- I don't know if this is where we get the phrase, "the tipping point," but clearly God's wrath has reached that point
- The first bowl is clearly a reference to the sixth Egyptian plague
- The first bowl judgment is like the plague of boils but different
- Ex 9:8-12 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." 10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
- These have the adjective of ugly and painful sores (similar to germ warfare effects)
- These are directed at only those who had the mark (and worshipped the beast)
- At this point, there are still some who have not got the mark
- These people have already made a choice, they have hardened their hearts
- Rom 9:14-18 (ESV) What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
- The point of Romans is that God is in control
- God emphases that he chooses to show mercy and compassion
- God raised Pharaoh up to show his power (and to proclaim his name)
- Ex 9:15-17 (ESV) For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.
- God says he has showed mercy to Egypt -- he could have completely destroyed them already
- Here is the reference to Pharaoh's purpose and God's explanation: Pharaoh is the one who rebelled against God
- Ex 7:13, 14, 22 (ESV) Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. // 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. // … 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
- Only the KJV translates this verse as God hardened his heart. NET, ESV, NIV, AMP, NASB, HCSB, NLT, CJB, RSV, and NKJV all translate that God foretold ("as the Lord had said" (ESV))
- The first seven references (also 8:15, 19, 32, 9:7, 35) to actual hardening is not God hardening Pharoah, but Pharoah hardening his heart against God
- After this point, the emphasis is clearly on God hardening his heart
- The first two prophetic mentioning's of hardening are God's, but they seem to be prophetic, since they are followed by an active reference to Pharaoh
- Ex 4:21-23 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
- This could also be in response to what God knew Pharaoh would initiate
- Ex 7:3-4 (ESV) But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.
- APPLICATION: We choose our destiny. God has a plan for our life, but we are the ones who choose to follow that path, or decline the opportunity, whereby God finds another to fulfill his will
- Water has been attacked previously in the tribulation, when and what effect?
- Second and third trumpet judgments. One-third of the sea life was destroyed and one-third of the fresh water was ruined
- Now, all sea life is destroyed
- Remaining sweet water is destroyed. Exception is that is does not say cistern, wells, or stored water
- Given what has happened to water, how does this affect timing and placement of this event?
- It would have to be near the end of the tribulation
- People can only survive 3 days without water
- Stored water reserves couldn't be large enough to save people for any length of time
- Measures to distill / clean the bloody water would take considerable time to develop
- All of this places the remaining judgments near the end of the tribulation period
- Additionally, water is needed to clean the sores from the boils
- In this passage, there are some additional clues about this judgment - -what do we observe?
- An angel in charge of the waters (i.e., a guardian angel or the superintendent of God's water department) declares the righteousness of the act
- APPLICATION: I think one of the things we fail to realize is the importance of work and responsibility in God's creation. Even angels have "jobs" and responsibilities. God doesn't do it all, but he gives authority to creatures to fulfill his will
- Second declaration comes from the altar itself. Previously, the souls of those martyred have been referenced here. This could be a loud "AMEN"
- The judgment is in response to the shed blood of the saints and the prophets by the world. Since the world has shed the blood of the saints and prophets, mankind can now drink that blood
- Interesting metaphors: water is life-giving and blood sustains life, but when blood replaces the water it only kills
- APPLICATION: The true lifeblood of the world is its spiritual roots. But men want to destroy any connection to a God of the universe. They need living water, they need a spiritual resource. Man cannot live without God. The same is true for our spiritual souls
- The fourth bowl affects the sun (or the ozone or the atmosphere). Previously, the fourth trumpet judgment had affected one-third of the light source. What is the result here?
- People are scorched by fierce heat. Suggests the light source is greater or something again has happened to the atmosphere or climate
- It is possible that the boils and water problems have affected electricity, eliminating A/C as a relief
- Interestingly that with the great heat there is also a lack of water! And the scorching heat (and potential sun burns) doesn't help the boils. Each of the plagues seem to make the previous plagues worse
- We have to remember that at this point, most believers have been martyred or are probably in hiding. Some unbelieving and believing Jews are protected in Bozrah (or Petra). Majority of the world does not believe in God
- People recognize God as the source (power over the plagues)
- They curse him and blaspheme him
- They do not repent
- They do not give him glory
- APPLICATION: this is in accordance with the point of no return that was entered when they pledged their loyalty to the Antichrist. There is no repentance or forgiveness anymore
- This is the fourth blackout of the end-times. Last blackout was in the fifth trumpet judgment (the smoke from the abyss blackened the skies)
- A difficulty is the specificity of the judgment: it is poured out on the throne of the beast and affects his kingdom
- Fruchtenbaum believes that three trans-Jordanian nations will still have light
- Probably Bozrah as well since it is in those areas
- Hermeneutically, we should take this literally because the statement can be interpreted literally and the response also fits a literal fulfillment
- One argument would be that it seems to contradict the previous judgment as well as what follows (scorching heat and a military campaign), but that would be solved by a temporal blackout
- If figurative, then the Antichrist's government plunges into chaos. Communication, power, transportation -- all being affected. Arguing against this is that people blame God
- We have one more indication of the timing from this passage
- The people of the earth are still cursing God for their pain and sores (indicating that the effects of the first bowl are still being suffered)
- They still do not repent (but they have no ability to repent because of their choice). In a sense, our ability to repent is God-given. The Holy Spirit convicts, our consciences argue against us. After the mark, God now longer helps us against ourselves. We are left to our own devices and refuse to repent
- APPLICATION: Even for a believer, repentance is a gift. Never give in to sin. Never stop repenting. Use 1 John 1:9 (but of course, you need to mean it)
- "Even if there is no hope, we still don't kill" English translation -- Hebrew means we don't kill or give up on hope
- Changes "I will sing"x3 to "Messiah"x3
Rev
16:1-2 (ESV) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven
angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of
God." 2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and
harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast
and worshiped its image.
