Lesson Four

Chapter 16:10-16

Seven Last Bowl Judgments (continued)

a) Bowls poured out on the beast throne

- Verse 10-11 (Fifth bowl of Darkness)

o Verse 10

§ Throne of the beast is anchored in 13:2, where the dragon gives the beast “his power and his throne and great authority”

§ Throne of Satan is mentioned in 2:13.

§ This was something John used to describe the city of Pergamum. It was a city where Christians were persecuted due primarily to the prevailing imperial cult. Emperor worship was linked to civic loyalty and patriotism. The “throne of Satan” speaks of the presence of the imperial cult as the centre of Roman religion.

§ Christians due to their rejection of Roman gods, were looked upon as atheists. Christians were hated for their exclusiveness and intolerance of the Roman gods.

§ Also they were accused of “hatred of the human race” because they refused to show political loyalty to the emperor and thus to Roman people.

§ But 16:10 is the only place in the book of Revelation where the Antichrist’s “throne” is mentioned.

§ It mentions a “throne” with its “kingdom” in contrast to God’s throne and his kingdom.

§ The beast has limited authority, and his throne is temporary and soon to be overwhelmed by the act of God. Soon “the kingdom of this world [will] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (11:15; cf. 12:10)

§ Readers of John’s day would have seen this throne and kingdom to be the Roman Empire, so we are to think of the Antichrist’s reign as the revival of an unholy Roman empire.

§ “Plunge into darkness”

§ This fifth bowl builds on the ninth Egyptian plague of total darkness covering Egypt for three days (Exod. 10:21–29) —the Israelites were spared and had light, 10:23b).

§ It also intensifies the fourth trumpet judgment in which the sun, moon, and stars were “darkened” for a third of the day and night (Rev. 8:12).

§ Now the “darkness” is complete, as in Exod. 10:21, “a darkness that can be felt,” and Exod. 10:23, “No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days.”

§ In Exod. 10 the plague of darkness was directed against the Egyptian sun god Ra, to show that God, not Ra, was in control. Also, darkness is used to describe the place of final judgment where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30).

§ In Revelation “darkness” occurs only in 8:12 (the sun darkened) and 9:2 (the sun and sky darkened by the smoke from the abyss) apart from this passage, so darkness always refers to judgment. But it’s a darkness that produces torment (“gnaw their tongues in agony” because of the pain). It is unusual for darkness to cause such pain. But the probable reason for the association of darkness and terrible pain here is to link this judgment with the suffering of the eternal punishment to come (Rev. 14:10–11; 20:13–15).

o Verse 11

§ “Curse God... because of their pain”

§ As Pharaoh continually hardened his heart against God with each successive plague, so the earth-dwellers become more and more stubborn in their rejection of God as the judgments continue. They curse God “because of their pains and their sores.” They will curse God for all the bowl judgement they had to endure.

§ Instead of repenting (a major purpose of the seals, trumpets, and bowls), they reject God all the more; this is further proof of their total depravity.

§ In 11:13 some among the nations “give glory to the God of heaven,” which (I argued) means they are converted, while here the direct opposite occurs as the earth-dwellers “blasphemed the God of heaven.” The “God of heaven” is sovereign, displaying both mercy (11:13) and judgment (16:10–11).

- Verse 12-16 (Sixth Bowl of Dried Up Euphrates)

o There are four parts to this section,

o The sixth bowl itself (16:12),

o Interlude (16:13–16) made up of three parts:

o The reaction of the false trinity as they gather the nations for the final battle (vv. 13–14),

o An warning the readers of the imminent return of Christ (v. 15),

o A return to the scene of verses 13–14, as the kings are gathered for Armageddon (v. 16).

- Verse 12

o “Euphrates... dries up”

o This somewhat parallels the sixth trumpet in which four angels bound at the Euphrates are released, resulting in the demonic horsemen slaughtering a third of the world’s population (9:13–19).

o Euphrates river is one of the four rivers from the book of Genesis 2:11-14, of which only two still exist today. Tigris river flows out of Turkey and the Euphrates is the largest river in that part of the world, where it is the eastern boundary for both the land God gave Israel (Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7–8; Josh. 1:4) and the Roman Empire.

o This sixth bowl is a miracle paralleling the drying up of the Red Sea so Israel could cross to safety (Exod. 14:21–22). Also, Josh. 3:13–17 and 4:23 tell of God drying up the Jordan so the Israelites could enter the Promised Land.

o Isaiah saw in the Red Sea crossing a prophecy that in the end times the Euphrates would dry up and allow the remnant to escape their enemies (Isa. 11:15–16)

o “Dried up... for the Kings from the east”

o The demonic horsemen of 9:13–19 are replaced by “the kings of the east” (lit., “from the rising of the sun”).

o Some feel to take this bowl as a literal drying up of the river at the end of history. It is unlikely, because throughout the book water is used figuratively, and in the modern world the Euphrates would no longer have that kind of strategic place. Also, Isaiah saw the drying up of the Red Sea as a symbol, and it is likely John has done the same here.

o And some believe the “kings of the east is literal Kings to help Roman Empire but it’s best to see the kings from the east coalescing into the kings of the whole earth and preparing for Armageddon (16:14, 16). Thus, as in Ezek. 38–39, the war of Gog and Magog against the people of God (see Rev. 19:17 and 20:8 for this imagery) forms the background. As with Gog and Magog, the natural barriers between nations and tribes are disappearing, and there is a one-world government centering on the beast. In this sense, the drying up is the antithesis of the drying of the Red Sea, as the saints are attacked rather than delivered.

o Thus, “the kings of the east” refer to all the world. They are the “ten horns” of 17:12–14 who “give their power and authority to the beast” (17:13).

