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What one word can we select to describe John’s progress in Revelation? For my part, the word is intensity. John’s movement toward final judgment demonstrates the intensity on the part of the world to oppose Christ, the gospel, and His Church. Temporal judgments grow with intensity until the grand culmination of judgment when the voice out of the heavenly temple declares, “It is done.” John’s vision intensifies as we move closer to the lake of fire and the new heaven and new earth.
Some Christians may react to the intensity that John foreshadows. They want the Christian life to be smooth—for that matter, they expect all of life to work out smoothly for them. No trouble, no wrinkles, and no difficulties mark their version of the Christian faith. But John sees nothing like that as he takes us through the history of the Church until the very end of the world. Yes, there’s an ebb and flow in times of persecution against Christians and progress of the gospel. Nothing is static; we breathe easy for a while only to find the ravenous beast of the world on our heels at the next bend. Therefore, we must maintain vigilance as Christians; we cannot let down our guard and thus, give in to the world. We must ever keep the edge of worship sharpened in our spiritual walks; thus John continually reverts to the theme of worship throughout the book. Worshiping Christians are alert Christians.
In John’s theology of the Christian life, understanding the end gives strength for the ongoing journey. If we grasp the certainty of Christ’s ultimate triumph over Satan and sin, then we have greater confidence to trust the Lord for daily strength to turn from idolatry and to rest in His wise providence throughout the difficult days of life.
It is no stretch to say that John hammers on judgment throughout Revelation. He does this from two angles. First, he wants us to grasp that God vindicates His name in temporal judgments throughout history. He especially shows this in the seals and trumpets. Second, he wants us to be confident that God will vindicate His saints and the effectiveness of the gospel by bringing judgment to a grand crescendo. That’s what the bowls of wrath are all about. The bowls bear similarity to the trumpets; only they are more intense as they move us to the cataclysmic finish of judgment. God will settle every issue of justice. We’re not left to question this as we consider the bowls of wrath. How does John set this forth as an encouragement to believers to press on in faithfulness?
Both the Greek and English texts show a pattern of identifying the angel’s number and declaring that he “poured out his bowl” upon the precise target determined for God’s wrath. Each golden bowl is “full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever” (15:7). In other words, nothing more can be added to it to suffice judgment; every righteous response of God with regard to sin is met with the appropriately measured justice. As we considered in our previous study, John emphasizes the righteousness of divine justice. God acts responsibly and rightly, maintaining His holiness in every display of wrath. No judgment of God, in any way, contradicts God’s holy character. All judgment is justly deserved by mankind.
The trumpets are not called trumpets of wrath, but rather they display divine judgment throughout the course of history with the sixth and seventh trumpets concluding divine judgment. Backing up even more, the sixth seal anticipates the bowls of wrath when the unbelievers cry out, “For the day of their wrath has come and who is able to stand” (6:17). “The bowls of wrath” are just that—the righteous outpouring of God’s wrath on all that has refused the gospel. Wrath is God’s stored up anger, that in His great patience and mercy toward sinners, He has withheld while the gospel goes forth to call sinners to the solitary refuge from God’s wrath—the cross of Christ where wrath has burned.
John groups the bowls of wrath with the trumpets of judgment. “The basic difference between the trumpets series and the bowls series,” as Simon Kistemaker pointed out, “is generally one of an increase in intensity” [NTC: Revelation, 438]. We will note the similarities:
(1) The first trumpet throws hail and fire mixed with blood “to the earth” (8:7), while the first angel “poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.” One-third of the earth, trees and grass were burned up by the trumpet but in the first bowl, everyone with the mark of the beast—that is, all of those not sealed by God through Christ—have the loathsome sores on them. Similar to the sixth plague, those who are not the people of God have painful sores on them (Ex. 9:10).
(2) The second trumpet shows “a great mountain burning with fire…thrown into the sea” (8:8). Then one-third of the sea turns to blood and another third of creatures and ships are destroyed showing economic effects. The second angel “poured out his bowl onto the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.” The same sea is affected but this time with absolute devastation—total economic loss and food loss. In the first Egyptian plague, the Nile turns to blood (7:20).
