REVELATION 16:12-21 GOD’S MYSTERY FINISHED Babylon is in utter darkness! • Capital of the Antichrist’s kingdom • Built on the shores of the ancient Euphrates river. • The city of Babylon has been plunged into darkness. Revelation 16:10–11 10 And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, CCSM 23-Jun-19 1 and his kingdom became darkened, and they began chewing their tongues because of the pain. 11 And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and because of their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds. o A “painful” darkness – enough that people chew on their tongues! • Scorching under an angry Sun – people shout blasphemies against the Name of the Lord God. Revelation 16:8–9 8 And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was granted to it to burn up people with fire. 9 And people were burned up by the great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory. • Babylon has been the center of martyrdom – many saints of the cross will be killed in her streets in the name of the Beast! Revelation 18:23–24 23 And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again! And the sound of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again! For your merchants were the most important people of the earth, because with your sorcery they deceived all the nations. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and all those who had been slaughtered on the earth. 12 And the sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, in order that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. The “great river”: • Used 5X in the Bible o Possible connection to the 6th trumpet? Revelation 9:13–16 13 And the sixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the horns of the golden altar that is before God CCSM 23-Jun-19 2 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released, in order that they should kill a third of humanity. 16 And the number of the troops of the cavalry was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. • An important river, causeway for the eastern armies to come to then war of Armageddon. o The Euphrates is no ordinary river. Its flood plain was the site of the first human city (Babel) after the great Flood and it was the site of Nebuchadnezzar’s magnificent capital city Babylon in the days of Daniel the prophet. On its shores will apparently be erected the even more magnificent New Babylon to serve as the capital of the beast in his brief but unprecedented worldwide reign in the great tribulation.1 • No Euphrates, no fresh water, no aquifers, no wells. o Ocean and fresh water turned to dead men’s blood. o Everyone suffering under the almost total lack of fresh water. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are the spirits of demons performing signs that go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world, to gather them for the battle of the great day of God the All-Powerful. • An army of 200 million troops? (Rev 9:13-16) • An army of demons as well! o The spirits of demons. (v14) • Do you notice the serious growth of ANTI-SEMITISM in our nation and other nations? Psalm 2:1–3 1 Why are nations in tumult, and countries plotting in vain? 1 Henry M. Morris, The Revelation Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Prophetic Book of the End Times (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 1983), 308. CCSM 23-Jun-19 3 2 The kings of the earth establish themselves, and the rulers conspire together against Yahweh and his anointed: 3 “Let us tear off their bonds, and cast their cords from us!” • Unclean animals spewing out of their mouths o Their comparison with frogs alludes to their uncleanness, being aquatic animals lacking scales (Lev. 11:9-12; Deu. 14:9-10). o They also recall the plague of frogs in Egypt (Ex. 8:2-13; Ps. 78:45; 105:30). 2 • Unclean spirits will inspire ambassadors and do miracles through them to convince the kings of the earth that the success of their future lies in the whole earth cooperating together to stop Christ from taking over the earth at His second coming. o They will inspire the nations to fight against Christ, fulfilling Ps. 2. ▪ Just as Ahab was allured to battle and destruction by demons in 2Chr. 18:18-22, so the nations will be led to Armageddon by demons in the vain hope of defeating Christ (Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11-21). 3 2 http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/Book_of_Revelation/commentary/htm/chapters/16.html#Revelation%2016%3A12 3 Dake's Annotated Reference Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments of the Authorized or King James Version Text. CCSM 23-Jun-19 4 • ALL the nations of the earth will gather to battle against Jerusalem o To destroy the NEW Temple o To destroy the restored people of God o TO DESTROY THE GOD OF THE PEOPLE. 15 (Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!) • Behold – Jesus is coming! Matthew 24:36–39 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows — not even the angels of heaven nor the Son — except the Father alone. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. 39 And they did not know anything until the deluge came and swept them all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be. Matthew 24:42–44 42 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming! 43 But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think he will come. The Beloved Bride In Waiting Fiction has painted the picture of a maiden whose Lover left her for a voyage to the Holy Land, promising on his return to make her His beloved bride. Many told her that she would never see Him again. But she believed His word, and evening by evening she went down to the lonely shore and kindled there a beacon-light in sight of the roaring waves, to hail and welcome the returning ship which was to bring again her betrothed. And by that watch-fire she took her stand each night, praying to the winds to hasten on the sluggish sails, that He who was everything to her might come. CCSM 23-Jun-19 5 Even so that Blessed Lord, who has loved us unto death, has gone away to the mysterious Holy Land of Heaven, promising on His return to make us His happy and eternal Bride. Some say that he has gone forever, and that here we shall see him no more. But his last word was, “Yea, I come quickly.” And on the dark and misty beach sloping out into the eternal sea, each true believer stands by their love-lit fire, looking, and waiting, and praying, and hoping for the fulfillment of His work, in nothing gladder than in His pledge and promise, and calling ever from the soul of sacred love, "EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS.” And one of these nights, while the world is busy with its happy frivolities, and laughing at the maiden on the shore, a form shall rise over the surging waves, as once on Galilee, to vindicate forever all their watching and devotion, and bring to the faithful and constant heart a joy, and glory, and triumph which nevermore shall end. Matthew 25:1–13 1 “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. 4 But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 And when the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!’ 9 But the wise ones answered saying, “Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell olive oil and buy some for yourselves.’ CCSM 23-Jun-19 6 10 But while they had gone away to buy it the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut.