The Sea Turned to
Blood
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Let's pray before beginning this lesson:
Our Father in heaven,
We humbly ask You to continue to guide us, as we go on with the study of the seven bowls,
so that our understanding of this subject may be clear enough to share it with those
around us.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 15:1; 16:1
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous:
seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
(...)
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.»
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After the close of probation, the wrath of God will show itself through the
pouring out of seven bowls, each one containing a plague which will strike unrepentant
men.
In this lesson, we will study the second bowl.
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Revelation 16:3
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and
it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
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While those who have the mark of the beast are still suffering from the
malignant sore brought by the first bowl, a second angel pours out the content of his
bowl.
The sea then turns into a vast stretch of putrid blood, like the blood of a dead man.
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Habakkuk 3:2,3,5,6,8
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In
the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the
Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His
praise. (...)
Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the
earth; He looked and startled the nations. (...)
Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your
wrath against the sea?
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A prophecy found in the book of Habakkuk, interestingly enough, confirms that,
after striking the earth with «pestilence» - the malignant
sore -, the Lord will strike the sea and rivers.
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Revelation 8:6,8,9
So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared
themselves to sound. (...)
Then the second angel sounded.
And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third
of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third
of the ships were destroyed.
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Just as the first bowl and the first trumpet both struck the earth, the second
bowl and the second trumpet both strike the sea and turn it into blood.
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Revelation 8:8,9
A third of the sea became blood; and a third of the
living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
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Revelation 16:3
Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and
it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
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Here again, the extent of the bowl's impact is greater than that of the
trumpet.
Whereas the trumpet struck only «a third of the sea» and
marine creatures, the second bowl strikes «the sea» and
kills «every living creature» in it.
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Revelation 15:2,3
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with
fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and
over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God.
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As we have seen in our last lesson, the seven bowls call to mind the plagues
which struck Egypt, in the time of Moses.
This link between the two series of divine punishments was already visible in the scene
introducing the bowls.
In fact, this scene presents the redeemed singing the song of Moses, to praise God for
having saved them from the enemy.
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One of the ten plagues in Egypt also turned the waters into blood:
«So the Lord said to Moses: "Pharaoh's heart is
hard; he refuses to let the people go. (...)
You shall say to him, (...) Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord.
Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand,
and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river
shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river." (...)
And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck
the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his
servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that
were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of
the river.
So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (...) And Pharaoh's heart grew hard,
and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.» (EXODUS 7:14,16-18,20-22)
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Psalm 105:4,5,29
Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore.
Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His
mouth. (...)
He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.
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To give God's people new confidence in their distress, the Bible reminds them
of the plague in which the Nile was turned into blood, and all its fish were killed.
Indeed, this indicates to them that, at the right time, God will pour out His judgments on
unrepentant men, and save His faithful people from the hands of the wicked.
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Exodus 14:27,28,30
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when
the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing
into it.
So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of
Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. (...)
So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead on the seashore.
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Another meaningful event took place in the days of Moses, also reminding us of
the judgment of the second bowl.
This event was the watery destruction of the Egyptians, as they were attacking the Hebrew
people.
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Exodus 15:1,4
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to
the Lord, and spoke, saying:
«I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has
thrown into the sea! (...)
Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are
drowned in the Red Sea.»
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This divine judgment upon the oppressors of God's people reminds us of the
second bowl, turning the sea into a large stretch of corpses.
Even the name of this expanse of water is evocative: «the Red Sea».
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Deuteronomy 11:1,2,4
Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His
charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.
Know today (...) what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and their chariots: how
He made the waters of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued you, and how the Lord has
destroyed them to this day.
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By calling to mind this miraculous deliverance, as it did by calling to mind
the plague of the malignant sore, the Word of God reminds us of the importance of loving
God and keeping all His commandments.
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Psalm 106:9-12
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led
them through the depths, as through the wilderness. He saved them from the hand of him who
hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their
enemies; there was not one of them left.
Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.
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Hebrews 11:29
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land,
whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
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The miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea also reminds us to always keep our
faith in God.
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Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you,
having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
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Revelation 13:1 (New International Version)
And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
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Besides, the sea, the target of the second bowl, just like the earth, the
target of the first bowl, is often depicted as being an element under the control of
Satan.
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Revelation 13:1
And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven
heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
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Daniel 7:2,3
Daniel spoke, saying,
«I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the
Great Sea.
And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.»
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In fact, the powers which made war against God and His faithful people came out
of the sea, that is, an evil source controlled by Satan.
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Isaiah 26:20,21; 27:1
Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors
behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.
In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the
fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; and He will slay the reptile that is in
the sea.
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The sea also serves as a lair for Leviathan, a serpent symbolizing Satan.
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Isaiah 57:20,21
«But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it
cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace,» says my God, «for
the wicked.»
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Jude verses 11-13
Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have
run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
These are (...) raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame.
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Likewise, the troubled sea characterizes the frenzy of the wicked who pursue
superficial and empty things, and whose heart cannot find peace.
