Saturday, January 31, 2015

Revelation 16

Chapter 16 is introduced in Chapter 15, where we first see the seven angels emerge from the Temple in Heaven with the seven plagues. Chapter 16 takes place after the world has been given a choice. Those on the earth have the choice to receive the mark, worship the Beast and live or refuse and die. God sends three angels to warn them about the choice they are being forced to make. Many on earth choose Christ and death, rather then worship the Beast and his image; they are seen in Heaven before the throne, on the crystal sea - Revelation 15:2.

During this period, Israel is supernaturally protected in the wilderness of Judea, probably in Petra. Those who followed the warning of Christ in Matthew, fled into the wilderness following the Abomination of Desolation, when the Mt. Olives split opened for their escape. (Matthew 24:16-20, Revelation 12:14, Zechariah 14:5) Here in the wilderness, Israel comes to the knowledge of Christ, realizing Jesus who was crucified by their descendants was in fact Israel’s Savior and only hope. As the armies of the earth gather toward the hills of Megiddo (Armageddon), Israel calls out to Jesus Christ as their Messiah, who returns with armies of heaven - Revelation 19:15-21.                  

At this point, those alive on the earth are mostly followers of Satan, working through the Antichrist and False Prophet. The great multitude in Revelation chapter 7 gathered before the throne, from all the nations, are those killed for their faith - Revelation 7:14. After the earth has made its choice, God begins the judgments of wrath by commanding the angels to pour out the bowls on the earth. The seven bowl judgments complete God’s wrath on the earth. Following the 7th bowl, Christ returns with angels and saints and establishes the Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 19:15-21) also known as the Millennium - Revelation 20:1-7. Those killed for their faith receive their resurrected bodies and rule with Christ in His kingdom along with the returning saints. (Revelation 20; 4, Matthew 19:28-29)

The Bowl judgments stand in contrast to the seven trumpet and seal judgments. The Bowl judgments are not meant to move humanity into decision but are a demonstration of God’s wrath. For example, the 2nd trumpet judgment affected one third of the sea, the second bowl judgment affects the whole sea causing all sea life to die. The Abomination of Desolation also separates the Trumpet and Bowl judgments. The first bowl judgment is against those who worshiped the beast and his image by receiving the mark, placing the timing of this judgment in the second half of Daniel’s 70th week, following the Abomination of Desolation.

Above paragraphs excerpted from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation16/

Even though this chapter concludes with the pouring forth of the seventh bowl, at which the work of God’s wrath is complete, John’s vision will not be complete - three more chapters (Revelation 17, 18 and 19) remain within which John is shown details attending the judgments associated with these bowls culminating in the Second Coming of Christ and the binding of Satan prior to the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3+).

Revelation 15:7-8: And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever.

(1) THEN I heard a mighty voice shouting from the Temple to the seven angels, "Now go your ways and empty out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

  • Mighty - Greek, megas meaning “great or large.”
    •  Megas is used 11 times in this chapter in connection with its events. This emphasizes the intensity or unprecedented nature of what will begin to take place on earth at this point in the tribulation:
      • “mighty” voice (16:1,17)
      • "blast" of heat (16:9)
      • "great" river (16:12)
      • "great" day (16:14)
      • "greater" earthquake (16:18, twice)
      • "great" city (16:19)
      • "great" Babylon (16:19)
      • "terrible" hail (16:21)
      • "terrible" plague (16:21).
    •  Megas also occurs 9 times in chapter 18, which is an elaboration on the seventh bowl judgment introduced in 16:17-21.
  • Temple is naou, which generally describes the inner sanctuary, the "Holy of Holies". In 15:8, the Shekinah glory of God filled the Temple and no one could enter until the plagues were completed. Thus, this must be God's voice.
  • Empty out:
    • The angels had previously received their instructions from God’s throne within the Temple - Revelation 15:5. Now, He orders them to carry through with their assignment.
    • The fact that God tells all seven angels to "empty out the seven bowls” seems to indicate that these judgments will follow each other in rapid succession. The final act of history has begun.

