Revelation 16:1-21; 17:1-18
[8/7/11]
Review:
Revelation 14:1-20) (GW) I looked, and the lamb was standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Revelation 15:2-3; 7-8) (GW) Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had won the victory over the beast, its statue, and the number of its name were standing on the glassy sea. They were holding God’s harps
3) (GW) and singing the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb. They sang, “The things you do are spectacular and amazing, Lord God Almighty. The way you do them is fair and true, King of the Nations.
QUESTION: What does the “sea of glass” represent?
ANSWER: A large group of people, in this case, the multitude of the redeemed.
NOTE: In Revelation 13:1 the 7-headed beast with 10 crowns; i.e., the Anti-Christ, came out of the sea. The sea there speaks of humanity, as does the sea of glass here.
QUESTION: Who is standing on this sea of glass?
ANSWER: The Tribulation Saints are rising out of the sea of the redeemed in Heaven to sing special worship to the Lamb for giving them victory over the beast/Anti-Christ.
7) (GW) One of the four living creatures gave seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives forever and ever, to the seven angels.
8) (GW) The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and his power. No one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels came to an end.
QUESTION: What happens next?
ANSWER: The Temple of God in Heaven is opened. The seven angels who are appointed to pour out the seven bowls of God’s Anger/Judgments on earth come out of the Temple.
NOTE: No one will enter the Temple again until the seven bowls are emptied.
On To This Week’s Lesson:
Revelation 16:1-21) (GW) I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Pour the seven bowls of God’s anger over the earth.”
2) (GW) The first angel poured his bowl over the earth. Horrible, painful sores appeared on the people who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue.
QUESTION: What happens when the first bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: “Painful sores” appeared on everyone who has received the mark of the beast. This is similar to the 6th Egyptian plague in Exodus 9:8-12.
3) (GW) The second angel poured his bowl over the sea. The sea turned into blood like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
QUESTION: What happens when the second bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: All large bodies of water turn into blood; everything in the water dies.
4) (GW) The third angel poured his bowl over the rivers and the springs. They turned into blood.
5) (GW) Then I heard the angel of the water say, “You are fair. You are the one who is and the one who was, the holy one, because you have judged these things.
6) (GW) You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God’s people and prophets. This is what they deserve.”
7) (GW) Then I heard the altar answer, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and fair.”
QUESTION: What happens when the third bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: All the rivers and springs [all sources of drinking water] are turned into blood.
8) (GW) The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire.
9) (GW) They were severely burned. They cursed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They would not change the way they think and act and give him glory.
QUESTION: What happens when the fourth bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: Global warming! The sun severely burns the people of earth, most likely those who have received the mark of the beast.
10) (GW) The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom turned dark. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish
11) (GW) and cursed the God of heaven for their pains and their sores. However, they would not stop what they were doing.
QUESTION: What happens when the fifth bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: Total darkness falls upon the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. This absolute darkness causes the effects of the first four bowl judgments to affect these followers of the Anti-Christ even more.
12) (GW) The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River. The water in the river dried up to make a road for the kings from the east.
13) (GW) Then I saw three evil spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the serpent, the beast, and the false prophet.
14) (GW) They are spirits of demons that do miracles. These spirits go to the kings of the whole world and gather them for the war on the frightening day of God Almighty.
15) (GW) “See, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains alert and doesn’t lose his clothes. He will not have to go naked and let others see his shame.”
16) (GW) The spirits gathered the kings at the place which is called Armageddon in Hebrew.
QUESTION: What happens when the sixth bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: The Euphrates River is dried up to allow easy access for the “kings from the east” to advance to Armageddon to fight the Anti-Christ.
QUESTION: What else happens when the sixth bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: Three evil spirits deceive the kings of the earth to join with the Anti-Christ to fight the rebellious Chinese coalition.
QUESTION: What can we gather from this?
ANSWER: The Anti-Christ never has total command of the nations. They have to be deceived to take part in this battle.
17) (GW) The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, and said, “It has happened!”
18) (GW) There was lightning, noise, thunder, and a powerful earthquake. There has never been such a powerful earthquake since humans have been on earth.
19) (GW) The important city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine from his fierce anger.
