Revelation Explained

This site contains my personal views on Revelation. I will be teaching through the book verse by verse. My teachings will be from a conservative evangelical background.

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Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Sunday, January 13, 2008

The Seventh Bowl of Wrath

"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!” And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great." (Revelation 16:17-21 - New King James Version)

When the seventh bowl is poured out, God speaks. He says a single word. It is the same word Jesus used on the cross that is translated, “It is finished.”

With the pouring out of the last bowl of God's wrath, the reign of man is finished; the power of Satan is finished; the waiting for justice is finished. It is time for Christ to lead his army to victory. However, John has a lot to tell us before he describes the battle in chapter nineteen.

The seventh bowl introduces another series of natural disasters: thunder, lightning and another earthquake. Earlier in Revelation under the sixth seal, John tells us about a great earthquake that caused men to hide in the mountains and cry out in fear. Under the seventh seal, there was another earthquake. Under the sixth trumpet, there was another great earthquake. Through out the Tribulation, there will be other minor earthquakes and tremors.

Under the seventh bowl will occur an earthquake greater than all the others. An earthquake more powerful than any that has ever occurred in the history of man. Every place on earth will move! No place will escape the effects of this earthquake.

Jerusalem will be divided into three sections because of the movement of the earth. Cities all over the world will face great destruction. The capital of the Anti-Christ will be especially hard hit.

Following this earthquake, volcanic activity will be world-wide. As we mentioned before the Greek word used for hail in Revelation means anything that falls. This hail will be huge rocks thrown into the air be the volcanoes. Some of these rocks will weigh 45 kg (100 pounds).

How will man react in the face of this destruction? He will curse God! Rather than recognize that this had been brought on by his own wickedness, mankind will blame God.