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Revelation 20:13
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and
Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to
his works.
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Revelation 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Also there was no more sea.
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After giving up the dead in it, at the day of the last judgment, the sea,
marked with all that gloomy symbolism, will then disappear forever.
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Jeremiah 51:41,42
How Babylon has become desolate among the nations! The
sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of its waves.
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Revelation 18:21
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great
millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
«Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found
anymore.»
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Ironically enough, the sea will play a part in the fall of Babylon: in a
symbolic way, as we will see in the sixth bowl, but also in a literal way.
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Revelation 18:17,18
And every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors,
and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke
of her burning, saying,
«What is like this great city?»
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Indeed, let's remember that, in the last days, there will be a coalition
between Babylon and the kings of the earth (political powers), thus creating a
religio-political, as well as an economic superpower.
Now, the sea plays a crucial role in the successful running of commercial exchanges.
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Revelation 18:19
And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping
and wailing, and saying,
«Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her
wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.»
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When the second bowl is poured out, turning the sea into putrid blood «as of a dead man» (Revelation 16:3), it will no longer be
possible to use this major commercial route.
Moreover, every living creature in the sea will be killed by the second bowl, thus further
increasing the economic loss.
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Ezekiel 26:17,18
How you have perished, O one inhabited by seafaring men,
O renowned city, who was strong at sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror
to be on all her inhabitants!
Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall; yes, the coastlands by the sea are
troubled at your departure.
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The negative impact of the second bowl upon the commerce and economy of Babylon
is well illustrated by this prophecy which, although pronounced against ancient Tyre,
perfectly fits the situation of the last days.
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Ezekiel 27:25,26
The ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious in the midst of the seas.
Your oarsmen brought you into many waters.
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This prophecy describes a power which rules over the seas.
These seas symbolize «peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues»
(Revelation 17:15), as we have seen several times thus far.
However, in the context of the seven bowls, the seas are literal seas.
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Ezekiel 27:26,27
Your oarsmen brought you into many waters, but the east
wind broke you in the midst of the seas.
Your riches, wares, and merchandise, your mariners and pilots, your caulkers and
merchandisers, all your men of war who are in you, and the entire company which is in your
midst, will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.
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The prophecy then describes the coming of an «east
wind», thus indicating a divine intervention, as we have seen in the lesson «The King Coming From the East».
This wind makes the sea hostile to commerce, causing the fall of Babylon.
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Ezekiel 27:29-31
All who handle the oar, the mariners, all the pilots of
the sea will come down from their ships and stand on the shore.
They will make their voice heard because of you; they will cry bitterly and cast dust on
their heads; they will roll about in ashes; they will shave themselves completely bald
because of you, gird themselves with sackcloth, and weep for you with bitterness of heart
and bitter wailing.
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The sea will be so hostile to commerce that all the navigators will «stand on the shore», being greatly affected by this terrible
calamity.
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Ezekiel 27:33-35
When your wares went out by sea, you satisfied many
people; you enriched the kings of the earth with your many luxury goods and your
merchandise.
But when you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and the
entire company will fall in your midst.
All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you; their kings will be greatly
afraid, and their countenance will be troubled.
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Ultimately, the whole earth will suffer from this great calamity striking the
sea.
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The death of all the fish is also linked with a worldwide calamity:
«"I will utterly consume all things from the face
of the land," says the Lord; "I will consume man and beast; I will consume (...)
the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man
from the face of the land," says the Lord.» (ZEPHANIAH 1:2,3)
«The Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth or mercy
or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and
committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed after bloodshed. Therefore
the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away (...); even the fish of
the sea will be taken away.» (HOSEA 4:1-3)
«Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead
man; and every living creature in the sea died.» (REVELATION 16:3)
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Revelation 13:16,17
And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no
one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name.
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By paralyzing commercial exchanges, the second bowl will be a scathing reply to
all those who, in order to ensure their material security here on earth, will have
preferred to receive the mark of the beast rather than courageously persevere in the way
of God.
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Revelation 7:1
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four
corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow
on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
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Let's end this lesson on a positive note: God's offer of salvation to each one
of us still stands.
The destructive powers which threaten the earth and the sea are still held back, for the
moment.
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Revelation 7:2,3
Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having
the seal of the living God.
And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth
and the sea, saying,
«Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God
on their foreheads.»
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Let's accept Jesus Christ now as our Savior and Lord, and, through the work of
His Spirit within us, let's keep the commandments of God.
This is how we will receive the seal of God, and be protected from His wrath.
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Let's thank God:
Lord Almighty,
When the opposition gets organized against those who want to faithfully follow You and
keep all Your commandments, it will be tempting to choose the easy way and forsake You.
But the sea turned into blood tells us that we must remain faithful to You until the end,
and that, at the right time, You will deliver us, just as You delivered Your people from
the hand of the Egyptians.
May Your peace come and stay within us. In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 83 is waiting for you!