The Seven Bowls Series

I the apostle John after witnessing the conquerors in heaven singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened. Out of this the Lord’s tabernacle, came the seven angels with the seven plagues. These angels were clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.

Unlike any of my previous visions this one had a feeling of completion associated with it. I sensed like never before that relief was coming. One of the four living creatures gave to these seven angels, seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

And just like in the days of Moses, the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and his power, and no one could enter until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. The air of anticipation was so thick you could feel it.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." I realized that this was simply a more detailed account of what I had seen before. This is the end, the destruction of the old earth and heavens to make way for the new heaven and new earth. This was the final answer to the voices under the altar who asked “how long do we have wait Lord?”

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The people were in so much constant pain that they treated each other terribly and human relations were awful.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. The sea all over the earth was completely destroyed, there was no life left in it at all. There would be no more fishing.

The third angel then poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. There was no fresh water to drink on the entire earth. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

"Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,

for you brought these judgments.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,

and you have given them blood to drink.

It is what they deserve!"

I remembered all the times that the earth dwellers shed the blood of innocent people of God, including the children, and though Jesus said we should not give an eye for an eye, when we let God do the judgment he often provides punishment that fits the crime.

And I heard the altar, which must have been the martyrs under the altar, saying,

"Yes, Lord God the Almighty,

true and just are your judgments!"

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. The sores had not healed, there was no water to drink, and now they all had painful sunburns, yet still they did not repent and give him glory.

I know I said earlier that the sun was dimmed, but now it explodes in a burst of heat. I found out that this is scientifically possible. That the sun could go dim and seem to be burning out, only to have a giant final burst of energy when it finally burns out completely.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom, the earth was plunged into darkness. Nothing could now grow on the entire earth. Systematically God was cutting off everything that these people who worshipped the beast needed to survive. People actually gnawed on their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores, rather than repenting of their deeds.

By now I was noticing that these bowls were very similar to the seven trumpet judgments, only they seemed more severe, more final. I am quite sure God is reminding us of the plagues he brought to Egypt when God’s people were protected in Goshen. That is probably why heaven sang the song of Moses, and of the Lamb.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. Most of us thought that the evil Nero would bring kings of the east across the Euphrates from the Parthian empire.