(2) So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl over the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

  • Sores:
    • The word in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) for sores (boils in the KJV) in Exodus 9 is used here.
    • “Lilje comments that those who once bore the mark of the beast are now visited by ‘marks’ of God.” Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation.
    • The Beast worshipers experience a similar condition to that of Job when he was struck with boils by Satan (Job 2:7). The plague which strikes the Beast worshipers is like that which Aaron and Moses caused upon the men and beasts of Egypt (Exodus 9:8-11). God promised to strike Israel with similar boils if they continued in disobedience toward Him (Deuteronomy 28:27, 35), but also to strike their enemies if they returned and were obedient to Him (Deuteronomy 7:15).
      • Job 2:7: So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot.
      • Exodus 9:8-11: Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take soot from a furnace, and have Moses toss it into the sky while Pharaoh watches. It will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing boils to break out on people and animals alike." So they gathered soot from a furnace and went to see Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses tossed the soot into the air, and terrible boils broke out on the people and animals throughout Egypt. Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them, too.
      • Deuteronomy 28:15,27,35: "But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: ... The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. ... The LORD will cover you from head to foot with incurable boils."
      • Deuteronomy 7:12,15: "If you listen to these regulations and obey them faithfully, the LORD your God will keep his covenant of unfailing love with you, as he solemnly promised your ancestors. ... And the LORD will protect you from all sickness. He will not let you suffer from the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will bring them all on your enemies!
  • On everyone who had the mark of the beast:
    • Since these people received the Antichrist’s mark (13:16-18; 14:9-10), God adds His mark to them as well.
    • I wonder if applying the mark to the hand or forehead brought with it a severe infection resulting in the horrible, malignant sores.

(3) THEN the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.

  • Sea: This could be just the Mediterranean Sea ("Mare Nostrum" of the Roman Empire) but is probably world-wide.
  • Poured out:
    • Psalm 79:6-7: Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to recognize you -- on kingdoms that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness.
    • Jeremiah 10:25: Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to recognize you -- on nations that do not call upon your name. For they have utterly devoured your people Israel, making the land a desolate wilderness.
    • Daniel 9:27: He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler."
    • Zephaniah 3:8-9: So now the LORD says: "Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the LORD together.
  • Blood of a corpse:
    • In the judgment of the second trumpet in Revelation 8:8, a third of the sea became blood and a third of the living creatures in the sea died. Now, the rest of the sea becomes blood:
      • Revelation 8:8: Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. And one-third of the water in the sea became blood.
    • As in Egypt, the animal life within the water dies (Exodus 7:18, 21). The loss of sea food will be devastating after the destruction of vegetation that will occur as a result of Revelation 8:7:
      • Exodus 7:18, 21: The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.'" ... The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn't drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.
      • Revelation 8:7: The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down upon the earth, and one-third of the earth was set on fire. One-third of the trees were burned, and all the grass was burned.
    • According to an article in Reuters January 12, 2015, something similar but localized happened: "Blood-red sea as underwater volcano erupts off Tonga...by Matt Siegel - An underwater volcano off Tonga was spewing ash high into the air on Tuesday, causing several carriers to suspend air travel to the South Pacific island nation and turning the surrounding ocean blood red, residents and officials said. ... Residents in Tonga described a spectacular sight, with the enormous plume from the volcano shooting high into the sky and a muddy discharge underwater turning areas of the sea off the island blood red."
  • Everything in the sea died:
    • John Phillips vividly describes the phenomenon of “red tides” in his commentary on the Revelation. “From time to time, off the coast of California and elsewhere, a phenomenon known as "the red tide" occurs. These red tides kill millions of fish and poison those who eat contaminated shellfish. In 1949, one of these red tides hit the coast of Florida. First the water turned yellow, but by midsummer it was thick and viscous with countless billions of dinoflagellates, tiny one-celled organisms. Sixty-mile windrows of stinking fish fouled the beaches. Much marine life was wiped out, even bait used by fishermen died upon the hooks. Eventually the red tide subsided, only to appear again the following year. Eating fish contaminated by the tide produced severe symptoms caused by a potent nerve poison, a few grams of which, distributed aright, could easily kill everyone in the world. An unchecked population explosion of toxic dinoflagellates would kill all the fish in the sea." (Exploring Revelation)

(4) THEN the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood.

