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Seal #1

Seal #2

Seal #3

Seal #4

Seal #5

Seal #6

Intermission

Seal #7

Trumpet #1

Trumpet #2

Trumpet #3

Trumpet #4

Trumpet #5

Trumpet #6

Intermission

Trumpet #7

INTERMISSION

Bowl #1

Bowl #2

Bowl #3

Bowl #4

Bowl #5

Bowl #6

Bowl #7

Fall of Babylon

The Seven Bowls

What we are facing:

Preparation for the bowl plagues – Chapter 15

The bowl plagues themselves – Chapter 16

Babylon – the prostitute on the beast – Chapter 17

Lament over the Fall of Babylon – Chapter 18

The Seven Bowls

The question of timing:

What we have before us is the third in a series of interrelated sequences.

Divine judgment is revealed by the seals, announced by the trumpets and

executed by the bowls.

The Seven Bowls

The question of timing:

What we have before us is the third in a series of interrelated sequences.

Because of the highly symbolic nature of Revelation as a whole, we need to be very careful of placing the three sequences on a one-dimensional plane of historical sequence.

The Seven Bowls

The question of timing:

What we have before us is the third in a series of interrelated sequences.

Because of the highly symbolic nature of Revelation as a whole, we need to be very careful of placing the three sequences on a one-dimensional plane of historical sequence.

It is better to understand them as portrayals of eschatological truth as opposed to a precise chronology of consummation.

The Seven Bowls

Revelation 15:1-3a I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues-- last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

As before, this tells us we are dealing with something symbolic, not a literal depiction of reality.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:1-3a I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues-- last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

This is it. The grand finale.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:1-3a I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues-- last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:

The song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) and the song of the Lamb are NOT the same thing. They have very different wording.

However, both celebrate the deliverance of God’s people from death and danger.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:3b-4 "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

This comes from those who have emerged victorious over the beast.

It is a song of praise that began when God delivered His people from Egypt and culminates in the redeeming, sacrificial death of the Lamb.

God’s judgments are just.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:3b-4 "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Everyone will acknowledge that God is truly God, and fall down and worship God alone. This is God’s ultimate plan for humanity – that we all worship God. (John 12:32)

“But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:5-8 After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:5 After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened.

Probably the Holy of Holies or something very similar.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests.

Their dress suggests the noble and sacred nature of their office. The golden sashes are symbolic of royal and priestly functions.

Once again John draws us a picture laden with OT images as the angels:

Come from the presence of God

Dressed as priests

Receive their “censers”

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.

This connects what we are about to read/hear with the throne vision in chapter four. These guardians of the throne appear throughout the text and often serve as intermediaries between God and the avenging angels.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

Revelation 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The presence of smoke is often associated with the presence of God (Ex. 19:18; 1 Kg. 8:10-11; Isa 6:4).

The awesome nature of the occasion prepares the reader for the finality of the bowl plagues.

The Seven Bowls - Preparation

The last sequence of seven is constructed slightly differently than the previous two sequences:

While we retain the 4/3 overall structure, there is a nuance:

Bowl #1Bowl #2Bowl #3

Break – Response to 6:10Bowl #4Bowl #5Bowl #6

Break – Battle of Armageddon Bowl #7 - Finished

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Direct attacks on theinhabitants of the earth

Revelation 16:1-4 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. 3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:1-2 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Once again, John uses imagery taken from the Exodus account (Exodus 9:9-11) and from Job (Job 2:7).

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:1-2 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Remember back in chapter seven, God’s people are also marked. Why?

1) To protect them from harm

2) To protect them from demons

3) To protect them from losing faith

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:3-4 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Again John draws upon Exodus imagery (7:19ff)

The sea and rivers, which once supported life and provided food and drink are no longer capable of doing so.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:5-7 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." 7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.“

This is a response to the plea of the saints way back in chapter 6:They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and

true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:5-7 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." 7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.“

This is a response to the plea of the saints way back in chapter 6:They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and

true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?“

This is probably the response of the saints. Altars can’t talk.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:8-9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Fire is commonly connected with judgment (Dt. 28:22; 1 Cor. 3:13)

What do we know about the tense of the verb?

PASSIVE – God is sovereign!

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:8-9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

As before, repentance is always available.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:10-11 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

See Exodus 10:21ff.

When the fourth trumpet sounded a third of the day and night were darkened along with a third of the stars (8:12).

In this, the final judgment cycle, total darkness prevails.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:10-11 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Even at this late hour, repentance is still an option.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:12 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.

Remember the “kings from the East?”

Yes, the dreaded Parthian Horde!

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:13-16 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

This most likely refers to the persuasive and deceptive propaganda proceeding from the unholy triumvirate.

The fact that they are frogs underscores their uncleanliness

Leviticus 11:10 - But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-- whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water-- you are to detest.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.“

Those of us who have red letter Bibles will usually find this verse in red signifying that these are the words of Jesus. This is a summary of the Synoptic Apocalypse we studied earlier.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:14,16 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. … 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

This is what is colloquially known as the Battle of Armageddon.

No one knows for certain what it means.

There are those who say it is a Hebrew phrase “Har Megiddo” or Mt. Megiddo.

There is no “Mt. Megiddo”

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Har Megiddo map

City of Megiddo

Plain of EsdralonValley of Jezreel

To the best of our knowledgethere is no Armageddon orHar-Magedon (Mountain ofMegiddo).

Revelation 16:16-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Revelation 16:16-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

God’s judgment is complete.

The Seven Bowls - Execution

Seven Seals

ConquestWar

FamineDeath

Souls underthe altar

Earthquake

Silence

Sealing of the 144,000and the great multitude

Seven TrumpetsEarthquakeHail & fire

Sea turned to bloodWormwood

Heavenly bodies

Locust plague

Four angels atthe Euphrates River

Temple in heavenopened

John’s scrollThe 2 witnesses

Earthquake

Seven Bowls

SoresSea turned to blood

Rivers become bloodSun scorches the earth

Darkness

Euphrates dried up

Earthquake andhailstones

No intermission - God’s judgment is swift and final

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Each cycle progressivelyinvolves moreof the earth

A series of three cycles or three repetitions of the same thing?

Seal #1

Seal #2

Seal #3

Seal #4

Seal #5

Seal #6

Intermission

Seal #7

Trumpet #1

Trumpet #2

Trumpet #3

Trumpet #4

Trumpet #5

Trumpet #6

Intermission

Trumpet #7

INTERMISSION

Bowl #1

Bowl #2

Bowl #3

Bowl #4

Bowl #5

Bowl #6

Bowl #7

Fall of Babylon

The Seven Bowls

Chapters 17 and 18 are a literary triumph of imaginative power.

Chapter 17 portrays the overthrow of Babylon in terms of the destruction of the “great prostitute” sitting astride a scarlet beast flaunting her vile profession.

The Fall of Babylon (Rome)

Next Week:

The Final Victory and Last Judgment

Chapters 17 thru 20