(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Revelation 15 & 16
GO
TO Ch.16
FRAMEWORKS:
Revelation 15: Preparation in Heaven
v.1-4
The Saints in Heaven Sing Again
v.5-8
Seven angels emerge
v.1-4
The Saints in Heaven Sing Again
v.1
(note
the indication of the impending end of judgments) I
saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven
angels with the seven last plagues —last, because with
them God's wrath is completed .
v.2,3
(the
surviving redeemed sing) And
I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing
beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and
its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given
them by God and sang the song of God's servant
Moses and of the Lamb: “Great
and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true
are your ways, King of the nations.
v.4
(they
esteem the Lord) Who
will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you
alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
v.5-8
Seven angels emerge
v.5
(in
heaven John sees an open temple) After
this
I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle
of the covenant law—and it was opened.
v.6
(from
the inner presence of God emerge seven priestly bringers of judgment)
Out
of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues
. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore
golden sashes around their chests.
v.7
(they
are given bowls of judgment) Then
one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven
golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever
and ever.
v.8
(God's
glory fills the temple) And
the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from
his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues
of the seven angels were completed.
[Comment:
We have referred to some chapters as ‘Interlude Chapters'
as they clearly step aside from the main narrative and grant us
a further revelation of what is going on in the background. We
might feel that about Chapter 15 because it doesn't actually roll
out the seven plagues, it just shows us, first of all, some of
the saints in heaven (v.2,3), extolling the Lord (v.3,4) and then
we see, emerging from the temple in heaven, seven priestly-looking
angels who are given bowls of judgment. However it is a chapter
that sets the scene for what is to follow and it reminds us that
these things come out of the holy presence of God; chapter 17
flows directly out of this chapter and so in that sense it is
not so much an ‘interlude'.]
FRAMEWORKS:
Revelation 16: The
Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
v.1-11
First Five Destructive Judgments
v.12-16
The Sixth Judgment lines up the Final Battle
v.17-21
Conclusion: Utter Destruction
v.1-11
First Five Destructive Judgments
v.1
(Instruction
given to begin) Then
I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels,
“Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth.”
v.2
(plague
on the followers of the beast) The
first angel went and poured out his bowl on
the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who
had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
v.3
(death
in the sea) The
second angel poured out his bowl on the sea,
and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every
living thing in the sea died.
v.4
(death
in rivers) The
third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers
and springs of water, and they became blood.
v.5-7
(acknowledgment
that this is justice) Then
I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in
these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they
have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” And I
heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just
are your judgments.”
v.8
(the
sun's heat scorches) The
fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun,
and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.
v.9
(a
first observation of the world's refusal to repent) They
were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,
who had control over these plagues, but they refused to
repent and glorify him.
v.10,11
(the
beast's kingdom affected; a second observation of the world's
refusal to repent) The
fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne
of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People
gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because
of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent
of what they had done.
v.12-16
The Sixth Judgment lines up the Final Battle
v.12
(rivers
dried up for a purpose) The
sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great
river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way
for the kings from the East.
v.13
(demonic
spirits come forth) Then
I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out
of the mouth of the dragon, [12:3,9]
out of the mouth of the beast
[13:1-10] and
out of the mouth of the false prophet. [13:11-18]
v.14
(they
gather kings in rebellion against God) They
are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the
kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the
great day of God Almighty.
v.15
(stay
awake and be aware of the Lord coming) “Look,
I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains
clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
v.16
(the
final battle is at Armageddon – see Rev 19:19-21) Then
they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is
called Armageddon.
v.17-21
Conclusion: Utter Destruction
v.17
(Conclusion!)
The
seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,
and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying,
“It is done!”
v.18-21
(massive
upheavals on earth) Then
there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and
a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since
mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great
city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed.
God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with
the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and
the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones,
each weighing about a hundred pounds,[ a
] fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague
of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
[Comment:
At the end of the previous chapter we noted that these
judgments originated from the holy presence of God; they are not
accidents but one way or another they are the will of God bringing
judgment on foolish mankind. We say one way or another because
sometimes God brings a direct judgment and sometimes he allows
the affairs of foolish mankind to pile up in such a way that the
catastrophe that is identified as a judgment ensues. Thus the
first four bowls could be that latter form of judgment but what
follows is very much the hand of God.]
Recap/Overview:
Again we provide
an overview of these chapters:
PART
FIVE: The
Judgments of God: Second
viewpoint:
(‘Wave
2' – the enemy revealed before the harvesting of the earth)
Revelation
13 : Activities of the Enemy on the Earth
-
continuing activities on earth: Satan and two beasts run amok
Revelation
14 : A Heavenly Overview
-
another ‘interlude/concluding chapter' predominantly
about warnings and then the twofold harvesting of the earth,
i.e. the End
PART
SIX: The
Judgments of God: Third
viewpoint:
(‘Wave
3' – the judgments of God seen as plagues)
Revelation
15 : A Heavenly Overview
-
here we are shown seven angels coming with seven plagues
Revelation
16 : The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath
-
now we see what these ‘plagues' are, the last one appearing
to wind up everything, i.e. the
End
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