battle of Armageddon.
When the Lord binds Satan in the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years, Jesus will establish His Kingdom, also known as the Millennial Reign of Christ or the Millennial Age. During this time, the lion and other carnivorous animals will return to their first state and dine on earth’s vegetation; snakes will be so harmless that a small child can play with them. Jesus will rule the world with a rod of iron so that there will be no crime, no hunger, no stressful worries of any kind; true peace will abound. This age will end when God lets Satan loose to deceive a multitude of people once again and defeats him, then throws him into the Lake of Fire. It culminates with the Great White Throne Judgment when God throws all of death and hell in the Lake of Fire.
Eternity Future begins with the new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven onto the new earth.
We have been studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to His servant, John the Apostle while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. We covered the prophecy of the Church Age through dictated letters of Christ to seven churches in Asia Minor (Turkey). We covered the rapture of the saints to God’s Throne Room in chapter 4, the opening of the seven seals, the sealing of 144,000 Jewish missionaries, the blowing of the seven trumpets, the personalities of the Great Tribulation, and now we come to the final series of God’s judgments on the earth.
Revelation 16
16 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.”
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2 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.
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
3 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.
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 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.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.”
7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 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.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
10 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. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 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. 13 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. 14 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.
15 “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.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew,
Armageddon.
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken
17 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!” 18 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. 19 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. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 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.
The four views of interpretating the Revelation differ about when these events
happen:
1. The Historicists say these events happened in the French Revolution in 1789.
2. The Preterists say they happened in the fall of the Roman Empire in 476.
3. The Spiritualists say it has never happened nor will it ever happen.
4. The Futurists say it will happen in the future.
Angels
The Revelation is a book filled with angels. In chapters two and three, the term angel, if you will remember, is speaking of the pastor of the church to which the Lord was dictating the letter. Beginning in chapter four, we have found the following angels.
Rev. 4:8 – 4 great angels (beasts – Zō-ŏns – winged creatures who cry day and night, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”)
Rev. 5:11-12 – a great multitude of angels who glorify the Lamb
Rev. 7:1 – Four restraining angels who protect the 144,000 Jewish missionaries with a mark on their foreheads to go out to preach the Gospel
Rev. 8:2 – Seven trumpet angels
Rev. 12:7 – the fighting angels of Michael who declare war on Satan and his angels and cast them out of heaven
Rev. 14 – Seven angels of Armageddon
Rev. 16 – the Seven bowl angels
Angels are on 24 hour call. They are ready to do what God has for them to do at all times. Have you ever been on 24 hour call? Doctors are on 24 hour call to help their patients in case of any condition that may require their help. Our military at times are on 24 hour call to protect our country from enemies. The police force is on call 24 hours a day, ready to protect us from whatever danger might be lurking in our city or neighborhoods. Aren’t you glad for those who are willing to be ready 24 hours a day to help us in a time of need? Angels are ready at all times to do God’s bidding. God appoints special angels to watch over each of His children at all
times – 24 hours each day. If you are a child of God, you are protected with the
strong arms of a warrior angel who is under God’s command to keep you safe.
Notice in Job 1:6 that the angels must give an account to God for their actions. Remember, the term “sons of God” in the Old Testament does not refer to Christians. “Sons of God” does pertain to born-again Believers, God’s children, Christians in the New Testament. However, every reference in the Old Testament, except one in Hosea, refers to angels.
There are millions and millions of angels. They carry out His commands immediately and perfectly. They do not stop to consider the matter or pray about
it. They travel fast – moving through space is not a problem. It takes light a little over eight seconds to travel from the sun to the earth, but an angel can travel much faster. They are extremely powerful – in 2 Kings 19:35, one angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Angels transported Lazarus to Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise).
Angels carry out the commands of God orderly. Notice these seven angels all line up and are at attention to carry out their assignments. They proceed in order and not all at one time. Each bowl carried is small and contains the wrath of God. The angels pour out three of the bowls on the earth, two on the water, one on the sun, and one into the air.