[OPTIONAL]
[OPTIONAL]
|
#
|
Context
|
God's Action
|
Pharaoh's Action
|
Comment
|
|
|
The call
|
4:21
|
|
Prophecy -
"I will harden his heart"
|
|
|
Pre-meeting
|
7:3
|
|
Prophecy -
"I will harden Pharaoh's heart"
|
|
|
Serpents
|
|
7:13
|
Pharaoh's heart
was hardened
|
|
|
Pre-plague
|
|
7:14
|
Lord:
"Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go"
|
|
1 (2,3)
|
Nile to blood
|
|
7:22
|
Pharaoh's heart
remained hardened
|
|
2
|
Frogs
|
|
8:15
|
he (Pharaoh)
hardened his heart
|
|
3
|
Gnats
|
|
8:19
|
Pharaoh's heart
was hardened
|
|
4
|
Flies
|
|
8:32
|
Pharaoh hardened
his heart
|
|
5
|
Livestock die
|
|
9:7
|
the heart of
Pharaoh was hardened
|
|
6 (1)
|
Boils
|
9:12
|
|
the Lord hardened the heart …
|
|
7 (~4*)
|
Hail
|
|
9:34
|
he sinned yet
again and hardened his heart
|
|
|
Hail
|
|
9:35
|
So the heart of
Pharaoh was hardened
|
|
|
Pre-locusts
|
10:1
|
|
I have hardened his heart
|
|
8
|
Locusts
|
10:20
|
|
But the Lord hardened
Pharaoh's heart
|
|
9 (5)
|
Darkness
|
10:27
|
|
But the Lord hardened
Pharaoh's heart
|
|
|
Overall
|
11:10
|
|
the Lord hardened Pharaoh's
heart
|
|
10
|
Passover
|
14:4
|
|
I will harden Pharaoh's heart
|
|
|
Passover
|
14:8
|
|
the Lord hardened Pharaoh's
heart
|
|
|
The chase
|
14:17
|
|
I will harden the hearts of
the Egyptians
|
(#) means similar
to Revelation bowl judgment
(~4*)
Ex 9:24 (ESV) There was hail and fire flashing continually in the
midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of
Egypt since it became a nation. 4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,
"Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
for you brought these judgments.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink.
It is what they deserve!"
7 And I heard the altar saying,
"Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
true and just are your judgments!"
Hebrew version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBgV0DK_FP4
Beautiful rendition
on Normandy "When
You Believe" cover by One Voice Children's Choir
Hebrew Children
A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki
ga-oh ga-oh
(I will sing to the lord
for he has triumphed gloriously)
A-shir-ra la-do-nai ki
ga-oh ga-oh
(I will sing to the lord
for he has triumphed gloriously)
Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-elim
adonai
(Who is like You, oh
Lord, among the celestial)
Mi-ka-mo-cha
ne-dar-ba-ko-desh
(Who is like You,
majestic in holiness)
Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha
am zu ga-al-ta
(In Your Love, You lead
the people You redeemed)
Na-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha
am zu ga-al-ta
(In Your Love, You lead
the people You redeemed)
A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra,
A-shi-ra.......
This is the Biblical poem Shirat Hayam שירת הים "Song of the Sea" from
Exodus 15.
They sing parts of
verses 1,11,13:
אָשִׁירָה לַה' כִּי-גָאֹה גָּאָה
מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם ה' מִי כָּמֹכָה
נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ
נָחִיתָ בְחַסְדְּךָ עַם-זוּ
גָּאָלְתָּ
ashira laadonay ki
gao gaa
mi chamocha baelim
adonay mi kamocha needar bakodesh
nakhita vekhasdecha
am zu gaalta
I will sing unto
the LORD, for He is highly exalted
Who is like unto
Thee, O LORD, among the mighty? who is like unto Thee, glorious in
holiness
Thou in Thy love
hast led the people that Thou hast redeemed
