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Revelation 16 the Seven Bowls of God’S Wrath Are ‘Poured Out’

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Revelation 16 the Seven Bowls of God’S Wrath Are ‘Poured Out’ Revelation 16 The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath are ‘Poured Out’ There are some who have interpreted these last seven plagues (lit. ‘strokes’); in which God’s wrath and righteous acts (i.e., His verdicts) are completed, as having already happened historically. These individuals attempt to associate various wars, famines and religious upheavals with each of these seven bowls of wrath. This is absolutely absurd – there has never been anything since the flood that could be likened to the damaging and global effect these judgments have. We only need to remember what God’s Word says: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be . And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened ”. – Matthew 24:21-22 . These horrible, catastrophic judgments, many of them reminiscent of the Plagues of Moses { Ex. 7:14-12:30 }, are future and they affect the world on a scale never seen before or to be seen again! The nations are angry and do rage, {Psalms 2:1-12 } but God’s wrath is coming and His anger is infinitely greater in righteousness and power than man’s—Rev. 11:1-21 . The other thing to remember is that these judgments are not something that man inflicts upon himself (e.g., “global warming”) nor are they caused by Satan in an effort to terrify mankind. No, these judgments and plagues find their source in Heaven and are orchestrated, empowered and executed by the LORD of Lords and King of kings—it is the ‘Day of the LORD’ { Isa. 2:12; 13:6-9; Ez. 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:11; 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph. 1:14-18; Zech. 14:1-3 and Mal. 4:5 } and the “great Day of the wrath of the Lamb” { Rev. 6:16-17 }. Finally, there are many who attempt to discredit the Bible by claiming that the Old and New Testaments present two different Gods. They point out that in the Old Testament it seems like God is intolerant, vengeful and destructive and is consistently sending His people into war to kill off His enemies. In contrast they would claim that the God of the New Testament is all about ‘love’, healing, forgiveness and ‘turning the other cheek’. However, what these people fail to see (or don’t want to see) is that in the Old Testament God is also shown to be loving, forgiving and healing. Examples of this include the kindness of God to Ruth (a Gentile ‘outsider’) by accepting her faith { Ruth 1:16-17 } and bringing her into His redemptive plan for the world [she becomes David’s great-grandmother and is so put into the lineage of the Messiah! Ruth 4:10-22 ]. Another dramatic example is the repentance and salvation of all the people in Nineveh [capital of the Assyrians, a pagan and arrogant people who cruelly put their enemies to death] under the preaching of Jonah { Jonah 3:1-10 }. There are many other examples in the lives of the prophets {raising the widow’s son from the dead, the healing of Naaman, commander of the Syrian army [ 2 Kings 5 ]} and in the life of King David { 2 Sam. 12:1-25 ; Ps. 51 }. On the other hand (in contrast to what many people want to believe about God) we have here in the New Testament a graphic description of the anger, vengeance and judgment of the same Almighty God upon an arrogant, proud and wicked world. And yet even here, amidst the judgment God still holds out an ‘olive branch’ and offers salvation to all who would repent and accept it. …..another angel…..having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth….. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him , for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water ."—Rev. 14:6-7 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come !" And let him who hears say, "Come !" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely .—Rev. 22:16-17 He is indeed the same God in both the Old and New Testaments! Revelation 16 -1- Copyright 2008 K. G. Schiessel REV. 16:1 THE COMMAND IS GIVEN : “G O, POUR OUT ” [1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth .”] The scene is in heaven and a loud voice from the temple commands the seven angels to “ Go, pour out 1 the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth ”. The word used for ‘go’2 here is not the same as when Jesus told the disciples: “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ....” in Matthew 28:19 . It is the Greek word “hupago ” to ‘go slowly away’ or ‘go away quietly’, to depart, withdraw oneself without fanfare. It is often used with the idea of going without making noise or without giving notice and is very frequently used in the gospels. Elsewhere it is used in James 2:16; 1 John 2:11 ; Rev. 10:8; 13:10; 14:4; 16:1; 17:8, 11 . It is frequently translated, “ go your way ”. This is interesting since the “ Day of God’s Wrath ” is also known as the “ Day of the LORD ” which is “..... coming as a thief in the night ”. That is, by surprise and without notification. See for example: “But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect”. – Matt. 24:43-44 and Luke 12:39-40 . “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night . For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief ”. – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 . “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night , in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up ”. – 2 Peter 3:10 . “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief , and you will not know what hour I will come upon you ”. – Revelation 3:3 (to the church at Sardis). The Greek word for ‘ poured out ’ here can also be translated ‘ shed ’ or ‘ spilled ’ {e.g., Matt. 9:17; 23:55; 26:28; Luke 5:37; 11:50; 22:50; Acts 22:20 } and serves as a reminder that the pleas of the martyred saints when the 5TH SEAL was opened will be answered as promised: “……. How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed .—Rev. 6:10-11 1 pour [1632 ekcheo (ek-kheh'-o) ] to pour forth; gush out, shed (abroad, forth), spill. (Metaphorically, to bestow or to distribute largely). 2 go [5217 hupago (hoop-ag'-o) ] to lead (oneself) under, i.e. to withdraw oneself or retire (as if slowly sinking out of sight); to bring under; to go away, to depart. Revelation 16 -2- Copyright 2008 K. G. Schiessel Just as the blood of the martyred saints was shed or spilled; now the LORD will exercise His prerogative and bring vengeance and His wrath will be ‘spilled’ out over the earth. This will be the cause of the surprise, panic and fear of people who have arrogantly rejected God and persecuted His saints which is described when the 6TH SEAL is opened: And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains , and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb ! For the great day of His wrath has come , and who is able to stand ?”—Rev. 6:15-17 REV. 16:2 1ST BOWL OF GOD ’S WRATH [2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image .] The 1ST BOWL of God’s wrath is poured out onto the earth.
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