THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 16 – Six Bowls of Wrath, Armageddon & The 7th Bowl of Wrath  – Episode 18

 

THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 16 –  6 Bowls of Wrath, Armageddon & The 7^th Bowl of Wrath

Episode 18

(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, ” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME”)

 Chapter 16 brings us God’s final and most severe judgements; the 7 Bowl Judgements, which usher in The End of the Age. There is still much to occur with the completion of the old and the dawning of the coming New Jerusalem, and the creation and establishment of a new heaven and a new earth.

Six Bowls of Wrath

Revelation 16:1, Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath and indignation of God.”

Verse 2. So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and loathsome and malignant sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

Verse 3. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse, [foul and disgusting]; and every living [footnote ‘a’] thing in the sea died.

Verse 4. Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water; and they turned into blood. Verse 5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous and just are You, Who are and Who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; Verse 6. for they have poured out the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the prophets, and You [in turn] have given them blood to drink. They deserve Your judgement.” Verse 7. And I heard [another from] the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Your judgements are true and fair and righteous.”

Verse 8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch humanity with [a raging] fire. Verse 9. People were [severely] burned by the great heat; and they reviled the name of God who has power over these plagues, but they did not repent [of their sin] and glorify Him.

(Commentary Break: Every evil deed, committed throughout all time, is now being recompensed. Every ill-treatment, every hurt, every calamity, every disaster you may have suffered is now finding justice. Evils are repaid, and your future is fixed to suffer no more. (End Commentary Break)

Verse 10. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; and people gnawed their tongues because of the pain [of their excruciating anguish and severe torment], verse 11, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their anguish and their sores, (abscesses and boils); and they did not repent of what they had done nor hate their wickedness.

(Commentary Break: Notice that the 5^th Bowl is poured out on the beast as his kingdom is plunged into darkness. The pain and anguish is most severe. Still, the rebellious blasphemed God, instead of crying for mercy, they would not repent of their sinful deeds, their hate or their wickedness, this Triad has always been the earmark of the unbelieving and lost. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 12. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for [the coming of] the kings from [footnote ‘b’] the east.

(Commentary Break: The kings of the east can be identified in Ezekiel 38, in Daniel chapter 7 and 9 and again in Revelation chapter 17, as

1. Gog, which is known as a part of modern day Russia,

2. Rosh, also part of modern day Russia,

3. Magog, again part of Russia,

4. Gomer, also known as Eastern Europe and Southern Russia,

5. Put, known as modern day Libya,

6. Cush, known today as Ethiopia,

7. Persia, known as Iran,

8. Meshech, known as modern day Turkey,

9. Tubal, known today as an area in central Turkey and

10. Beth-Togarmah, also known as (Georgia, Chechnya, Turkey/Armenia). (End Commentary Break).

Armageddon

Verse 13. And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, leaping from the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and from the mouth of the beast (Antichrist, dictator) and from the mouth of the false prophet; verse 14, for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Verse 15. “Behold, I am coming like a thief. [footnote ‘c’] Blessed is he who [footnote ‘d’] stays awake and who keeps his clothes [that is, stays spiritually ready for the Lord’s return], so that he will not be naked, spiritually unprepared, and men will not see his shame.” Verse 16. And they, (the demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called [footnote ‘e’] Har-Magedon (which is Armageddon).

(Commentary Break: The three evil spirits that looked like frogs leaping from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgement day of God the Almighty. This is the counterfeit trinity of Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet. Verse 15 reminds us of Jesus Words found in Matthew 24 verses 42 through 44, that we are to stay on alert, for we do not know which day the Lord is coming. But we are to be sure of this, that if we had known at what time the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed our house to be broken into. For this reason, we must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Now we are told of the coming battle of Armageddon. The size of the Armies from the East, as of the year 2024, (and as previously described in the Book of Ezekiel), are Russia, with an army of one million one-hundred thousand; Turkey, with an army of three hundred fifty-five thousand; Iran, with an army of five hundred twenty-three thousand, (including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard); Ethiopia’s army of one hundred thirty eight thousand; Chechnya’s army is approximately ten thousand; the army of Georgia is approximately twenty-one thousand; Even with this abbreviated list we can count two million, one hundred forty-two thousand fighting troops. The size of these forces has been foretold in Revelation 9 verses 16 through 18 as two hundred million. (End Commentary Break).

Seventh Bowl of Wrath

Verse 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne [of God], saying, “It is done. [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come.]” Verse 18. And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake, nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake. Verse 19. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath. Verse 20. Then every island fled away, and no mountains could be found. Verse 21. And giant hailstones, as heavy as a [footnote ‘f’] talent (which weigh about one hundred pounds each), fell from the sky on the people; and people reviled and spoke abusively of God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so very great. (End of text for Chapter 16).

It is over. No more suffering, no more tears, no more crying, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, no more evil. The old order is passed away and your eternity with God is set.

Our days on this old earth, for now, seem to be growing ever more chaotic and dangerous. The current world order is shifting rapidly away from any trace of righteousness. The things that were once called as good are now being called evil, and the things evil are now being called good; bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

The next chapter offers insights that will bolster our confidence as we read of the doom of Babylon and the Victory of the Lamb.

Your Brother and Friend,

 Mike Young

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