  • Other than what was already  stored, there will be no fresh water to drink on the earth. During this period of judgment, fresh water to drink will be more valuable than oil! We're already seeing severe droughts in California, expansion of deserts world wide (Gobi and Sahara especially) - stage setting for what is to come.
  • Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 291: "Overly subtle interpretations in the interest of recapitulation overlook the distinct differences between the two series. Among the more important are: (1) the trumpet-plagues are partial in their effect (one-third of the earth is burned, Revelation 8:7+; one-third of the sea becomes blood, Revelation 8:8+; see also Revelation 8:9-12+) while the bowls are universal (“every living soul died,” Revelation 16:3+; “every island fled away,” Revelation 16:20+) and final; (2) the trumpets are to a certain extent a call to repentance while the bowls are the pouring out of divine wrath; and (3) man is affected indirectly by the first four trumpets but is directly attacked from the outset by the bowls. It should also be noticed that the bowls are poured out in rapid succession with the customary interlude between the sixth and seventh elements of the sequence missing."

(5) And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, "You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and who always was.

  • You are just:
    • "The destruction of what is left of the earth’s fresh water will cause unthinkable hardship and suffering. There will be no water to drink; no clean water to wash the oozing sores caused by the first bowl judgment; no water to bring cooling relief from the scorching heat that the fourth bowl judgment will shortly bring. The scene is so unimaginably horrible that people will wonder how a God of compassion, mercy, and grace could send such a judgment. And so there is a brief interlude in the pouring out of the judgments while an angel speaks in God’s defense". - John MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 2000), Revelation 16:4.
  • Who is and who always was:
    • Present tense and past tense, but the future tense is included in the present tense because this is in the future!

(6) For your holy people and your prophets have been killed, and their blood was poured out on the earth. So you have given their murderers blood to drink. It is their just reward."

  • Killed:
    • Since the rejection of Jesus as King of Israel, the promised Messiah and the Son of God and the going forth of the gospel to the whole world, over 2000 years have transpired and the toll of the shed blood of the saints has escalated dramatically. It has been said in our own century that more have died for the cause of Christ than any previous century. Yet, the persecutions of history will pale in comparison with that which befalls the saints in the Tribulation when the Beast and the Harlot slaughter the saints during Satan’s final attempt to overthrow the plan of God. This is why the book of Revelation has always been precious to the persecuted Church, for its pages are sprinkled with the blood of martyrs.
      • The Scriptorium journey in the "Holy Land Experience" park in Orlando, Florida tells the story of those who struggled to make the Bible available to all who sought its solace - the blood stained pages of a martyr's bible tell just part of the story of these brave, committed women and men who were imprisoned, some brutally murdered, simply for owning or sharing a bible. You can also see there the prison cell of John Bunyan, the author of "In Pilgrims Progress."
  • Blood to drink:
    • Isaiah 49:26: I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

(7) And I heard a voice from the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, your punishments are true and just."

  • Voice from the altar:
    • This voice would be one of the four cherubim which attend the throne, though we're told in chapter 15 that No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.:
      • Revelation 4:6: In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

(8) THEN the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.

  • The sun:
    • In the fourth trumpet judgment, only “one-third of the sun was struck” (Revelation 8:12).
    • MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: "Another serious consequence of the sun’s intense heat will be the melting of the polar ice caps. The resulting rise in the oceans’ water level will inundate coastal regions, flooding areas miles inland with the noxious waters of the dead oceans. Widespread damage and loss of life will accompany that flooding, adding further to the unspeakable misery of the devastated planet. Transportation by sea will become impossible."
    • The plague will be a horrible heat - extremely intense and excessive, and the sunburns will be severe. Air conditioners will fail and life will be miserable. The ice caps at the North and South poles and on the mountains will probably melt. The ocean water will rise and the destruction will be extreme. Each plague is getting progressively worse!

(9) Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who sent all of these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

  • Blast of heat: True global warming is coming!
  • They did not repent:
    • Instead of repenting and giving God glory, the Beast-worshipers blaspheme God. They recognize His sovereignty, but they refuse to honor Him as sovereign.
    • Walvoord: “The wishful thinking of some that men would repent if they only knew the power and righteous judgment of God is shattered by frequent mention in this chapter of the hardness of the human heart in the face of the most stringent and evident divine discipline.”
    • 1 Samuel 6:6: Don't be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. They wouldn't let Israel go until God had ravaged them with dreadful plagues.
    • Daniel 12:9-10: But he said, "Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is for the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means."

