The Seven Bowls Series

NOTE: This Bible study on the end times comes from the perspective of a pre-tribulation Rapture.

In this session, we will look at the Seven Bowls or vials. You should be aware that they are sometimes called the “seven plagues,” for just a few verses earlier, in Revelation 15:6, we read, “And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues.” Many of them correspond to the plagues that were sent on Egypt, when the Lord commanded Pharaoh to let His people Israel go free; and I will be sure to point out where these plagues correspond.

Another thing to note is how the Seven Bowls seem to correlate with the Seven Trumpets; however, they are indeed separate events. Tim LaHaye states, “The three judgements – the seals, the trumpets, and the vials – are sequential, not concurrent.” But it is still interesting to visualize how the bowls and trumpets are so similar; so, I want to direct your attention to the provided handout. Take some time to look over this handout, perhaps viewing it some more at home, because nothing else will be said during this session concerning this apparent correlation.

(Refer to Handout: “Paralleling the Seven Trumpets and Bowls”)

Also, as we go along, please be filling out the provided handout on the Seven Bowls.

(Refer to Handout: “The Seven Bowls”)

The First Bowl

Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 16:1-2:

1 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.” 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.

• To what Egyptian plague does this event correspond?

The plague of sores corresponds to the plague of boils found in Exodus 9:8-9.

In Deuteronomy 28:35, we discover that painful boils were prescribed as judgement on anyone who disobeyed the Lord; so, this plague, along with the others that we shall see, was sent as judgement on those who disobeyed God, or those “who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.” In our next few lessons, we will come to understand what the mark of the beast might be, but we are going to put this discussion on hold for now.

• Keeping in mind how I mentioned that the Seven Bowls correspond to the Seven Trumpets, and that the Seven Trumpets speak of a war of possible nuclear proportions, from what do you think these sores could result?

Many suggest that they are the result of radiation poisoning from the fallout of an atomic bomb; but as with the Trumpets, there is no way to know for certain the true meaning.

The First Bowl, therefore, describes how “Judgment Effects People Who Have the Mark of the Beast.”

The Second Bowl

Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 16:3:

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.

• To what Egyptian plague does this event correspond?

This plague is similar to the first plague on Egypt, found in Exodus 7:17 and following, in which the Nile River turned into blood.

Blood here is used to denote death, and we see that every living thing in the sea died. Tim LaHaye, says, “It does not take much imagination to see that when all living creatures in the seas die, they will float to the top, their decaying bodies discharging an unbearable stench and inaugurating potential disease. This judgement may well interfere with commercial shipping and send whole populations into confusion as people grope for an adequate supply of water, not to mention destroying what is left of the fish industry.” This disaster too could be the result of a major war.

The Second Bowl, therefore, describes the “Aftermath of War at Sea.”

The Third Bowl

Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 16:4-7:

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.”

In the second bowl, the “sea” became blood (v. 3); but here, the “rivers” and “springs of water” became blood (v. 4). Here, “God will destroy the only remaining sources of water.”