I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In chapter 14, John saw the angels who announced the impending judgments upon the enemies of God.

B.      In chapters 15 and 16, the judgments of God are revealed in their full measure.

                                                             1.      This is the third set of seven figures of God’s judgment (seals, trumpets, bowls).

                                                             2.      These seven bowls are symbolic of God’s use of calamities and disasters to punish the Roman Empire.

                                                             3.      As we consider the seven bowls, let us notice that there are similarities to the seven trumpets.  However, the trumpets represented warnings and partial judgments given to provoke the oppressors of God’s people to repent, whereas the bowls represent the complete punishment of the Roman Empire.

II.      PREPARATION FOR THE BOWLS

A.      John saw a vision of seven angels and the victorious saints in heaven (Rev. 15:1-4).

                                                             1.      First, John noticed seven angels with seven plagues.

a.       The seven plagues are called “the last,” and in them “the wrath of God is finished.”

b.       This indicated that these were signs of the last judgments to be brought upon the wicked of John’s day, according to the context of the book (rather than signs of the end of time).

                                                             2.      Before the angels carried out their work, John saw the victorious saints in heaven.

a.       They were “victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name” (see chapter 13).  These were the saints (same as in 7:9-17 and 14:1-5) who would overcome the persecution of the Roman Empire and false religion.

b.       They were standing on a sea of glass (before the throne of God in heaven – 4:6).

c.        They were holding harps of God and singing the song of Moses (compare to Ex. 15 when God delivered Israel from Egypt) and the song of the Lamb.

B.      The seven angels were given bowls full of the wrath of God (Rev. 15:5-8).

                                                             1.      The seven angels came out of the temple in heaven (the sanctuary of the covenant and testimony of God; see 11:19; 14:15, 17-18), and they were clothed in a manner reminiscent of Christ in 1:13.

                                                             2.      One of the four living creatures (4:6-8) gave the angels seven bowls “full of the wrath of God.”

                                                             3.      The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God (ref. to 1Ki. 8:10-11), and no one could enter until the seven plagues were finished (too late to intercede with God and prevent His wrath).

III.   THE SEVEN BOWLS OF JUDGMENT

A.      The first bowl afflicted men who had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image with a loathsome and malignant sore (Rev. 16:1-2).

                                                             1.      This bowl is reminiscent of the sixth plague of Egypt (boils and sores – Ex. 9:8-12).

                                                             2.      Like the first trumpet, this bowl was poured out upon the earth (see 8:7).

                                                             3.      The effect of the first bowl is similar to that of the fifth trumpet, which affected only those without the seal of God (9:4).  Perhaps this bowl represented some physical affliction upon the godless that resulted from their immorality (similar to Rom. 1:24-27).

B.      The second and third bowls caused the waters of the sea, the rivers, and the springs to turn to blood (Rev. 16:3-7).

                                                             1.      These remind us of the first plague of Egypt when the Nile was turned to blood (Ex. 7:14-25).

                                                             2.      Because of the second bowl, the sea (a figure of the society from which the Roman Empire, the beast, arose – 13:1) was turned to blood (compare to the second trumpet – 8:8-9).  This is likely a symbol of violent battle and death in the Roman Empire.

                                                             3.      The judgment of the third bowl was that those who had poured out the blood of the saints and prophets would drink blood from the rivers and springs (compare to the third trumpet – 8:10-11).  This figure indicates that these murderers would reap the just deserts of their wickedness.

C.      The fourth bowl caused fire to scorch the wicked who would not repent (Rev. 16:8-9).

                                                             1.      Whereas the fourth trumpet had smitten the sun, moon, and stars to affect a third of their light, the fourth bowl completely affected the sun.

                                                             2.      This figure may have indicated a scorching drought and ensuing famine (compare to Deut. 28:22-24; Joel 1:14-20).

                                                             3.      Even with the evidence of God’s sovereignty, these wicked ones would blaspheme God and refuse to repent from their sins.

D.      The fifth bowl brought darkness upon the throne of the beast (Rev. 16:10-11).

                                                             1.      This judgment was against the government of the Roman Empire.  “Darkness” would be a fitting description for Domitian’s reign of terror, for he executed many government officials whom he suspected of disloyalty.

                                                             2.      “They gnawed their tongues because of pain” symbolizes the worry and fear that would torment the government as it was weakened internally (compare to the fifth trumpet – 9:1-6).

                                                             3.      Even in deathly decline, the enemies of God would still blaspheme God and refuse to repent.

E.       The sixth bowl dried up the Euphrates River to make way for kings from the east (Rev. 16:12-16).

                                                             1.      The sixth bowl allowed the enemies of God to assemble for the “war of the great day of God” (v.14).

a.       The sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl were similar but different.  The sixth trumpet dealt with invading powers coming from beyond the Euphrates River (probably Parthians), whereas the sixth bowl refers to allies of Rome beyond the Euphrates.

b.       The “kings from the east” joined with the beast in preparation for this great war.  This is symbolic of the rulers under Roman influence that joined in the Roman policy of Christian persecution (further revelations concerning this are in 17:2-14, 17; 19:19).

c.        The place of this war is called “Har-Magedon” (lit. “Mount Megiddo” in Hebrew, the place of many ancient battles – Josh. 12:21; Judg. 5:19; 2Ki. 23:29-30).  For Hebrews, this was a symbol of the place where the righteous and wicked went to battle.

d.       Thus, the “war of the great day of God” was symbolic of the final judgment and spiritual war of God against the persecutors of His saints (not the end of time).  This will be further revealed in later visions.

                                                             2.      From the mouth of the dragon (Satan – 12:3,9), the beast (Roman Empire – 13:1-10), and the false prophet (false religion – 13:11-18) would come unclean spirits like frogs (falsehood, deception, false miracles; also compare to the second plague of Egypt – Ex. 8:1-15) to seduce the kings of the world into this battle on the side of evil.

                                                             3.      Notice that verse 15 is another beatitude (see 1:3; 14:13; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).  This one extols the blessedness of being ready for Christ’s coming by keeping one’s garments (i.e., remaining blameless and faithful to God – compare to 3:3-5).

F.       The seventh bowl brought a great earthquake, lightning, thunder, and hail upon Babylon the great (Rev. 16:17-21).

                                                             1.      Similar scenes were described in connection with the seventh seal (8:5) and the seventh trumpet (11:19).  These scenes mark the completion of the series of judgments (notice that the seventh bowl was the most severe).

                                                             2.      At the outcome of the war of the great day of God, Babylon the great (Rome) would receive the full cup of God’s wrath and the other allied cities would fall.

                                                             3.      As a figure of the terror of God’s judgment, the islands and mountains would flee (compare to Ezek. 26:15).

                                                             4.      At the same time, huge hailstones would plague men, and they would blaspheme.  This is symbolic of the personal effect on unbelievers because of God’s judgments against Rome.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      These visions were given initially to assure the early Christians in Asia Minor of the certain victory of Christianity over the forces that opposed it, primarily, the Roman Empire.  Today, they still assure Christians of the ultimate victory of Christ over the forces of Satan.

B.      The next visions focus upon God’s punishment of that wicked city, Babylon the great.

*** In the next lesson, we will consider the judgments on Babylon (17:1-18:24).***