God’s Word
Some people read the Bible with a smirk on their faces. Everything they read in the Bible they disbelieve – they discount it. Either the Bible is the Word of God or it is not the Word of God. If God does not inspire every word in this book, I might as well throw it away, because there is no way I can decipher which words are inspired and which words are not inspired. You must decide whether you are going to put your faith into what this book says or discard it entirely. Personally, I have put my faith in this old book. I believe it is the very words of God. I realize that there are some places where God speaks symbolically, figuratively, or metaphorically and I cannot take those literally, but for the most part, I believe God does speak literally and says exactly what He means. If you agree, Revelation 16 ought to scare you to death.
The Bowls of God’s Wrath
The first angel’s bowl brings oozing, running, malignant ulcers upon men’s and women’s bodies. This judgment mirrors one of the plagues of Egypt. This type of boil also plagued Job. The ulcers are painful, messy, and reek of rotting flesh.
The second angel pours out his bowl upon the sea, and the sea becomes blood, which mirrors the first plague of Egypt. Some believe this is referring to the Mediterranean Sea, and this is quite plausible, because if it affected all the saltwater oceans, the judgment would be so devastating that no other judgment would be necessary. Every sea creature in the entire sea dies, giving off a terrible
stench.
The third angel’s bowl brings the plague of blood upon the fresh water. Keep in mind that already, a third part of the waters were turned to blood with the third trumpet. Now, all fresh water becomes blood, and the angel of the waters (did
you know there was an angel in charge of the waters?) begins to praise God
saying He is righteous and just to give blood to these people because they shed
the blood of God’s saints. These men refused to drink of the Living Water, so
now all they have to drink is blood.
The fourth angel’s bowl gives power to the sun to torch men with fire. Either the sun moves closer to the earth or it gets hotter. Either way, it burns men like French fries, and there is no escape. If the sun is devastatingly hot for too long a period of time, air conditioned systems will burn out faster than they can have them replaced. Swimming pools are filled with hot blood and showers are running hot blood, so there is no relief. The boils on their skin have now burned so badly that they would be in dire pain. Clothes would not be bearable.
The fifth angel pours out his bowl, and darkness covers the earth. This may give a moment of relief from the sun, but the burns received are still burning. Men will be in dreadful pain and still will not repent.
The sixth angel pours out his bowl on the Euphrates River so that it completely dries up. The Euphrates River gets most of its water from rainfall or melting snow[i], so in order for it to be dried up completely, there must not have been any rainfall or snow left to melt since the sun has become so much hotter. This river is one of the first rivers ever mentioned in God’s Word. It was a border for the Garden of Eden. Even today, it is one of the most resourceful rivers in Iraq. The significance of it drying up is compounded considering that Iraq was once the land of ancient Babylon, and the descendants of ancient Babylon are now still living in Iraq.
The seventh angel pours out his bowl into the air, and a voice comes from the temple in heaven that says, “It is done!” It’s over. The judgments stop. With the voice comes thunderings, lightnings, and the greatest earthquake ever known. This earthquake is not a local event. It is a world wide quake that causes the mountains and islands to disappear! Hail stones weighing about a hundred pounds each will fall. Once, when I was a six year old child living with my grandparents in Alva, Oklahoma, we had a hail storm with grapefruit sized hail. It was devastating. Homes all over town were literally destroyed. As the hail was falling, my granddad thought he had to run out into the front yard and get one to save it in the freezer for my dad to see. He put a dutch oven pot over his head and ran out the door. I remember standing at the front door with my grandmother who was screaming for him to get back. The hail didn’t hit him, and that hail stone went into the bottom of grandmother’s chest freezer and came out several times for storytelling. That hail stone wasn’t solid – it had air pockets through it, and it probably didn’t weigh more
than a pound or two. The hailstones here weigh one hundred pounds! That kind of
pounding cannot be endured very long.
The great city is divided into three parts. The cities of the nations fall and Great Babylon falls. There is great debate over what Babylon is. John McArthur believes it is Jerusalem. He bases this on Rev. 11:8. He could be right. Some believe it is Iraq, as we would naturally suppose today. Others think God is speaking of Rome. Is it political Babylon, religious Babylon, spiritual Babylon, or commercial Babylon? We will be looking into the subject of Babylon further in the next lesson.