(3) The third trumpet sounded and “a great star fell from heaven burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters…and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters” (8:10-11). The third angel’s bowl affects waters as well but with more devastation. “The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.” None of the rivers or springs of waters depended upon for life are passed over, shown by the declaration that those who killed the saints and prophets have been “given…blood to drink,” with the implication that the Lord gave them blood to drink.
(4) The fourth trumpet sounded and “a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were smitten,” with the result that a third of the light in a day would be darkened (8:12). “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.” The effect of this scorching is explained. “Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.” Here, the effect on the sun is to intensify its heat to the point of scorching the unbelieving. Just like Pharaoh’s hardened heart, men collectively are hardened toward God so that even with the severity of the bowls of wrath, there’s no repentance.
(5) The fifth trumpet sounds the opening of the abyss or bottomless pit that is ruled by Apollyon—the devil (9:1-11). Issuing forth is an army of creatures that torment men for five months. The fifth angel pours out his bowl “on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.” The similarity of tormenting pain is seen in both but the continuance of pain in the bowl of wrath is noted by the use of the perfect tense in the Greek. It implies, they gnawed and gnawed and gnawed ceaselessly their tongues because of the pain. The effects of the pain continue eternally. John borrows from the ninth plague on Egypt when thick darkness fell upon Pharaoh’s kingdom but light filled the land of Goshen where God’s people lived (Ex. 10:22). In this case, as the beast’s throne and kingdom is darkened, it “identifies God’s total sovereignty over Satan and his forces,” as Derek Thomas explains [www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons, “Revelation 15: Victory Son of the Saints,” p. 3].
(6) The sixth trumpet releases “the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates…so that they might kill a third of mankind” (9:14-15). With the sixth bowl, the Euphrates is again mentioned in connection with a great battle but with some difference. “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 kings from the east.” Following this is the revelation of the unholy parody of the trinity with the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet with demons like frogs coming out of their mouths. They gather “the kings of the whole world…together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.” Here, and only here in the Bible, we’re introduced to “Har-Magedon,” better known to us as “Armageddon.” Just as all of Pharaoh’s army was gathered at the Red Sea and then destroyed, John pictures something of immense proportions as the great spiritual conflict takes place leading to the conclusion of God’s wrath.
(7) In the seventh trumpet, John signals the triumphant coming of “the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,” announced by “loud voices in heaven” that He reigns forever. Accompanying this conclusion are “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm” (11:15, 19). In the seventh bowl, “a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done”.” He doesn’t tell us whose voice it is but since it is “out of the temple from the throne,” we must assume that it is the voice of the Lord declaring finality in His judgments of wrath. What follows are “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.” Additionally, “huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each [actually, the Greek uses the term “talent,” which could be from 45-100 pounds, “depending on country and time” (Kistemaker, 456)], came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.” It’s the conclusion to God’s wrath with none escaping who have not found refuge in Christ through the gospel.
You probably noted some similarities as we walked through the trumpets and bowls; but you also noted some distinctions. Remember the idea of intensity. That’s what we see in the bowls. What started in the trumpets is much more intense in the bowls because it brings us to the grand conclusion of God’s wrath. It’s not that John quits speaking of wrath at this point. He doesn’t; rather, he amplifies what He has pictured in the bowls of wrath by further explanation in chapters 17-19.
The trumpets indicate partial judgment throughout history by repeated use of the fraction one-third. In other words, judgment was not finished by the trumpets except when he came to finality in the seventh trumpet. But the bowls make a point of showing totality of judgment through God’s wrath. The first bowl was “on the earth” and malignant sores were “on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.” The distinction between believers and unbelievers is identified by the target of this bowl while the entire earth was affected. The entire sea turns to blood in the second bowl. All of the rivers and springs of water turn to blood in the third bowl. The effect of the fourth bowl poured upon the sun implies “global scorching” that affects mankind. The whole kingdom of the beast, that is, the totality of mankind under Satan’s power, is darkened by the fifth bowl. “The kings of the whole world” are gathered together for the “war of the great day of God” in the sixth bowl. The seventh bowl reveals an earthquake unlike any earthquake in human history. Its devastating effects split the great city into three parts “and the cities of the nations fell.” John is indicating total destruction. Additionally, “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” The repetitive language shows us the intensity of total judgment; no one escapes. The only refuge from God’s wrath is found where the wrath has already fallen—upon Christ at the cross.
