Chapter 16
The voice of God is the loud voice that is commanding the angels to pour out His wrath. From the first seal to the last bowl, God is the one who is bringing judgement.
The first bowl causes whoever took the mark of the beast and worshipped his image to receive an intensely painful sore. This highlights that the bowl judgments are in the second half of the Tribulation as the image is set up at the mid waypoint. It also emphasises that it wasn’t only those who received the mark but it was those who worshipped his image. Receiving the mark is not something that can happen lightly nor by accident. It is the intentional decision of people to worship the beast and to pledge allegiance to him and his rule. This is also reminiscent of the plague of boils in Egypt which the people of God were immune from.
The second bowl turns the sea to blood. This reminds us once again not only of Egypt but of the Trumpet judgment that turned a third of the sea into blood (Rev 8:8). Some would say that the bowl judgments are the trumpets explained in a different way but there are too many differences to not run into trouble interpreting them that way. It is better understood as an exponentially increasing intensity of God’s wrath. In this judgement, it is no longer a third of the sea that is turned to blood, it is the whole sea and all living creatures in the sea die. It is unclear if the Angel is speaking to the Mediterranean sea or all ocean life but either way, it produces mass destruction and a dreadful smell.
The third bowl is similar to the second in that all freshwater is also turned to blood. Not only is the ocean turned to blood but their drinking water is now turned to the blood which the angel points out. An angel points out the just nature of this judgment because the unrepentant people still left on the planet were the ones responsible for killing God’s people and spilling their blood. So, in a just judgment, God is now causing them to drink the blood that they became so infatuated to spill. A second angel reiterates that these judgements are a display of the Almighty’s righteous and true judgments. There is no escaping that at this point in the Tribulation, this is deserved
The fourth bowl increases the sun’s impact on the earth and people are getting burnt by the fury of God displayed in the sun He created. Up until the Tribulation, this very sun has provided life and warmth to creation. To little surprise by now, and much heartache to God and the reader, the response is not to repent, rather it is to blaspheme. They recognise God as the source of these judgments but their heart and minds are so seared and dead that their only response is to curse God and withhold the glory due to His name.
The fifth bowl poured out darkness on the beastly kingdom and the darkness of that kingdom becomes a lived reality to those who are in it. Once again, though, the darkness of this punishment is matched only by the darkness of their hearts. The light of God had been intentionally removed by them from their own hearts and as best as they could from the world. What is left is a kingdom of darkness living in darkness gnawing on their own tongues.
The sixth bowl dries up the river Euphrates in order to make way for armies from the east to come to Armageddon. Along with this open door to that battle, three demonic spirits go and perform signs in order to convince the world’s leaders to battle against God Himself. At this juncture, we are reminded of Christ’s own words that to those who don’t know Him, His coming will be like a thief in the night. Not only will it be a great surprise, but it will also incur a great loss. The complete ignorance of their hearts to know that it is Jesus Himself they will be fighting, highlights the fact that they have ignored the Church before they left, rejected the 144,000, scorned the two witnesses and dismissed the flying angels sent by God to preach the Gospel. Unrepentant hearts shaking their fist at God is what’s left of humanity at this point.
The seventh and last bowl is poured into the air causing hailstones nearly 50kg in size. This initiates the demise of Babylon and the removal of satan as the prince of the air. The earth is utterly shaken and an earthquake rips the great city into three. The great city could either be a rebuilt physical Babylon, physical Jerusalem or a spiritual Babylon. There are good arguments for all three but what is clear is that God is ripping apart the rebellion of satan which has come to full maturity in humanity in the form of the end-time Tribulation government of Babylon.
The seventh bowl is accompanied by a declaration from God’s temple saying ‘It is done’. This statement solidifies that last act of God before the Second Coming of Christ and the whole world shook at the proclamation. There were thunderings, lightnings and the biggest earthquake in world history. Islands fled and mountains were removed at the sound of that voice.
Still men refused to repent, instead continuing to blaspheme and curse God. The judgments have been poured out. Not only has satan been kicked out of heaven, he has now been removed from any rule on earth as well. The fall of Babylon has happened and the great battle is about to ensue.
Here’s what we can live from these verses:
- History Repeats, The Future is Past. Just like Pharoh and Egypt, God’s judgments will cause the hearts of those who have already rejected God to harden their hearts again. Many of the divine judgments poured out on Egypt will once again be poured out on unrepentant humanity. Blinded by their own rebellion and deceitful hearts, they too, like Pharaoh, will willfully turn their hearts to stone in the face of an Almighty God.
- God’s Justice is Perfect. In the midst of the bowl judgements, we are reminded that God is righteous and just. The punishment being experienced by those who are remaining on the earth are very much deserving. Although God’s heart is that none should perish, God is also a God of perfect justice. Today let us display and live the message of grace to our cities before they personally meet with the God of justice.
- God Is Removing Evil From All of Creation. The seventh bowl is poured out into the air. God is intent on removing evil from all of creation. From humanity, from the earth, from the heavens and from the sky. Satan will not only be kicked out of heaven but the atmosphere will no longer be a place where he can avoid God’s justice either. God will be all and in all and He will remove the enemies of God from every principality or high place they falsy occupy. Today, let’s live as if we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places as His finished work places us above the work of the enemy.