- Verse 13

o “Three impure spirits”

o This speaks of the false trinity in revelation 12-13 as the Dragon, Beast of the sea/AntiChrist, and the beast of the earth/the false prophet.

o As a false prophet, he “deceives” (13:14; 19:20) the nations and seduces them into following Satan. He also leads the “great apostasy” of so-called believers in Mark 13:6, 22 and parallels; and 2 Thess. 2:3.

o The false trinity finally reacts to the divine judgments poured out upon their followers.

o “They came out of the mouth of the... false prophet”

o These three evil beings imitate the divine Trinity. Out of their mouths (note the contrast with Christ, out of whose mouth comes a sharp sword in 1:16; 19:15) come three unclean spirits like frogs.

o “Mouth” in the ancient world symbolized royal proclamation, and here the false trinity sends out its messengers with its deceptive message. The false prophet has been called the “Minister of Propaganda” for the Antichrist. So these three spirits are part of his propaganda campaign. These are demonic messengers. Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 24:23-25.

- Verse 14

o “Demonic spirits”

o This “unclean” aspect is stressed even more when they are described as “like frogs,” an unclean creature in the Torah (Lev. 11:10–11). They are call spirits of demons in 16:14. Making it very clear for us that the beast’s empire at the end of history are demonic forces leading the pagans into worshiping the wrong gods.

o These demonic spirits “go out” (from the mouths of the false trinity) to the kings of the whole earth, in which the entire world joins in worshiping the beast, committing adultery with the great prostitute (17:2) and reign under her rule (17:18).

o “Gather them for battle”

o The purpose of the demonic mission is (to gather people for the battle)—a preparation for a cosmic war. Like the movies Independence Day, Avengers End Game

o But this great battle will be over in a millisecond when the sword comes out of the mouth of Christ (19:15a) and annihilates his enemies (14:20; 19:15b, 21).

- Verse 15 (interruption of warning)

o In light of the gathering of the forces of evil in 16:13–14, the people of God are facing an unparalleled danger. Alertness is desperately needed. Thus, the narration is interrupted in order to address the readers and warn them of the dangers of failing to persevere.

o The first-person exhortation is intended to be a message from the Lamb of God himself. Christ here warns, “Behold, I am going to come like a thief,” with the futuristic present guaranteeing the Lord’s soon return.

o The image of Christ “coming like a thief” follows the NT theme (Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2–4; 2 Pet. 3:10) of Christ’s returning at an unexpected time and finding his people unprepared for his arrival. The image is that of terrible loss (apostasy 1 Timothy 4:1) and the need for constant vigilance for his coming.

o Note that this is the third of seven beatitudes (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14) in the book of revelation. It speaks of spiritual vigilance.

o This language echoes Rev 3:3, 18, stating that God will bless only “the one who stays awake” and “keeping on his clothes.” This warns of the slothfulness Sardis and spiritual uncommitment of Laodicea. It is a call for the believer to stay awake and fully clothed in readiness for Christ’s return.

o The sinful church will be “exposed” by God, where this “shame” means to be disgraced and liable to judgment. Read Ezek. 23:10, 29. In Ezek. 23 Israel is an adulterous wife about to be handed over to Assyria to be stripped naked for her idolatry.

- Verse 16

o This verse gives the place to which the kings will be gathered by false trinity.

o The demonic spirits (neuter plural) gather the kings to “the place called in Hebrew “Harmagedōn, Armageddon.” Megiddo is the place today in Modern Israel in northern Palestine that has much battles of antiquity (200 wars) i.e. Pharaoh Thutmose III against the Canaanites in 1468 B.C., of Deborah and Barak against the Canaanites in Judg. 4–5, of Gideon against the Midianites in Judg. 7, and of Saul against the Philistines in 1 Sam. 31.

o The author wants to make sure the reader sees the symbol behind “Armageddon.” The natural meaning from the Hebrew would be “mountain of Megiddo,” but there is no Mount Megiddo. There is only a city and a plain.

o There has been many attempts to find a specific meaning for “Armageddon,” whether literal or symbolic, but all fail to convince. It is more likely that a more general reference is intended, building on the OT connection of Megiddo with warfare, referring to “the defeat of kings who oppress God’s people (Judg. 5:19–21), the destruction of false prophets (1 Kings 18:40), the death of misled kings, which led to mourning (2 Kings 23:29–30; 2 Chron. 35:20–25). The background is also the Gog-Magog tradition of Ezek. 38–39 depicting the final war with the enemies of God, where some scholars site Zech. 12:11 as a specific reference to “Armageddon.” The general message here is that those who stand against God (broadening apostate Israel theme) will mourn as they face God’s judgment.

b) Pause for Reflection

- Those who have the Mark of the beast will become very hostility against God near the return of the Lord

- We become what we worship. We follow what we worship and what we follow we become

- Don’t take for granted the grace that God is offering you today. Because you don’t know if tomorrow he’s going to call you fool like the rich man who delayed grace all his life for his riches.

- ““But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (Luke 12:20 NIV)

- God called this man a fool while he was still alive... The opportunity of salvation was taken from him while he was still alive... right before he was about to die.

- You don’t know if God will give you the grace tomorrow that he’s freely offering you today to say yes to him. To say yes to salvation or yes to your calling to your deliverance.

- Don’t put it off. Because it’s a dreadful place to be when God gives us up to the Mark of the Beast. There’s no way to break free from this Mark except by his grace.

- And the people who give up God’s grace for the Mark (the selfish godless pleasure-seeking ways of this world) will turn hostile against God. And they will come under the judgment of God in the end.