Armageddon has become common parlance for the final human conflagration. At least, some use it in that way. Others use the term and think of a particular movie or a game or something other than what John had in mind in Revelation 16. The same goes with Babylon. John has consistently used it to refer to the world collectively opposing God, Christ, the gospel, and the Church. The sixth and seventh bowls give us a look at both of these places used symbolically.
Greg Beale entitles the sixth and seventh bowls as “the final judgment of the evil world system” [NIGTC: Revelation, 827]. It’s not the end of the book of Revelation but it does take us to the end by describing God’s final judgment on all that oppose Him. Old Testament prophets spoke of the drying up of the Euphrates in the same way that God first dried up the Red Sea before finally conquering Egypt (Exodus 14:21-22). It was spoken as prophetic oracle against Babylon who held Israel captive. It gave the assurance that God would crush Babylon and liberate His people. Isaiah 44:27 declares with reference to the exodus from Egypt, “It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers dry.” Then Isaiah explains, in the next verse, the particular fulfillment of this prophecy: “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire’.” Jeremiah adds, “A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, and they are made over fearsome idols,” (50:38; cf. 51:36) showing that God’s judgment ultimately falls on Babylon due to its idolatry. Beale explains, “This prophecy was fulfilled by Cyrus’s [the Persian king] diversion of the river…which allowed his army to cross the river, enter Babylon unexpectedly and defeat it” [827].
What does this have to do with John’s description of the Euphrates being dried up and Babylon destroyed? Remember, as we’ve worked through Revelation, that John continually dips back into the Old Testament for his language and symbolism. He has used the exodus from Egypt and the plagues as primary material but also has alluded, quite often, to other historical incidents. But he is speaking of something global rather than geographically limited; he is speaking of unbelievers across the globe rather than just the unbelieving population of Israel or Babylon. His emphasis is upon what God is doing to accomplish judgment. With something so massive that God alone can accomplish it John uses symbolic language to help us grasp his message.
Since Cyrus, the Persian king that conquered mighty Babylon, was known as the king from the east, John uses similar language to describe the Euphrates being dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the east (v. 12; cf. Isa. 41:2; Derek Thomas, p. 4). Further, John explains later that these kings of the east lead their armies across the dry Euphrates against Babylon (17:16-18). God puts it in the heart of these unbelievers to oppose the kingdom of the beast, having become disenchanted with the beast’s rule. Just as Cyrus became an instrument in God’s hands to judge Babylon, even so the kings of the earth become God’s instrument to judge the economic, political, and religious systems of the world that stand in opposition to Him. While the demons coming out of the dragon, beast, and false prophet lured the kings of the world to battle against the Lord and His Church (13-14), the ultimate purpose that John sees is God bringing all of the enemies of the gospel to the crescendo of judgment.
This great place of cosmic conflict is called “Har-Magedon,” which is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew that is variously translated as “mount of Megiddo” or “city of Megiddo,” “land of Megiddo,” “mount of assembly” [Kistemaker, 452; ISBE, revised, vol. 1, 295]. Though there are mountains in the distance, Megiddo is not a mountain or on a mountain. It is located on a hill overlooking a vast plain where epic battles took place. Though vastly outnumbered, it was here that Deborah and Barak led Israel in defeating Sisera and his mighty army (Judges 4-5). Centuries later, King Josiah of Judah met his demise on the same field of battle with Pharaoh Neco (2 Kings 23). For that reason, it appears, this particular geographical location symbolizes the final conflict between God and His enemies. As Derek Thomas points out, “Since neither Babylon or the river Euphrates are to be taken literally, neither should the reference to Armageddon” [Thomas, 4]. Greg Beale calls Armageddon “a typological symbol of the last battle against the saints and Christ, which occurs throughout the earth” [838]. Further, Old Testament references to history’s final battle consistently place it in or around Jerusalem. But Megiddo is a two-day walk from Jerusalem. John also places the battle at Jerusalem in 20:8-9, which he uses symbolically [Beale 838]. So, rather than one physical battle taking place in one geographical location, John consistently uses symbolism to help picture the epic, conclusive spiritual battle that will defeat God’s enemies with finality.
