The Final Bowl is Poured Out

Revelation 16:17-21

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”  And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.  And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.  And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

The finality of the bowl judgments and plagues upon the Earth in the last days of tribulation.  This vision of John’s in the Throne Room of God details the final bowl being poured out by the seventh angel, bringing cataclysmic destruction through natural events.  Lightning, thunder, and earthquakes shake the globe to its very core.  Mountains and islands disappear, and the city of Jerusalem is divided into three.  In Ezekiel 38, there is a reference to great earthquakes in Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives when the Son of God returns, stating His foot will land on the Mount of Olives as the city is split into two.  Hailstones will fall and bring death upon people who have rejected God throughout the final days.  His final plague of destruction and devastation will once and for all show His power and authority over all things.

The wrath presented here in Revelation 16 is very similar to the prophecy in Ezekiel 38, describing the end of days.  Both discuss the great wrath of God being poured out upon those who oppose Him.  Both discuss the mountains being thrown down, earthquakes as never before, pestilence, disease, and great hailstones.  Ezekiel 38 presents the foe of God to come from the North and West, whereas Revelation 16 presents the battle being formed in the Valley of Megiddo between the Lamb and armies from the East.  God’s word through the Prophets describes what John also sees in his vision.

God has no pleasure in bringing death to the wicked.  He desires that the wicked will turn from their evil ways and return to Him.  Throughout the scriptures, God expresses His love to His people and wants that none should perish.  Unfortunately, right up to the end of the Tribulation, Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet will have a stronghold on many.  These are the ones that will join in the battle against the Lamb of God in the coming verses.  They are following the liar, the deceiver, into battle, without recognizing the ending is already written.  

For these people have access today to the scriptures, to the prophecies, to the Word of God, and yet choose to ignore or deny its authenticity.  You may know someone or many who are like this.  They live in denial that God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and the Creator.  They enjoy living outside of God’s authority because it allows for their sinful nature to go unchecked and unrepentant.  Mankind, in general, does not want to align with a supreme authority and desires only to live within their own self-autonomy.  This self-centered, prideful, arrogant, and debased lifestyle that so many have decided to follow will only lead them to the destruction described in Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 16.

God is intentional with each of us to reveal His truth and plan.  He has given each of us the free will to accept or reject Him, though, and this will lead to many being subject to the Great Tribulation and the final battle with Christ in the last days.  It is my prayer that anyone reading this will come to realize that there is a God in heaven who loves you enough to send His only Son as a sacrifice for your sins.  Accepting this and putting your faith in Him is the only way to avoid the inevitable death and destruction identified here.  You are all in my prayers for this revelation to hit home.  Be blessed today with the good news.