Is God truly just and righteous to treat mankind so horribly? After all, doesn’t the Bible say God is love? Yes, that is true. Ephesians 2:4 says: But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us… and 1 John 4:7-8 says: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one who loves is born of God,
and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. But,
God is also a jealous God. He will not tolerate worship of any other god.
Anything that you place above God Almighty becomes your god of worship. God is
also a God of wrath. He will have vengeance upon those who refuse His mercy and
grace by coming to this world and dying for our sins. The first chapter of
Proverbs gives the heart of God on these matters. If you are not a child of God,
do not put off this resolution any longer. Put all your trust in Him who died
for your sins. Accept His death as the payment for your own sins. Repent (turn
away) from your sinful lifestyle and follow Him as the Master of your life. Do
not allow these words of God to apply to you:
Proverbs 1:24-30:
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
Instead, heed His warning, come to His arms of love and let His final words apply to you:
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
[i] Iraqi Ministries of Environment, Water Resources and Municipalities and Public Works 2006a, p. 91
Reviewing the Ages of Time:
Eternity Past is a term given to describe eternity before time began.
The Antediluvian Age began with the Creation until the Great Flood. During this time, Adam named the animals, God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs, Satan used a serpent to beguile Adam and Eve into disobeying God, God cursed the serpent, Eve and all women, Adam and all men, and the earth. Men became so wicked that God destroyed all life from the earth with a Great Flood, saving only Noah, Noah’s wife, Noah’s three sons and their wives, seven of each clean animal, and two of each unclean animal to repopulate the earth.
From the flood of Noah until Jacob is the Patriarchal Age, following the lines of Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Eber (from where the name “Hebrew” derives), Peleg (who lived when the earth was divided), Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram (Abraham – whom God called to separate himself and chose to bring the Messiah), Isaac, Jacob (Israel – the father of the twelve tribes).
The Age of Bondage describes the time when the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrew people for 400 years. This age ended with the ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egyptian army as the Red Sea came back together.
The Age of the Law began when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and all the other commandments for the Israelites. During this time, God dealt mostly with the nation of Israel. Although some Gentiles were saved, the vast majority of God’s work involved the twelve tribes of Hebrew people who came from the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel), also known as the Jewish nation. This Age of the Law lasted until Jesus rose from the tomb and gave His disciples the Great Commission.
After Jesus was resurrected, He established the Church Age when He commanded His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature.” The Church Age has continued for the last 2,000 years and will continue until Christ calls out His Church. He will not call out the Baptist Church or the Methodist Church, or the Catholic Church, or the Church of Christ, or any other particular denomination, but He will call out every born-again Believer of the Lord Jesus Christ and take them out of this world according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
The next age to begin on this earth is the seven-year Great Tribulation. During this time, there will be three main series of judgments: Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, & Seven Bowls. The Great Tribulation period will end with the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and the Battle of Armageddon.
When the Lord binds Satan in the Bottomless Pit for 1,000 years, Jesus will establish His Kingdom, also known as the Millennial Reign of Christ or the Millennial Age. During this time, the lion and other carnivorous animals will return to their first state and dine on earth’s vegetation; snakes will be so harmless that a small child can play with them. Jesus will rule the world with a rod of iron so that there will be no crime, no hunger, no stressful worries of any kind; true peace will abound. This age will end when God lets Satan loose to deceive a multitude of people once again and defeats him, then throws him into the Lake of Fire. It culminates with the Great White Throne Judgment when God throws all of death and hell in the Lake of Fire.
Eternity Future begins with the new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven onto the new earth.
We have been studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to His servant, John the Apostle while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. We covered the prophecy of the Church Age through dictated letters of Christ to seven churches in Asia Minor (Turkey). We covered the rapture of the saints to God’s Throne Room in chapter 4, the opening of the seven seals, the sealing of 144,000 Jewish missionaries, the blowing of the seven trumpets, the personalities of the Great Tribulation, and now we come to the final series of God’s judgments on the earth.
Revelation 16
16 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.”
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2 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.
