REVELATION #16 - THE SEVEN BOWL JUDGMENTS:
“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." (Rev. 16:1).
• Note that the bowls of God’s wrath come after the trumpets of His warnings.
• God first gave people an opportunity to repent, but now God says: its judgment time!
• Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
Bowl #1 – Loathsome Sores:
“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.” (v.2).
• Why did God do this? “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you...The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt; with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed...The Lord will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.” (Deut. 28:15,27,35).
• Note the similarity with the sixth plague in Exodus 9:8-12.
Bowl #2 – Sea Becomes Blood:
“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.” (v.3).
• Note the similarity with the first plague in Exodus 7:17-21.
Bowl #3 – Rivers and Springs of Water Become Blood:
“Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 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. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” (v.4-7).
• Note – God as the Judge of the Universe is just, true and righteous in His judgments.
Bowl #4 – Men are Scorched by the Sun:
“Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 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.” (v.8-9).
• God promises to be shade and protection to His children.
• “The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, He shall preserve your soul.” (Ps. 121:5-7).
• This reminds us again that God’s wrath is reserved for the unrepentant wicked.
Bowl #5 – The Throne of the Beast:
“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. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” (v.10-11).
Bowl #6 – The Unclean Spirits Come Forth:
“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. 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.” (v.12-13).
• just like the plague of frogs in Exodus – coming out of the river
• What are the unclean ‘frog’ spirits? They are demons.
• Note the similarity with the second plague in Exodus 8:2-4.
ARMAGEDDON:
“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. "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." And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” (v.14-16).
• Jesus reminds us to watch and be ready, because He is coming as a thief in the night!
Bowl #7 – Storm, Earthquake and Hail:
“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!" 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. 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. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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.” (v.17-21).
• there is no place of refuge for the wicked to flee to from the wrath of God
QUOTE:
“Thus the whole book from beginning to end teaches the great truths – Christ shall triumph! Christ’s enemies shall be overcome! They who hate him shall be destroyed; they who love him shall be blessed unspeakably. The doom alike of Jew and of Gentile is already imminent. On Judea and Jerusalem, on Rome and her Empire, on Nero and his adorers, the judgment shall fall. Sword and fire, and famine and pestilence, and storm and earthquake, and social agony and political terror are nothing but the woes which are ushering in the Messianic reign. Old things are rapidly passing away.” (F.W. Farrar, The Early Days of Christianity, 1882)
Are you ready for the Second Coming of Jesus? Call upon His name, and draw near to Him today!
REVELATION #17-18 – THE JUDGMENT OF BABYLON:
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” (Rev. 17:1-6).
THE FOUR ENEMIES OF CHRIST:
1. The dragon - Satan himself
2. The sea beast - the worldly political powers that persecute the church
3. The land beast - AKA the false prophet, the false religions of the world
4. Babylon the Great
There are many different interpretations of Babylon the Great:
• The City of Rome
• The Old Jerusalem (see Isaiah 1:1,21).
• “The Harlot” = “The world as the center of antichristian seduction… that which allures, tempts, seduces and draws people away from God.” (Hendriksen).
“But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Rev. 17:7-14).
SYMBOLS EXPLAINED IN THE TEXT:
SEVEN HEADS OF THE BEAST
- seven mountains of the city where this woman rules
- the city of Rome was built on seven hills
- seven kings (five have fallen, 6th reigns, 7th to come)
THE SCARLET BEAST
- the eighth king
THE TEN HORNS
- ten kings who have not yet risen to power
THESE KINGS COULD REPRESENT THE ROMAN CAESARS:
“five have fallen”:
Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius
“sixth reigns”
Nero (on the throne – persecuted Christians 64-68 AD)
“seventh yet to come”
Galba
“the eighth king”
Titus (destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD)
• Whoever these enemies specifically represent, note clearly that: Jesus the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful! (v.14).
“Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 17:15-18).
• God put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose: God is in control – not the devil!
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury." And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ’I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” (Rev. 18:1-8).
GOD’S WARNING TO US TODAY:
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
• God says that as Christians, we are the temple of the living God!
• God warns us to come out from the world and separate ourselves from them!
• If we don’t separate ourselves from the world, we will share in its sins and punishments.
BABYLON DESCRIBED:
(Read Rev. 18:9-24).
Who is Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots?
• Those who committed fornication and lived luxuriously (v.9).
• She who deceived the nations (v.23).
• She who martyred believers for their faith in Jesus (v.24).
How does God want us to respond to this description of the destruction of the evil harlot?
• Rejoice over her… for God has avenged you on her!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