20) (GW) Every island vanished, and the mountains could no longer be seen.
21) (GW) Large, heavy hailstones fell from the sky on people. The people cursed God because the plague of hail was such a terrible plague.
QUESTION: What happens when the seventh bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: The worst earthquake in human history will cause Jerusalem to be divided into three parts; it will level cities around the globe; islands and mountains will disappear; and huge hailstorms will fall upon the people.
QUESTION: What happens when the seventh bowl is emptied on earth?
ANSWER: Armageddon!
7 Trumpet Judgments: 7 Vial/Bowl Judgments:
1) 1/3 vegetation destroyed 1) Painful sores
2) 1/3 of seas become blood 2) All seas become blood
3) 1/3 drinking water becomes blood 3) All drinking water becomes blood
4) 1/3 of day and night darkened 4) Agonizing heat causing severe sunburn
5) Torment, but no death 5) Total darkness
6) China revolts against Anti-Christ 6) River Euphrates dries up
7) Announcement of Armageddon 7) Armageddon
7 Trumpet Judgments:
1) Anti-Christ appears.
2) War removes peace from the earth.
3) Famine results.
4) Death & Hell results.
5) Christians are killed.
6) Armageddon
7) ½ hour silence in Heaven.
Revelation 17:1-18) (GW) One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters.
2) (GW) The kings of the earth had sex with her, and those living on earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual sins.”
3) (GW) Then the angel carried me by his power into the wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a bright red beast covered with insulting names. It had seven heads and ten horns.
4) (GW) The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins.
5) (GW) A name was written on her forehead. The name was Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth.
QUESTION: Who is this prostitute?
ANSWER: She is the Babylonian religious system.
QUESTION: Who is she riding on the back of?
ANSWER: The Anti-Christ. He’s the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns.
QUESTION: What are these sexual sins she has committed?
ANSWER: She has deceived multitudes to follow after hear instead of Jehovah God.
QUESTION: What is she called?
ANSWER: She is called “Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth.”
6) (GW) I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.
QUESTION: What has made this woman drunk?
ANSWER: She has drunk the blood of God’s holy people.
7) (GW) The angel asked me, “”Why are you surprised? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her.
8) (GW) “You saw the beast which once was, is no longer, and will come from the bottomless pit and go to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life when the world was created, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again.
(GNB) That beast was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up from the abyss and will go off to be destroyed. The people living on earth whose names have not been written before the creation of the world in the book of the living, will all be amazed as they look at the beast. It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear.
9) (GW) “In this situation a wise mind is needed. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting.
10) (GW) They are also seven kings. Five of them have fallen, one is ruling now, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for a little while.
QUESTION: What do the seven heads represent?
ANSWER: 1) They represent the 7 mountains the religious system is sitting on, which is the city of Rome.
2) They represent 7 kings that make up the Babylonian System. 5 kings have fallen; which are Babylon, Assyria, Babylon, the Medes and Persians, and Greece. 1 king was ruling at the time this vision was given; which is Rome. The other king was yet to come when John was alive; which is the Anti-Christ.
11) (GW) The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king. It belongs with the seven kings and goes to its destruction.
QUESTION: In what way is the Anti-Christ the 8th king?
ANSWER: The 7th king is actually the ruler of the European Alliance. The following verses show that they will give their power to the Anti-Christ, who, in that sense becomes the 8th king. However, he is usually referred to as the 7th head, or the head of the 7th kingdom.
12) (GW) “The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet started to rule. They will receive authority to rule as kings with the beast for one hour.
13) (GW) They have one purpose-to give their power and authority to the beast.
14) (GW) They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”
QUESTION: Who are these ten horns?
ANSWER: They are the rulers of 10 European countries.
15) (GW) The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, crowds, nations, and languages.
16) (GW) The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up in a fire.
17) (GW) God has made them do what he wants them to do. So they will give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are carried out.
18) (GW) The woman you saw is the important city which dominates the kings of the earth.”
QUESTION: What are these waters referring to?
ANSWER: They are “peoples, crowds, nations, and languages.”
NOTE: They are the same waters the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet come out of. They are the mass of humanity. This gives credence to the thought that the Crystal Sea that the Tribulation Saints come out of represents the mass of the redeemed.