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Revelation 5

Revelation 16-18

Objective: 

  • The Seven Bowls

  • The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast

  • The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast

  • The Fall of Babylon the Great

  • The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

  • Finality of Babylon’s Fall

Resources:

Reading:

  • Revelation 16
  • Revelation 17
  • Revelation 18

Key verse(s):

"Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" Revelation 16:15

Comments:

  • The word translated “Revelation” means “unveiling.
  • The verb simply means “to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest.”
  • Apocalypse = Revelation = unveiling = uncover = to make manifest
  • The author is St. John the Beloved

  • Author

    St. John the Beloved

    Place 

    Patmos during exile

    Date

    96 AD

    Theme

    The things which are things which you have seen the things which will take place after this

    Key verse

    Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this-1:19 
  • Ch.16
    • Reminder:
      • Trumpets = Warnings - 1/3's were destroyed
      • Bowls = Judgments - Complete destruction of the UNRIGHTEOUS
      • Goal of Trumpets and bowls -> Repentance of people
    •  Bowls of God's wrath
    • Bowls are somewhat similar to the 10 plagues - Both were meant for repentance of sinners and avenging the righteous
    • These bowls coincide with the plagues that happened in Egypt

    • However, they are in agreement with the spirit of the book, which is symbolic

    • The plagues that happened in the past were real

    • These bowls also agree with the seven trumpets, except that they are more severe and harsher

    • First Bowl: Loathsome Sores

      • On those who had the mark of the beast

      • Similar to 6th plague

    • Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood

      • The sea represents the world
      • Similar to 1st plague

    • Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood

      • Waters = rivers - represent heretic Christians

      • They lead Christians astray
    • V.5: The angel of waters
      • God has angels for different things (water, earth, seas, air, etc.)

      • It is traditionally known that the Coptic Church angel of water is Archangel Michael

    • Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched

      • Similar to 9th plague
      • V.9: Still did not repent

    • Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain

      • V.10: On the throne of the beast on earth
      • V.11: Still did not repent

    • Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up

      • Euphrates is in Babylon. Babylon is a symbol of sin. The Euphrates is the biggest river there. Symbolizes the main source of sin
      • V.13: "Frogs"
        • Frogs like to work in darkness - unclean spirits are darkness
        • Frogs are noisy - unclean spirits that do not give peace
        • Frogs like mud - unclean spirits lead people to mud
      • V.14: Miracles are sometimes done by evil spirits. Not all miracles are Godly, and we should not follow any and all miracles
      • V.15: God is telling us to watch and be ready because He will come at any time
      • V.16: Armageddon - A mystery in the Book
        • Armageddon is the mountain of Megiddo
        • The literal spelling in the Greek is Har-Magedon, which means Mount Megiddo
        • Has multiple references in the OT. A reference to a place that witnessed multiple wars

    • Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken

      • After this, the judgment of the devil and the unrighteous people is complete
      • It is done after God extended the time for judgment (7 seals, 7 trumpets)
      • V.19: Great city = Jerusalem
      • Hail" is frequently mentioned as a judgment of God (Psalm 78:47, 105:32; Isaiah 28:2, 30:30; Ezekiel 13:11, 38:22; Haggai 2:17; Revelation 8:7, 11:19)
      • The men blaspheme God because of the hail, the plague was exceedingly great (1 Talent = approximately 75 pounds)
      • V.19: "And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath" : Explained in Ch. 17

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Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

  1. Who told the seven angels to pour out on the earth the seven bowls of wrath?
  2. What are these bowls of wrath resembling?
  3. How and why does the altar speak to the third angle?
  4. How can the judgments contained in God’s bowls of wrath be true and just?
  5. What does Jesus mean when He says, It is done?
  6. What did God want the plagues to accomplish?
  7. Why describe the unclean spirits like frogs?
  8. Who is the beast and why is he in the past and in the future but not in the present?
  9. Why do two evils, the beast and the harlot hate each other?
  10. God’s people should separate themselves from the world?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

 
  1. The bowls contained:
    a) gold b) the wrath of God c) food d) water
  2. The fourth bowl was poured out on:
    a) the earth b) the rivers c) the sun d) the sea
  3. MYSTERY, ________ THE GREAT, THE ____________ OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE ___________.
  4. "Babylon the great is fallen, is _____, and has become a dwelling place of ________ a prison for every foul _______, and a cage for every unclean and hated _________."
  5. Babylon's judgment will come in: a) one hour b) one day c) one month d) one year


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