REVELATION 16 - The Bowls of Wrath

The angels with the bowls have been poised to act, and their time has now come, as John sees in this revelation. One by one they unleash the remaining judgments on God’s enemies, and sparing those who have accepted Christ. With these next judgments, there still is no need for allegory. We may not know how God will enforce the judgments, but their effects will be direct and physical, and they will continue to take a psychological toll on the unbelievers who have chosen the side of Satan.

With the pouring out of the first bowl, those who have taken the mark of the beast are afflicted with sores over their bodies.

Bowl number 2 contains judgment to turn the seas to blood, similar to the third bowl, which serves to do likewise to the rivers and springs. The earth’s water, salt and fresh, will be blood after these two bowls.

Intense, scorching solar heat follows the fourth bowl. Imagine having been afflicted with sores, seeing your water sources turn to blood, and then being subjected to inescapable heat from the sun, how might you react, if you believe God is having something to do with all of this? God will be striving for repentance, and yet the people afflicted here will turn to greater blasphemy of Him.

With the fifth bowl, the beast’s kingdom is darkened, literally made extremely dark. It is hard to determine whether this will be localized to that area of “Babylon”, a prophetic region where it is believed the beast will have his power centralized. Regardless, the darkness somehow brings on even more pain and agony. Perhaps the resulting disorientation makes all the previous suffering even worse.

And with the sixth bowl, the Euphrates river is dried up. This appears to be in preparation of the battle to come, removing obstacles to allow mass mobilization of military forces. Demons (frogs) will work in and through world leaders (kings) to rally them to war near Har-Magedon (think Armageddon). Frogs to John’s readers, and even back to Old Testament times, were seen an extremely unclean and abominations. That John sees them come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet is only fitting.

As tensions rise and forces align themselves for battle, the seventh bowl is emptied, with a voice declaring “It is done”. Massive earthquakes occur and 100-pound hail descends on those with the mark of the beast. Those without Christ again resort to blasphemy of God, angry at him for what he is doing.

As world powers join forces, God continues to call out for genuineness in faith. Still, His wrath is fully focused on the center of the world’s power and corruption, on Babylon and the cities of the nations.

SO WHAT...?

So, even we as Christians can tend to wonder what God is up to. We may not blaspheme Him, per se, yet we can easily turn what He may intend to get our attention into frustration toward Him.

So, when I read about the voice saying "it is done", I could not help but think of Christ's words on the cross, "It is finished". Yes, it is, completely. Christ's atoning work inviting all has indeed been accomplished. How have we or how will we respond?