Summary of the Seven
Bowls
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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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Revelation 15:7,8
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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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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Revelation 11:18
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come.
---------------------
Revelation 16:1
Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the
earth.
----------------------------------------------------
In our lesson «The Book of Revelation»,
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.
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First, let's review the mirror-like organization of Revelation:
Historical
part:Conflict in progress| Eschatological part: Conflict ended
==+=======+=======+=======+=======+=+=+=======+=======+=======+=======+==
P | 1-3 | 4-7 | 8-11 | 12-14 | | 15-16 | 17-18 | 19-20 |
21-22 | E
R |Counsel| Jesus |Severe |Trials | M | Severe| Down- | Jesus |Reward | P
O |to the | com- | judg- |of the | I | judg- |fall of| en- |to the | I
L |church,| forts | ments | pure | R | ments |impure |thrones|church,| L
O | scat- |His af-| warn | woman | R | punish| woman | His |gather-| O
G | tered |flicted| the |and her| O | the |and her|resur- |ed and
| G
U | and |people | world | chil- | R | world |daugh- |rected | at
| U
E |at war | | |
dren | | | ters |people |
peace | E
==+=======+=======+=======+=======+===+=======+=======+=======+=======+==
A B C
D E
D'
E' C'
B' A'
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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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Revelation 15:1-3
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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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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Exodus 8:22,23
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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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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Psalm 91:7,8,10
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.
---------------------
Romans 5:9
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
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2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
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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Pharaoh hardened his heart (# 1 to 6), then God forsook him (# 7 to 10):
Before the 1st
plague | «And Pharaoh's heart grew hard.» (EXODUS 7:13)
Before the 2nd plague | «And Pharaoh's heart grew hard.»
(EXODUS 7:22)
Before the 3rd plague | «Pharaoh (...) hardened his heart.»
(EX. 8:15)
Before the 4th plague | «But Pharaoh's heart grew hard.»
(EXODUS 8:19)
Before the 5th plague | «But Pharaoh hardened his heart.»
(EXODUS 8:32)
Before the 6th plague | «The heart of Pharaoh became hard.»
(EXODUS 9:7)
=======================|=================================================
Before the 7th plague | «The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.»
(EX. 9:12)
Before the 8th plague | «The Lord says to Moses, "Go in
to Pharaoh; for
| I have hardened his heart."» (EXODUS 10:1)
Before the 9th plague | «The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.»
(EX. 10:20)
Before the 10th plague | «The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.» (EX.
10:27)
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Exodus 6:26
The Lord said,
«Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.»
---------------------
Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
«Come out of [Babylon], my people.»
----------------------------------------------------
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.
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1st letter: Revelation 2:7
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of
life.
---------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------
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 «for
the healing of the nations» (Revelation 22:2).
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2nd letter: Revelation 2:11
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
---------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------
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 «blood as of a dead man», and
kills every living creature in it, thus making an immense contrast with the message of
life and hope in the second letter.
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3rd letter: Revelation 2:17
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna
to eat.
---------------------
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:
(...)
«They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.»
----------------------------------------------------
While the third letter promises to feed the victors in Jesus with the hidden
manna, the third bowl gives unrepentant men blood to drink.
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4th letter: Revelation 2:26,28
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.
---------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
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5th letter: Revelation 3:5
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.
---------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------
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.
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The promise of the sixth letter will protect us from the sixth bowl:
«Because
you have kept | «For they are
spirits of | By persevering
My command to persevere, |
demons, performing signs, | in Jesus, we
I also will keep you | which go out to the kings | will avoid be-
from the hour of trial | of
the earth and of the | ing deceived by
which shall come upon | whole world, to gather them | the devil.
the whole world, to test | to the
battle of that great |----------------
those who dwell on the |
day of God Almighty. "Be- | Jesus Christ is
earth. Behold, I come | hold, I am coming as a |
coming soon.
quickly! Hold fast what | thief.
Blessed is he who |----------------
you have, that no one | watches, and keeps his gar- | So let's watch,
may take your crown.» | ments, lest he walk naked!"» | abiding in Him
(REVELATION 3:10,11) | (REVELATION 16:14,15) |
until the end.
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7th letter: Revelation 3:21
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.
---------------------
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,
«It is done!»
----------------------------------------------------
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.
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Genesis 6:5-7
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, «I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth.»
----------------------------------------------------
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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The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:
First day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
---------------------------------|---------------------------------------
«God said, "Let there be light." | «The fifth angel poured out his bowl
(...) And God divided the light | on the beast's
throne, and his king-
from the darkness.»
| dom became full of darkness.»
(GENESIS 1:3,4) |
(REVELATION 16:10)
=================================|=======================================
Second day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
---------------------------------|---------------------------------------
«God said, "Let there be a fir- | «The 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.» | the weight of a talent.»
(GENESIS 1:6,8) |
(REVELATION 16:17,21)
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The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:
Third day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------
«God said, "Let the earth bring | «[He] poured out his bowl upon the
forth grass, (...) herb (...), and | earth, and a foul and
loathsome sore
(...) fruit tree."» (GENESIS 1:11) | came upon men.»
(REVELATION 16:2)
===================================|=====================================
Fourth day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------
«"Let there be lights in the fir- | «Then the fourth angel poured out
mament of the heavens to divide |
his bowl on the sun, and power was
the day from the night."» | given to him to scorch men with
(GENESIS 1:14,15) | fire.» (REVELATION 16:8)
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The seven bowls reverse the work which God did at Creation:
Fifth day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
------------------------------------|------------------------------------
«God said, "Let the waters abound | «The 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."»
| ture in the sea died.»
(GENESIS 1:20,22) |
(REVELATION 16:3)
====================================|====================================
Sixth day of Creation
| The work of the seven bowls
------------------------------------|------------------------------------
«God said, "Let Us make man in Our | «Men blasphemed God because of the
image (...). Multiply; fill the |
plague of the hail, since that
earth."»
| plague was exceedingly great.»
(GENESIS 1:26,28) |
(REVELATION 16:21)
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Genesis 2:2
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.
---------------------
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,
«It is 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.
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Revelation 7:13,14,16,17
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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Revelation 21:6,9
And He said to me,
«It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.» (...)
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,
«Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.»
----------------------------------------------------
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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«The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of
the saints, ascended before God.» (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.
The test of Lesson 89 is waiting for you!