A VOICE FROM THE TEMPLE IN HEAVEN STARTS THE BOWL JUDGMENTS (Rev 16:1-2)

As you study this chapter it might be helpful if you go to the section titled Summaries of the end times and the Revelation and print copies of the three charts describing the Revelation judgments. You might want to review them and keep them in front of you as you read and study this chapter. I especially recommend the chart A comparison between the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments.

In Rev 16:1-2 we see a voice from heaven directing the seven angels to continue their judgment on the earth. This is additional confirmation that these judgments on earth are directly from God and no one else. They are God’s judgments on mankind. In the first bowl judgment we have sores breaking out on those who follow Satan, a likely continuing effect of the nuclear war and resulting radiation of the first trumpet judgment.

However, there may be much more to this story. As we discussed in the last chapter, there seems to be a concentrated reapplication of the first five/six trumpet judgments, but now called bowl judgments, all taking place in the sixth judgment. It sounds as though there may be a second nuclear war that begins near the end of the fifth judgment and continues through the sixth judgment. This would amplify the effects of the nuclear radiation already on earth. Since all believers on earth have just been rounded up, killed and then resurrected and raptured to heaven, there are no believers left on earth after the fifth judgment (other than those who lied and took the mark of the beast, for a multitude of reasons). Thus the radiation from the nuclear weapons would now affect only those having the mark of the beast, and painful and ugly sores would break out on them as stated in Rev 16:2.

SECOND BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:3)

In the second bowl judgment we have the waters of the oceans becoming completely poison to life, likely as a continuing effect of the asteroid which hit an ocean in the second trumpet judgment and initially poisoned one third of the water in the oceans. The description given is that the ocean turned to blood, like that of a dead man, and everything in the ocean died. Blood is that which sustains life in an animal. Once an animal dies, its blood can no longer sustain life. When the waters in Revelation are said to be turned to blood, this explains what that means. They are no longer capable of sustaining life.

Again it seems that there is a reapplication of the second judgment in the sixth judgment. In the sixth judgment there is a huge earthquake, things are falling from the sky, the sun cannot be seen and the very face of the earth is severely scarred. In the second trumpet judgment the asteroid hitting an ocean caused the waters to become poison to life and one third of the sea creatures were killed. This effect continued for several years and in the sixth (and/or seventh) judgment it seems that there is a reapplication of the second judgment as again something may hit the oceans escalating this effect until all of the life in the sea dies.

THIRD BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:4-7)

In the third bowl judgment we see the fresh waters of the earth becoming poison to life, a likely continuing effect of the third trumpet judgment when one third of the fresh waters of the earth became poison to life. Again they are described as turning to blood, meaning they could no longer sustain life. We see a proclamation being made by the third angel that these judgments on earth are fair, and a confirmation from heaven that was in agreement.

We see the same thing happening to fresh waters in this judgment that happened to the oceans in the second judgment. There is apparently a reapplication of the third judgment in the sixth (and/or seventh) judgment.

FOURTH BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:8-9)

In the fourth judgment we see the sun producing intense heat and people on the earth being scorched by the intense heat, likely a result of the atmospheric changes produced in the fourth trumpet judgment when the band of clouds from the nuclear war and asteroid hit blot out the sun which cause huge changes the worlds atmosphere and the world’s weather patterns. People were seared by the intense heat and they cursed God and refused to repent for what they had done and refused to accept Jesus. Again we see confirmation that these plagues are directly from God and he is in charge.

There is apparently a reapplication of the fourth judgment, escalating the effects of the increase of temperature on earth.

FIFTH BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:10-11)

In the fifth judgment we see the world thrown into darkness and an increase in people’s agony caused by the sores and intense heat, likely a continuing effect of the fifth and earlier trumpet judgments.. The increased darkness would be a continuing effect of the nuclear wars and asteroid hit. People were in severe agony and pain but still refused to repent and accept Jesus.

SIXTH BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:12)

In the sixth bowl judgment we see the waters of the Euphrates River completely dried up, likely as a result the intense heat and also the effects of the sixth trumpet judgment which seems to be additional nuclear exchanges between the nations of the earth. This would further compound the darkness, weather problems, searing heat, etc. We are further told that this prepared the way for the kings coming from the east. This is in preparation for Armageddon which is getting very close.

PREPARING THE WORLD FOR ARMAGEDDON (Rev 16:13-16)

Preparations that God is directing leading up to the famous battle called Armageddon are discussed in Rev 16:13-16. We are told that Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet used their demonic powers to trick the leaders of the countries of the world into sending their armies to Israel. Once they are gathered there we know that God will execute his judgment on them.

Rev 16:15 warns any believers remaining on earth to not be deceived by Satanic rhetoric (to stay awake) and to remain righteous (to keep his clothes with him, Rev 19:8). See the following table for an extensive study of the way the word clothes is used in the Bible.

THE SEVENTH BOWL JUDGMENT (Rev 16:17-20)

In the seventh bowl judgment there is a huge cataclysmic event on earth which produces a huge earthquake, lightning, thunder, huge hailstones, etc., again similar to the events described in the seventh trumpet judgment. The effects are described as so catastrophic that nations collapse, islands and mountains cannot be found, etc. We see evil spirits inspired by Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet doing all sorts of miraculous things to try to keep God from completing his plan for redeeming the earth and sending Jesus back to earth. The people of the earth curse God because the plagues are so severe. No event in the history of the world has been so cataclysmic. The apostate church of the end times called Babylon the Great and the Muslim countries of the Middle East which had once made up the Babylonian Empire are exposed to the full fury of God. The city of Jerusalem is said to be split into three parts. This is described in Zech 14:4-8. There we see that this happens at the time that Jesus’ returns to earth.

REVELATION 16:15

CLOTHES; SCRIPTURES THAT TELL US WHAT TO WEAR

WITHOUT THESE CLOTHES WE ARE NAKED AND SHAMEFULLY EXPOSED (Rev 16:15, 2 Cor 5:1-10)

Righteousness is repeated several times in the table above as clothing we need to wear. It means to be free from the guilt of sin. Those who are followers of Jesus are free from the guilt of sin because Jesus died for forgiveness of their sins. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, he washes us clean with his blood; his blood is sprinkled on our spirit and it is thereafter seen by God as being pure and free from sin, as long as we continue in Jesus. We are then free to come into the presence of God so he sends his Spirit to dwell in us. Also see Isa 11:5.