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
3 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.
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 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.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.”
7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 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.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
10 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. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 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. 13 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. 14 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.
15 “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.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew,
Armageddon.
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken
17 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!” 18 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. 19 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. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 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.
The four views of interpretating the Revelation differ about when these events
happen:
1. The Historicists say these events happened in the French Revolution in 1789.
2. The Preterists say they happened in the fall of the Roman Empire in 476.
3. The Spiritualists say it has never happened nor will it ever happen.
4. The Futurists say it will happen in the future.
Angels
The Revelation is a book filled with angels. In chapters two and three, the term angel, if you will remember, is speaking of the pastor of the church to which the Lord was dictating the letter. Beginning in chapter four, we have found the following angels.
Rev. 4:8 – 4 great angels (beasts – Zō-ŏns – winged creatures who cry day and night, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”)
Rev. 5:11-12 – a great multitude of angels who glorify the Lamb
Rev. 7:1 – Four restraining angels who protect the 144,000 Jewish missionaries with a mark on their foreheads to go out to preach the Gospel
Rev. 8:2 – Seven trumpet angels
Rev. 12:7 – the fighting angels of Michael who declare war on Satan and his angels and cast them out of heaven
Rev. 14 – Seven angels of Armageddon
Rev. 16 – the Seven bowl angels
Angels are on 24 hour call. They are ready to do what God has for them to do at all times. Have you ever been on 24 hour call? Doctors are on 24 hour call to help their patients in case of any condition that may require their help. Our military at times are on 24 hour call to protect our country from enemies. The police force is on call 24 hours a day, ready to protect us from whatever danger might be lurking in our city or neighborhoods. Aren’t you glad for those who are willing to be ready 24 hours a day to help us in a time of need? Angels are ready at all times to do God’s bidding. God appoints special angels to watch over each of His children at all
times – 24 hours each day. If you are a child of God, you are protected with the
strong arms of a warrior angel who is under God’s command to keep you safe.
Notice in Job 1:6 that the angels must give an account to God for their actions. Remember, the term “sons of God” in the Old Testament does not refer to Christians. “Sons of God” does pertain to born-again Believers, God’s children, Christians in the New Testament. However, every reference in the Old Testament, except one in Hosea, refers to angels.
There are millions and millions of angels. They carry out His commands immediately and perfectly. They do not stop to consider the matter or pray about
it. They travel fast – moving through space is not a problem. It takes light a little over eight seconds to travel from the sun to the earth, but an angel can travel much faster. They are extremely powerful – in 2 Kings 19:35, one angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Angels transported Lazarus to Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise).
Angels carry out the commands of God orderly. Notice these seven angels all line up and are at attention to carry out their assignments. They proceed in order and not all at one time. Each bowl carried is small and contains the wrath of God. The angels pour out three of the bowls on the earth, two on the water, one on the sun, and one into the air.
God’s Word
Some people read the Bible with a smirk on their faces. Everything they read in the Bible they disbelieve – they discount it. Either the Bible is the Word of God or it is not the Word of God. If God does not inspire every word in this book, I might as well throw it away, because there is no way I can decipher which words are inspired and which words are not inspired. You must decide whether you are going to put your faith into what this book says or discard it entirely. Personally, I have put my faith in this old book. I believe it is the very words of God. I realize that there are some places where God speaks symbolically, figuratively, or metaphorically and I cannot take those literally, but for the most part, I believe God does speak literally and says exactly what He means. If you agree, Revelation 16 ought to scare you to death.
The Bowls of God’s Wrath
The first angel’s bowl brings oozing, running, malignant ulcers upon men’s and women’s bodies. This judgment mirrors one of the plagues of Egypt. This type of boil also plagued Job. The ulcers are painful, messy, and reek of rotting flesh.
The second angel pours out his bowl upon the sea, and the sea becomes blood, which mirrors the first plague of Egypt. Some believe this is referring to the Mediterranean Sea, and this is quite plausible, because if it affected all the saltwater oceans, the judgment would be so devastating that no other judgment would be necessary. Every sea creature in the entire sea dies, giving off a terrible
stench.
