“Revelation 16:17-21”

Thursday, January 11, 2018

“Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’ And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Homer Hailey wrote concerning verse 17: “The seventh bowl poured out upon the air symbolically completes the gamut of natural elements: earth, water, fire (sun), and air… There can be little or no doubt that ‘air’ is used symbolically… The key to an interpretation may be found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians when he said, ‘Wherein ye [Gentiles] once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers [Greek, ‘power’] of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience’ (Eph. 2:2). The prince can be none other than Satan, ‘the prince of this world’ (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)…the seventh bowl would affect the whole sphere of Satan’s operation. Air would be an appropriate emblem of the prevailing influence or surroundings of the realm in which the wicked live, move, and breathe, being dominated by the devil. Thus the course of this world, which is itself evil, a life of trespasses and sin, ruled by the prince of its power…is not brought under judgment.”

With the pouring out of the seventh bowl of God’s wrath, it is said of His fierce judgment that, “It is done”. When John wrote of the visions that God revealed to Him, the reign of terror of the Roman Empire was as good as finished. “There were flashes of lightning…peals of thunder,” and the greatest “earthquake” that ever rocked the “earth” (verse 18). This blow was so severe, this fall so thunderous and earthshaking, because it marked, not only the toppling of the greatest of human world empires, but also Satan’s own sphere of spiritual wickedness was dealt a devastating jolt. “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell” (verse 19). “The division of the great city points to the completeness of its destruction; likewise, cities of all nations fell who were in league with Rome in opposition to God.” (Harkrider) As Rome was trampled underfoot in the winepress of God’s wrath, all the cities of all the nations that partook in her harlotry (Revelation 17:2; 18:3) suffered with her.

“Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found” (verse 20). There is nowhere to run and no place to hide from the Father of heaven to whom we all must give an account. He sees all and knows all, and no one escapes from His inexorable judgment. The consequences of our sins constitutes the wrath of God revealed from heaven (Romans 1:18), and they are designed to lead us to repentance. Unfortunately, the Lord can hit some people over the head with “one hundred” pound “hailstones” (verse 21), and they still don’t get the message. Let it never be said of us that we blaspheme the name of God when we reap the whirlwind because of the sinful seeds that we sow. The best we can do with our lives is learn from foolish mistakes, conform to God’s perfect will in humble submission and escape the severity of His righteously wrathful judgment for all eternity.

Please read Revelation 17:1-7 for tomorrow.

Have a super day!

-Louie Taylor

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