(10) THEN the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. And his subjects ground their teeth in anguish,

  • On the throne of the beast and his kingdom:
    • It is stated that this judgment is limited to the "kingdom of the beast," generally thought to be Rome or the revised Roman Empire (EU?). It describes a great area of earth covered with a sudden and unexplainable darkness.
  • Darkness:
    • We suddenly go from the sun burning down to total darkness!
    • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England's_Dark_Day: New England's Dark Day refers to an event that occurred on May 19, 1780, when an unusual darkening of the day sky was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog and cloud cover. The darkness was so complete that candles were required from noon on. It did not disperse until the middle of the next night. The darkness was seen at least as far north as Portland, Maine, and extended southwards to New Jersey.
    • Exodus 10:21-23: Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward heaven, and a deep and terrifying darkness will descend on the land of Egypt." So Moses lifted his hand toward heaven, and there was deep darkness over the entire land for three days. During all that time the people scarcely moved, for they could not see. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.
    • We have every reason to believe that this fifth judgment will be in the latter part of the latter half of the Tribulation. Those who've received the mark of the beast will still have the sores from the pouring out of the first bowl of God's wrath.
    • There was another time when there was darkness on the earth (Matthew 27:45). Jesus endured three hours of darkness on the cross to take away our sin. God couldn’t look upon the face of His dear Son, as every despicable sin known to mankind was placed upon Jesus. God hid the face of Jesus in darkness so we could have the “light of life.” Here, the world rejects the Light so God gives them darkness.
      • Matthew 27:45: At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.

(11) and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they refused to repent of all their evil deeds.

  • Pains and sores:
    • One indication that the bowl judgments will follow each other quickly, is that the "sores" of the first bowl are still on the people in the darkness of the fifth bowl. The bowl judgments come in swift succession, and will overlap, one right after another.

(12) THEN the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance.


  • Above map of the Euphrates from http://globalslaves.blogspot.com/2010/12/chronological-order-of-book-of.html
  • Euphrates river ... dried up:
    • The parting of the Red Sea allowed Israel to flee from slavery. Now, the waters of the Euphrates are dried so that God’s enemies can gather to their destruction. God dried up the Jordan for Israel to cross into her inheritance, the Promised Land (Joshua 3:15-17; 4:22). Now, He dries up the Euphrates to gather the kings into Israel.
    • In Revelation 9, we saw four demons imprisoned at the Euphrates River and an army of 200 million demons come to power and kill one-third of the world. Now here in Revelation 16:13-14, we find three unclean spirits at the Euphrates River. Their movement is associated with the Campaign of Armageddon.
    • theTrumpet.com: "June 11, 2014: Turkey completely cut off the Euphrates River water flow upstream of Syria, reported Al Akhbar on May 30, 2014. The Euphrates originates in Turkey and passes through the Atatürk Dam before flowing into Syria and Iraq. By cutting off the flow and directing it into the reservoir, Turkey has lowered water levels downstream. Water levels in Lake Assad, Syria’s largest body of water, have dropped by 20 feet since Turkey shut off the water supply. Middle East expert Daniel Pipes explained the looming disaster as genocide by way of “terminal dehydration.” Cutting off a nation’s water supply is potentially fatal in its severity and indiscriminate in its victims. The dry and arid regions of northeastern Syria will quickly empty if one of the most basic necessities of human life dries up. Turkey could at will, use its technological control of the Ataturk Dam to quickly and easily dry up the flow of the Euphrates in order to achieve military advantages, such as allowing military troops and trucks to cross over the Euphrates on dry land."
  • Kings from the east - tōn apo anatolēs hēliou, literally "from the rising of the sun":
    • In John's day (90 AD), this would have been the Parthians, whom the Romans never conquered and the Euphrates formed the boundary between the two.
    • Previously, God had called Cyrus of Persia “a swift bird of prey from the east -- a leader from a distant land who will come and do my bidding” (Isaiah 46:11). The wise men also came from the rising of the sun (Matthew 2:1). The movement of these kings probably contributes to the “news from the east and the north” which disturbs the Antichrist (Daniel 11:44).
    • With the calamities in the world at this time, including lack of food, water and darkness surrounding the throne of the Beast (in Jerusalem or Rome or New York or new Babylon?), why does an army from the east advance toward Israel? There are two views:
      1. The kings from the East are coming in opposition to the Beast after his kingdom is made vulnerable by all the judgments. With his kingdom in darkness, an invasion might seem right. To repay the Beast for the destruction he waged on them. (Daniel 11:44)
      2. The kings from the East are coming in alliance for a final satanic assault against the Creator.
        • The frog-like demons in verse 13 lend support to the second viewpoint, since they go out and deceive the kings of the earth, to gather them.