The third angel’s bowl brings the plague of blood upon the fresh water. Keep in mind that already, a third part of the waters were turned to blood with the third trumpet. Now, all fresh water becomes blood, and the angel of the waters (did
you know there was an angel in charge of the waters?) begins to praise God
saying He is righteous and just to give blood to these people because they shed
the blood of God’s saints. These men refused to drink of the Living Water, so
now all they have to drink is blood.
The fourth angel’s bowl gives power to the sun to torch men with fire. Either the sun moves closer to the earth or it gets hotter. Either way, it burns men like French fries, and there is no escape. If the sun is devastatingly hot for too long a period of time, air conditioned systems will burn out faster than they can have them replaced. Swimming pools are filled with hot blood and showers are running hot blood, so there is no relief. The boils on their skin have now burned so badly that they would be in dire pain. Clothes would not be bearable.
The fifth angel pours out his bowl, and darkness covers the earth. This may give a moment of relief from the sun, but the burns received are still burning. Men will be in dreadful pain and still will not repent.
The sixth angel pours out his bowl on the Euphrates River so that it completely dries up. The Euphrates River gets most of its water from rainfall or melting snow[i], so in order for it to be dried up completely, there must not have been any rainfall or snow left to melt since the sun has become so much hotter. This river is one of the first rivers ever mentioned in God’s Word. It was a border for the Garden of Eden. Even today, it is one of the most resourceful rivers in Iraq. The significance of it drying up is compounded considering that Iraq was once the land of ancient Babylon, and the descendants of ancient Babylon are now still living in Iraq.
The seventh angel pours out his bowl into the air, and a voice comes from the temple in heaven that says, “It is done!” It’s over. The judgments stop. With the voice comes thunderings, lightnings, and the greatest earthquake ever known. This earthquake is not a local event. It is a world wide quake that causes the mountains and islands to disappear! Hail stones weighing about a hundred pounds each will fall. Once, when I was a six year old child living with my grandparents in Alva, Oklahoma, we had a hail storm with grapefruit sized hail. It was devastating. Homes all over town were literally destroyed. As the hail was falling, my granddad thought he had to run out into the front yard and get one to save it in the freezer for my dad to see. He put a dutch oven pot over his head and ran out the door. I remember standing at the front door with my grandmother who was screaming for him to get back. The hail didn’t hit him, and that hail stone went into the bottom of grandmother’s chest freezer and came out several times for storytelling. That hail stone wasn’t solid – it had air pockets through it, and it probably didn’t weigh more
than a pound or two. The hailstones here weigh one hundred pounds! That kind of
pounding cannot be endured very long.
The great city is divided into three parts. The cities of the nations fall and Great Babylon falls. There is great debate over what Babylon is. John McArthur believes it is Jerusalem. He bases this on Rev. 11:8. He could be right. Some believe it is Iraq, as we would naturally suppose today. Others think God is speaking of Rome. Is it political Babylon, religious Babylon, spiritual Babylon, or commercial Babylon? We will be looking into the subject of Babylon further in the next lesson.
Is God truly just and righteous to treat mankind so horribly? After all, doesn’t the Bible say God is love? Yes, that is true. Ephesians 2:4 says: But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us… and 1 John 4:7-8 says: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one who loves is born of God,
and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. But,
God is also a jealous God. He will not tolerate worship of any other god.
Anything that you place above God Almighty becomes your god of worship. God is
also a God of wrath. He will have vengeance upon those who refuse His mercy and
grace by coming to this world and dying for our sins. The first chapter of
Proverbs gives the heart of God on these matters. If you are not a child of God,
do not put off this resolution any longer. Put all your trust in Him who died
for your sins. Accept His death as the payment for your own sins. Repent (turn
away) from your sinful lifestyle and follow Him as the Master of your life. Do
not allow these words of God to apply to you:
Proverbs 1:24-30:
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
Instead, heed His warning, come to His arms of love and let His final words apply to you:
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
[i] Iraqi Ministries of Environment, Water Resources and Municipalities and Public Works 2006a, p. 91
Other Bible Studies by Paige Ramsey: