Before we get going on chapter 16, lets figure out where we are in the time line. There have been parenthetical verses and chapter which may have caused us to "lose our way".
So,The wrath of God in contained in the 6th seal. (Rev 6:12-17). This continues the 7 trumpets of the first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th week. The judgments are mentioned in the Old Testament, see Dt. 30:1-10 and mentioned in Isa. 51:23. These are the plagues that are predicted on Israel's enemies in the last days. There have been similar plagues...the ones placed on Egypt when Moses was trying to get Gods people out of there.
There are two things the plagues are connected to;
One the ten plagues in Egypt and
Two, the events that followed the sounding of the seven trumpets in Rev 8:11.
The Revelation of John Vol 2 by Barclay lists these three events in order. I would like to do the same thing here:
10 Plagues of Egypt:
1. Water to blood
2. Frogs
3. Lice
4. Flies
5. Plague on cattle
6. Boiles and sores
7. Hail and thunder
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. Death of first born.
Events following the seven trumpets:
1. Hail, fire and blood.
2. Turning the sea blood
3. Wormwood star falling poisoning the waters
4. Sun and moon darkened by 1/3
5. demonic locusts from the unlocked pit
6. four angels loosed and the demonic cavalry
7. rebellious nations and God's victory.
This Chapter: the Vials or Bowls:
1. Ulcerous sores on men (v 2)
2. Sea like blood (v 3)
3. rivers and fountains becoming blood (v 4)
4. Sun searchingly hot (v 8)
5. Darkness over the kingdom of the beast (v 10)
6. Euphrates dries up (v 12)
7. Horrible air pollution, thunder, earthquake, lightning and hail. (v 17-21)
The previous times, the Egypt plagues, and the post trumpet events are done to a specific area or only 1/3 destructive, some form of limitation. The pouring out of the bowls is a complete form of destruction on God's enemies.
God is about tho save His people, this time will be the last time it happens.
What can we learn from this? We can assume the plagues are literal, that what is described here is what is really happening. How long they last is unknown. The purpose is to punish the persons who are worshiping or who have taken the mark of the beast.
There is something else that came up interesting in the research. The angles mentioned here appear to be men!. We will see in the next chapter that John fell to the angels feet, the angel told John that he was just an "ordinary man", one of the prophets, see 19:9&10 and 22:8-9. He is called a man again in Rev 21:17!
In addition, this is the second time the temple in Heaven is opened in Revelation. The first time was 11:19.
We will stop here, the next blog will continue discussing chapter 16, a little more in-depth the next time!
Blessing on all,
Calabash
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