Seat of the Beast
The fifth bowl is poured on the seat of the Beast which brings darkness to the entire world. The sixth bowl is poured on the River Euphrates causing it to dry up.
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Fifth Bowl
10. “So far the avenging angels have poured their bowls onto natural elements: land, sea, waters, and sun.” (Easley, Kendell H., Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation. [Nashville: B&H, 1998], 287)
“Commentators disagree over where specifically this bowl will be dumped. Some think it will be on the actual throne that the beast sits on; others on his capital city of Babylon; still others on the entire kingdom.” (MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary: Revelation 12-22. [Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2000], 145)
“Regardless of the exact location of where the bowl is dumped, the result is that darkness engulfs the whole earth, which is Antichrist’s worldwide kingdom. (MacArthur, 145)
“Note the similarity to the darkness of Egypt during the ninth plague (Exodus 10:21-22).” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume V: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 1024)
Isaiah 60:2 Joel 2:1-2, 31 Mark 13:24
Chewing on my tongue is not my idea of fun! Especially when it causes pain.
11. Having this pain and still they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores.
One would think that if they just did what God was trying to get them to do, they would be better off.
But they, repented not of their deeds. [KJV]
“Sinners ignored that call, and are now confirmed in their unbelief.” (MacArthur, 145)
Sixth Bowl
12. The Euphrates “was a border between east and west, eighteen hundred miles long, over half of it navigable. It was wide and deep, which made it difficult for an army to pass over it.” (McGee, 1025)
Revelation 9:14-16 describes what happened when the sixth trumpet was blown.
There were 200 million demons that were bound near the Euphrates and were released. (MacArthur, 146)
The Euphrates begins in the snow- and ice-covered slopes of Mount Ararat (modern Turkey) and flows eighteen hundred miles to the Persian Gulf. (MacArthur, 146)
Something to think about: due to the intense heat from the fourth bowl the snow and ice will melt causing the river to flood. (MacArthur, 146)
The sixth bowl will dry up the river!
Then the kings of the east will be able “cross the Euphrates to reach their ultimate destination—Armageddon in the land of Palestine.” (MacArthur, 146)
Armageddon
13. The mouth symbolizes the source of influence. (MacArthur, 147)
The dragon is the devil.
The beast is Antichrist.
Last is the false prophet. See Beast from the Earth article
The Unclean spirits like frogs “summon all their forces together”. (Easley, 289)
Leviticus 11:10, 41 Exodus 8:1-15
14. The frogs are the spirits of devils.
The spirits of devils who are working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
“In our own day we have seen that the news media can become a propaganda agent to carry out the purposes of men who are in the background. The news media can brainwash the public. This is exactly what the trinity of evil will do. They will brainwash the nations of the world into marching against Israel.” (McGee, 1027)
Joel 3:3,9-13 Zechariah 14:2-3 Psalm 2:1-3
“The battle [war] will be over quickly: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). (MacArthur, 149)
The great day of God Almighty is Armageddon.
Come as a Thief
15. [KJV] [NASB1995]
In Matthew 24:42-43 Jesus tells us to be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. And if we had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, we would not allow the thief into our house. (Paraphrase)
Here, Jesus is telling us that He is coming like a thief (in the night) We do not know the day or the hour.
If we had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, we would not allow the thief into our house.
And there is a Blessing:
Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.
“Be sure you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.” (McGee, 1027)
“Christ’s people are to focus on their readiness for his return, not the war of evil forces coming against them.” (Easley, 290)
Isaiah 61:10 Romans 13:14 1 John 2:28
16. “Dragon, beast, and False Prophet gathered the kings together.” (Easley, 290)
“This is the only occurrence of the word Armageddon in Scripture, although there are many references to it. It means ‘Mount of Megiddo.’ It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words Har, meaning ‘mountain,’ and Megiddo, which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon.” (McGee, 1027)
MacArthur says, “it is probably a reference to the hill country surrounding the Plain of Megiddo, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem.” (150)
References
Unless otherwise noted: Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version.
Scripture quotations marked NASB1995 are Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
Easley, Kendell H., Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation. Nashville: B&H, 1998
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary: Revelation 12-22. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2000
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume V: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Four Bowls of Wrath Seventh Bowl of Wrath