(13) And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

  • Verses 13-16 give us a commentary on verse 12. Demon activity (13-14) follows God's activity (15-16).
  • Looked like Frogs:
    • Notice that the verse does not say they were frogs, but rather they looked like frogs. Per the next verse, they are demons that look like frogs.
    • Their comparison with frogs recalls the plague of frogs in Egypt (Exodus 8:2-13).
    • Frogs  are unclean (Leviticus 11:10-11, 41).
  • Dragon ... beast ... false prophet:
    • The unholy trinity. Satan always imitates God.
  • False prophet:
    • This is the first mention of "the false prophet," but he is clearly the "beast out of the earth" (Revelation13:11-17). He deceives the mass of people. What he urges them to do (take the mark, & worship the beast) results in their destruction eventually.

(14) These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty.

  • All the Rulers ... gather for battle:
    • The demons gather kings from nations all around the globe. This includes the ten kings who are allied with the Beast and go to war against the Lamb (Revelation 17:12-14). Just as God led Gog to come against Israel to his own doom (Ezekiel 38-39), so too these unclean spirits will influence to battle the Lord.
    • The place where they gather is “Armageddon.” While the kings are being gathered by unclean spirits, an angel gathers vultures in readiness for their feast on the kings (Revelation 19:17). Battle is polemon, which more correctly denotes an extended engagement or campaign rather than a single battle.
    • This is the time when, as we saw in Chapter 9, armies of 200,000,000 gather into Palestine, to make war, first with one another and then, in a last desperate combat, with the Lamb of God himself!
    • This battle is not nation against nation, but the nations against God (Psalms 2:2). This is one of three important battles mentioned in prophecy:
        1. The battle of Gog, Magog and her allies come against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39).
        2. The battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist leads the world system against a returning Jesus (Revelation 17:12-16 and Revelation 19:19).
        3. The final battle, when Satan and his allies, after the millennium, make war against God (Revelation 20:7-10).
      • Revelation 9:15-17: And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. They led an army of 200 million mounted troops -- I heard an announcement of how many there were. And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and sky blue and yellow. The horses' heads were like the heads of lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.
      • Revelation 17:12-16: His ten horns are ten kings who have not yet risen to power; they will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. hey will all agree to give their power and authority to him. Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones." And the angel said to me, "The waters where the prostitute is sitting represent masses of people of every nation and language. The scarlet beast and his ten horns -- which represent ten kings who will reign with him -- all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.
      • Revelation 19:17-19: Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.
      • Revelation 20:7-10: When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations from every corner of the earth, which are called Gog and Magog. He will gather them together for battle -- a mighty host, as numberless as sand along the shore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God's people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
    • Against the Lord:
      • Those who attack Israel, attack God Himself!

(15) "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed."

  • I will come unexpectedly:
    • There is always a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh of each series. Here, that parenthesis is only one verse long - Verse 15.
    • Jesus Christ Himself evidently gives this invitation and warning to the Christian readers of this prophecy during the church age, before the tribulation begins. By the time the sixth bowl is poured out, believers who have not taken refuge (12:13-17) will have suffered martyrdom (13:15; 14:1-5, 13; 15:2).
    • The world forces will be surprised. No army in the world wants to be surprised by the enemy, but Jesus will surprise them. That is the message.
    • Revelation 16:15 is the last occurrence of the "as a thief" simile in the New Testament. The suddenness with which Christ will come will leave no room for escape. Revelation 16:15 begins with a Greek interjection translated in the NLT as "Take note". In 16:14, we are told that "all the rulers of the world to gather for battle." The idea of the verb "gather" is one of a building up. In other words, the nations do not all arrive at the same time, but slowly build up the numbers as the days pass. But, the coming of Christ will be sudden. Jesus will not build up his forces. He will appear suddenly. Revelation 16:15 is a warning concerning the coming of Christ at Armageddon. It will be sudden and the destruction will be sure.
    • Matthew 24:42-44: So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected."
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: I really don't need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape.
    • 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. Please don't be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us,  don't believe them. Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed -- the one who brings destruction.
    • 2 Peter 3:10: But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.
    • Revelation 3:3: Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief."
  • Robes (garments in the KJV):
    • Garments are pictures of spiritual and practical righteousness. We are told to clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).
  • Naked and ashamed:
    • We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15: But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. 
      • In other words, stark naked!
    • Revelation 3:18: I advise you to buy gold from me -- gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

