If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 89

Summary of the Seven Bowls

Lesson 89	Screen 1
Summary of the Seven Bowls

Welcome to the conclusion of this section! Let's pray:

Lord,

The prophetic series of the seven bowls, when studied in light of Your whole inspired Word, revealed a rousing call to repentance.

In this lesson, we want to parallel these seven messages, in order to better understand their impact for each one of us.

May Your Holy Spirit guide us in our search. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Revelation 15:7,8	Comments
Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.	In our last few lessons, we studied the seven bowls of God's wrath, and the nature of the seven plagues which will strike the world when these seven bowls are poured out.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The seven bowls aim at punishing seven sins of unrepentant men:

   Plague contained in the bowl | Specific sin punished by this plague
=================================|=======================================
A malignant sore strikes men. | Contempt for the commandments of God.
       Sea turned to blood.      |   Choosing the mark of the beast in
                                 | order to maintain material security.
Springs of water turned to blood.| Forsaking God, Source of living water.
      The sun scorches men.      |     Rejection of God's day of rest
                                 | in favor of Sunday (day of the sun).
Deep darkness upon the world. |   Forsaking God, Light of the world.
Drying up of the river Euphrates.|   Blindly trusting apostate Babylon.
Terrible earthquake and great | Rebellion of Satan, his angels, and
   hail at the return of Jesus. | all the nations they have deceived.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Revelation 11:18	Comments
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come.	In our lesson ŤThe Book of Revelationť, we have seen that this book displays a mirror-like structure, in which the historical part (first section) corresponds with the eschatological part (second section). In this structure, the seven trumpets (chapters 8 to 11), punishing the oppressors of God's people throughout history, correspond perfectly with the seven bowls (chapters 15 and 16), which punish the rebellious nations at the end of the world.
Revelation 16:1
Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

First, let's review the mirror-like organization of Revelation:

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The trumpets (chapters 8 to 11) correspond with the bowls (ch. 15 and 16):

Historical part:Conflict in progress| Eschatological part: Conflict ended
====+=============================+=+=+=============================+====
R   |    Severe judgments warn    |   |   Severe judgments punish   | R 1
E 8 |   the world (7 trumpets)    |   |     the world (7 bowls)     | E 5
V   |-----------------------------| M |-----------------------------| V
E t |       1. Earth (8:7)        | I |       1. Earth (16:2)       | E a
L o |       2. Sea (8:8,9)        | R |       2. Sea (16:3)         | L n
A   |3. Springs of water (8:10,11)| R | 3. Springs of water (16:4) | A d
T 1 | 4. Sun, moon, stars (8:12) | O |       4. Sun (16:8,9)       | T
I 1 |      5. Darkness (9:2)      | R |    5. Darkness (16:10,11)   | I 1
O   |6. River Euphrates (9:13-21) |   |6. River Euphrates (16:12,16)| O 6
N   | 7. Loud voices (11:15-18) |   |   7. Loud voice (16:17-21) | N

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Revelation 15:1-3

Comments

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.

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.

In addition to corresponding with the seven trumpets, the seven bowls remind us of the plagues which struck Egypt, in the days of Moses.

The coming of these plagues, and the miraculous deliverance of God's people, show very interesting parallels with the situation of the last days.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The nature of the ten plagues of Egypt is also present in the seven bowls:

Nature of Egypt's plague | Bowl|      Nature of the bowl's plague
===========================|=====|=======================================
1. Waters turned to blood | 2,3 | Sea, springs of water turned to blood.
2. Invasion of frogs      | 6 | -> [Drying up of the Euphrates, bring-
3. Invasion of lice       | 6 | -> [ing about the fall of Babylon and
4. Invasion of flies      | 6 | -> [her 3 unclean spirits like frogs.
5. Death of the cattle    | 4 |    The sun scorches men and beasts.
6. Outbreak of boils      | 1 |      Outbreak of malignant sores.
7. Shower of hail         | 7 |            Shower of hail.
8. Invasion of locusts    | 4 |   The sun worsens the severe famine.
9. Deep darkness          | 5 |            Deep darkness.
10. Death of the firstborn | 7 |      Death of all those without
    without lamb's blood   |     | the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Exodus 8:22,23	Comments
And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.	Here is another interesting parallel: whereas both Egypt and the people of Israel were struck by the first three plagues, the Hebrews were spared the last seven plagues, beginning with the invasion of swarms of flies.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The people of God were spared the last seven of Egypt's ten plagues:

Plague|    Protection granted to the people of God against this plague
======|==================================================================
   4 |      The swarms of flies did not invade the land of Goshen,
      |        where the Hebrews were dwelling (see EXODUS 8:22).
   5 |       The livestock of Israel did not die (see EXODUS 9:4).
   6 | The boils and sores struck only the Egyptians (see EXODUS 9:11).
   7 |   The hail spared Goshen, where Israel lived (see EXODUS 9:26).
   8 |                 The locust invasion struck only
      |          the houses of the Egyptians (see EXODUS 10:6).
   9 | There was no darkness in the Hebrews' dwellings (see EX. 10:23).
10 |    No firstborn died in all the houses which were marked with
      |   the blood of a sacrified lamb (see EXODUS 11:4-7; 12:12,13).

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Psalm 91:7,8,10	Comments
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. (...) No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.	The people of Israel was protected from the last seven plagues of Egypt. Likewise, spiritual Israel - God's people - will be protected, through Jesus' blood, from the seven last plagues here on earth.
Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Comments

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The story of the plagues of Egypt also teaches us that, after calling rebellious men to repentance, God finally gives them over to their delusion, just as He will do at the time of the seven last plagues.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Pharaoh hardened his heart (# 1 to 6), then God forsook him (# 7 to 10):

Before the 1st plague | ŤAnd Pharaoh's heart grew hard.ť (EXODUS 7:13)
Before the 2nd plague | ŤAnd Pharaoh's heart grew hard.ť (EXODUS 7:22)
Before the 3rd plague | ŤPharaoh (...) hardened his heart.ť (EX. 8:15)
Before the 4th plague | ŤBut Pharaoh's heart grew hard.ť (EXODUS 8:19)
Before the 5th plague | ŤBut Pharaoh hardened his heart.ť (EXODUS 8:32)
Before the 6th plague | ŤThe heart of Pharaoh became hard.ť (EXODUS 9:7)
=======================|=================================================
Before the 7th plague | ŤThe Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.ť (EX. 9:12)
Before the 8th plague | ŤThe Lord says to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for
| I have hardened his heart."ť (EXODUS 10:1)
Before the 9th plague | ŤThe Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.ť (EX. 10:20)
Before the 10th plague | ŤThe Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.ť (EX. 10:27)

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Exodus 6:26	Comments
The Lord said, ŤBring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.ť	Finally, the goal of the ten plagues of Egypt was to free God's people from the oppression of Egypt, an apostate power. Likewise, the goal of the seven last plagues will be to free the people of God from the oppression of Babylon, the apostate power of the last days.
Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ŤCome out of [Babylon], my people.ť

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

1st letter: Revelation 2:7	Comments
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life.	The seven bowls also remind us of the promises contained in the letters to the seven churches. So, whereas the first bowl strikes unrepentant men with incurable malignant sores, the first letter promises access to the tree of life, whose leaves are Ťfor the healing of the nationsť (Revelation 22:2).
1st bowl: Revelation 16:2
A foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

2nd letter: Revelation 2:11	Comments
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.	The second letter promises to save from the second death he who overcomes in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the second bowl turns the sea into Ťblood as of a dead manť, and kills every living creature in it, thus making an immense contrast with the message of life and hope in the second letter.
2nd bowl: 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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Summary of the Seven Bowls

3rd letter: Revelation 2:17	Comments
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.	While the third letter promises to feed the victors in Jesus with the hidden manna, the third bowl gives unrepentant men blood to drink.
3rd bowl: Revelation 16:4-6
Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: (...) ŤThey have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.ť

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

4th letter: Revelation 2:26,28	Comments
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations, (...) and I will give him the morning star.	The fourth letter promises the morning star and power to him who overcomes. The fourth bowl makes the sun scorching, through the power of God.
4th bowl: Revelation 16:8,9
Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

5th letter: Revelation 3:5	Comments
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.	The fifth letter promises the victorious ones the white garment of light, which is Jesus' righteousness. Conversely, the fifth bowl plunges unrepentant men, rebelling more and more against God, into deep darkness.
5th bowl: Revelation 16:10,11
Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The promise of the sixth letter will protect us from the sixth bowl:

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

7th letter: Revelation 3:21	Comments
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.	Finally, the seventh letter promises the victorious ones access to God's throne. And from this very throne, the voice will proclaim the beginning of God's eternal kingdom, when the seventh bowl is poured out.
7th bowl: Revelation 16:17
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ŤIt is done!ť

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Genesis 6:5-7	Comments
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ŤI will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth.ť	A global study of the seven bowls leads us to other amazing discoveries. Similar to the Flood, these bowls are God's response to men's wickedness. With these bowls, God will reverse the work He did at Creation, in order to rebuild, afterwards, a new and perfect world for His people.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:

    First day of Creation      |      The work of the seven bowls
---------------------------------|---------------------------------------
ŤGod said, "Let there be light." | ŤThe fifth angel poured out his bowl
(...) And God divided the light | on the beast's throne, and his king-
from the darkness.ť              | dom became full of darkness.ť
                 (GENESIS 1:3,4) |                     (REVELATION 16:10)
=================================|=======================================
     Second day of Creation      |      The work of the seven bowls
---------------------------------|---------------------------------------
ŤGod said, "Let there be a fir- | ŤThe seventh angel poured out his bowl
mament (...), and let it divide | into the air. (...) Hail from heaven
the waters." (...) God called | fell  upon men, every hailstone about
the firmament Heaven.ť           | the weight of a talent.ť
                 (GENESIS 1:6,8) |                  (REVELATION 16:17,21)

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:

       Third day of Creation       |     The work of the seven bowls
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------
ŤGod said, "Let the earth bring | Ť[He] poured out his bowl upon the
forth grass, (...) herb (...), and | earth, and a foul and loathsome sore
(...) fruit tree."ť (GENESIS 1:11) | came upon men.ť (REVELATION 16:2)
===================================|=====================================
       Fourth day of Creation      |     The work of the seven bowls
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------
Ť"Let there be lights in the fir- | ŤThen the fourth angel poured out
mament of the heavens to divide | his  bowl on the sun, and power was
the day from the night."ť          | given to him to scorch men with
                 (GENESIS 1:14,15) | fire.ť (REVELATION 16:8)

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:

        Fifth day of Creation       |     The work of the seven bowls
------------------------------------|------------------------------------
ŤGod said, "Let the waters abound | ŤThe second angel poured out his
with an abundance of living crea- | bowl on the sea, and it became
tures (...). Multiply, and fill the | blood; (...) and every living crea-
waters in the seas."ť               | ture in the sea died.ť
                  (GENESIS 1:20,22) |                   (REVELATION 16:3)
====================================|====================================
        Sixth day of Creation       |     The work of the seven bowls
------------------------------------|------------------------------------
ŤGod said, "Let Us make man in Our | ŤMen blasphemed God because of the
image (...). Multiply; fill the | plague of the hail, since that
earth."ť                            | plague was exceedingly great.ť
                  (GENESIS 1:26,28) |                  (REVELATION 16:21)

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Genesis 2:2	Comments
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.	At the pouring out of the seventh bowl, corresponding with Jesus' return, God will put an end to the destruction of His creation. In a world where evil is no more, He will make a new Creation, and establish His eternal kingdom.
Revelation 16:17
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ŤIt is done!ť

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Revelation 7:13,14,16,17

Comments

Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? (...)

These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (...)

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Then, those who overcame in Jesus will enjoy complete deliverance.

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

Revelation 21:6,9	Comments
And He said to me, ŤIt is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.ť (...) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, ŤCome, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.ť	One of seven angels with the seven bowls now invites us to contemplate a distinctly more rejoicing picture: the union of the Lamb of God and His bride. This wedding will be the subject of the next section of our Bible prophecy study guide. Don't miss it!

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

ŤThe smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God.ť (Revelation 8:4)

Heavenly Father,

The study of the seven bowls has helped us to discover the wonderful richness of the prophetic book of Revelation.

We humbly and sincerely ask You to help us seriously prepare ourselves for the glorious event which will take place at the seventh bowl: the return of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord.

In His name we pray.

Amen.

Summary of the Seven Bowls

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Summary of the Seven Bowls

The test of Lesson 89 is waiting for you!

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products. Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products.
Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry