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Bible text: Revelation chapter 15 -16: Ch 16:
"The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; 6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
7 And I heard the altar respond:
“Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible."
INTERPRETATION
The 7 last plagues will harm those who have not received the fullness of the law and spirit of God, and had their character (kingdom Temple=innermost invisible heart and mind) sanctified and recreated in the image of God.
Probation has at this point closed for the individual, who refused to advance forward from the old to the new law, covenant and order. The law of the spirit. Hence they have received the mark of the beast, retaining its image. Remember that the people of God who have been born again and received the latter rain for the last generation, the higher doctrine, (the new, eternal law and covenant) will also go through great tribulations. They will also have to go through hardships even after being sealed with the seal of God. But the point is that the tribulations will not make us go back to an old, fallen truth, as if what they received during the latter rain did not pass the fiery trials and tests. From Rev 16:
The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out *on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.*
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to SCORCH PEOPLE WITH FIRE. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged INTO DARKNESS. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
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From earlier studies
Israel Unrepentant
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence."
(...)
5..Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth—then my judgments go forth like the sun. 6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
See also Hosea 13:2
- speaking of unsanctified, rebellious Israel and their false idols, building their house on the material representing this world, the temporal, the physical, external. What represent the unsanctified, immature human who is still under the old law, covenant and order.
"Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen."
...
Hosea 8:3
"Put the trumpet to your lips!
An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law. 2 Israel cries out to me, 'Our God, we acknowledge you!’ 3 But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him. 4 They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. 5 Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity?"
1. Peter 1: 18-19: "«For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.»
In addition to the metal man in Daniel, Babylon the great, we also see the same parallels and description concerning those people who were not killed during the calamities and plagues during the 6th trumpet, when the four angels were released to kill a third of mankind. From Revelation 9:20-21: "
And the rest of mankind, who were not killed in these plagues, neither converted from the works of their hands, that they may not worship the demons, and idols, those of gold, and those of silver, and those of brass, and those of stone, and those of wood, that are neither able to see, nor to hear, nor to walk, and they did not convert from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their whoredoms, nor from their thefts.."
We also see expressions such as "witchcraft (sorceries)" and "whoredoms" repeated here as we also read in Revelation 18 concerning the harlot Babylon. So those who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent and surrender to the highest, everlasting God, they went back to their worldly passions and continued building their houses on sand, on the temporal and smaller, rather than on the everlasting rock. They chose to stand still and be left behind under the old, immature law and covenant, the law and order of the letter, instead of taking up their cross and crucifying their old, fallen nature, and advancing forward to the new, everlasting law and covenant, the law and order of the spirit, of Jesus Christ.
..
So we have those who receive the mark of the beast receiving the 7 last plagues. 1st plague:
“ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” (v.2) Think of the sores caused by a weak razor blade. A weak razor blade is like a weak blade from a sword. The word and spirit of God represent a sharp, two-edged sword. The spirit of the world, of the beast represent a dull or weak, slow sword and blade. This could represent spiritual wounds to those who do not cut away that which belongs to the old, fallen law and covenant quick enough, to advance forward. Those who stick to traditions and the immature version of the truth after a fuller truth has been made available to them.
2nd and 3rd plague "Sea turned into blood so no living creature could live there" "the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died." "Rivers and springs turned to blood"
So the blood here is “like that of a dead person”. We have dead, lifeless blood, because they have not received the living blood of Jesus Christ. So we have polluted water and dead, lifeless blood. Referring to the spiritual state of the individual who have not received the love of the fullness of the truth for the last generation. “you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” (v.6) “Blood is often associated with wine. In communion the pure wine is likened to the blood of Christ. While impure wine is associated with unclean blood. That is those who have not received the fullness of the pure blood of Christ and received His blood or robe of righteousness. These are still filled with self righteousness or the righteousness of this world, of the old, immature, fallen law and covenant. Which is an unsanctified character. If they have not been sanctified when probation closes, they will remain under the order of the beast and receive the mark of 666 = the fallen, unsanctified human character.
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4th plague.
"Scorched with fire by the Sun ."
-As they have not received the fullness of the law and spirit, and been sanctified with the fire of the holy spirit before close of probation, and been born again, from old to new, they will be harmed by the fire of the fullness of the holy spirit, being defenseless as their own fire has turned into a lesser, a fallen version. The sun could mean “the Sun of righteousness”, who is Jesus Christ and His law and spirit (the new, everlasting law and covenant). 5th plague
“the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.” -Spiritual darkness caused by the fact that they have refused to receive the higher light for the last generation on earth. They have received the mark of the beast and remain permanently under the order of the beast (the old, fallen law and order). 6th plague
Three unclean spirits like frogs and rivers dried up.
(see separate article here)
The great river Euphrates is dried up could here refer to great spiritual dryness
They have been drinking too much from broken cisterns, rather than the living fountain of water". They have been drinking too much of the doctrines of the false or old, immature law and doctrine, which is the wine of Babylon, rather than advancing forward, receiving the higher truth for the last generation. Hence why the kings of the world can more easily invade their characters, as they are not protected, not fully armed with the word and spirit of God.
7th plague
The cities of the nations collapsed in the mighty earthquake, with thunder and lightning.
- The kingdom here again I believe refers to the character (heart/mind) of each individual who is filled with the law and spirit of the world (nations), the old law and covenant, filled with the wine of Babylon.
The unsanctified character who has not recovered the fullness of the law and spirit of Christ will not be able to stand during the great shaking.
The mountains that could not be found in this state could be the holy mountain, the new, everlasting law and covenant of Jesus Christ. If they do not manage to run and escape this Babylonian mindset until they are finally back and become born again, crossing over from the old to new law and covenant in time, before probation closes, they will receive the mark of the beast permanently.
The plague of hail could also represent ice cold water, spiritually speaking. They have not received the living water, they have not received the straight testimony of advancing toward the straight and narrow path, leaving the king of the North mindset (the right) and the King of the South mindset (the left) and aimed at the direction of the center where the heart and mind of Christ is located. So their spiritual ”water”, their “current” has become cold as ice: hence hail.
Disclaimer:
- I must add that also believe there will be physical plagues in addition, but the spiritual plagues are far worse and significant. I advice you to go to the traditional adventist interpretation in addition, to get the entire picture. This is a wider, advanced interpretation that helps to also go more at depth in the interpretation of some of the chapters in Revelation and Daniel.
To learn more on the difference between the Old and New Law and Covenant, go to the series here.