The primary declaration in the seventh bowl clues us in that this was not fulfilled in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem, as some interpret it. Instead, John hears “a loud voice…out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done”.” By this, he means that the wrath of God is finished. The use of the perfect tense shows the finality of God’s wrath poured out in completion. Additionally, as the bowl’s contents are poured “upon the air,” we see that the entire atmosphere under which humans live is affected. There followed “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake.” These same signs followed God’s revelation at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19). The first three of these signs was also found in the revelation of God’s throne in 4:5. Similarly, the great earthquake at the sixth seal is now trumped by this one that John described, “such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.” Then there follows “huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each.” Sudden, total, cosmic destruction is the emphasis. The whole earth is affected. He shows this further in verses 19-20. “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” The use of Babylon as “the symbol of the anti-Christian world power that persecutes God’s people,” reveals that the blood of the saints is totally vindicated [Kistemaker, 454]. The “great city” is the home of God’s enemies. Because unbelieving men are united against God and His people, they are pictured as being part of the great city that split into thirds, which is “an idiomatic expression symbolizing complete destruction” [Kistemaker, 455, quoting Lenski, Revelation, p. 483]. Then John further explains, “The cities of the nations fell.” All of humanity in opposition to God is destroyed under the weight of divine wrath.
How does that kind of picture affect you? If you are a believer, then it should encourage you to keep pressing on in faithfulness, even in the face of opposition and persecution. It is a call to Christian vigilance and steadfastness. If you are not a believer, then it is the merciful reminder of God that final judgment will come; and when it does, there’s no more mercy, no more opportunity to find refuge in Christ.
Right in the midst of describing final judgment, Christ speaks to His church. It is the good reminder that even for those of us that might possibly be living at that time, we are not to fear God’s wrath, but rather, stay alert as a faithful Christian in spite of intensifying opposition. Our God has everything on schedule!
Jesus uses a simple example to make the point. “Behold, I am coming like a thief.” A thief is unexpected. He comes suddenly, does his work, and is gone. The holy Son of God announces to us that His coming will be with the same kind of suddenness and unexpectedness as a thief. The world is not looking for Him; it has no interest in Him. But those whom He has redeemed must be alert to Christ’s return. He already warned the church at Sardis that He would come like a thief (3:3). He uses this analogy for one particular reason. If you know a thief is coming, you are going to be keenly watching, alert to every movement and sound. Your senses will be heightened and sharpened. That’s what Christ calls for on our part as well. Expect His coming.
So, how do we prepare for Christ’s coming? We do not know the day or hour; nor are we to spend our time trying to figure out the date of His return (which we cannot do!). Instead, He adds another beatitude, “Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” Christ had already warned the Laodicean church of their nakedness so that they needed to clothe themselves in white garments from Christ—garments of holiness—that the shame of their nakedness would not be revealed (3:17-18). Nakedness figuratively speaks of “spiritual destitution” [Kistemaker, 451, quoting Thomas, Revelation 8-22, pp. 267-68]. It’s the neglected spiritual walk, the undisciplined life, the carelessness when it comes to obedience, and the creeping shame of worldliness. Christ calls for spiritual vigilance—staying awake, keeping on your spiritual clothing. The whole scene pictures one prepared for spiritual battle at a moment’s notice. He’s not gotten behind in his spiritual disciplines; he’s not neglected assembling with the body; he’s not been careless by failing to apply the gospel to his life. He’s steady, faithful, and ready for Christ’s grand entrance to gather His Church. Does that describe you?
God will settle every issue of justice. No rebel, no unbeliever will escape. The only place of refuge from God’s wrath is where God has already spent His wrath—upon His Son at the cross. Flee to Christ for in Him alone sinners find the hiding place from God’s wrath.
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