(16) And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew.

  • And:
    • "And" (Greek kai) resumes the exposition of the sixth bowl judgment from verse 14 after the parenthesis in verse 15.
  • They:
    • The "they" who do the gathering of the armies here are the demons of verse thirteen. They will fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
  • Armageddon:

    • Above image from http://bibleexplained.com/revelation/r-seg15-16/r1616-Armageddon.htm
    • MacArthur, Revelation 12-22 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: “Since there is no specific mountain by that name, and Har can refer to hill country, it is probably a reference to the hill country surrounding the Plain of Megiddo, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem.”
    • John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, p. 238: "Geographically, it relates to the Mount of Megiddo located adjacent to the plain of Megiddo to the west and the large plain of Esdraelon to the northeast. Megiddo is the Hebrew word corresponding to the Greek word Armageddon. This area was the scene of many of the great battles of the Old Testament such as that of Barak and the Canaanites in Judges 4 and the victory of Gideon over the Midianites in Judges 7. Here also occurred the deaths of Saul and Josiah. The area, though it is a large one, is not sufficient for the armies of all the world, though the valley of Esdraelon is fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long. What this Scripture seems to indicate is that this area is the central point for the military conflict which ensues. Actually the armies are deployed over a 200-mile area up and down from this central location (cf. 14:20). At the time of the second coming, some of the armies are in Jerusalem itself (Zechariah 14:1-3)."
    • The name Armageddon comes from two Hebrew words, har and Megiddo. The word har literally means “mountain or hill.” The word Megiddo means either “place of troops” or “place of slaughter.”
    • This is the time when, as we saw in Chapter 9, armies of 200,000,000 gather to make war, first with one another and then, in a last desperate combat, with the Lamb of God himself!
    • Alternatively, "Har-Magedon" may refer to the "mountain" closest to Megiddo, namely, "Mt. Carmel." On that mountain, God and Elijah slaughtered the entire host of the 450 prophets of Baal in the Valley of Jezreel (1 Kings 18:16-40). Mt. Tabor is another prominent hill (1,850 feet high) at the east end of this valley.
    • Megiddo is in a region frequently associated with decisive battles: Deborah over Sisera (Judges 5:19); Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7:1-25); Pharaoh over Josiah (2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chronicles 35:22). It is also a place of end-times mourning (Zechariah 12:11). The vast Valley of Megiddo has seen tremendous battles through the centuries. Over 200 battles have been fought in the region, from 1468 B.C. (with Pharaoh Tuthmosis III) to 1917 (with Lord Allenby of the British).
    • The conclusion of the battle will be given in Revelation 19. The next few chapters will provide more details.
    • Joel 3:11-17: Come quickly, all you nations everywhere! Gather together in the valley." And now, O LORD, call out your warriors! "Let the nations be called to arms. Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the LORD, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all. Now let the sickle do its work, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the winepress because it is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. It is there that the day of the LORD will soon arrive. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will no longer shine. The LORD's voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the earth and heavens will begin to shake. But to his people of Israel, the LORD will be a welcoming refuge and a strong fortress. "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again.

(17) THEN the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne of the Temple in heaven, saying, "It is finished!"

  • Air: This final judgment has the greatest impact of all, since "the air" into which the angel pours his bowl is what humans breathe.
  • Mighty shout: The word "mighty" is the Greek megas, meaning "great."
  • It is finished:
    • It is finished is gegonen, perfect tense, It has come to be. This agrees with what John was told: that in these seven last plagues, the wrath of God is complete:
      • Revelation 15:1: Then I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion.

(18) THEN the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And there was an earthquake greater than ever before in human history.

  • Earthquake:
    • There are numerous earthquakes associated with the time of the end. This earthquake surpasses them all:
      1. Jesus taught that earthquakes were an indicator of “the beginning of the horrors to come” (Matthew 24:8).
      2. A tremendous earthquake results from the opening of the sixth seal, attended by cosmic signs (Revelation 6:12).
      3. There was an earthquake after the seventh seal, but before the first trumpet, when the angel of the altar took the censer, filled it with fire, and threw it to the earth (Revelation 8:7-10).
      4. At the ascension of the two witnesses, a great earthquake leveled one tenth of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13).
    • Haggai prophesied of a great shaking which would involve all nations prior to their recognition of Christ and the return of the shekinah glory of God to the Millennial Temple: "For this is what the LORD Almighty says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth. I will shake the oceans and the dry land, too. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:6-7)

(19) The great city of Babylon split into three pieces, and cities around the world fell into heaps of rubble. And so God remembered all of Babylon's sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath.

  • Babylon:
    • There is much debate whether "Babylon" refers to Rome which is spiritual Babylon or, as some have understood it, to a rebuilt city of Babylon on the Euphrates, or to Jerusalem. Regardless, the fact that the judgment is an earthquake seems to indicate that a literal city is in view, and that the judgment results in its physical destruction - just prior to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    • Further revelation concerning the destruction of Babylon follows in chapters 17 and 18. There is an excellent article on Babylon at www.discoverrevelation.com/9.html. I would also highly recommend the book "The Two Babylons" by Rev. Alexander Hislop.
    • It is split into three pieces (perhaps reminiscent of the three factions that fight over it today - Jews, Christians and Muslims.
    • Revelation 17:1-6: One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. The rulers of the world have had immoral relations with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality." So the angel took me in spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, written all over with blasphemies against God. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World." I could see that she was drunk -- drunk with the blood of God's holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her completely amazed.
  • John is going to pick up one event out of this scene, the destruction of Babylon the Great, and enlarge on it in the next two chapters. But in Chapter 19, Jesus will reveal himself; he will be seen by all the world, appearing in power and great glory, just as the Scriptures long have predicted.
  • The fall of Babylon was announced in Revelation chapter 14. Under the seventh bowl, the judgment of that guilty system takes place. The events in Revelation 14:8 through the remainder of the chapter take place AFTER the pouring out of the seventh bowl. This is an important help in proper understanding of the various parts and visions of the book.
    • Revelation 14:8: Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality."

(20) And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled.

(21) There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the hailstorm, which was a very terrible plague.

  • Hailstorm:
    • Exodus 9:23: So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.
    • Joshua 10:11: As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the LORD destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword.
    • Job 38:22-23: "Have you visited the treasuries of the snow? Have you seen where the hail is made and stored? I have reserved it for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.
    • Psalm 105:31-32: When he spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians, and gnats swarmed across Egypt. Instead of rain, he sent murderous hail, and flashes of lightning overwhelmed the land.

Since the wrath of God is complete in these seven bowls, they span the remainder of the Tribulation period up until its end, when Christ returns and overthrows the enemies of God in the Campaign of Armageddon. Even though this chapter concludes with the pouring forth of the seventh bowl, at which the work of God’s wrath is complete, John’s vision will not be complete. For three more chapters (Revelation 17, 18 and 19) remain within which John is shown details attending the judgments associated with these bowls culminating in the Second Coming of Christ and the binding of Satan prior to the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3).

Chronologically, the next event will be the return of the Lord to earth as King of kings (chapter 19). The next two chapters, however, halt the sequence and give us a parenthetical look at Babylon because of her prominence historically and in the future kingdom of the system of the beast.

John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, p. 242: "Though from the contemporary point of view all the details of these dramatic judgments are not immediately understood, the unmistakable impression of the Scriptures is that the whole world is being brought to the bar of justice before Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. There is no escape from divine judgment except for those who avail themselves of the grace of God in that day by faith in Jesus Christ. The utter perversity of human nature, which will reject the sovereignty of God in the face of such overwhelming evidence, confirms that even the lake of fire will not produce repentance on the part of those who have hardened their hearts against the grace of God."

NOTES:

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